We are honored…
We work incredibly hard for our clients; it is a pleasure to say that this hard work has resulted in these prestigious awards and acknowledgements.
2016 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence
The Hannon Group and partner, GMMB, received an Award of Excellence at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil Awards event on June 9, 2016. The Hannon Group and GMMB were honored in the Multicultural Public Relations category for "Promoting Health Insurance Enrollment to the African American Community" as part of a public information campaign for the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. The campaign plan focused on addressing concerns that health insurance was not affordable and enrolling hard-to-reach, uninsured residents. The team used social media, events, and community outreach to leverage the best possible result from outreach efforts for target audiences. PRSA's Silver Anvil Award and Award of Excellence is bestowed annually to organizations reaching the very highest levels of professional achievement. With more than 700 entries for 25 categories, The Hannon Group is so proud to be one of the region's seven Award of Excellence winners.
Thoth Award 2016
The Hannon Group and partner, GMMB, received a Thoth Award from the PRSA National Capital Chapter in the Multicultural Public Relations category for "Promoting Health Insurance Enrollment to African American Communities in Maryland." To engage the uninsured, the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange utilized new stakeholders to implement culturally appropriate and sustainable partnerships and outreach strategies to reach and enroll African American residents while maintaining sensitivity to unique barriers faced by some communities.
At campaign’s end, Maryland achieved one of the fastest growth rates in the country. Enrollments in private health plans totaled 162,652 from Nov. 1, 2015 to Feb. 5, 2016, representing a 33% increase from the previous year. African-American enrollment went up 37% to more than 31,036, compared to 22,632 from the previous year. The Thoth Awards (pronounced "Tot") are named for the Egyptian god of information and communication. Thoth is the PRSA National Capital Chapter's signature event that celebrates innovation within the public relations industry and showcases the Washington area’s talent.
Top 100 MBE 2014
The Hannon Group received one of 2014’s Top 100 MBE Awards honoring the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises. In 2014, the Office of Minority Business Enterprise received nearly 4,000 nominations for businesses operating in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The panel of judges designated The Hannon Group as one of the best in the region.
Thoth Award 2012
The Hannon Group received the Thoth Award for Research and Evaluation, along with CPWR, The Center for Constructive Research and Training, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
PRSA recognized The Hannon Group’s outstanding research to support a national campaign to prevent falls on construction sites called Safety Pays, Falls Cost. A description of the award-winning work is provided below.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 10,101 construction workers were injured or killed from falling from heights during 2010. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Occupational Research Agenda secured The Hannon Group to design and provide communications consulting services to implement an unprecedented national safety heights-specific campaign targeting small contractors/owners/foremen and construction workers. The Hannon Group designed and conducted a research program. First, an environmental scan uncovered close to 100 construction safety-related logos, taglines, and creative products from 7 countries. Second, fifteen focus groups found that creative products using testimonial/fear and incorrect/correct approaches tested very well. Subsequently, a U.S. campaign launched in April 2012 using research-proven products.
Thoth Award 2008
The Hannon Group received the 2008 Thoth Award for Best Research/Evaluation for its research project for xG Technology. To support the development of a public relations plan to promote new phone technology called the xMax T-110, xG Technology secured the services of The Hannon Group. The Hannon Group designed and executed five groups in two xG Technology markets – Cincinnati and Orlando. xG Technology made significant decisions based on the research, including the decision to NOT rollout out the TX-110 due to negative response and feedback. The research saved xG Technology hundreds of thousands of dollars in production and promotion costs. xG Technology moved forward with a plan to roll out the TX-60, a “sexier” phone, and develop research-based PR messaging, strategies and tactics.
Communicators Award 2008
The Hannon Group received the 2008 Communicators Award of Distinction for its special event planning and management for Southeastern University’s 2007 Annual Gala event. The Gala is the largest fundraising activity for the University, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to support student programs, scholarships and activities. The Southeastern University marketing team engaged the services of the Hannon Group to assist in promoting the event. The Hannon Group was responsible for both pre and post activities. The pre-event media coverage generated by The Hannon Group resulted in attendance of more than 900 of Washington’s social, political, and business leaders to see the then Mayor roasted by his friends and colleagues.
Other results included:
The gala raised close $600,000; media impressions of 77,008,804; coverage in media publications such as The Washington Post, City Living, The Examiner, The Washington Diplomat and The Afro-American Newspaper, WUSA9, News8, WJLA, and WTOP and an interview on Comcast Newsmakers with Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis regarding the Gala.
Magellan Award 2007
The Hannon Group received the Magellan Bronze Award for “excellence in the development of the community relation campaign for the College Savings Plans of Maryland. The College Savings Plan of Maryland (CSPM) offers two financial products for consumers to save money for college. The Hannon Group (THG) developed a marketing consumers’ campaign using community outreach, partnerships with corporations and non-profits, and media relations to reach and influence consumers to purchase the products. Media hits reached more than 30 million because of story pick-up in USA Today and smaller papers such as the Baltimore Sun and an ANR reach of 1,281,550 listeners. Enrollment into the plans increased more than 50% to 26,000. Total invested assets were nearly $2 billion on behalf of more than 110,000 beneficiaries.
Summit Creative Award 2006
The Hannon Group received the 2006 Summit Creative Award for their work with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).The Hannon Group was selected by USTA to provide public relations and media relations support to the Mid-Atlantic Section (MAS) of the USTA. The Hannon Group’s creativity scored among with the very best from the thousands of submissions from twenty-six countries. The Summit Creative Awards competition is a 12-year-old competition that has established itself as one of the premier arbiters of creative excellence. The international panel of judges were highly impressed with The Hannon Group’s creativity.
Magellan Award - Top 50 Publicity Campaigns in 2005
The Hannon Group campaign entitled: “Play Tennis - The Sport for A Lifetime” which it designed and executed for the United States Tennis Association/Mid-Atlantic Section received the Top 50 Publicity Campaign for 2005 Award of the Magellan Awards. The Top 50 Publicity Campaign Awards are open to the highest scoring entries. There were 475 competing entries for the award.
Magellan Award - Silver Award 2005
The Hannon Group received the Magellan Award Silver Award for its publicity campaign design and execution for the United States Tennis Association. The Campaign, entitled “Play Tennis - The Sport of A Lifetime,” was one of 475 competing entries from other PR agencies including larger firms such as Hill & Knowlton, Weber-Shandwick and Fleishman-Hillard.
Thoth Award - Best Research 2005
The Hannon Group also won the PRSA 2005 Thoth Evaluation Award, in partnership with Keenan PR, for providing outstanding market research services. The Hannon Group, under subcontract to Keenan PR, designed and executed a long-term research initiative using interviews and focus groups to test advertising, messages and terms on behalf of the end-client, Comprehensive Health Services, an employee health services firm serving Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies.
Addy Award 2005
In 2005, The Hannon Group was part of the Arnold Worldwide team that won a prestigious Addy Award for the advertising agency’s AMTRAK advertising campaign. For the campaign, Arnold Worldwide secured the services of The Hannon Group to develop 30 and 60 second radio ads targeting African American travelers. The Hannon Group also reviewed print advertisements for cultural relevancy and appropriateness. In addition, the company designed an online media buy strategy to promote AMTRAK’s services to African American travelers.
Magellan Award - 2004 Top 50 Publicity Campaign
A team of 18 senior-level independent practitioners, co-chaired by Sandra Wills Hannon, Ph.D., The Hannon Group Founder, and Rita Mhley, President of Mhley-Davis, received top honors in the 2004 Magellan Awards. The team was honored for the publicity work it has done this past year with the Center for Child Protection and Family Support. The Center, a Washington, DC-based community organization, addresses the effects of child abuse and victimization by providing innovative school-based and parent education programming, along with training and consulting for area professionals. All team members are members of the Independent Public Relations Alliance, a group of over 80 independent public relations practitioners and small business owners in the Washington metropolitan area.
IPRA placed 31st in the top “50 Publicity Campaigns of 2004” category, and received honors in the “Organizational Communications” category of the Awards, which are sponsored by San Diego, Calif.-based League of American Communications Professionals. The Awards are a publicity campaign competition judged in peer-level competitions. This year the competition drew more than 300 entries.