Provoke Media Webinar: How To Create A Winning SABRE Entry

(MENAFN- PRovoke) I sat down with PRovoke media global head of features Maja Pawinska-Sims (a SABRE winner in a previous life) to discuss what our SABRE Awards judges are looking for in a winning campaign.

The discussion covered a wide range of topics, from why the SABRE Awards remain among the most coveted trophies in the public relations industry to the ideal format for capturing the judges' attention; from the importance of making sure your obejectives are clear and your results show how you delivered on those objectives to the value of a strategic approach to category selection.

We also provided some quotes from this year's judges in North America and EMEA that provide a unique insight into what they think makes a great campaign.



We didn't have time for an extended Q&A session, so here we have the answers to some of the questions we didn't get to in the allotted time.

Q : I'm curious about the eligibility of in-house PR teams in the SABRE Awards. Have in-house campaigns performed well in the SABRE awards in the past, and are their entries judged differently than those from agencies?
A : It's true that the vast majority o entries come via agencies, but every year we see a few dozen entries from in-house PR and communications department, and as a rule they do quite well. We judge them all and we usually have one or two winners from in-house teams. Most in-house are in the employee communications/executive communications/public affairs/corporate image categories, which companies often manage in-house, and they tend be serious and strategic.

Q : Do you recommend a maximum number of category submissions? For example, if one particular campaign fits into more than one category, is it frowned upon if that campaign is submitted for multiple categories?
A : We allow and even encourage entrants to submit to several categories, if the campaign is relevant to them. So for example, there's often an overlap between corporate purpose and public education categories. But we would encourage you to include a paragraph explaining your category choice and why the campaign is a good fit. Otherwise, it can look like an entrant is“spamming” a single case across multiple categories without any real strategy.

Q : If the word doc format is not preferred or outdated, why is still an option?
A : Our judges prefer something visual to a wall of single-spaced 9-point type. Who doesn't? But as with the example we discussed, a simple word doc can win in the story and the results are compelling. More to the point, our guiding principle is“it's your story, and we will let you tell it in any format you choose.” We prefer to be inclusive rather than exclusive, and to provide guidance rather than setting rules. That's our culture.

Q : I know this is a separate award, but when will the dates for the SABRE Agency Research/Agency of the Year be posted? Or if the dates are already known for 2025, what are they?
A : Check the website this week and all of the relevant Agency of the Year information will be there. We're making significant changes and we'll be telling you all about our new approach in the next few days.!

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