The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has selected the Martin County Office of Tourism & Marketing as a 2021 Bronze Anvil Award Winner in the “Best Tactical Pivot” category. This is the first Bronze Anvil win for the team, which was awarded for the success and creativity of their “Missed Milestones” campaign.
“The PRSA Bronze Anvil is one of the premiere awards within the public relations industry and it is such an honor to be recognized by our peers,” said Nerissa Okiye, Tourism Director of Martin County.
Martin County Tourism was recently named a 2021 Bronze Anvil Winner by PRSA
For more than 45 years, the PRSA’s Bronze Anvil Awards have celebrated the best of the best in public relations tactics and strategies. Judging is performed by teams of PRSA members and other professionals with expertise across the 33 different award categories. This year’s competition drew hundreds of entries from various industries, including tourism, finance, education, healthcare, entertainment, and more. Of those entries, only 37 organizations were named winners by the judges, demonstrating the high standards of the prestigious annual awards.
The Hershey Company was named a runner-up in the Best Tactical Pivot category, and additional Bronze Anvil Award winners in other categories included Southwest Airlines, AT&T, The Home Depot, MUCINEX, Chase Bank, 3M, and other leading companies.
“To see Martin County recognized alongside world-renowned brands, with major marketing departments and advertising budgets, was very exciting for our small-but-mighty team,” said Ian Centrone, Tourism Public Relations and Community Liaison for Martin County. “Bringing home the top prize in the Best Tactical Pivot category was especially meaningful, considering the fact that virtually every industry was affected by the pandemic.”
The Best Tactical Pivot category was specifically created to celebrate organizations that successfully implemented creative campaigns to overcome unexpected challenges. The Martin County Office of Tourism submitted their recent “Missed Milestones” campaign, which was part of their ongoing tourism rebound efforts developed in response to COVID-19.
Through the Missed Milestones program, travelers who booked a two-night stay at participating properties in Martin County by December 31, 2020 received a complimentary night stay to redeem at any point in 2021 once they felt comfortable traveling once again. The concept behind the campaign tapped into the universality of missing important life milestones due to the unforeseen impacts of the global pandemic.
Everybody experienced some sort of missed milestone over the past few months, from postponed weddings and canceled birthday trips to virtual graduations and derailed holiday festivities. This innovative program allowed potential visitors to celebrate with an extra free night when the time was right—all while supporting the local hospitality industry and keeping the destination top-of-mind during unprecedented times.