PRSA - Public Relations Society of America Inc.

05/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/09/2024 20:29

PRSA Announces 2024 Anvil Award Winners

Best of Silver Anvil Award Presented to The Department of Veterans Affairs
Million Veteran Program's "Million Milestone by Veterans Day" Campaign

NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 - PRSA tonight announced the winners of the 2024 Anvil Awards, which recognize the highest standards of performance for the profession. Silver Anvil Awards single out the best strategic public relations campaigns of the year, as well as outstanding organizational excellence. Bronze Anvil Awards recognize outstanding public relations tactics that contribute to the success of overall programs or campaigns.

"This year, we celebrate 80 years of honoring the top PR campaigns and tactics across the country," said Joseph Abreu, APR, CPRC, 2024 PRSA Chair. "Congratulations to all of our Anvil recipients, and thank you for consistently demonstrating the vital role of public relations in uplifting our greater communities."

Winning entries encompassed a wide range of topics and causes, including campaigns created to inspire advocacy for organ donation in multicultural communities; help reduce overdose deaths caused by opioids; and accelerate the global transition to climate-smart agriculture practices.

This year's Best of Silver Anvil Award was presented to Dynamic Integrated Services (DIS) and The Department of Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program's (MVP) "Million Milestone by Veterans Day" campaign.

In 2011, the Department of Veterans Affairs set out to enroll one million veterans in its genetic research program, to better understand how genes, lifestyle, military experiences, and exposures affect health and wellness. Before the pandemic, MVP had secured nearly 750,000 in-person enrollments, but COVID severely limited their efforts. In response, MVP leveraged its newly launched online enrollment website and, with the help of Dynamic Integrated Services, developed a comprehensive communications strategy to promote the digital portal. DIS conducted a brand refresh, developed a monthly editorial strategy, launched a stakeholder engagement network, expanded the direct email strategy, created MVP's first digital advertising campaign, and, importantly, used data to continuously evaluate and optimize their efforts.

On November 8th, 2023, three days before their Veteran's Day goal, MVP enrolled the one millionth veteran into the program, making it the largest research program at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the world's largest and most diverse genetic research program within a health care system. Overall, the campaign resulted in a 621% increase in enrollments, an 857% increase in online users, a 123% increase in earned media mentions, and an 80% increase in social media impressions (comparing August 2022 results to August 2023).

"As a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, winning the Best of the Silver Anvils is a true testament to the caliber of our team, the quality of our work, and to the mission of VA's Million Veteran Program," said Nicole Carey, Chief Strategy Officer, Dynamic Integrated Services. "We are honored to be recognized with VA and dedicated to continuing to provide exceptional service and outcomes to VA, the Million Veteran Program, and all veterans they serve."

A total of 47 Silver Anvil Awards, 22 Bronze Anvil Awards, 48 Awards of Excellence, and 18 Awards of Commendation were presented during the evening. Click here to see the full list of winners.

About PRSA
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the leading professional organization serving the communications community through a network of more than 400 professional and student chapters in the U.S., Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Puerto Rico. Guided by its Code of Ethics, PRSA empowers its members to succeed at every stage of their careers through a wide breadth of premium professional development programs, exclusive networking events and leadership opportunities. Signature events include the Anvil Awards and ICON, the premier annual gathering for communications professionals and students. For more information, visit www.prsa.org.

# # #

Media Contact:
Rod Granger
212-460-0307
[email protected]