Listed below are some of the frequently asked questions about the Beacon Awards. If you have additional questions after reviewing this document, please contact Michelle Butler at:
Phone: 202-222-2372
Email: mbutler@cablecommunicators.org
Eligibility
Q.I'm not an ACC member, but my company is. Does that make me eligible to enter the Beacon Awards?
A.You must be an individual member of ACC to submit an entry. If you are not a member of ACC, you may take advantage of ACC’s free, six-month “test drive” for new members and submit your membership application with your Beacon Award entry. There is an ACC membership application in the 2010 Beacon Award Call for Entries. You may also use ACC’s online membership application and join ACC today.
With the test-drive membership, new ACC members pay nothing for their first 6 months of membership. After 6 months, they will only be billed for the remaining 6 months of the year, or $100. They can also choose to cancel their membership at that point and owe ACC nothing after 6 months.
Entry Format
Q.What should I include in my 2010 Beacon Award entry?
A. The 2010 entries can be as simple as a three-page project summary and a CD or DVD of supporting materials. In the past, some entries have just included a project summary.
Your entry must include:
- 2 copies of a completed entry form with each entry
- 8 copies of the three-page project summary plus an electronic file of the summary on a disk
Your entry may include:
- 5 copies of a CD or DVD containing an electronic file of the three-page project summary, up to 3 electronic files of your strongest support materials and video highlights (may be on separate DVD). Support materials may include digital photos, pdf of best press clips, a scanned thank you note or letter, etc. Test all discs.
- Video highlights must be submitted on DVD, may not exceed 5 minutes in length, and must be accompanied by a log of contents. 5 DVD copies must accompany each entry.
- An optional binder or poster of additional support materials may be submitted with your entry and only will be reviewed during the final round of judging. If you do choose to submit this optional component, package the relevant support materials in a binder not to exceed 11” x 17” or on a board not to exceed 30” x 36”. An entrant is not required to submit a binder or a poster. It will only be shown to final round judges.
Q.What will the first round judges review when evaluating the Beacon Award entries?
A.For the first/preliminary round of judging, ACC will mail only the supplemental CD or DVD and one hard copy of the three-page summary to each judge who will evaluate your entry.
Q.Do I need to submit an entry binder?
A.No. An optional binder or poster of additional support materials may be submitted with your entry, but it only will be reviewed during the final round of judging. If you do choose to submit this optional component, package the relevant support materials in a binder not to exceed 11” x 17” or on a board not to exceed 30” x 36”. An entrant is not required to submit a binder or a poster.
Dates & Deadlines
Q. What are the deadlines to enter the Beacon Awards?
A. The 201- Beacon Award early bird deadline allows ACC members to save $50 on the entry fee and is April 9, 2010. The final deadline is April 23, 2010. To qualify for the Early Bird discount, the completed entry (including all forms, summaries and collateral materials) along with the payment must be received by ACC no later than 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on April 9, 2010.
If the entry is incomplete in any way, ACC reserves the right to deny the discount and charge the entrant the regular fee in order to be eligible for judging.
Q.My campaign falls within the required dates of April 23, 2009, and April 23, 2010, but I would like to include the kickoff element which was April 2, 2009. May I do that?
A. Yes.As long as the majority of the project was completed between the dates of April 23, 2009, and April 23, 2010, it is eligible for the 2010 Beacon Awards.
Q.If an event continues after the April 23, 2010, deadline, should press clips and results be sent after the entry deadline of April 23, 2010?
A. No.If you do not have all results in by April 23, 2010, you may relate in your entry the methodology by which you intend to measure results, what you anticipate the results to be, and why.
Categories
Q.Why did ACC revise the categories for the 2010 Beacon Awards?
Q.How have the Beacon Award categories changed this year?A.The new and updated categories better reflect the realities and demands of the cable communications profession and ensure that the Beacon Award will recognize the best and most strategic campaigns.
Q.What is the difference between Community Relations and Cause Marketing?A.The total number of categories was reduced from 23 to 17. Four new categories were added, several categories were combined, and three categories were eliminated.
The four new categories are: media relations – technology/product, media relations – programming publicity, competitive communications and Web site. Competitive communications combines the most important aspects of the old competitive response and bottom line/sales impact categories. Web sites are such a key component in many successful cable communications efforts that they merit a category of their own.
Some of the 2009 Beacon Award categories were merged into one category. The events and observances (seven or fewer days) category was combined with the events and observances (more than seven days) so that there is only one category. Programming (single program) was also merged with programming (series) into one programming category. The new crisis communications and issues management category also combines two, formerly separate categories.
The new media campaign was renamed as social media communications to better capture what the category will honor and recognize. The business to business communications, investor relations and support materials categories were eliminated, and those entries may be submitted under other categories.
Q. I did an announcement about our system’s new DVR services. We held a reception at the local Chamber of Commerce and set up televisions and PC work stations. Network representatives were on hand to answer questions and hand out premium items. We held special sessions for government officials/council members and the general public. Do I enter this event under Government Relations or Community Relations?A.The Community Relations category is defined as follows:
Campaigns that seek to win the support or cooperation of – or that aim to improve relations with – people or organizations in communities that position the organization as a committed partner and deliver measurable, positive results for the cable company.
The definition for Cause Marketing is:
Campaigns in partnership between a company or network and non-profit partner which measurably drive sales/increase viewership, increase brand loyalty, retain customers or reach a niche market while providing financial support and awareness for the non-profit.
The main difference is that cause marketing must deliver bottom line/sales type results while community relations may bring less tangible results.
A. Initiatives can be submitted in more than one category. In this case, you may enter the announcement under both. Just remember that your summary should be geared toward the target audience of the selected category.
Q. What is the best type of support materials to submit for a competitive response campaign entry?
Q. Is there a specific target audience attached to the Events and Observances category?A variety of tactics can be used in a competitive response campaign like in any other campaign. Some of the tactics may include media relations materials, programming, public service announcements or promotional spots, Web sites, print advertising, brochures, direct mail, newsletters or other print materials, correspondence, photographs, marketing products such as premiums, electronic and online communications, television ads, radio spots, posters, etc.
A.The Events and Observances category does not have a predetermined target audience, and an entrant in that category can target one or several target audiences as dictated by the goals of the project. Entrants should still identify the target audience or target audiences addressed by their campaigns in their project summaries so that the judges can evaluate whether those audiences were reached and influenced by the campaign.
Q. In the past, I submitted a promotional spot in the video promotion or PSA category. Where should I submit a promotional spot this year?
A. A promotional spot may be entered in the reputation/brand management category as part of a campaign. If the promotional spot does talk about the community service efforts of the cable company, it may be appropriate to enter it in the new Public Service Announcement (single or series) category.
Q. Why is there not a separate category for a single Public Service Announcement vs. a series of Public Service Announcements?
A. The Public Service Announcement category will reward the PSA or series of PSAs that produced the desired results or end impact whether that took one PSA or a series of PSAs. The new category concentrates on the results of the PSA.
Q. I have submitted a company newsletter to the Beacon Awards in the past. Where would that fit now?
Q. Will you accept live URLs for Web sites and other electronic media?A. Newsletters may be submitted to a category as part of a campaign directed at a target audience captured in the other categories. For example, a newsletter to government officials may be part of a campaign aimed at those officials, and that campaign can be submitted in the government relations category.
A. Yes. Entrants may submit live URLs for their Web site and social media communications entries.
Programming and Video Highlights
Q. I want to submit a 3-5 minute highlight package of events and programs we produce with voice-over providing information on each. Does that fall within the rules for a 5 minute video?
A. Yes. Remember to include a written log of what is on the DVD as well.
Q. Our system telecasts a weekly high school football game featuring schools from within our viewing area. I am planning to submit this as an LO series. Considering the 5-minute video limit, should I only send a clip from one game?
A. You can either send a clip from one game, or create a montage of highlights from a series of games. The only limitation is that the tape not exceeds 5 minutes and that you provide a written log of the tape's contents.
Q.What is the best way to produce the video highlights I would like to include with my entry?
A.Videos (DVD) submitted to the Beacon Awards do have a 5-minute time limit, and judges never choose to watch longer than 5 minutes. In fact, longer pieces may make them grouchy. Depending on the category to which the entry is submitted, the video may be 5 minutes of a particular program, a 5-minute highlight montage from a program or programming series, a 30-second PSA or a bunch of PSAs, or a 5 minute, edited piece that tells the story of the campaign. The latter is very well received by judges, and they particularly like it when there is a voice over describing the goals, implementation and results of the campaign.
Entrant Classification
Q. What are the entrant classification guidelines?
Q. Why did you break the division between cable network 1 and cable network 2 at 40 million?A. They are:
Cable system 1 (up to 200,000 subscribers)
Cable system 2 (200,000 to 400,000 subscribers)
Cable system 3 (more than 400,000 subscribers)
MSO
Cable Network 1 (up to 40 million subscribers)
Cable Network 2 (more than 40 million subscribers)
Other (includes Association/Nonprofit and Hardware/software or new technology providers)
A. Although the number isn't hard and fast, 40 million is usually the upper threshold of where a network can still be an unrated, “emerging” network. Once a network is rated, business practices, including public affairs, change, so it is hard to make a fair comparison between a rated and unrated network.
Q. My system, which is made up of 225,000 customers, worked in partnership with The Disney Channel to promote an upcoming program. As part of the Disney promotional tour, there was a screening at my local theater and Disney characters were available to greet attendees and take pictures with the children. We promoted the event by sending out direct mail pieces, creating radio spots and contacting several community organizations in the areA. Can I enter the screening in the Beacon Awards competition or should it be entered by The Disney Channel?
A. Both your system and the network can enter the promotion. You should enter the program under Community - Cable System II whileThe Disney Channel should enter the entire tour as a Community - Cable Network II entry.
Q. The cable system I work for partnered with a cable network on a community relations event. Can we submit a joint entry to the Beacon Awards?
A. There is no entrant classification for joint projects. You may enter the event to the community relations category as a cable system project, and the network may submit it as a cable network project.
Judging
Beacon Award judging will occur in the summer of 2010. For the preliminary round, ACC will mail several entries to first round judges to review anytime, anywhere during a two-week judging period. In July, a panel of senior ACC members, cable communications and public affairs professionals will judge the final round in Washington, DC, and select the winning entries.
Q. Are all the categories judged by the same criteria?
A. Yes.
Current Judging criteria are as follows:
Planning and Strategy (20% of overall score)
Implementation (25% of overall score)
Results (30% of overall score)
Creativity (25% of overall score)Judges will go through a training session to ensure that they all understand the judging criteria and have a similar frame of reference for judging entries.
Q. In the description of each entry's summary, you ask for comments on the "tactics and/or strategy" used for the project. Can you explain what that means?
A. "Tactics and/or strategy" means the process and/or procedures you followed in order to achieve your project's goals and objectives. In other words, you should address what steps you planned to take to make sure your project was going to have the results you anticipated.
Q. Why does ACC require that entrants include a justification statement in their three-page summaries?
A. In the past some Beacon judges have questioned whether certain entries had been submitted in the correct categories. To avoid this question, ACC eliminated these judging criteria. The 2010 Beacon Award Call for Entries also requires that the entrant include a justification statement in the three-page summaries. This statement should explain why the entry category was chosen and prevents judges from questioning whether an entry is in the right category.