Mercury Awards Guidelines

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Mercury Awards Entry Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in the 2021 Greater Connecticut PRSA Mercury Awards. We are pleased to acknowledge the talents and accomplishments of the best and brightest in our state.

Our online entry portal eliminates the need for hard copies. For the best chance at achieving success with your entry, please read and follow ALL of the guidelines below - judging is closely based on this criteria.

Basic Entry Information

The deadline for entries is September 13. *Entries submitted between September 14 - September 24 will incur a $50 late fee per entry. Entries close at 11:59 p.m. September 24, 2021.

All entries and entry materials must be submitted online. Hard-copies are not accepted.
At least some part of the entry must have taken place between 2020 and 2021. Programs tend to have better chances of winning near their completion, when evaluation against initial objectives can be measured.

Entries may be submitted into more than one category, provided that the specific criteria specified within each category are applicable. In deciding which category/categories are most appropriate, entrants should examine program objectives and target audiences. Judges will not move entries to better suited categories.

A category must be selected for each entry, along with the title of the entry, name of the organization/client, name of the agency (if any) and a 100 word description of the program.
One-Page Summary for Tactical Campaigns: A concise summary no longer than one page must be uploaded as a PDF for tactical campaign entries. The following must be addressed in the summary: an entry’s objectives, audiences, budget and a summary of results, as well as sections on research, planning, execution and evaluation. The one-page summary should be typed using no smaller than 10-point typeface and one-inch margins.

Two-Page Summary for Strategic Campaigns: A concise summary no longer than two pages must be uploaded as a PDF for strategic campaign entries. The following must be addressed in the summary: an entry’s objectives, audiences, budget and a summary of results, as well as sections on research, planning, execution and evaluation. The two-page summary should be typed using no smaller than a 10-point typeface and one-inch margins.

Supporting Materials: Entrants will be instructed to upload four separate PDFs (no more than 225 pages each with a maximum file size of 10MB) of any detailed supporting materials referenced in the research, planning, execution and evaluation sections of your two-page summary. Pages should be no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches with a minimum of 10-point typeface and one-inch margins.

Images: Up to three graphic images representative of your program may be uploaded. Acceptable file formats include: .JPEG, .TIF, or hi-res PDF files. Generally, artwork should be at least 1,000 pixels or more in either width or height.

Ethics: By entering the Mercury Awards program, all entrants confirm that their programs and entries comply with the ethical standards of the profession, as embodied in the PRSA Code of Ethics. Should an entry have an aspect of "ethics performance" that is both instructive and vital to the program, please include commentary of no more than four sentences. Should the judges find two entries equally deserving of a Mercury Award, they may use this statement to break the tie. If at any point PRSA becomes aware of any aspect of a submission that may not be in compliance with the Ethics Code, it may, at its sole discretion, take appropriate action.

Preparing Mercury Award Entries

The one- or two-page summary is the single most important component of the Mercury Awards entry. Judges evaluate the program on the merit of the four criteria — research, planning, execution and evaluation — that you share in your summary. Your entry should begin with a brief situation analysis for your program. The following information will help you prepare a strong entry.

Research

What prompted the research? Was it in response to an existing problem, or does it examine a potential problem?
What type of research did you use — primary, secondary or both? Primary research involves original research, including focus groups, interviews and surveys. Secondary research involves searching existing resources for information or data related to a particular need, strategy or goal (e.g., online computer database searches, Web-based research, library searches, industry reports and internal
market analyses).
How was the research relevant to shaping the planning process?
How did the research help define or redefine the audience(s) or the situation?

Planning

How did the plan correlate to the research findings?
What was the plan in general terms?
What were the specific, measurable objectives of the plan?
Who were the target audiences?
What was the overall strategy used?
What was your budget?

Execution

How was the plan executed?
What was the outcome of the plan?
How did the activities flow in general terms?
What were the key tactics?
Were there any difficulties encountered? If so, how were they handled?
Were other organizations involved?
Were non-traditional public relations tactics used, such as advertising? (Unless you are entering this program under “Integrated Communications,” advertising costs should not exceed one-third of the budget.)

Evaluation

What were your results?
How did the results compare to the specific, measurable objectives you identified in the planning section?
What methods of evaluation were used?
How well do the results reflect original strategy and planning?

Entry Fees
For entries submitted by the September 13 deadline*

Single-item Component (Tactical)

$65 per entry PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization
$80 per entry non-member or non-affiliated organization
$50 per entry 3 or more entries for PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization
$65 per entry 3 or more entries for non-member or non-affiliated organization

Comprehensive Campaign (Strategic)

$75 per entry PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization
$90 per entry non-member or non-affiliated organization
$60 per entry 3 or more entries for PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization
$75 per entry 3 or more entries for non-member or non-affiliated organization

*Entries submitted between September 14-September 24 will incur a $50 late fee per entry. Entries close at 11:59 p.m. September 24, 2021.