Strategy. Creativity. Results.
The IABC Heritage Region mirrors the IABC Gold Quill program's four divisions and 26 categories.
Division 1: Communication Management
The Communication Management division covers projects, programs and campaigns that are guided by a communication strategy.
Entries to this division can be submitted by any type of organization, including public and private corporations, governments, non-governmental organizations, not-for-profit organizations, partnerships, cooperatives, and educational institutions. Entrants must demonstrate how their project applied a full range of planning and management skills, including research, analysis, strategy, tactical implementation, and evaluation.
Entries may include a wide range, mix and matrix of communication materials. (A single tactical execution element that formed part of a communication program can also be entered in the Communication Skills Division.)
Category 1: INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
- Programs or strategies targeted at employee or member audiences
- Includes programs that create awareness and influence opinion or behavioral change, including those focused on ethics, morale, internal culture or change management
- May involve improving employee understanding and alignment with business direction, improving face-to-face communication, preparing employees for change, integration of organizational cultures caused by an acquisition or downsizing, an internal brand ambassador program or a program to inspire pride in the organization
- Includes integrated campaigns
Category 2: EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
- Local, regional, national or international programs or strategies that profile the role of strategic communication as a driver in improving employee engagement
- Entries must focus on the communication elements of these programs, which could include contribution to program development and promotion through various communication vehicles and channels
- May include employee recognition and employee volunteer programs, including programs that benefit charitable or philanthropic causes, or that recognize employees’ organizational contributions or achievements in the organization
Category 3: HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS COMMUNICATION
- Programs or strategies targeted at internal audiences that relate to communication of health and welfare, savings and pension, stocks and compensation, or recruitment and retention initiatives
Category 4: CHANGE COMMUNICATION
- Communication strategies that support organizational change
- May be directed at internal or external audiences, or integrated campaigns
Category 5: SAFETY COMMUNICATION
- Programs or strategies that focus on improving awareness, understanding and behaviors related to safety and security issues within an organization
- May be directed at internal or external audiences, or integrated campaigns
Category 6: LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
- Programs or strategies that help leaders become more effective communicators, improve the quality of leadership communication within an organization, or improve leader knowledge and the ability to use communication as a business driver
- Strategies may include tool kits with speaking notes, videos, games or other tools that help leaders communicate a specific topic, and special publications with information and support for leadership communication
Category 7: MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND BRAND COMMUNICATION
- May include various activities designed to sell products, services, destinations, organizations or ideas to external audiences, and is generally delivered through a variety of communication vehicles and channels
- Strategies for new brands and the repositioning of existing brands in relationship to internal and external audiences
- May include brand characteristics and attributes, changes to corporate identities and design solutions that address the challenges of brand communication (must be more than a logo redesign)
- Strategic advertising campaigns designed to build brand awareness, influence opinion, motivate audience behaviors, or sell products and services
- May be directed at internal or external audiences, or integrated campaigns
Category 8: CUSTOMER RELATIONS
- Strategies or ongoing programs targeted at customer audiences that educate, inform, engage or otherwise connect the organization and its employees to the customer
- Programs may influence reputation, brand awareness and loyalty, and market position
- May include relationship management, experience standards or appreciation programs, but must be focused on communication and marketing elements
Category 9: MEDIA RELATIONS
- Strategies or ongoing programs that use the news media (includes print, online and/or broadcast) as the primary channel to reach target audiences and seek to influence awareness, understanding and opinion or motivate action
- Should demonstrate the quality of media coverage and its impact on the organization—quantity of media stories alone is not considered a valid measurement in this category
Category 10: COMMUNITY RELATIONS
- A one-time or an ongoing program that enhances stakeholder understanding of issues affecting business operations within the community served
- Seeks to build trust and credibility with stakeholder groups generally through consultation and other communication-based activities
- Supporting strategies may include formal and informal meetings, town hall discussions, workshops, presentations, open houses, and electronic or printed material
Category 11: GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
- Short- or long-term programs that influence the opinion or actions of government bodies or agencies
- May seek to create awareness or influence the attitudes and behaviors of decision-makers toward the organization or industry
Category 12: GOVERNMENTAL COMMUNICATION
- Programs and strategies specific to government organizations at the municipal, state, provincial, regional, federal, national or international level
- May be targeted to one or more audiences, and include internal, external or integrated communication strategies or programs
Category 13: FINANCIAL COMMUNICATION AND INVESTOR RELATIONS
- Entails strategies, tactics and tools used to share financial data and recommendations with investors and other interested parties
- Includes investor relations functions that integrate finance, communication, marketing and securities laws compliance to enable effective two-way communication between a company, and the financial community and stakeholders
Category 14: ISSUES MANAGEMENT AND CRISIS COMMUNICATION
- Programs targeted at external and/or internal audiences that address trends, issues or attitudes that have a significant impact on an organization, such as labor relations, crises, mergers, acquisitions, public policy or environmental concerns
- Programs may demonstrate proactive planning and preventive action during an extraordinary event, or show the actions taken to address trends, issues and interest group attitudes that have a major impact on an organization
- May be directed at internal or external audiences, or integrated campaigns
Category 14B: COVID-19 RESPONSE & RECOVERY MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION
- COVID-19-related programs targeted at external and/or internal audiences that address crisis, business continuity or issues or attitudes that have a significant impact on an organization, such as shuttering/re-opening businesses, furlough/layoff staff, redesigning business operations
- Programs may demonstrate both proactive planning and preventive action during the pandemic and/or show the actions taken to address trends, issues and interest group attitudes that have a major impact on an organization
Category 15: CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Programs or strategies that communicate social responsibility and encourage positive actions while building awareness and reputation and positioning the organization as a good corporate citizen
- May be targeted to multiple audiences and influence share price and customer loyalty, retention and recruitment, operational efficiency and increased sales
- Generally long-term and focused on enhancing the well-being of communities and populations through causes such as the environment, energy sustainability, food safety, economic stability, employment, poverty reduction, literacy, education, health, cultural preservation, and indigenous and heritage protection
- May be directed at internal or external audiences, or integrated campaigns
Category 16: NONPROFIT CAMPAIGNS
- Programs recognizing the particular challenges of the nonprofit sector
- May include multiple internal or external audiences
- Promotes nonprofit organizations or causes
- May be paid projects or pro-bono projects donated to the client by an organization, agency or consultancy; entries will generally have a small budget or none at all
- May be directed at internal or external audiences, or integrated campaigns
Category 17: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
- Campaigns or programs of work aimed at building a culture of inclusion for an organization, with internal or external stakeholders (or both)
- Entries must focus on the communication elements of D&I programs, which could include specific topic-based initiatives, special events or wider organizational strategies to advance D&I aims