The reward of awards
We write for and about awards a LOT at Sabo PR. Rarely a week goes by when we’re not submitting a nomination, ghostwriting an application or developing a media release to announce one client award or another.
Over the past year, we’ve helped clients earn local, state, regional, national and professional honors for excellence, innovation and leadership in their operations and by their teams. I must admit, the new awards are always the sweetest to secure, although we take joy in applauding all the well-deserved accolades our clients accrue.
It’s rare, though, for SPR to seek the spotlight for ourselves. It might be a bit of the cobbler’s kids’ syndrome – too busy working on awards for everyone else to find time to submit for ourselves. Or it might be residual noise from my prior agency where the mantra was “apply for one thing and win big.”
Whatever the case, we’re starting this week by sending out the news that our team and Senior Associate Lisa Taylor have been recognized by our PR peers with awards for excellence in communications and stellar leadership. I’m proud of all the work we do, day in and day out, for our clients, but these projects stood out to our team – and to the judges, who sent us home from Thursday’s virtual event with three golds, two silvers and the oh-so-well-deserved Newcomer of the Year award for Lisa.
I know it can be tempting to skip applying for awards. The deadlines always seem to be inconvenient. The application process can be time-consuming. The applications often come with fees that can add up. And it might require a little more hubris than many of us are comfortable with.
But there are many rewards that come with the award process. Internally, for your team, it signals your organization thinks their work or their leadership shines. Externally, awards affirm to both clients and industry peers that you’ve attained a certain level of excellence. If the award is on behalf of work done for clients, it’s a double win. There’s exclusivity to consider, too – after all not everyone who applies will win.
But as the saying goes, if you don’t enter, you can’t win – and if you only enter once, you may cheat yourself – and your clients and your team – of the opportunity to shine. We’re honored to do great work on behalf of our clients and to have that work recognized during the most professionally challenging year of our collective lives. So, cheers to 2019-20 – and look out 2021! We’ve already started drafting our applications.
P.S. Be sure to watch the SPR commercial, which was featured during Thursday’s virtual celebration.
Sabo PR and Senior Associate Lisa Taylor Recognized for Exceptional Communications Work, Leadership at 2021 WMPRSA Awards
Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 14, 2021 – Sabo PR and one of its senior associates, Lisa Taylor, were recognized for exceptional communications work and leadership in 2019 and 2020 by the Public Relations Society of America West Michigan Chapter during at its annual PRoof Awards, garnering a total of six honors.
Receiving three gold and two silver awards at the virtual June 10 event, Sabo PR was recognized for its work in crisis communications, virtual communications, media relations, storytelling and event planning within the municipal, transportation, health care and education fields. This is the second year Sabo PR has been the only firm in West Michigan to be recognized for excellence in crisis communications.
Sabo PR received the following awards:
- Gold for crisis communications for communicating on a student who committed suicide
- Gold for event planning for Albion College’s virtual commencement in 2020
- Gold for feature stories for Emmanuel Hospice
- Silver for executive communications for a higher education leadership transition
- Silver for a press conference unveiling a statue of President Ford and dedicating a new Presidential Gateway Plaza in his honor at Gerald R. Ford International Airport
“We are honored to again be recognized by our peers in the industry for exceptional PR results,” said Mary Ann Sabo, president of Sabo PR. “These awards demonstrate our amazing team’s ability to develop and execute effective strategy and communications no matter what the circumstances – even during a global pandemic.
“These projects were either tough in nature, such as navigating suicide and end of life care, or difficult to manage due to the challenges of the pandemic, such as celebrating 2020 college graduates in a meaningful way. These accolades underscore our firm’s commitment to putting people first – our team and our clients – in all we do.”
Additionally, Taylor was recognized by the West Michigan PRSA chapter as its Newcomer of the Year, an award given to young professionals in the public relations profession who have demonstrated the potential for becoming an outstanding practitioner.
Her letter of support from SPR read in part: “Although early in her PR career, Lisa is a consummate professional who exemplifies the best of our industry. She is a wonderful member of the SPR team, tackling projects small and large with skill, enthusiasm and great attention to detail.
“A natural leader, she is my right hand on five key client relationships, and I have entire confidence in her abilities. Lisa demonstrates all the attributes we want our team members to have: Her skills are well-rounded, especially when it comes to juggling multiple and often competing priorities. She has a great demeanor with clients, who enjoy working with her – as do I and our entire team.”
The West Michigan PRSA chapter holds its annual PRoof Awards to recognize the best public relations work of the year and highlight the highest standards of performance in the region. Each submission required nominations that detailed the research, planning, execution, evaluation/results, creativity/quality and technical excellence. Due to the pandemic, the association did not hold the event in 2020, so work from 2019 and 2020 was honored.
About Sabo PR LLC
Founded in 2003, Sabo PR is a full-service communications firm that assists businesses, nonprofits, educators, associations and municipalities in telling their stories. From its headquarters in Grand Rapids, SPR provides media relations, social media management, crisis and litigation management, photography and videography, internal communications and marketing communications support to more than 65 clients in – and beyond – Michigan. For more information, visit sabo-pr.com.
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