ABOUT PICA EVALUATION AND AWARDS PROGRAM
“Level the playing field” is a VERY overworked phrase, but that is the
driving force behind the remodeling of the PICA Awards and Evaluation
Program. All PICA communicators do a great job fulfilling just what
their companies need, regardless of budget, resources and experience.
Meeting the goal of the communication plan is the real purpose of
print and electronic publications, although professional achievement
and winning awards are very important as well. In the difficult task
of analyzing this program and making changes we feel will give every
communicator a chance to be recognized, we decided that the way a
communication piece reaches its stated goal is probably the most
important criterion of all. We will be asking you to tell us what the
goal of a given piece is in almost all cases.
Please read these instructions carefully as you prepare your entries. Each
award and its criteria are explained in detail. We hope these changes
will be beneficial.
All print publication entries will receive the customary full written
evaluation. Awards will still be presented in categories having more
than six entries. First, Second, Third and, where appropriate,
Honorable Mention awards will be presented.
Award Categories and Judging Criteria
BEST PRINT PUBLICATION
MAGAZINE: this category now includes four-color and two-color formats
NEWSLETTER: this category now includes newsletters with halftones and
without
CRITERIA AND WEIGHT IN JUDGING: apply to all print publications
50% -- Purpose
- The publication has a clearly
stated goal; i.e., serves a particular audience with information to
achieve a result – e.g., the publication provides information to the
independent agency force which offers them recognition, tools to
improve business and favorable information about the company which
will encourage them to stay.
- The publication fulfills that
goal; e.g. the above established publication might measure success
by an increase in profits and decrease in agents dropping the
company. A new publication with this same focus measures success in
early audience response and management’s reaction to the way the
publication is perceived.
- The publication’s content supports
its stated purpose.
20% -- Readability
- Use of clear language; i.e., a
minimum of jargon, unexplained technical terms.
- Avoids stilted phrases and
wordiness
- Avoids long, compound sentences or
fragments
- Stories are well framed and
well-written
20% -- Effective Layout
- Good use of color, art,
photography and white space
- Type faces are well-chose and
readable
- No more than three type faces are
used throughout the publication
- Page layouts are well-balanced; if
a modular design (where all text is blocked) is used, it is
consistent throughout the publication
- Inside page design is consistent
10% -- Organization of material for
easy reference
- Stories are clearly delineated,
not jumbled into a “grey” layout
- Departments are clearly marked
- The table of contents is
comprehensive, easy to find and easily followed
MOST IMPROVED PUBLICATION:
MAGAZINE
NEWSLETTER
CRITERIA: Winners of this award should demonstrate real change over a
year’s time.:
- What changed?
- Why did it change?
- How did it change?
- How did the change benefit both
the publication and its audience? E.g. management decides the
internal staff newsletter will now be a more formal publication that
will include both staff and agents. The purpose is to instill a
closer feel within the company (everyone working together for a
common goal); recognize excellence; tell the company story in the
home office and the agency office so staff and agency force, in
effect, are public relations ambassadors. Success may be measured by
a survey, a focus group, management reaction, etc.
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY: This
category combines the former Best Black & White, Color Photo and Photo
layout categories.
CRITERIA:
- Photos or layouts must tell a
story either in themselves or as effective support for a story
- Achieve a purpose: how well do
they achieve a desired effect?
BEST FEATURE STORY
CRITERIA:
- Features tell a story and should
be humanized as much as possible; e.g. using an individual who lived
through a tornado and appreciated the agent’s rushing over as soon
as the rain stopped, to tell the story.
- Uses narrative style; e.g.
personal or company profiles, describing an event before and after,
perhaps through the eyes of those who participated.
- Features are not necessarily
time-constrained; they can run any time and still be pertinent.
BEST NEWS STORY
CRITERIA
- Tells a factual story about an
event or development; e.g. a new company president is elected, a
fund drive is organized by the company; a new product is introduced;
the company makes a statement on an issue.
- Reader learns the five Ws (who,
what, where, when, why) and one H (how) of the story immediately.
- News stories can be humanized by
focusing on an individual experiencing the story.
- News stories are time-intensive.
They must run when the story is fresh.
BEST ANNUAL REPORT
ANNUAL REPORTS WITH BUDGETS UNDER $3,000
ANNUAL REPORTS WITH BUDGETS OVER $3,000
CRITERIA
- The annual report presents a
snapshot of the company; gives the reader a feel for its culture.
- High readability
- Clarity; e.g., financial
information is illustrated graphically as well as numerically
BEST COMPANY PROMOTION PROJECT:
combines the former Best Brochures and Flyers category
PROJECTS WITH BUDGETS UNDER $5,000
PROJECTS WITH BUDGETS OVER $5,000
CRITERIA
- Project has a clear mission and
audience
- Has expected results with a
deadline
- How will did it achieve its
mission?
BEST WEB SITE
CRITERIA
- Overall design; i.e., good use of
color, readability
- Organization of information
- Ease of navigation; does it have a
site map?
- Adaptability to multiple browsers
- Frequency of update
- Ability to provide direct contact
via e-mail or other means
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Contact us
ABOUT CHERYL L. PONTIUS ...
PICA’s Publication Evaluator and Awards Judge
In addition to serving in the above capacity for PICA for the past
three years, here are Cheryl Pontius’ qualifications:
- BS in Journalism/Minors in English
and Spanish from Indiana University
- Served as the college newspaper’s
editor in chief.
- Employment history:
-- Freelanced for Indianapolis News
-- Wrote weekend wire copy for United Press International
-- Wrote 11 p.m. news broadcast for Channel 8
-- Served as interim director of communications for American United
Life Insurance, Indianapolis, Ind.
-- Reporter for Indianapolis Business Journal
-- Spent seven years as editor and director of member
services for the Hoosier State Press Association (the
tradeorganization for newspapers in Indiana)
-- Currently a guest lecturer at Indiana University/Purdue
University, Indianapolis, in journalism
-- Currently working as an independent contractor for Learnovation,
an Indianapolis, Ind. educational publisher (editing all manuals and
texts in English and Spanish)
-- Acting as editing consultant for New Learning Concepts,
Bloomington, Ind.
-- Have been a judge for the Indiana High School Press Association’s
Hoosier Star competition for several years.
Cheryl is the mother of four
daughters, ages 15 to 21, with one granddaughter. She resides in
Fishers, Ind., with her husband, Larry. Spare time pursuits include
serving as secretary/editor of her neighborhood association
newsletter, writing a mystery novel, gardening, bowling and reading.
Cheryl Pontius can be reached by phone at (317) 570-7793, or by e-mail
at pontius_46@hotmail.com.
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