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Rules and Scoring
The Silver Spike Awards
The Silver Spikes recognize communications excellence by Nevada media and public relations professionals and stellar excellence of the tactics that make communications work.
Eligibility and Limitations
Eligibility
Any communications practitioner based in northern Nevada (Tonopah and north and east to the Utah border), the Tahoe Basin or in the Truckee Meadows including north to Susanville, CA.
Program Eligibility
Any program or tactic developed by professionals based in the eligibility area above. Neither the program nor the tactic need be executed within the state of Nevada or for the residents of Nevada.
Limitations
Program or strategy/tactic entries are allowed in multiple categories. Multi-year campaigns may not win awards in the same category two years in a row.
Timeframe
Programs and measurement must occur substantially between September 2018 and September 2019. Some exceptions may be granted.
Entry Formats & Submissions
Please combine all forms and supporting materials into one single PDF file (video or audio files should be included as a link to an online source like YouTube, Vimeo, TV news station website, etc.). Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Please include the title of your entry in all filenames.
Submissions must include
Submission summary (two-page maximum, to include):
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Situation/Research/Planning: content and situational analysis to support the need for the program or tactic to a stated audience
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Budget/Resources: the cost (hard costs and/or personnel, time, etc.) associated with the program or tactic
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Goal/Action: what the program/tactic aimed to achieve
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Objective: measureable change in outcome/attitude over a period of time
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Execution: specific integrated communications elements and efforts to cause the change; demonstrate creative, quality strategies and tactics used
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Evaluation/Results: measurement of objective to actual outcome; use of resources
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Support materials and examples of work must be included in the submission PDF, but are not included in the 2-page maximum.
Entry Fees & Payment
PRSA Corporate/Group Member
$20 per entry
PRSA Member
$25 per entry
Non-Member
$35 per entry
Once your entry is submitted, you will be directed to Eventbrite to remit payment. Please pay for your entries in full as soon as possible.
Judging
The Southeast Wisconsin Chapter of PRSA will judge our chapter’s entries. We will notify recipients of winning entries, but the exact awards will not be announced until the Silver Spikes Awards on Nov. 1, 2018.
Click to download 2018 judging rubric
Scoring
An out-of-market PRSA chapter judges all submissions on a 100-point scale. A minimum of two judges from the reciprocal judging chapter per entry is required. If scores are more than 10 points apart, a third judge is needed. The third judge must be an APR.
Silver Spike: 95+ points
This level of entry must earn 95 points or higher to be eligible.
Bronze Spike: 90-94 points
This level of entry must earn between 90 and 94 points to be eligible.
Award of Excellence: 83-89 points
This level of entry must earn between 83 and 89 points to be eligible.
Best of Show
This level of entry earns the top score among all categories.
View a Sample Silver Spike Entry
