Call for Entries Deadline:

This program is now closed.

Learn more about current programs here.

A crisis can cripple an organization, it can upend a community or destroy a reputation.

Ragan’s Crisis Communications Awards recognizes the campaigns, messaging, responses, people and teams that were instrumental in mitigating the damage caused by a crisis.

When a crisis strikes, organizations and clients turn to the people and teams who are the calm amid the storm. We want to hear how you and your team moved quickly and strategically to create an appropriate and effective response when it mattered most.

Winners in the program will be featured in special editorial programming across our websites and in our daily newsletters. They will also receive a crystal award, digital badges and more to tout their recognition as one of the best to respond to crises.

Crises are inevitable. Ragan’s Crisis Communications Awards is your opportunity to earn recognition for your impactful efforts to respond to and manage these difficult times.

CATEGORIES

CAMPAIGNS AND STRATEGY

 Change Communications

How did you navigate an organizational change? What was the change, and how did you help guide a smooth transition?

 Covid-19 Campaign

We’re looking for communications work that helped your organization or client navigate the pandemic. How have your communications efforts informed and educated your audience—and led to success? Don’t forget to include results.

 Cybersecurity Response

eCrime is on the rise in the wake of emerging work-from-home technology vulnerabilities. How did you address and overcome a cybersecurity crisis? Tell us about your actions and your messaging to your stakeholders and media.

 Disinformation or Misinformation Response

When inaccurate information started to spread about your organization or client, you stepped into action and took control of the narrative. We want to hear how you took an active-response approach during a disinformation crisis and ensured your organization’s or client’s reputation stayed safe. Tell us all about your strategy and results.

 Employee Communication Initiatives

We want to know about your effective communications efforts that kept employees informed during a crisis. Why was this important and how did it help your organization overcome the issue? What were the goals? Which tactics led to success—and what were the results?

 Executive Thought Leadership During a Crisis

Tell us about your organization’s leaders’ communication during a crisis. How did their messaging help your organization navigate the crisis? Share all relevant metrics.

 Global Response

We want to hear how you coordinated an effective global response to a crisis. Who was involved, and how did you get everyone on the same page? Share the strategy and the results.

 Holding Statement

Your pre-prepared template played a critical role in a successful crisis response. Tell us how.

 Integrated Campaign

Recognizing crisis campaigns partnering with Marketing, HR and/or other departments to manage and mitigate a crisis.

 Media Coverage

We’re looking for specific media coverage that helped your organization overcome a crisis. Don’t forget to include your overall strategy and results.

 Media Pitch

We want to hear how your pitch landed coverage for your organization or client during a crisis—and how that benefited them.

 Media Relations Campaign

Share with us how you connected with media to control the narrative during a crisis. What was your strategy, and how did you execute a successful media relations campaign?

 Natural Disaster Response

Responding in the wake of a devastating natural disaster is difficult—but essential. Tell us about your success natural disaster response and its benefits.

 Post-Crisis Recovery Communications

 Press Release or Statement

Share with us your press release or statement and how it addressed the crisis and explained how your organization or client planned to address and alleviate the issue in question.

 Public Affairs Campaign

 Public Relations Campaign

We want to hear how you used a variety of channels to communicate with stakeholders during a crisis—and how this proved successful. What were the goals? How did you achieve them, and what were the results?

 Reputation Turnaround Campaign

Your organization or client withstood the initial crisis, but the work wasn’t finished. Share with us how you repaired your leaders’ or organization’s reputation in the aftermath. Which tactics did you employ? What was the overall strategy?

 Social Justice Campaign

Your organization took a stand to fight for social change. What issue did you aim to address? How did you bring this issue to the forefront of public consciousness?

 Social Media Campaign

We’re looking for social media tactics that helped your organization or client address and overcome a crisis. How was this channel beneficial to your overall strategy? Don’t forget to share metrics.

 Use of Video

A video can be very helpful during or after a crisis. How did you use video to help through a crisis response?

 Vaccine Communications

CRISIS RESPONSE BY INDUSTRY

 Automotive

We want to hear about the crisis your automotive company faced and how you orchestrated a response that steered them out the other side. What were the goals, strategy and results?

 Education/Academia

Tell us about the crisis your education or academia organization faced, and the communications plan you implemented to help overcome the issue.

 Entertainment

Tell us about the crisis your entertainment company faced and how you overcame it. What channels did you use? What were your goals and results?

 Finance

Tell us about the crisis your financial organization faced, and the communications plan you implemented to help overcome the issue. Share all of the details.

 Food and Beverage

What communications efforts have helped your food or beverage company navigate a crisis? We want to hear about the crisis and the strategy behind addressing it. We want to hear all about it.

 Government/NGOs

Tell us about the crisis your government or NGO organization faced or aimed to address. What was the communications strategy you implemented? We want to see goals, tactics and results.

 Health Care

We’re looking for the crisis communications strategies that helped your health care organization address an issue and overcome the crisis. Share your goals, tactics and results.

 Insurance

Tell us about the crisis your insurance organization faced and the communications strategy you implemented to overcome the issue. We want to see goals, tactics and results.

 Manufacturing

What communications efforts helped your manufacturing company overcome a crisis? We want to hear about the crisis and the strategy behind navigating the storm. Tell us all about it.

 Media

When a crisis struck your media company, you were ready to tackle it. Tell us about your communications tactics and strategy for addressing and overcoming a crisis. We want to hear about the crisis, your goals and the results.

 Nonprofit/Association

Tell us about the crisis that struck your nonprofit or association and your strategy for weathering the storm. What were your goals and results?

 Travel, Hospitality and Tourism

What communications tactics did you use to address and overcome a crisis in the travel, hospitality or tourism industry? Tell us about the goals of your campaign, its execution and the feedback you received.

 Utility/Energy

We’re looking for the communications strategies that helped your utility or energy organization address and overcome a crisis. Tell us about your goals, tactics and results.

 Other

Do you work in an industry that we didn't address above? Tell us about the crisis your organization faced and your strategy for navigating those trying times.

PEOPLE AND TEAMS

 Agency of the Year

Your agency knows how to face adversity, and it delivered a successful strategy to quell a crisis. What was the crisis? What was the response? We want to hear about your goals, the tactics used and the results.

 Communications Team of the Year

No team is better than yours when it comes to facing a crisis. You confronted the crisis and immediately planned and executed a successful communications strategy. We want to know what makes yours the crisis communications team of the year.

 Crisis Leader of Year

You are the calm in the storm. You wasted no time in addressing the crisis and went right to work on trying to fix the issue. Share what makes you the crisis communications professional of the year.

HOW TO ENTER

On the entry form, be sure to include a thorough synopsis explaining the purpose and scope of your entry. The synopsis should be 350 to 900 words and include the following sub-headings (when applicable):

  • Goals
  • Strategy and tactics
  • Execution
  • Evaluation: success, results or ROI

Be sure to follow the guidelines laid out in the category descriptions, as the judges will look for those elements when they select the winners.

You will be able to upload additional documents, links, videos and URLs to your submission. Proprietary or internal information can also be attached and will not be shared with the public.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

These awards are open to organizations and professionals in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. Vendors may also submit their work or their client’s work. Enter your work, the work of your organization or submit entries on behalf of your clients.

Companies from around the world are welcome to enter as long as the entry is submitted in English.

Contact Brendan Gannon to find the perfect category for your campaign or project. You can email him at brendang@ragan.com or call 312-960-4407.

This year’s program is open to any work executed between Nov. 1, 2021, and Dec. 9, 2022, inclusive.

ENTRY FEES

The fee for this program is $425 per entry.

A late fee of $199 per entry will be added to all entries received after 11:59 p.m. Central time, Dec. 9, 2022.

Do you have a campaign, project, person or team you'd like to enter into multiple categories? Pay the original entry fee, and then only $199 for each additional category!

All entries are non-returnable and non-refundable.

W-9 Form / Tax ID Number Request

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should you apply?
Our Crisis Communications Awards program helps you measure the success of your work and prove the value of your contributions to your organization or clients. We will announce all finalists in the Spring of 2023. As a winner, you’ll earn publicity for your brand across our websites and social media audiences, a custom write-up about your campaign and a trophy.
Who can enter?
Entries may be submitted by organizations worldwide. The only requirement is that entries be submitted in English. The program is open to in-house, agency, independent communication practitioners and vendors in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors.
What does it take to be a winner?
We look for top-quality work that shows clear, bold and creative ideas that benefit your business or client. Please provide metrics or results that back up your claims, and share creative collateral such as videos, visual design or websites that were a part of your project. Please look at our past award winners to see what gets recognized and rewarded. We encourage you to submit the same campaign to multiple categories, if you feel they are relevant. Doing so increases your chances of winning. You'll also save on multiple submissions of the same campaign or project.
Why are some deadlines extended?
We extend deadlines based on applicant needs and upcoming promotional opportunities.
When will I find out results?
Finalists will be announced in the Spring of 2023, with the winners being announced about 4 weeks after the finalist announcement.

Additional Questions

If you have any questions about the program or problems submitting your entry, please call Brendan Gannon at 312-960-4407 or email brendang@ragan.com.

RECOGNITION

EACH CATEGORY WINNER WILL RECEIVE:

AN ELEGANT TROPHY:
Display this shiny trophy for all to see. Go ahead, you’ve earned it.
EDITORIAL & SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE:
You’ll be featured on Ragan’s web sites Ragan.com and PRDaily.com, on our social platforms and in our eletters, reaching more than 250,000 communicators and marketers.
MARKETING & PR:
Leverage your win in your marketing materials, press releases and other messaging.
DIGITAL BADGE:
Add the Winners badge to your email signature and your web site.
PRESS RELEASE:
We’ll provide you with a quote for your press release plus we’ll post your organization’s award release on our site to boost recognition.

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you are interested in sponsoring one of Ragan Communications’ award programs, please contact Hannah Lavelle at 312-960-4628 or email hannahl@ragan.com.

Ragan Communications is not responsible for international shipping fees related to trophies or certificates.