Public Relations professionals strive to be the “best of the best” and the best way to prove it to clients and peers is through being awarded one of the oldest, and some would say most distinctive, industry award, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil. Now is the time to enter for the opportunity to be among an elite group of people who have created bodies of work that meet the highest standards of performance in the profession.
The Silver Anvil Award symbolizes the forging of public opinion and is awarded to organizations that have successfully addressed contemporary issues with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. For nearly 70 years, the Silver Anvil has recognized outstanding professional achievement in public relations campaigns in 16 categories and more than 60 sub-categories such as “Integrated Communications,” “Community Relations,” “Global Communications,” and “Public Service.”
In keeping with PRSA’s support of the Barcelona Principles and the accompanying measurement guidelines issued by the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC), Silver Anvil-winning programs should have Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely (SMART) objectives, demonstrate a tangible contribution to the organization, impact the target audience in a desired way and link public relations activities to specific business outcomes that support organizational goals.The use of AVEs — the “advertising value equivalency” of the media earned through a campaign — as an evaluative metric, is strongly discouraged.
Judges may select one Silver Anvil winner and up to three Award of Excellence winners in each category; if no program in a particular category merits a Silver Anvil Award, none is awarded for that group of entries.
Entries for this year’s awards will be accepted through Feb. 21 and finalists announced in March. Winners will be announced at the PRSA Silver Anvil Awards Ceremony June 12 to be held at the AXA Equitable Building in New York.
In addition to the Silver Anvil Award entries, PRSA is also accepting entries for the Bronze Anvil Awards, which recognizes superior performance in the design and execution of individual tactics within broader public relations campaigns.
Tips for preparing Silver Anvil entries are available online by searching previous entries or viewing highlights of the PRSA Professional Development workshop, “Anvil Thinking: The Route to Award-Winning Work.” Before submitting, participants should first review the Silver Anvil Award Call for Entries guidelines.
Bronze Anvil entries must be submitted by April 4. The Bronze Anvil and Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation winners will be announced following the Silver Anvil Awards ceremony in June. Participants are encouraged to view the Bronze Anvil Award Call for Entries guideline and the “Anvil Thinking” video for tips on submitting a winning entry.