Public Affairs is pleased to announce the recipients of our second annual ACME awards (Awards for Communications & Marketing Excellence) for campus professionals. The ACME awards were presented on September 23, 2009 at the annual Public Affairs seminar, "Brand U: Get the Message."

View 2009 Winners
View 2008 winners

Media Relations Award

Of all of the responsibilities communications professionals have, working with the media is the most challenging, and expectations by faculty and administrators are often quite high. The recipient has a thorough understanding of:

• What is news
• How the news media operate
• How to work effectively with the News Bureau
• How to communicate with administrators about the realities of news media coverage
• Other avenues besides the traditional news media for reaching the intended audience

Crisis Communications Award

While promoting the excellence of Illinois to build the Illinois brand is the main function of communications professionals on campus, equally important is mitigating the potential negative ramifications of crisis situations. The Crisis Communications Award will be given to a communications professional who:

• Alerts Public Affairs in a timely fashion about potential crises
• Plays a leadership role in his or her unit to address crises there
• Offers assistance to Public Affairs in addressing campus-level crises

Team Player Award

The Team Player Award recognizes outstanding (and often heroic) efforts to respond to cries for help, requests for random information and desperate calls for suggestions from Public Affairs and Campus Administration. Nearly without exception, these requests come without warning, on tight deadlines and usually, with no direct reward. The Team Player exemplifies a commitment to putting the good of the campus first. Basically, this award is presented to an individual or team whose first question just always seems to be, "What can we do to help make Illinois a better University?" Some Examples of Team Player activities:

• Same-day responses to Freedom of Information Act inquiries
• Assistance in data collection/compilation for special Chancellor/Provost/President projects
• Serving on search, planning, evaluation committees for campus
• Guinea pigging for new initiatives/projects
• Brilliant suggestions for improvements in the way Illinois presents itself locally, regionally and nationally

Branding Leadership Award

A university’s brand is more than a logo or tag line—it’s lived through the actions of its internal stakeholders. This award recognizes an individual who acts as an ambassador for the Illinois brand by:

• Using marketing and communications vehicles to tell the Illinois Story
• Consistent use of the Illinois Identity Standards
• Excellence in presenting its unit’s distinct personality through visual identity

Innovation in Marketing Award

The recipient will have shown creativity in the use of new media and/or other vehicles to promote a unit, its events and news. The materials produced will have been compelling to the audience and will have reflected the excellence of the unit and the Urbana campus. The materials will 'brand up' through the use of the campus logo and by following Identity Standards guidelines.

Communicator of the Year Award

The recipient of this award exemplifies these outstanding qualities:

• SERVICE: demonstrates a history of active service on campus
• INNOVATION: achieves the University's objectives through effective, creative approaches in communications and partnerships
• ADVANCEMENT: acts as an ambassador for the University and works to advance its core missions
• EXCELLENCE: strives to attain the highest quality in all endeavors