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Text reads MarCom 2020. There is a white and gold rectangular background. Two award figures, one gold, one silver, are on the right hand side.

P&G honored with 16 MarCom Awards for our 2020 public relations work

Apr 9, 2021

Category: What's new

It always feels like bragging to talk about our work. But here’s the thing – we need to just get over it.

Which is why this month, as we lead up to the 2021 Central Michigan Public Relations Society of America’s PACE Awards in May – some of the most meaningful awards to us for reasons we’ll talk about more another time – we’re going to look back at some of our award-winning work that just felt… Weird? Awkward? Inconsequential? … to talk about over the past year.

And yet, our clients deserve to be recognized, as does our team. So with that acknowledgment of the weird, awkward space that is talking about awards during a still raging global pandemic… we’re going to do our best to talk about awards in the context of impact and reflection.

And here’s why – we are genuinely honored to be validated in the work we do for our clients and our community. The MarCom Awards are designed by creatives for creatives, and we are proud to be recognized for our creative and design chops as visual storytelling becomes a more and more important aspect of public relations. Visuals make an impact.

The MarCom Awards honor excellence in marketing and communication while recognizing the creativity, hard work and generosity of industry professionals. Since its inception in 2004, the MarCom Awards has evolved into one of the largest, most-respected creative competitions in the world. Each year, about 6,000 print and digital entries are submitted from dozens of countries.

We are honored to have earned 16 – we’re letting that sink in… 16! – MarCom Awards in 2020, including five Platinum Winner Awards, eight Gold Winner Awards and three honorable mentions. 

Awards offer us third-party validation for the quality of our work. We know we’re good at what we do because we care and take time to craft thoughtful campaigns. When someone else recognizes that too, it’s incredibly validating to the team and our clients. It feels good to win for work that is out in the community. Knowing that work supporting children, students, families can be seen as impactful beyond our walls helps us keep pushing when the days are long and things get difficult. These stories deserve to be told and the world needs to see them. 

The MarCom Awards have an international reputation and being able to show what we are doing in Michigan and win shows that great work can come from small communities. Be sure to visit the links below for each award and search Piper & Gold to learn more about each project! 

Here’s what we’re proud of: 

Platinum Winner 

Print Creativity/Writing: Op-ed, Capital Area Michigan Works!

About this project: All of our work is meaningful. We try not to pick favorites. But this op-ed in particular was a once-in-a-lifetime honor. 

After decades of service in education, workforce development and social justice, Edythe Copeland, then CEO of Capital Area Michigan Works!, retired. In the midst of a global pandemic and national protests for racial justice, Edee knew she had something to say. 

Our founder, Kate Snyder, had the honor and privilege of supporting Edee in sharing her “mic drop” with the community. The two had discussed the piece for damn near a year, and sharing Edee’s personal experiences with racism as a Black, female CEO were always at the center of what Edee wanted people to understand. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the national dialogue and protests surrounding police violence against people of color, Edee wanted to share a level of vulnerability – and hope – she hadn’t always felt comfortable or safe doing. Through a series of interviews, Kate captured Edee’s words and stories and supported her in transforming them into an op-ed format. That simple process was, as Kate puts it, one of the most meaningful experiences of her career. 

“After 16 years of working together, the chance to help Edee share her experiences, to help coordinate the attention and prestige they deserved… I can’t put into words the impact Edee has had on my life and my career. Her mentorship, leadership, candid conversations – they have shaped who I am as a leader, and as a person. I will never be able to express how grateful I am for all she has taught me, the opportunities she has given me, the friendship we now share. All I did here was help. This op-ed, as anyone who knows her will tell you, is all Edee. And being able to help was just the tiniest of ways to show my respect for a remarkable woman and share her stories.”

So, yes. It’s an award-winning op-ed. And it’s an op-ed on a damn important topic by a damn important leader. And sometimes, an op-ed is so SO much more than “just” the award. This is one of those. Thank you, Edee.

Print Creativity/Design (Print): Stepping Up publication, Early Childhood Investment Corporation

 

Publications/Employee Publications: Part I report, MSU Broad

 

Print Media/Print Creativity: Middle School Logo design, Charyl Stockwell Academy

Gold Winner 

Honorable mention

No matter what level of award we received, all of our work has value. We brought so many ideas to life that allow our clients to spread their messages to a wider audience. We are only able to use our creativity because they are committed to doing the work of bettering our community. Founder and Principal Strategist Kate Snyder took some time to share her thoughts on our clients. 

“I am always so damn grateful for our clients' trust and partnership. I'm so grateful to feel like the work we are able to do aligns with my personal values, and I'm able to surround myself with colleagues and clients who are good fucking people doing good fucking things. I get to do powerful work because of our clients and team. Thank you will never be enough.”

It’s been a rough year for everyone and we hope that sharing some of our moments of pride will brighten someone’s day.

Tags: 2020 MarCom Awards, awards