2010 Lamplighter Awards--CATEGORIES

Rules & Regulations    Challenge Statement     Online Entry Guidelines

Entry Form     Call for Entries PDF 

**Please note, all entries must be entered online. Please review and follow instructions carefully.

1. ADVERTISING
This category includes both paid and public service advertising.  Entries submitted to Total Campaign category cannot be entered into print, radio or television categories.

A. OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
• Submit color photographs as JPEGs or PDFs.
• All collateral materials must be uploaded.

B. PRINT
• Includes single or series ads in newspapers or magazines.
• Submit PDFs of the original materials.
• Scans of the clippings may be sent if desired.
• All collateral materials must be uploaded.

C. RADIO
• Includes single spot or series.
• Spots may be 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds in length.
• Submit your entry as an MP3 file online
• All collateral materials must be uploaded.

D. TELEVISION
• Includes single spot or series.
• Spots may be 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds in length.
• Submit your entry as a video file for judging.
• All collateral materials must be uploaded.

E. TOTAL CAMPAIGN
• Includes planned campaigns that utilize advertising and sales promotion in two or more media.
• Television spots and other visual support should be provided as a video file.
• Submit radio spots as MP3s.
• Submit color photographs for outdoor advertising as JPEGs or PDFs.
• All collateral materials must be uploaded.
• Challenge statement may be increased in length to four typewritten, double-spaced pages.

2. AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATIONS
Judges will take into account quality lost in the duplication process. Presentations may include slide presentations, films and/or videos.
AV Presentations must be uploaded AND mailed. Please send two copies of the CD or DVD.

3. COMMUNITY RELATIONS/OUTREACH/ADVOCACY
• This category reflects programs developed to reach out to communities in the hospitals service territory. This includes programs that target specific audiences and demographics and were developed to build relationships and deliver health  information to the community through school programs, senior programs, etc.
• Entries in this category may include joint efforts with other hospitals, healthcare providers and community organizations. 
• Entrants should outline the efforts, the objectives, the role of public relations or marketing and the resulting benefits to the community.
• Support materials should accompany the entry and may include newspaper clippings, broadcast stories, brochures, letters, speeches and other testimony.  All collateral materials must be uploaded.

4. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
• This category recognizes specific crisis situations and unplanned events resolved through the use of public relations techniques. 
• Entrants should outline the challenge; internal or external target audiences involved, and evaluate the effectiveness of public relations strategy in resolving the problem. 
• Examples include medical accidents, investigations, security failures, labor disputes, natural disasters and others.
• Support materials should accompany the entry and may include newspaper clippings, broadcast stories, letters and other testimony.

5. DESIGN

A.  LOGO
• Submit stat copies and examples of logo used on stationery or object for judging.

B. OTHER PRINTED PIECES
• May be banners, postcards, calendars or any printed piece other than publications.
Large items that cannot easily be uploaded for viewing may be sent. Please upload a PDF where possible and make note in the comments section that you will be mailing a large item.

C.  SINGLE PUBLICATION
• A special purpose, one-time publication or single issue of an ongoing publication.
• All publications must be uploaded.

6. ELECTRONIC MARKETING
• This category recognizes use of electronic media—i.e., e-mail, e-newsletters and overall e-campaigns, for marketing/public relations purposes.
• Materials in this category must be PDFs created from the original file for e-use.
• Include explanation of distribution and rationale behind use of electronic vs. traditional media.
• May be one time, or a series of e-pubs or related efforts.
• Please explain how email list was obtained.
• Include tracking data.

7. EXCELLENCE IN WRITING

A. FEATURE ARTICLES
• An original piece written or commissioned for a healthcare publication, professional journal, magazine or newspaper.
• Submissions must be substantially unedited or revised.
• You must provide the publication in which it appeared, as well as the original manuscript, typed, double-spaced.
• Challenge statement should also include reasons for the article, research involved and any measurable reactions.

B. PRESS RELEASES AND PITCH LETTERS
• Submit an original pitch made to a journalist or submit the press release with a successful result
• Include scanned clips of media hits as JPEGs or PDFs

C. OTHER
• Written pieces that do not fit into any of the above categories. Examples include white papers, communications to elected officials, case statements, Op-Ed pieces, etc.

D. SPEECH WRITING
• Speech written for entrant’s own use or for another member of the organization. 
• Identify where and when the speech was given.

8. MARKETING/TOTAL EFFORT
• Includes total marketing efforts of a healthcare facility, satellite facility or major program.
• Must be described and demonstrated through research, program objectives, strategy to accomplish objectives, implementation, evaluation of the effectiveness of the marketing promotional tools used, and report on current status.
• Challenge Statement may be increased in length to up to eight typed, double-spaced pages.
• All collateral materials must be uploaded.
• This category will NOT be divided by agency produced and produced in house. All entries will be split by budget only: budget under $50,000 and over $50,000.

9. MEDIA RELATIONS
• This category looks specifically at the public relations professional’s skill in proactively pitching a story to the media.
• Entrants should outline the objective of the pitch, describe how media targets were selected and cultivated and detail all obstacles overcome in the successful pitch. Show how the media story supports the strategic goals of the organization.
• Describe how you successfully worked with the journalist to secure the story(ies). If supporting materials were used, they should be included.
• Support materials may include pitch letters, news releases and other materials used to pitch the journalist. Include a summary of phone conversations with the journalist and editors/producers if necessary. Also include a brief summary describing the scope of the campaign and any documented result (for example: attendance to an event, screening participants, etc.).

10. PHOTOGRAPHY
• Submit entry in the actual context it was used.
• For print media, submit 8 x 10 inch photo, accompanied by a tear sheet as evidence of use. 
• For slides, submit duplicate of slide. 
• Commissioned original material only, no syndicated or stock photos.

11. PHYSICIAN RELATIONS
• This category recognizes full campaigns that improve relations with physicians including the creation of a newsletter and other publications, speaker's bureau, orientation sessions, physician referral service, websites, advertising, outreach programs and more.
• Entrants should outline the challenge and the effectiveness of public relations/marketing strategy.

12. PUBLIC RELATIONS PROJECTS
• Designed to solve a specific problem or to communicate with a specific audience, either internal or external, using multiple tools of communications.
• This category recognizes the individual practitioner’s analytical and creative skills.  This can include any program or special project in your organization which your department solved. 
• This must be a project that you and/or your department had primary responsibility for executing.
• Submit a detailed case study outlining the situation, your assessment and analysis of the problem, methods chosen, implementation, evaluation and results.
• In this category, the Challenge Statement may be increased in length to four typewritten, double-spaced pages.
• This category will NOT be divided by agency produced and produced in house. All entries will be split by budget only: budget under $30,000 and over $30,000.
• Submit copies of the resulting media coverage — include newspaper clippings, broadcast stories, letters, Web stories and other published materials. All radio, television or video content must be uploaded.
• Special Note: This is for proactive PR pitches only, not crisis communications.

13. PUBLICATIONS

A. ANNUAL REPORT
• Formats vary. Examples include newspaper supplement, magazine, calendar, etc.
• All publications must be uploaded.

B. BROCHURE
• Included online or print brochures.
• All publications must be uploaded.

C. DIRECT MAIL
• This category includes any publication that targets a specific audience by mail for any purpose including fundraising.  Entrants should provide detailed summary results of the direct mail campaign.  Results will be paramount in judging.
• All publications must be uploaded.

D. EXTERNAL PERIODICALS
• Issued at periodic intervals, distributed primarily outside the healthcare facility. 
• Examples: Newsletters and magazines
• All publications must be uploaded. 
• Special Note: Submit two consecutive issues for judging.

E. INTERNAL PERIODICALS
• Issued at periodic intervals and distributed primarily within the healthcare facility. 
• Examples:  Newsletters and Magazines.
• All publications must be uploaded.
• Special Note: Submit three consecutive issues for judging.

D.  SPECIAL PURPOSE
• Includes patient handbooks, newspaper supplements (other than paid advertising), recruitment literature and one-time publications for a specific purpose other than annual reports.
• All publications must be uploaded.

14. POTPOURRI
• The potpourri category includes entries that do not qualify for any other category.
• Entries in this category may not be entered in any other category.

15. RECRUITMENT EFFORTS
• This category recognizes the unique efforts of healthcare professionals in their varied attempts to recruit and retain employees during these challenging times in the industry, including the national nursing shortage and shortages in other areas such as radiology technicians and anesthesiologists.
• May include publications, advertising, videos or a full marketing campaign.
• Large items may be mailed, however, a PDF of the item should be uploaded and note in the comments section that a large item is being mailed.

16. SOCIAL/NEW MEDIA  NEW CATEGORY
• Provide evidence of how your organization leveraged new or social media technologies/tools such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures, video, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, and RSS to communicate and strengthen relationships with target markets, including customers, partners, and investors.
• All materials must be uploaded. JPEGS of screen shots will be accepted.

17. SPECIAL EVENTS
• This new category recognizes the tremendous team effort on the part of public relations, marketing, and other departments to stage a successful special event such as a groundbreaking ceremony, open house, health fair, fundraisers such as golf tournaments, annual meetings, and more.
• Entrants should outline the goals of the event and how they were executed, internal or external target audiences involved, and evaluate the effectiveness of the event in terms of meeting objectives. 
• Upload all collateral materials such as invitations, brochures, advertising, news releases, press clippings, videos, posters, premiums, and other appropriate pieces.
• In this category, Challenge Statement may be increased in length to up to four typewritten, double-spaced pages, if necessary.
• Large items may be mailed, however, a PDF of the item should be uploaded and note in the comments section that a large item is being mailed.

18.  SUCCESS ON A SHOESTRING
• Projects of special merit with a significantly reduced, limited, or shoestring budget will be recognized in this category.  Projects appropriate for this category are one-time or first-time initiatives or the continuation of ongoing programs with newly-reduced funding.  If the latter, provide this year’s and last year’s budgets and samples from both years.

19. WEB SITES DESIGN
• Be sure to include the website address.
• Challenge statement may be increased in length to four typewritten, double-spaced pages.
• Please specify whether your website was created in conjunction with Information Systems or another department (in-house), or in conjunction with a website design firm (agency produced).
• Provide JPEG screen shots of your main page and/or PDF story boards of your website.
• All collateral materials must be uploaded.

OWEN J. MCNAMARA EXCELLENCE IN WRITING AWARD
The McNamara Award is a "best of the best" recognition for writing. The recipient is selected annually from the winners of the NESHCo Lamplighter Awards writing competitions.  The award is a tribute to the late Owen J. McNamara, a NESHCo member who, in his career as a newspaper reporter and editor, senior public affairs manager at Boston University's medical center and author, set the standard for clear, concise yet elegant writing that recognized the audience and context.  McNamara also served as a writing mentor to several generations of NESHCo members. *All award winners in the writing categories are automatically entered. There is no additional cost for this category.