Prestigious annual awards program celebrates innovative Arizona communication programs

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Phoenix awarded local communication professionals with the prestigious Copper Quill Award.  The 2012 Copper Quill Awards ceremony was held at the Musical Instrument Museum as IABC played “The Sound of Communication,” the theme for this year’s awards ceremony. Of the more than 50 entries received this year, 36 were selected to receive awards, including one Best of the Best, 13 Awards of Excellence and 22 Awards of Merit.

“It is becoming more and more important in our profession to focus on the work that will make a difference. That means working on the things that not only provide the most value and achieve our objectives, but those that move an audience to take action. This is what all of tonight’s winners achieved” said Megan Dean, Vice President of the Copper Quill Award program. “In addition, award recipients being honored this year stood out from the rest by being creative, unique and effective.”

IABC would like to congratulate the Best of the Best winner for 2012, American Traffic Solutions for the redesign of violationinfo.com. This campaign was submitted in the Electronic Communication, Marketing Communications category. 

The 2012 Copper Quill Award winners of Excellence and Merit are:

Awards of Excellence

Communication Management

• Subcategory: Community & Government Relations
• The Allstate Foundation, Renew, Honor, Play: The Christina – Taylor Green Little Hands Playground
• R&R Partners, Valley Metro Notes
• Subcategory: Employee/Member Communication
• Allison+Partners, COPD Prepared
• The Allstate Foundation, Renew, Honor, Play: The Christina – Taylor Green Little Hands Playground
• Intel Corporation, Leslie Rogal, Intel 2011 Heath for Life Centers, Grand Opening
• Subcategory: Media Relations
• Allison+Partners, From Unknown to Must-Know: Debuting the Inaugural Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl

Audiovisual  

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and the Lavidge Company, “Ask Blue” Medicare Video
• R&R Partners, Valley Metro Notes

Design/Photo/Illustration

• Subcategory: Special Publication Design
• IDEA Lab NAU, Tony DeLuz and Dan Boone, Genes to Ecosystems Illustration

• Subcategory: Illustration

• R&R Partners, Valley Metro Notes

Print Publications

• Subcategory: Special Publications
  • University of Phoenix, Tracy Nita Pender and Jason Pochert, Faculty Matters
  • Subcategory: Magazines
    • University of Phoenix, Alumni Relations Team, Phoenix Focus
    • Stephanie Conner and Cheriese Chambers, Hopes & Dreams, Winter 2011

Awards of Merit

Communication Management

• Subcategory: Community & Government Relations
• Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, 2011 Fix A Leak Week AZ Campaign
• Subcategory: Employee/Member Communications
• Apollo Group/University of Phoenix, External Affairs Intranet
• Univita, Sarah McLeod, Integrating four diverse companies into the Univita brand
• Subcategory: Media Relations
• Allison+Partners, Bringing the King to Phoenix
• Allison+Partners, Best Western launches three types of hotels
• Intel, Jessica Hansen, Intel 2011 Mobile Etiquette Campaign
• The Allstate Foundation, Renew, Honor, Play: The Christina-Taylor Green Little Hands Playground
•  Subcategory: Marketing Communications
• Allison+Partners, International Game Technology, IGT Launches Its Ghostbusters TM Slot Machine at G2E, Slimes the Competition.

Audiovisual 

• Apollo Group, External Affairs, Road to the Gulf
• IDEA Lab NAU, Dan Boone and Ryan Belnap, Babbitt Ranches Promo Video
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Susan de Queljoe, SVdP Program Overview 2011
• Defero, IGT: G2E 2011 Video Series 

Design/Photo/Illustration

• Subcategory: Illustration  
• IDEA Lab NAU, Tony DeLuz, Genes to Ecosystems Illustration

Writing

• Subcategory: Features
• Stephanie Conner, Stroke of Insight
• HMA Public Relations, Designer Drugs: from Faux to Fact

• Subcategory: Personality Profiles
  • HMA Public Relations, Driving into Life…and Life Saving

Electronic Communication

• Subcategory: Intranet/Internal Affairs
• Apollo Group, External Affairs, Launch of External Affairs Intranet
• Subcategory: Electronic Newsletters
• American Traffic Solutions, Road Safety Ink Newsletter
• Defero, Purex LaundryHelp eNewsletter Campaign
• Subcategory: Social Media
• Defero, Right Guard “Love in the Shower”
• American Traffic Solutions, Utilizing Social Media to Compel Driver to Stop on Red
• Subcategory: Marketing Communications
• Defero, Right Guard “Love in the Shower”

IABC chapters in Chicago, Brazos County Texas and Arkansas judged this year’s entries, which included a multitude of categories, divisions and campaigns. Each entry was evaluated by at least two seasoned communications professionals with years of experience in the communications industry, including many with Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) certification.

Cory McCloskey, Fox 10 Arizona’s weekday meteorologist, was emcee for the evening and focused on the power of communication, and connecting people during such a rough economic time. This acapella singer also began his speech by singing the beginning of “Wimoweh.” The program sponsor for the evening was Process Magazine, other sponsors included Allstate, Loren Anderson Photography, Boomvang Creative Group, APS, Print Time and Liquis Design.

You can view photos of the event on the IABC Phoenix Facebook page.