The Prestige of Pegasus

Posted by admin on Sep. 7, 2022  /  Subscribe 0

The red Pegasus stands on top of the Magnolia Hotel as a magnificent icon that has held legendary status in Dallas for decades. For PR pros in the DFW region, the Pegasus is also an icon that symbolizes industry excellence, representing the pinnacle of achievement in the region for the last several decades.

PRSA Dallas’ Pegasus Awards represent “creativity and innovation in practice,” said PRSA Dallas President Elect and Collin College’s Vice President of Advancement Lisa Vasquez, APR. Vasquez has competed for Pegasus awards and served on the awards committee for many past years. She’s also served as a judge for other PRSA chapter awards programs.

“We all have a professional brand – whether we work on it actively or not – and this is the chance for third party validation of all that hard work,” Vasquez said.

There are multiple categories across Pegasus’ three award tiers:

• Programs: community relations, reputation/brand management, events and observances, internal communications, marketing communications, crisis communications, public affairs, public service and most effective campaign under $10,000 budget.
• Projects: media relations, social media, publications, digital communications and most effective influencer promotion.
• Special Awards: PR pro of the year, young PR pro of the year, student of the year, educator of the year, small corporate or in-house team of the year, large corporate or in-house team of the year, small agency of the year, large agency of the year, Pegasus awards best of show, the Norm Teich award for volunteerism and community service and the president’s award for outstanding service to the chapter.

What does it take to win?

Several PRSA Dallas members weighed in with their ideas on how to maximize the four components of a successful campaign: research, planning, execution and evaluation.

• Measuring the impact is a critical component for submissions. How were minds changed, groups influenced, action taken? This should be documented and shared as part of the overall result.
• Providing visual assets to support your contribution, even if it’s in the form of amateur photos, graphics and videos will help the judges understand the context of the campaign, event, content or social media piece. “Technology is a great tool, but it’s not about what you used, it’s how you used whatever you’ve got,” Vasquez said.
• Documenting how your budget was utilized. Even if you had no budget, demonstrating how your submission maximized value on limited resources makes submissions stand out.
• Distilling your work into a succinct and clear summary with plain language, not relying on industry jargon or phrases you’d more typically see in an academic paper. Judges want to see and understand your thought process from concept to execution.

Check out Three Box’s marketing communications submission and supporting materials – which won Best in Show – with thanks to senior account lead Teddi Cliett.

There’s a wide range of eligible applicants.

The chapter typically sees over 100 submissions with entries coming from non-profits, NGOs, government departments, small and large agencies, boutique firms, colleges and student groups.

“Anybody at any level can apply,” Vasquez urged. “This is about creating an ecosystem of ideas.”

Past winner and former PRSA Dallas Awards Committee Chair Kristin Cole, President for A. Larry Ross Communications, said she’d like to see more student submissions because of how Pegasus helps enhance the resume for early-career professionals.

“As long as you are based in Dallas or the campaign had a Dallas-area impact on some level, you should consider applying,” Cole said.

The process yields substantial benefits, whether you win or not.

“Just through applying [to Pegasus], and getting some of the judges’ feedback, my work is improved,” said Cole. “I’m more strategic, even when I’m not working on a campaign I plan to submit for awards. The application process helps elevate my work. It makes me think about things on another level.”

Winning also brings a morale boost.

"Getting recognized by PRSA Dallas was transformational to Idea Grove,” said Scott Baradell, APR, CEO of Idea Grove. “Beyond creating a ripple of excitement across the team after a long year of hard work and pivots, it continues to help us stand out as an employer and business partner. Candidates now bring it up in interviews as a reason for wanting to join our team.”

The PRSA Dallas awards are a great test-run for potential national PRSA Anvil Award submissions, said Cole. Candidates can submit their entries to Pegasus, gather actionable feedback and then further enhance their submissions for the national awards competitions.

Plus, Vasquez said, “the Pegasus trophy is spectacular.” And the awards ceremony makes for an unforgettable evening where contestants hear about other winners and learn from their strategies and tactics.

September 15^th is nearly here, so it’s not too late to apply. Submit your online application to PRSA Dallas’ Pegasus Awards before the deadline here.

Other Resources

• Watch this video with LDWW founding partner Jody Venturoni to learn more about creating award-winning submissions. See a close-up of the slide deck from LDWW here.
• Check out the list of Pegasus winners from 2020 here.
• Learn more about the PRSA national Anvil awards here including entry tips. You can also search case studies for more insight here.
• Why is Dallas so obsessed with Pegasus? Find out more about this iconic image’s history here.

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Contribution written by Lauren Williamson, PRSA Dallas Programs Co-Chair and Argus Media Vice President Commercial Product.

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