Announcing Ragan’s 2021 Media Relations Awards finalists

The finalists in this year’s Media Relations Awards program know how to stand out on the media landscape.

They told powerful stories, protected their organization’s reputation, navigated uncertainty during the pandemic and more—and they delivered success for the organizations or clients.

Congratulations to this year’s impressive Media Relations Awards finalists.

Read on to see who made the list, and keep an eye out for the winner announcement in early September.

Grand Prize

Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Over $50:000

• Aflac: 2020-2021 Aflac Open Enrollment Campaign
• Alibaba Group: 2020 Alibaba Group’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival Media Campaign
• American Nurses Association: COVID-19 and the Nation’s Most Trusted Profession:  ANA’s Rapid Response Rallies for Nurses
• Herbalife Nutrition: Global Healthy Lifestyle Thought Leadership Strategy

Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $50:000

• American Psychological Association and Vanguard Communications: Stress in America™ 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis
• Bospar: Prodoscore: Making Working From Home Actually Work
• iQ 360: Movers and Shakas: Reimagining Hawaii’s Tourism Industry
• Playstation: PS5 Launch

Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $10:000

• Children’s Health: Children’s Health and COVID-19: A Call to Action and Education
• Gillian Small PR: Cinnadust Seasoning Sweetens 2020 with News of Official Cinnamon Toast Crunch Seasoning Launch
• World Wildlife Fund: Living Planet Report 2020

Media Relations Professionals of the Year

• Allie Marsh: Crafted Communications
• Farshad Hashmatulla: Zoom Video Communications
• Neil Alumkal: Stuntman PR
• Pete Deutschman: The Buddy Group

Campaigns

Brand Messaging or Positioning Campaign

• Aflac: 2020-2021 Aflac Open Enrollment Campaign
• Agency Guacamole: Baxter of California Deep Clean Shampoo Launch
• Bospar: SingleStore: What’s in a Name?
• Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and Padilla: Resiliency Through Risk Control – Church Mutual Becomes Trusted Resource to Key Leaders
• Intel Corp. with Ketchum: Sharing the Promise of AI – One Smell at A Time
• Siemens Healthineers: Informing Americans About Antibody Testing Through Top-Tier Media Outreach

Cause Marketing Campaign

• Casey House: Untold Stories of Stigma
• The Brand Agency: Building a More Sustainable Future: Debuting Aether Diamonds
• Travelers Insurance, Peppercomm, TBWA\Chiat\Day New York: Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk—Consumer Distracted Driving Education Campaign

Community Relations Campaign

• AARP: Creating the Good with AARP Illinois
• Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock: Camp CHaD ~ Virtual Camp for New Hampshire’s Kids
• ESPN: #oneteam Campaign
• Loyola Marymount Univerisity: LMU Master Plan Amendment
• Makovsky: Hunt Military Communities
• Violet PR: ‘Choose Topeka’ – $15:000 Relocation Campaign

COVID-19 Communications Campaign

• American Nurses Association: COVID-19 and the Nation’s Most Trusted Profession:  ANA’s Rapid Response Rallies for Nurses
• BODEN Agency: McDonald’s HACER Más
• Children’s Health: Children’s Health and COVID-19: A Call to Action and Education
• Cone Health: COVID-19 Media Response
• ESPN: #oneteam Campaign
• Kraft Heinz Company: We Got You America
• MUCINEX: MUCINEX Goes Beyond Words with Three-Phased COVID-19 Public Health Information Campaign
• Northwell Health: The First COVID Vaccine in the US
• Proofpoint: Expect the Unexpected: Combating the Toughest COVID-19 Cybercriminals Worldwide
• The Home Depot Mexico: Do It Yourself COVID-19
• Vonage: COVID-19 Communications

Crisis or Reputation Management Campaign

• Culloton + Bauer Luce: Containing a COVID-19 crisis: How CBL helped restore a Chicago nursing home network’s reputation
• SPM Communications: Crisis During a Crisis: Creating a Media Win

Data-Driven Media Relations Campaign

• Aflac: 2020-2021 Aflac Open Enrollment Campaign
• Burrow: Maximizing Revenue Through Data-Backed Media Strategy
• StockX: Data-Driven Storytelling Program

Diversity: Equity and Inclusion Initiative

• Genesis Brand Management: Raising Awareness for the Asian Community through the Power of Food
• H&S: America Is For Everyone

Global Media Relations Campaign

• Degreed: Degreed: The State of Skills
• MTA: AlCan ONE Completion
• Oracle: AI@Work: Mental Health
• Playstation: PS5 Launch
• Proofpoint: Expect the Unexpected: Combating the Toughest COVID-19 Cybercriminals Worldwide

Governmental or Public Affairs Media Relations Campaign

• Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management: Stay Home Save Lives Campaign
• Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance & Inspire PR Group: REBA Energy Buyer Federal Clean Energy Policy Statement 2021

Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign

• Aflac: 2020-2021 Aflac Open Enrollment Campaign
• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): ADM’s 2020 Emerging Consumer Behavior Shifts Campaign
• Bospar: SingleStore: What’s in a Name

Purpose-Driven Campaign

• Dittoe Public Relations: EXHALE, the first emotional wellbeing app for and by Black, Indigenous, Women of Color
• Merck Animal Health: Unconditional
• Nutrien Ltd.: Carbon Program Launch
• Qorvis Communications: Crafting through Covid
• Reckitt: Here for Healthy Schools

Social Media Campaign

• Almond Board of California: @almondsmx
• bicom: Vichy – Neovadiol campaign
• BODEN Agency: McDonald’s Dorado
• Bullfrog + Baum: Next Level Holiday – Launching Biochem’s Chocolate Peppermint Protein Powder

Thought Leadership Campaign

• Amendola Communications: Amendola Puts Appriss Health on the Map with Thought Leadership Results
• Arcadia: Amendola Helps Arcadia Rise to the Top with Outstanding Thought Leadership Results
• Clyde Group: George Mason School of Business
• Critical Environments Group: Data Center Containment Best Practices that won’t Bust Your Budget
• Diffusion: Elevating Brand Awareness of alliantgroup Through Strategic Thought Leadership
• Intel: Thought Leadership in Healthcare
• Peppercomm: Restarting the travel industry from zero: Peppercomm and Flagship for trivago
• Sotheby’s International Realty: Luxury Outlook Report Thought Leadership

Events

New Product or Service Launch

• 5W Public Relations: CLMBR – Building Brand Recognition form the Ground Up
• Amendola Communications: Capsule’s Ventilated Patient Surveillance (VPS) workstation
• BML Public Relations: BML Public Relations & Del Monte Fresh Produce: Pinkglow™ Pineapple Launch
• Cone Health: Women’s & Children’s Center Media Campaign
• Gillian Small PR: Cinnadust Seasoning Sweetens 2020 with News of Official Cinnamon Toast Crunch Seasoning Launch
• Intel: Intel Industrial Summit and Product Launch
• iQ 360: Movers and Shakas: Reimagining Hawaii’s Tourism Industry
• Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC): KFC x Crocs

Virtual Event

• Baker Public Relations: Farewell to 2020 Virtual Parade
• GLAAD: Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone
• Hotwire: Bringing Zoomtopia to a Global Media Audience for the First Time
• The Brand Guild: Books In Bloom

Media Relations Strategy

Content Marketing and Brand Journalism

• Alibaba Group: Alibaba Group Alizila
• Jefferson Health: Jefferson Health Cortimo Clinical Trial
• Plenty of Fish: Dating Defined: 2021 Dating Trends by Plenty of Fish

Innovation in Media Relations

• Kraft Heinz Company: We Got You America
• The Buddy Group: Pete Deutschman
• Alibaba Group: Alibaba Group Alizila

Media Relations Video

• The Buddy Group: Pete Deutschman
• University Health: University Health PR
• Verra Mobility: 2020’s Worst Red-Light Runners

Newsjacking

• 5W Public Relations – Bobbie Windatt: Topps NOW Celebrating News as it Happens
• Geben Communication: Weekdays
• Plenty of Fish: The New “F-Word”: Fauci-ing
• Pugh & Tiller PR: Speeding During the COVID Shutdown
• Saama Technologies: A NASA Mindset to End the Pandemic.
• The Power Group: Golden Chick’s Golden Opportunity with Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs

Pitch

• Anker Innovations: Soundcore Launches Liberty Air 2 Pro Headphones
• Citrine One Malaysia: Shopee 12.12 Birthday Sale
• Experience Harlem: Wilson Marshall PR + Special Events
• Genesis Brand Management: Raising Awareness for the Asian Community through the Power of Food
• (W)right On Communications: Valentine’s Day Vaccine
• Porter Novelli: Navigating a Virtual World: Panasonic at CES 2021

Use of a Celebrity or Personality

• Buffalo Wild Wings: Boneless Thugs-N-Harmony
• Playstation: PS5 Launch
• The World Disney Company: Disney + Launch