The document provides tips on entering the SPRF Lantern Awards competition, which recognizes excellence in public relations work done between May 2011 and April 2012. It outlines the categories and timeline for submissions, encourages attendees to enter projects that demonstrate best work and the PR process. It offers advice on gathering supporting documents, telling a compelling story in the entry, and planning future submissions by archiving materials from the start of projects.

1. “Bringing Home the Trophy”
Tips on How to Enter the SPRF Lantern Awards
Presented by: Amy Nolan, APR, PRAL State President
Public Relations Association of Louisiana New Orleans Chapter
June 12, 2012

2. About the SPRF Lantern Awards
• Sponsored by Southern Public Relations
Federation (our parent organization)
• Regional competition
– Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida
• Recognizes excellence in public relations
– Best of Show, Judges’ Awards, Lanterns,
Award of Excellence, Award of Merit
• Public Relations Programs/Campaigns – 11
categories
• Public Relations Projects – 14 categories
• Work completed between May 1, 2011 and
April 30, 2012
• Winners announced at SPRF conference,
October 7-9, 2012, Destin

3. Awards Program
• Winners announced at SPRF Conference—
October 7-9, 2012, Destin, Florida
• Lantern Awards Banquet – PR’s “Oscar Night”
• SPRF and PRAL will promote winners to local
media
• Encourage winners to do own promotion too
• Some winners enter projects/campaigns in other
competitions (such as PRSA Silver Anvil Awards)

4. Why Enter the SPRF Lantern Awards?
• Training/Professional Growth
– Test the strength of your PR processes
– Explore weakness for continual improvement
– Internal development/training opportunity for new hires and staff
• Group and Individual Recognition
– Well-recognized program among PR professionals in our region
– Opportunity for “internal PR” in your organization
– Affirmation of your contributions to your organization
• Educate Your Employer About PR Profession
– Overcome any stereotypes: Showcase the “management” side of PR
– Demonstrate the ROI of PR

5. To Enter or Not to Enter?
• Review work and identify projects or campaigns that
showcase best work and show evidence of the PR Process
(Research, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation)
• Enter as many submissions as you want
• Review list of categories at www.sprflanterns.org
• Categories – decide which categories your work fits into
• Not sure? Ask!
– Judges sometimes move entries to another category if they
deem appropriate
TIP: No categories for Social Media – enter in
Web, Interactive Media or Potpourri

6. What Should I Enter?
• Start With a Team Meeting to Evaluate
– Establish an entry-creation process with deadlines and
responsibilities
– Consider time and budget
• Eureka Moment! New, Different or Lasting?
– Involve a new way of looking at a problem
– Exceptionally creative PR approach or tactics
– Results changed something – lasting or significant
impact on organization

7. What Should I Enter?
• “Textbook” Case Study
– Clear measurable objectives
– Refined, detailed communications plan
– More than one type of research utilized to determine course
of action
– Evaluation measures clearly demonstrate accomplishment
of objectives
• Still Not Sure?
– Give it a try!
– Judges’ comments can help you learn for next time
– You can’t win if you don’t enter!

8. Judging Process
• Entries are judged by professionals outside of our
region (Fort Worth PRSA Chapter)
• Each entry is judged on its own merit (not in
comparison with other entries)
• Points assigned in each category determine winners
• Judges award a Best of Show and up to two Judges’
Awards
• Not every category has a Lantern winner; some may
have more than one
TIP: Judges are instructed to look for
evidence of the four-step PR process
(Research, Planning, Implementation,
Evaluation)

9. How to Enter: Getting Started
• www.SPRFLanterns.org
• Step 1: Register – the person registering must be member
of PRAL (paid dues, good standing). But you can enter any
work on behalf of your organization or clients (even if the
PRAL member didn’t handle that project personally).
• Click on Enter and complete form
• Click on New Entry
• Step 2: Complete online submission
– **Recommend composing in Word doc first, then paste into
blanks
– Can come back and edit before final submission
• Pay attention to the word count limits for the narrative

10. How to Enter (continued)
• File 1, File 2, File 3 – this is NOT for uploading
your actual work
– You may choose to upload a company logo or small
graphic that MAY be used later in the awards
presentation if you are a winner
• Award Label fields – what you want engraved on
your trophy
– Example:
• Line 1: Amy Nolan, APR
• Line 2: Louisiana Public Health Institute
• Line 3: LPHI Annual Report

11. How to Enter (continued)
• Step 3: Complete a binder with supporting
materials
• Step 4: Print copy of online submission to
include in binder
• Step 5: Ship completed binder and payment
– Can pay online via Paypal or send check
– Send to address on sprflanterns.org Web site
– Entry deadline: July 2, 2012 ($55 per entry)
– Late entries accepted July 3-13, 2012 ($10 increase
per entry to $65)

12. Follow the Rules
• Read all instructions thoroughly before you start. Don’t
disqualify yourself on a technicality.
• Follow the instructions on labeling your binder, how
many copies of the entry form to include, and where to
put them in the binder.
• Review any judges’ notes from the previous year.
• Write a first draft, following the instructions closely.
– A well-written summary will catch the eye of the
judges very quickly.

13. TIP: Give yourself plenty of time to work
on your entry.

14. Getting Organized: Gather Documents
• Research & Planning Documents
– Timelines/Calendars
– Budgets
– Research, survey instruments and results
– Correspondence with client and/or media
• Letters, e-mails, text messages

15. Gather Campaign Materials
Implementation Documents:
• Project samples: flyers, brochures, videos, letters
• Posters, table tents, banners and flyers
• Ads
• Brochures, newsletters
• Letters and e-mail messages
• Press releases, media kits, other media materials
• Photos from events or photos showing signage, décor, etc.
• Client speaking points/speeches
• Web pages, printouts of Facebook pages and Twitter feeds,
blogs, etc.

16. Gathering Your Documentation
• Evaluation Documents:
– Media clips/coverage reports
– Comments and thank-you letters
– Post-campaign survey results
• Take photos of people using your samples … it
helps to tell the story.
Tip: Save every item of a campaign, no
matter how small, and keep in a folder or
box. This will save time when putting
together your entry.

17. Make Your Entry Stand Out
• Allow your entry to tell a story
• Use images, quotes, graphics, photos in
visually interesting ways
• Work with a graphic designer if you can
• In media clips, highlight your name so the
judges do not have to read the entire clip to
find you
• Use page protectors

18. Thinking Ahead for Next Year
• Whenever you are asked to produce a special event, brand
a product, launch a new program, etc.—write a basic
communications plan.
• Going through this process helps make sure all bases are
covered.
• If you enter the project in an awards program later, include
the written plan — Lantern Award judges in particular like
to see one.
• If you plan your work with this in mind throughout the year,
most of the hard work will be DONE by the time Call for
Entries goes out. The plan BECOMES your Lantern entry
(with supporting documentation, of course).

19. Planning for Future Lantern Entries
• Put the PR process into action now for the future.
• Give “project champions” record-keeping responsibilities.
• Create computer and hard copy folders to archive all pieces
immediately during the process
– Communications plans
– Copies of research results or online articles, background
– Electronic files of news coverage, web videos, screen shots
– Etc.
• A planning tip on research: Some things you just “know.” The bank
of knowledge about your industry … plus your own intellectual
equity. Keep a file to archive research tidbits you run into during the
course of your day. You can call upon them when you need show
research to “back it up.”

20. Presenter:
Amy Nolan, APR
PRAL State President
amydnolan@gmail.com