Submission deadlines 

Submissions for the 2021 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards will be accepted beginning December 18, 2020. 

The schedule of deadlines for this year's awards program is:

• Early-bird deadline: January 22, 2021 (discounted rate)
• On-time deadline: February 12, 2021
• Final deadline: February 26, 2021

All deadlines are 11:59 PM EDT.

Time Frame

All eligible work must be implemented, published or broadcast between January 2018 and the day of submission. If a long-term strategy was developed prior to January 2018 and has not previously been entered, it is eligible for entry. If you entered your work in 2019 or 2020 and did not win an award, you may revise and re-enter your project. Entries that have won in previous years may not be resubmitted.

Entry Fees

Entry fees in Canadian dollars (CAD). Tax Included. All deadlines are at 11:59 PM EDT.

*Member must be a key contributor to the project submitted. You will be asked to provide your name and Member ID for validation.

**Member must be employed by a not-for-profit, non-profit or charitable organization (excludes government agencies, public sector organizations and industry associations). Agencies or consultants entering a project implemented for a not -for-profit, non- profit or charitable organization client do not qualify for this reduced rate.

Payment

Payment is the final step in the submission process. Entries must be paid in full before the deadline to be eligible for evaluation via credit card in the online system. Cheque or cash payment are not accepted.

Access Exclusive Membership Rates

To access discounted rates for professional and student members, you need to provide your membership number.

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• Member-only education and exclusive content in IABC’s content centre and IABC/Toronto’s bi-weekly eLert
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• Member pricing for:
  • You and your organization's IABC Gold Quill Award submissions and IABC Canada Silver Leaf Award submissions, in addition to your IABC/Toronto OVATION submissions
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  • Attendance to the World Conference, the premier education destination for business communicators and leaders each year

Learn more about IABC membership benefits.

The 2021 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards are divided into four divisions and more than 25 categories, and are open to both professionals and students. You may submit your entry in more than one category. Make sure that it meets the requirements of each category.

New for 2021!

• 4 award categories:
  • COVID-19 Response & Recovery
  • Anti-racism
  • LGBTQ2
  • Accessibility
• 2 new divisions:
  • Communication Research
  • Communications Training & Education

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, from governments to retail companies to services such as utilities and health care. 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 of communication materials.

A single tactical execution element that formed part of a communication program may 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 behavioural 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

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 the 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 both

Category 5: Safety Communication

• Programs or strategies that focus on improving awareness, understanding and behaviours related to safety issues within an organization

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
• Tactics may include tool kits with speaking notes, games or other tools that help leaders communicate specific topic, and special publications with information and support for leadership communication

Category 7: Marketing, Advertising & Brand Communication

• 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 behaviours, or sell products and services

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 as the primary channel to reach target audiences and seek to influence awareness, understanding and opinion, or to 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

Note: there are three sub-categories from which to choose: 

• 9a. Media Relations with budget up to $50K
• 9b. Media Relations with budget > $50Kup to $100K 
• 9c. Media Relations with budget > $100K
  
  IMPORTANT: Please state 9a, 9b, or 9c on the work plan and on the online entry form.

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
• Tactics and supporting strategies may include formal and informal meetings, town hall discussions, workshops, presentations, open houses, and electronic or printed material

Category 11: Government Relations & 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 behaviours of decision-makers toward the organization or industry

Category 12: Government Communication Programs

• 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 & 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 communication between a company, 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 labour 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
  

Category 14B: COVID-19 Response & Recovery Management and Communication

• COVID-19-related programs targeted at external and/or internal audiences that address the crisis, business continuity, or issues or attitudes that have a significant impact on an organization, such as closing/reopening 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
  

Category 16: Non-Profit Campaigns

• Programs recognizing the particular challenges of the non-profit sector
• May include multiple internal or external audiences
• Promotes non-profit 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 no budget

Category 17: Diversity & Inclusion

• Campaigns or programs of work aimed at building a culture of inclusion
• Entries must focus on the communication elements of D&I programs, which could include specific topic-based initiatives, special events or wider strategies to advance D&I aims.
  
  Note: there are three sub-categories from which to choose: 
  • 17a. Anti Racism
  • 17b. LGBTQ2
  • 17c. Accessibility

IMPORTANT: Please state 17a, 17b, or 17c on the work plan and on the online entry form.

Category 17D: Marketing Communication

• Marketing is defined as the systematic planning, implementation and control of a variety of business activities intended to bring buyers and sellers together
• May include various activities designed to sell products, services, destinations or ideas to external audiences, and is generally delivered through a variety of communication vehicles and channels
• Broader than advertising campaigns, although advertising is often an element of a marketing program

Category 17E: Social Media Programs

• Engages internal and external audiences in conversation through social media
• Encompasses tools and practices that allow individuals and groups to collaborate and share knowledge and experiences online
• May use: conversation-enabled publishing platforms such as blogs and podcasts; social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook; democratized content networks such as wikis and message boards; content-sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr; and virtual networking platforms 

Division 2: Communication Research

Entries in this division recognize the importance of research and measurement as a foundation for strategic communication work and a competency that is integral to success throughout the career of a communication professional. A clear understanding of why the research was needed demonstrates its strategic value to an organization.

Category 18: Communication Research

• Formative research conducted during the initial stages of the strategic communication planning process that benchmarks internal audience opinions or behaviors, profiles the marketplace or internal communication environment in which the organization operates, aligns best practices against organizational needs, or informs strategic direction for internal communication programs
  • May include stakeholder analysis, competitive benchmarking, secondary research related to best practices, program or product test markets, and reputation or brand studies

Division 3: Communication Training and Education 

This division recognizes the mentorship and education role of consultants and communicators in developing and delivering workshops, classes, seminars or training that educates an audience about any aspect of the communication profession. This division includes all communication disciplines and professional competencies.

Entries in this division must demonstrate:

• Alignment of learning outcomes to goals and objectives
• Alignment of assessments to specific learning outcomes
• Theories and practices of educational excellence
• Impact outside the classroom

Category 19: Communication Training and Education 

Training or educational programs delivered to an internal or external audience that help to improve their communication competencies

• For internal audiences, this may include supervisor/manager/leader training in communication skills, presentation skills and employee ambassador development, in addition to media training, speaker’s bureau training and other communication disciplines
• For external audiences, this may include presentations for conferences, university classes, seminars or workshops, as well as media and executive coaching

Division 4: Communication Skills

The communication skills division includes marketing and communication elements that showcase technical skills such as editing, writing, design and multimedia production. Entries in this division are generally tactical in nature. Entrants must demonstrate strategic alignment, the creative process and measurable results tied to objectives.

Category 20: Special and Experiential Events

• Planning and execution of a special event for an internal or external audience
• For internal audiences, this may include employee appreciation events, or events that mark a significant occasion such as an anniversary, internal conference or meeting or a celebration or special retirement
• For external audiences, this may include conferences, workshops, anniversaries, official openings, product launches, road shows and customer events

Category 21: Digital Communication/Communication for the Web

• Computer-based communication vehicles defined as the end product that are produced for internal or external audiences and rely on a digital communication channel for delivery
• Electronic and interactive communication channels such as websites, intranets, online stores, blogs, podcasts, social network such as LinkedIn and Facebook, democratized content networks such as wiki sand message boards, micro-blogging sites such as Twitter, content-sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr, and virtual networking platforms
• May also include electronic newsletters, electronic annual reports, special publications, CDsor DVDs, e-cards, banner ads, buttons, pop-ups and similar material
• Generally one-way communication that offers published content online

Category 22: Audio/Visual

• Communication vehicles produced using sound, images, video, film, slides, CDs or a combination of these elements
• May include video, audio, PowerPoint or other presentations, and films (does not include advertising commercials)

Category 23: Social Media

• Engages internal and external audiences in conversation through social media
• Encompasses tools and practices that allow individuals and groups to collaborate and share knowledge and experiences online
  • May use conversation-enabled publishing platforms such as blogs and podcasts, social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, democratized content networks such as wikis and message boards, content-sharing sites such as YouTube, enterprise social networks such as Yammer, Slack and Jive, and virtual networking platforms

Category 24: Publications

• Publications produced for internal or external audiences in all formats, including hard copy and electronic.
• May include magazines, newspapers, newsletters or tabloids, annual reports, books, special publications, brochures and other advertising material, e-newsletters and similar material

Category 25: Writing

This category includes writing in both print and electronic formats, includes online writing and blogs:

• Journalism:
  • Material in which the news media is the primary communication channel
  • May include, but is not limited to, editorials, interpretive/expository articles, news releases, and feature stories
• Corporate Writing:
  • Material written primarily for use by an organization to inform or educate employees or external stakeholders
  • May include recurring features or columns, magazines, newsletters, internal or special publications, stand-alone features, speeches and presentations, executive correspondence, scripts for corporate use, writing for an intranet, internet, internal publications, technical writing, and annual and special reports
• Promotional Writing:
  • Material written to persuade customers, consumers, employees or stakeholders to adopt a point of view, perform an action, or to purchase goods or services
  • May include commercials, advertising, marketing or sales promotion material, advertorials and writing for the Web
• Non-Profit Writing:
  • Material written to promote nonprofit organizations, including IABC regional and chapter events
• Writing – Special Projects:
  • Books (fiction and nonfiction), educational material, scripts for theatrical use, and other writing projects not covered above

Helping you draft an award-winning entry 

Division 1: Communication Management Resources

• Entry Guide for Division 1
• Division 1 Award-Winning Work Plan Examples
  • Division 1: Category 1
  • Division 1: Category 1 (second example)
  • Division 1: Category 5
• Division 1 Work Plan Template
• Division 1: Communication Management Scoring Sheet
• Client permission letter template (for work performed on behalf of a client)
• Customizable justification letter to help you get approval and funding for your entry

Division 2: Communication Research Resources

• Entry Guide for Division 2
• Division 2 Award-Winning Work Plan Example
• Division 2 Work Plan Template
• Division 2: Communication Research Scoring Sheet
• Client permission letter template (for work performed on behalf of a client)
• Customizable justification letter to help you get approval and funding for your entry

Division 3: Communication Training and Education Resources

• Entry Guide for Division 3
• Division 3 Award-Winning Work Plan Example
• Division 3 Work Plan Template
• Division 3: Communication Education and Training Scoring Sheet
• Client permission letter template (for work performed on behalf of a client)
• Customizable justification letter to help you get approval and funding for your entry

Division 4: Communication Skills Resources

• Entry Guide for Division 4
• Division 4 Award-Winning Work Plan Examples
• Division 4 Work Plan Template (8 questions to be answered)
• Division 4: Communication Skills Scoring Sheet
• Client permission letter template (for work performed on behalf of a client)
• Customizable justification letter to help you get approval and funding for your entry

Rules

You must upload your entry and pay the registration fee before the deadlines noted:
 

Entry fees in Canadian dollars (CAD). Tax Included. All deadlines are at 11:59 PM EDT.

*Member must be a key contributor to the project submitted. You will be asked to provide your name and Member ID for validation.

**Member must be employed by a not-for-profit, non-profit or charitable organization (excludes government agencies, public sector organizations and industry associations). Agencies or consultants entering a project implemented for a not -for-profit, non- profit or charitable organization client do not qualify for this reduced rate.

Payment is the final step in the submission process. Entries must be paid in full before the deadline to be eligible for evaluation via credit card in the online system. Cheque or cash are not accepted.

Entries may be disqualified if: 

• The work plan exceeds four (4) pages
• Any element of the project violates the IABC Code of Ethics
• It is obvious the entrant did not play a role in the project
• The entry depends mainly on syndicated, borrowed, reprinted or stock material
• The electronic files contain viruses, if they disable, or require disabling of, any part of the computer system used during evaluation, or if evaluators cannot view work samples using the instructions provided. 
• If you are a consultant and your work was done for a client, you must include client permission for your entry, or it may be disqualified.

Frequently asked Questions

What will disqualify entries?

• Entries are not submitted and paid for by the entry deadline
• Entry is submitted in wrong division or category
• Entry is incomplete or inaccurate 
• Entry is not submitted online
• Work plan exceeds the page limit, is not clear or does not follow submission guidelines
• Work plan or work sample is missing or incomplete 
• Work submitted is not your own. 
• Failure to acknowledge key creative contributions
• Letter of permission is missing (if applicable – i.e., agencies submitting on behalf of a client must provide a letter of permission)

We do not want our work plan made public. Is there any way to keep this information private? 

YES. While entering online, you can choose the option to keep your entry private due to proprietary interests. 

Do we have to disclose information regarding the budget? 

YES. If you do not provide budget information, you will be penalized in the marking process. Ensure you check the confidentiality box on the online site when submitting your entry. If you cannot provide exact budgets due to proprietary reasons, please provide an approximate budget. 

If I have won in another IABC award program for the same submission, does it mean I will win automatically?

There is no guarantee of winning an OVATION Award. Each entry is judged against the specific category criteria. 

Do the judges really pay attention to details such as the permitted margin size and the length of the work Plan? 

YES. If you get these details wrong, you will be disqualified. 

What happens to the entries after the competition is completed? 

All submissions will be deleted by June 28, 2021 by IABC/Toronto. Only those with permission are able to access the secure online management system. 

Can I submit my entry in a binder or on a CD/DVD?

Submissions (work plans and work samples) will only be accepted through the online system. 

I have several testimonial letters, but they mention the name of another awards program. Do I need to get authors to slightly “reword” these letters to mention OVATION Awards? 

In your testimonial, you may insert ellipses (...) to acknowledge that the quote is not in full. 

Must testimonial letters be signed? 

Email testimonials are acceptable provided they are properly articulated and include the sender’s name, the date, etc. An electronic signature is acceptable.

Are winners able to purchase additional statues and plaques for team members? 

YES. Details on purchasing additional awards will be sent to winners as part of the Winner’s Package in April 2020. 

How do I pay offline? I would like to pay by cheque. 

Unfortunately, we can only accept online payments at the time of submission in the online award system.

I have become an IABC/Toronto member since I created my entry. Can I change my membership status to take advantage of the IABC member rate? 

If you have created an entry and have not paid or submitted it, you can navigate to Entrant and update your membership information. The new rate will be reflected when you pay. Please note, a valid member ID is required for validation. If you have already paid and/or submitted your entry, please contact the IABC/Toronto office for information. 

Questions?

Contact toronto-info@iabc.to.

7 - Outstanding: An extraordinary or insightful approach or result.

6 - Significantly better than average: Demonstrates an innovative, strategic approach; takes all elements into account and delivers significant results.

5 - Better than average: Demonstrates a strategic approach and aligns the communication solution with the business need to deliver meaningful results.

4 - Average: Competent approach or results, professionally sound and appropriate.

3 - Somewhat less than satisfactory: Several key elements that are critical to the strategy or execution are missing, incorrect or under-represented.

2 - An inadequate approach or result: A significant number of critical elements are missing.

1 - Poor: Work that is wrong or inappropriate.