NCPA Membership Committee plans contest changes

Members of NCPA's Membership Services/Professional Development Committee met this month to take a look at the contests in preparation for fall's entry period. Committee members looked at both requests from members, and participation data for each category of nboth contests.

The following general modifications were approved by the committee, followed by more specific recommendations for the advertising contest. Changes included:

•A decision that creation of a “best digital ad” category is not merited given that participation in the “best online ad” category already in place doesn't merit its creation. During discussion members noted the disparity in the capabilities of newspapers in the A, B, C, D and E divisions compared to division F when it comes to the creation of digital ads.

•A suggestion to only specify a single month for entries in the special awards categories was dropped in favor of maintaining the option for newspapers to select items from one of two months.

•It was determined that work from freelancers who work for more than one newspaper would continue to be ineligible for submission.

•A discussion on the eligibility of items appearing in special products/imprint products of newspapers reaffirmed that items appearing in imprint publications that are not distributed within the newspaper are ineligible.  Language used in the past to clarify this will be re-introduced into the 2017 contest brochures.

•It was determined that even though employees of a member newspaper may work for other newspapers, that work is ineligible for submission unless the newspaper the work appears in is also a member.

•Members agreed to a request to return the info-graphics category to the editorial contest by allowing this type of work's inclusion in the Illustration/Photo Illustration category. The category will be renamed Illustration/Photo Illustration/Graphics. Only dailies are eligible to compete in this category.

•Following discussion on the history of specialty publications in the contest and a recommendation to create a separate competition division for them, the specialty publications categories were dropped in order to allow their inclusion in circulation-appropriate divisional competitions for General Excellence, Special Sections and Appearance and Design.

Specific changes to the advertising contest include:

•Combining the “Best B&W Restaurant/ Entertainment Ad” category with “Best Color Restaurant/Entertainment Ad” for one category of “Best Restaurant/Entertainment Ad.”

•Eliminating the category “Best Use of Multimedia in an Online Ad.” Online ads can be submitted in the “Best Online Ad” category.

•Combining the “Best B&W Institutional Ad” category with “Best Color Institutional Ad” for a “Best Institutional Ad” category.

•Changing the language in the “Best Institutional Ad” category to eliminate the inclusion of “healthcare companies or services.”

•Creating a new category for “Best Healthcare/Medical Ad” to cover healthcare, hospitals, doctors, and medical service ads.

•Combining all divisions for one first place award in the “Use of Humor” category. This award will be similar to the “Best Niche Publication” and “Best in Show” awards in that there will only be one first place winner.

•Combining all divisions for one first place award in the “Best Innovative Concept/Wildcard” category. This award will be similar to the “Best Niche Publication” and “Best in Show” awards in that there is only a first place winner.

•Changing the competition in the categories “Best Advertising Campaign” and “Best Online Advertising” so that all community newspaper divisions compete for one award, and all daily divisions compete for one award.

•Eliminating the “Best Single Sheet Insert,” “Best Shared Page in a Niche Publication,” “Best Real Estate Ad in a Niche Publication,” and “Best Restaurant/Entertainment Ad in a Niche Publication” categories.

•Creating a “Best Service Ad in a Niche Publication” award to encompass real estate, restaurant/entertainment and other service ads appearing in niche publications.

The contests will open to members in early September. Committee members attending the meeting included Chair Ashley Vansant, The Washington Daily News; Shawn Stinson, The Sanford Herald; Mary Wayt, The Roanoke Beacon, Plymouth; Corey Friedman, The Wilson Times; Alan Wooten, Fayetteville Observer; Ken Ripley, Spring Hope Enterprise; Tammy Dunn, Montgomery Herald, Troy; and Deuce Niven, Tabor-Loris Tribune, Tabor City.