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Trade Union Communications Awards Category Definitions

Issue date

We’ve kept the categories the same this year after a brief consultation with you on how last year’s changes worked. The focus remains on the audiences as much as the mode of delivery. Apart from in category 1 all forms of digital and multi-channel work are mainstreamed into the categories.  However to mark the 40th anniversary of the awards we’ve introduced an extra category for this year only.

The definitions below outline the nature of each category.  All the materials submitted must have been produced between March 2016 and February 2017, except for Category 7 when entries can be from any of the past forty years.

Category 1: Best membership communication – print journal

This category is for regular (monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly) national journals only, excluding regional or branch publications. Such journals should be for all members or for a defined section within the union’s general membership (e.g. women or people working in a particular sector). This category is for print only and can include journals, magazines and newspaper style formats. The judges will pay attention also to the quality of the journalism.

Category 2: Best membership communication - digital

This category covers websites, e-journals or e-newsletters for members.  Like Category 1, this category is for all members or for a defined section within the union.  Any digital format will be acceptable,  

Category 3: Best communication for reps and activists

Entries can be taken from any union digital or print material and could include features, blogs, training material, newsletters, online actions and special websites.  The audience must be union reps and/or lay activists.   

Category 4: Best recruitment/new member communication

This category can include any digital or print materials aimed at recruiting new members.  The category can include materials for members who have recently joined.  Entries can be in the form of printed materials, dedicated websites, digital actions or similar, but must be aimed at recruiting new members.

Category 5: Best campaign communications

Entries for this category can be any campaign that the union has run within the date range of the competition. Entries will be judged on the effectiveness of the campaign as a whole and judges will seek evidence of outcome, creativity, relation to objective, and cost effectiveness.  Supporting materials can be print or digital or a mix of both. Campaigns can be political or industrial and can be large or small in scale or scope.

Category 6: Best designed communication

This category will focus specifically on the quality of the design work that has gone into digital or print materials. This would include publication design, web design, bespoke graphic work and infographics.   This category also includes photos and illustrations (stock or commissioned) which will be judged in their editorial context.

Category 7: Best innovation

This category marks the 40th anniversary of the communication awards.  We are looking for entries that are either innovative in a technical sense (new ways of using print or digital technology for example) or innovative in their content/agenda (broaching previously considered ‘non-traditional’ subjects, for example).  Unlike the other categories, these entries can come from any output, digital or print, from the past 40 years.  

>> Back to Trade Union Communications Awards entry forms







 

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