2018 Paragon Award Winners
PRSA’s Southeastern Wisconsin chapter presented its annual Paragon Awards on May 16, celebrating the best public relations campaigns and tactics implemented in 2017 and early 2018. In all, 34 awards were presented with 11 awards for tactics and 22 for campaigns. “Travel Wisconsin’s St. Louis Press Kit” by Laughlin Constable won Best of Show, garnering the most points (98 out of a possible 100) from Paragon judges.
Steve Costello, president and CEO of Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation (known the BMO Harris Bradley Center) was honored as the 2018 Communicator of the Year. He has been with the Bradley Center for 30 years and is overseeing its decommissioning as the $520 million Milwaukee Bucks Arena gets ready to open later this year.
Debra (Debi) A. Miller, APR, Fellow PRSA, president and senior consultant for Global Communications Strategists, LLC, was honored as the Dorothy Thomas Black Award winner. She leads the chapter’s Diversity & Inclusion committee and was PRSA’s national President and CEO in 1997, the first woman of color and first African American to lead the organization. She was elected into PRSA’s College of Fellows in 2000 and received PRSA’s Gold Anvil, the industry’s most prestigious award, in 2006.
Winners in this year’s Paragon Awards are:
Public Relations Tactics – Events & Observations: Seven or Fewer Days
- Award of Distinction – Dow AgroSciences Regional Reporter Field Days, Bader Rutter
- Award of Excellence – Bader Philanthropies Headquarters Groundbreaking, Zizzo Group
- Award of Excellence – BMO Harris Bradley Center Final Season Launch News Conference, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Tactics – Events & Observations: More Than Seven Days
- Award of Distinction – Celebrating America’s Greatest Architect with the World’s First Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Tactics – Social Media
- Award of Excellence – Case IH 175th Anniversary #RaisedRed Social Contest, Bader Rutter
- Award of Excellence – Travel Wisconsin Unveils Selfie Stands, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Tactics – Website
- Award of Distinction – LDV Website, Trefoil Group
- Award of Excellence – Carroll University Website, Carroll University
Public Relations Tactics – Video
- Award of Distinction – Chasing Possibilities: Milwaukee School of Engineering, Bader Rutter
Public Relations Tactics – Miscellaneous
- Award of Excellence – INEX 2017: Deconstructed, Bader Rutter
- Award of Excellence – Travel Wisconsin: Celebrates 100 Awards with Road Snacks, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Programs – Media Relations: Business/Industry
- Award of Distinction – MLG Capital: Thinking Outside the Box for a New Corporate HQ, Laughlin Constable
- Award of Excellence – Out with the Old, In with the New: U.S. Cellular Stage Demolition, Laughlin Constable
- Award of Excellence –S. Cellular: Using Horse Power to Service Cell Towers, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Programs – Media Relations: Government/Nonprofit
- Award of Excellence – Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism NYC Media Event, BVK
- Award of Excellence – Celebrating America’s Greatest Architect with the World’s First Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, Laughlin Constable
- Award of Excellence – BMO Harris Bradley Center Final Season Launch Campaign, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Programs – Social Media Campaign (Ongoing)
- Award of Distinction – Moffitt Cancer Center #BeCourageous, BVK
Public Relations Programs – Community Relations
- Award of Excellence – 2018 Budget Hearings: Milwaukee Behavioral Health Division. Kane Communications Group
Public Relations Programs – Content Marketing
- Award of Excellence – Carmex Content Marketing Program, BVK
- Award of Excellence – Crunchmaster Content Marketing Program, BVK
Public Relations Programs – Influencer Marketing
- Award of Distinction – Call of the “WY” Influencer Program, BVK
- Award of Excellence – Influencers Have Real Fun with Travel Wisconsin, Laughlin Constable
- Award of Excellence – Carmex Influencer Program, BVK
Public Relations Programs – Issues Management
- Award of Excellence – 2017 Mental Health Awareness Month, Kane Communications Group
Public Relations Programs – Crisis Communications Government/Nonprofit
- Award of Distinction – Dominican Republic Hurricanes, BVK
Public Relations Programs – Integrated Communications Business/Industry
- Award of Distinction – Enlist One Herbicide Launch, Bader Rutter
- Award of Excellence – Growing Strong: Promoting Wisconsin’s Bountiful Cranberry Harvest, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Programs – Integrated Communications Government/Nonprofit
- Award of Excellence – See the Leaves Fall Before the Leaves Fall, Laughlin Constable
Public Relations Programs – Marketing Consumer Products/Services
- Award of Excellence – Call of the “WY” Influencer Program, BVK
Public Relations Programs – Marketing Business to Business
- Award of Excellence – The Standard’s Paid Family Leave Campaign, Bader Rutter
Public Relations Programs – Internal Communications
- Award of Distinction – Quad/Graphics Creating a Better Way Internal Education Program, Trefoil Group
- Award of Excellence – Making the Move: BRMKE2017, Bader Rutter