The Virtuoso Awards are divided into four divisions and 28 categories.

You may enter more than one category with your project, but evaluators recommend that you tailor your entry to suit the specific requirements of each category. You may submit as many entries as you wish, but a separate entry form and fee is required for each.

NOTE: Students are eligible to submit to any division and category. Student work is evaluated using the same criteria but on a level comparable to student skills and relative experience. Learn more about rules and eligibility for student entries.

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, including including public and private corporations, governments, non-governmental organizations, not-for-profit organizations, partnerships, cooperatives and educational institutions. 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
  • Includes integrated campaigns

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 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, including integrated campaigns

Category 5: SAFETY COMMUNICATION

  • Programs or strategies that focus on improving awareness, understanding and behaviours related to safety and security issues within an organization
  • May be directed at internal or external audiences, including integrated campaigns

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

Category 7: MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND BRAND COMMUNICATION

  • May include various activities designed to sell products, services, destinations, organizations or ideas to external audiences, and is generally delivered through a variety of communication vehicles and channels
  • 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
  • May be directed at internal or external audiences, including integrated campaigns

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 (includes print, online and/or broadcast) as the primary channel to reach target audiences and seek to influence awareness, understanding and opinion, or 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

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

Category 11: GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND 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: PUBLIC SECTOR/GOVERNMENTAL COMMUNICATION

  • 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 AND 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 two-way 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
  • May be directed at internal or external audiences, including integrated campaigns

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

  • COVID-19 related programs targeted at external and/or internal audiences that address crisis, business continuity, or issues or attitudes that have a significant impact on an organization, such as shuttering/re-opening businesses, furlough/layoff staff, redesigning business operations.
  • Programs may demonstrate both proactive planning and preventative 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
  • May be directed at internal or external audiences, including integrated campaigns

Category 16: NONPROFIT SECTOR COMMUNICATION

  • Programs recognizing the particular challenges of the nonprofit sector
  • May include multiple internal or external audiences
  • Promotes nonprofit 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 none at all
  • May be directed at internal or external audiences, including integrated campaigns

Category 17: DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

  • Campaigns or programs of work aimed at building a culture of inclusion for an organization, with internal or external stakeholders (or both)
  • Entries must focus on the communication elements of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which could include specific topic-based initiatives, special events or wider organizational strategies to advance diversity, equity and inclusion aims

Category 18: MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION

  • Any strategy or program targeted at more than one internal and external audience with an emphasis on various languages and/or cultural inclusion
  • These programs align internal and external communication strategies, with highly targeted audience demographics and characteristics, demonstrate the full range of communication skills, and showcase multiple areas of expertise such as media relations, employee communication, marketing, branding, crisis management, communication research and measurement

Category 19: CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNICATION

  • Communication campaigns, programs or strategies aiming at engaging different audiences in climate change and solutions. These might include programs focused on changing climate and energy-related behaviors, consumer choices, social and cultural norms, communication patterns, and activism
  • Communication campaigns, programs or strategies focused on sustainability from a wholistic perspective of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and good governance (ESG (Environmental Social and Governance))
  • The entries may focus on multiple internal and/or external audiences, and demonstrate the use of innovative communications and strategies to support positive actions and social change
  • Entries will demonstrate the power of well researched, planned and executed communication programs to build awareness and promote positive social action, to achieve a positive impact on crucial issues such as sustainability, environmental stewardship, and climate change
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 20: COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

  • Multi-faceted communication research – primary and/or secondary, formal and/or informal, quantitative and/or qualitative – including such strategies as surveys, focus groups, interviews, communication or culture audits, internal and/or external benchmarking, brand content analysis, market analysis, feasibility studies, literature reviews, sentiment analysis and/or other creative and innovative research techniques
    • May include formative research (during the initial stages of the strategic communication planning process to gain insights about the attitudes, opinions or behaviours of internal and/or external stakeholder audience segments and inform strategic direction for communication programs, projects or tactics) or summative research (that measures the impact of internal and/or external communication programs, strategies, vehicles or channels on audience groups and business needs)
    • May include a variety of quantitative (e.g. analysis of analytics, viewership/readership stats, cost-benefit analysis) and qualitative (e.g. attitude/opinion research) research techniques
  • Award-winning entries will include innovative and creative technique to engage hard-to-reach audiences, overcome research fatigue and contribute to communication excellence
  • Award-winning entries include explanation of the business context and ways in which the research impacts and improves communication within the organization, how the research tactics aligned to the audiences participating in the research, and ways in which research biases were overcome and reliability ensured
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 21: COMMUNICATION TRAINING AND EDUCATION

  • Training or educational programs delivered to an internal or external audience that help to improve their communication competencies
  • Entries may include:
    • Executive communications coaching, supervisor/manager/leader training in communication and presentation skills, employee ambassador development, media training and/or volunteer communication training
    • Presentations for conferences, university classes, seminars or workshops
    • Tools such as books, manuals, white papers, guides, workbooks, video modules and other materials that teach key competencies and help to position communication as a key business driver
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 22: SPECIAL AND EXPERIENTIAL EVENTS

  • Planning and execution of a special or experiential 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 23: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

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

Category 24: AUDIO/VISUAL

  • Communication vehicles for internal or external audiences using sound, images, video, apps, film, slides, CDs or a combination of these elements
  • May include webinars, video, audio, podcasts, PowerPoint or other presentations, infographics, and interactive content and film
  • Does not include advertising commercials or websites

Category 25: 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, Instagram and Snapchat; democratized content networks such as wikis and message boards; content-sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr; enterprise social networks such as Yammer, Slack and Jive; and virtual networking platforms

Category 26: PUBLICATIONS

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

Category 27: WRITING

This category includes writing in both print and electronic formats:

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 or 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

NONPROFIT 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

Category 28: CREATIVE DESIGN

  • Communication projects where design is central to the effectiveness of the vehicle
  • May include cartoons, drawings, paintings, collages, montages, posters, displays, bulletin boards, mobiles, invitations and special signs
  • Work may appear in book and magazine covers, posters, organizational identity (logo), product labels and packaging, direct marketing, 3D materials and illustrations

Learn more about how to enter: