The Gold Quill Awards, hosted by the International Association of Business COmmunicators (IABC), are a mark of global distinction and the highest level of professional acknowledgement within business communication today.

Each year, the competition attracts entries from over 25 countries, bringing out the best examples of thought leadership, strategic management, creativity, resourcefulness and successful solutions. Award categories include employee/member communications, social media, media relations, electronic and digital communication, publication design and more.

This year, nearly 1,000 entries arrived from 26 countries, including 35 entries in the new Social Media category. Of those, 317 finalists were found worthy by judges like you and sent to the international Blue Ribbon Panel in San Francisco. This year, South African-based Daniel Munslow, an executive strategist at Newsclip Media Monitoring, was one of the 36 judges who assessed the global entries.

“The experience has been one that surpassed all expectations. It was a privilege to work alongside some of today’s best communication practitioners in determining, analysing, criticising and learning from the high quality of entries received this year. The lessons learned, especially in terms of global best of practice, are invaluable and show that South African work is on par with the world’s best”, said Munslow of the experience, shortly after he returned in March.

In all, 122 entrants won an Award of Merit or Excellence.

One of the most valuable aspects of our program, and something that distinguishes Gold Quill from other professional awards, is the thoughtful written comments that our judges add to every scoring sheet, sheets that are subsequently shared with each entrant. Thank you for taking the time to write thorough and encouraging feedback.

THE WINNERS

Division 1: Communication Management

Category: Community Relations

EXCELLENCE WINNER

2008 Cox Cares Campaign
Clarissa Collier
Cox Enterprises Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia

MERIT WINNERS

Avnet Tech Games
Teri Radosevich
Avnet
Phoenix, Arizona

Drive Away Hunger 2008
Farm Credit Canada
Regina, Saskatchewan

Get Off Your Grass! SNWA Conservation Campaign
Lisa Riess
Southern Nevada Water Authority
Las Vegas, Nevada

Category: International Communication

MERIT WINNERS

Exploring Your Options
Peggy A. Schoen
International Monetary Fund
Washington, D.C.

MAGNET: Migrant Attraction Programme
Victoria Forrest
Immigration New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand

Unlock the Value
Janet Wile, ABC, APR, MC
Barrick Gold Corp.
Toronto

Category: Media Relations

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Launch of mydoctor.ca Health Portal
Susanne Courtney, Siobhaun Williams
Cohn & Wolfe Canada for CMA’s Practice Solutions
Toronto

New Stride Gum Canadian Brand Launch
Ridiculously Long-lasting Road Trip
Strategic Objectives
Toronto

Wii Fit Media Relations
APEX Public Relations Inc. and Nintendo of Canada Ltd.
Toronto

Petro-Canada Canadian Athlete Family Program
Edelman Public Relations
Toronto

MERIT WINNERS

40th Anniversary of the Caramilk Secret
Strategic Objectives
Toronto

American Peanut Council: Edible Holiday Treats
Dan Tisch, Alison George, Janet Grdovich, Laura LaMontagne
Argyle Communications
Toronto

Beyoncé and the Canadian Launch of Dereon
Diana Robinson
Diana Robinson & Associates
Guelph, Ontario

LCS 1 Sea Trials—Presenting Freedom to the World
Diana K. Massing
Lockheed Martin
Baltimore, Maryland

More Than Mangos Company Launch
Belinda J. de Wolde, ABC
More than Mangos Inc.
Calgary, Alberta

Category: Multi-Audience Communication

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Family Violence—It’s Not OK Campaign
Ministry of Social Development
Wellington, New Zealand

For Images That Save Lives
Vita Kernel and Boötjan Pavletië
Studio Kernel
Koper, Slovenia

MERIT WINNERS

Communication Programme for Kapitalska družba
Marjeta Tic Vesel
PRISTOP
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Get with the Green Routine
Jennifer Tames, Jocelyn Tennison, Karen Tomnuk
Strathcona County
Sherwood Park, Alberta

“Slow Down” Campaign
Gladys Johnsen
WorkSafeBC
Richmond, British Columbia

The Passion Behind PawsWay: Launching Canada’s First Pet Discovery Centre
Jennifer Duggan
Environics Communications
Toronto

Category: Marketing Communication

MERIT WINNERS

Be a Conservation Sensation
Julee Cunningham
Snohomish County PUD
Everett, Washington

Skoda Free Fare Campaign
Daniel Piper
Revolution Advertising
Auckland, New Zealand

Unlock the Value
Janet Wile, ABC, APR, MC
Barrick Gold Corp.
Toronto

Category: Issues Management and Crisis Communication

EXCELLENCE WINNER

Re.misli (Re.think)—Environmental internal program
Tamara Valencic
Si.mobil d.d.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

MERIT WINNER

Keep Cool
Toronto Hydro-Electric System Ltd.
Toronto

Category: Employee/Member Communication

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Communicating Through the Credit Crunch
Helen Nelson
National Australia Bank
Melbourne, Australia

Communications Program for IT Implementation
Adrienne Schutte, Catherine Hunter, Micah Alpern
BearingPoint
McLean, Virginia

Community Support Campaign 2008
Michele Ronsen, Steve Canine, Christine Arthur, Tracy FitzGerald, Allyson Fayollat, Jim Nawrocki, Ryan Yee
Wells Fargo, Team Member Marketing
San Francisco

Creating a Culture of Wellness
Kip Soteres
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Safe to Say Employee Communication Strategy
Julianne Jack and Grant Bastedo
Information Services Corp. (ISC)
Regina, Saskatchewan

Security Hold ’Em
Molly A. Cain
Alliance Data
Dallas, Texas

MERIT WINNERS

2008 Workplace of Choice Survey Communication
Evelyn J. Jenkinson
Danbury Hospital/Danbury Health Systems
Danbury, Connecticut

Become Involved to Resolve
Ilze van der Merwe
DevCom—DR Church Elardus Park
Pretoria, South Africa

Dispatches from Iraq
Global Services and Support Communications
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
St. Louis, Missouri

Employee Survey Communications Campaign
Employee Survey Communications Team
Region of Waterloo
Kitchener, Ontario

Establishment of the NZ Transport Agency
Ann Kennedy-Perkins
AKP Communications Ltd.
Wellington, New Zealand

“Get Hound Happy!” Referral Hound Campaign
Jennifer A. Fagan
Allstate New Jersey Insurance Co.
Bridgewater, New Jersey

Jamming Our Way into the Future
Kerri Randel Lewis
Eli Lilly and Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana

One Voice, Nine Accents
Michael Pounsford and Hilary Scarlet
Couravel Ltd.
Tonbridge, U.K.

Red Tab Scholars Promotion Plan
Jill Vanoncini
Wordwright Communications Inc.
San Francisco

Safety Is Not Optional: Bayer HealthCare Communications Program
Sam Zabor and Lester Cacao
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
Berkeley, California

TransCanada Connects: 2008 Employee Forums
Heather Opseth
TransCanada
Calgary, Alberta

What Is Your Path?
Missile Systems Communications
Raytheon Missile Systems
Tucson, Arizona

Category: Human Resources & Benefits Communication

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Annual Benefits Enrollment Campaign 2009
Michele Ronsen, Robin McClarren, Jim Nawrocki, Steve Canine, Ryan Yee, Christine Arthur, Jeffrey Abrahams
Wells Fargo, Team Member Marketing
San Francisco

ITW 2009 Health and Wellness Enrollment Campaign
PartnerComm Team
PartnerComm, Inc./Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Arlington, Texas

LIVE the Orange LIFE! 2009 Annual Enrollment Campaign
The Home Depot and TurnerDillonGreco
Atlanta, Georgia

“Meet Phil.”—Recruiting Tomorrow’s Workforce
Aura Leigh Anscombe
ConocoPhillips Canada
Calgary, Alberta

Perfect Fit: A Communications Strategy for KPMG Recruiting
Angie Andich and National Communications Team
KPMG in Canada
Toronto

MERIT WINNERS

EnCana’s New Hire Package
Liz Hannah and Julia Turner
EnCana Corp.
Calgary, Alberta

Game, Set, Match!
Shyla Wright
J.P. Morgan
Kansas City, Missouri

Genuine Parts Company Retirement Program: YOU & GPC—Growing Stronger Together
Cindi Martin
Towers Perrin and Genuine Parts Co.
Atlanta, Georgia

Category: Strategic Communication Processes

EXCELLENCE WINNER

The Value of External Communications Tools
Lisa Lewis
PartnerRe Ltd.
Pembroke, Bermuda

MERIT WINNERS

2008 WCC Solutions Portfolio
Scott Williams, Peter Turco, Debbie Slappey
Mercer
Atlanta, Georgia

It’s Better Here—Physician Recruitment Strategy
Kate Stebbings, ABC; Sharon Stevens, APR; and Kristina Benson
Communication Solutions Inc.
Kamloops, British Columbia

Protecting the Earth from Bad PPT
Kristina Taylor, Alison Krogan and Mary Senander
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Tracking Levels of Employee Understanding and Engagement During Change
Ghassan Karian
Karian and Box
London

Category: Brand Communication

EXCELLENCE WINNER

It’s Better Here—Find Out Why
Kate Stebbings, ABC; Sharon Stevens, APR; and Kristina Benson
Communication Solutions Inc.
Kamloops, British Columbia

Category: Special Events—Internal or External

MERIT WINNERS

The CSU/AT&T Road to College Tour
California State University
Long Beach, California

The Regional Municipality of Durham
Kerri King
The Regional Municipality of Durham
Whitby, Ontario

Thermador Debuts in Canada 2007/08 Program
Thermador PR team
DDB Public Relations
Toronto

Ways of Perfection
Natalia Vahitova
Point Passat Communications Group
Moscow, Russia

Category: Social Responsibility

EXCELLENCE WINNER

For Early Breast Cancer Discovery
Vita Kernel
Studio Kernel
Koper, Slovenia

MERIT WINNERS

BlueScope Tank a Day Challenge
Samantha Allen
Pulse Communications
St Leonards, Australia

More Blue and Green for a Better Planet
Samantha Booth, Carleen Carroll, John Watson, Shirley McLean, Pier 8 Group
The Regional Municipality of Halton
Oakville, Ontario

Category: Multilingual Communication

MERIT WINNER

Red Tab Scholars Promotion Plan
Jill Vanoncini
Wordwright Communications Inc.
San Francisco

Category: Electronic and Digital Communication—Management

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Financial Explorer’s Quiz / Amazing-i Campaign
Don Peji, Lito Escoto and Maya Del Rosario
Sun Life Financial—Philippines
Makati City, Philippines

Jonzed: One Night. So Many Mistakes.
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp.
Halifax, Nova Scotia

LCSpace—The Freedom Chronicles
Diana K. Massing, Sharon Parsley and Courtney Klotz
Lockheed Martin
Baltimore, Maryland

Whirlpool Career Site—Phase I
PartnerComm Team
PartnerComm Inc. and Whirlpool Corp.
Arlington, Texas

MERIT WINNERS

Inside.HarlandClarke.com
Corporate Communications—Carly Barton
Harland Clarke
San Antonio, Texas

MAGNET: Migrant Attraction Programme
Victoria Forrest
Immigration New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand

McDonald’s AccessMCD Global Intranet Portal
Global Web Communications
McDonald’s Corp.
Oak Brook, Illinois

Category: Social Media

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Chevy Aveo5 Livin’ Large College Cab
General Motors and Weber Shandwick
Detroit, Michigan

Embracing the Loaf Love
Allison McCormick
Conkling Fiskum & McCormick Inc. for Tillamook Cheese
Portland, Oregon

Voice of the Customer
Shashi Bellamkonda and Geoff Livingston
Network Solutions and Livingston Communications
Herndon, Virginia

MERIT WINNERS

GM Shows the World What’s Next
Weber Shandwick with Jack Morton and McCann Worldgroup
Birmingham, Michigan

McDonald’s Mindshare Social Media Community
Global Web Communications
McDonald’s Corp.
Oak Brook, Illinois

Social Synchronous Technology Launch
Dora Smith
Siemens PLM Software
St. Louis, Missouri

Spendster
Marketing and Communications Team
National Endowment for Financial Education, Ignite Agency
Greenwood Village, Colorado

Division 2: Communication Skills

Category: Electronic and Digital Communication—Skills

EXCELLENCE WINNER

MAGNET: Migrant Attraction Programme
Victoria Forrest
Immigration New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand

MERIT WINNERS

5 Minutos Scotia
Federico del Castillo and Employee Communications Team
Scotiabank Group Mexico
Mexico City

“Better Here” Recruitment Web Site
Kate Stebbings, ABC; Sharon Stevens, APR; and Kristina Benson
Communication Solutions Inc.
Kamloops, British Columbia

Customer Experience Online Learning Module
Mark A. Mills, ABC
Nationwide
Columbus, Ohio

Category: Audiovisual

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Jonzed: One Night. So Many Mistakes.
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp.
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Privacy: Searching for the Data Protection Code
Giorgio Paoletti
SKY Italia
Rome, Italy

The Interactive Guide to Working Safely with Beryllium
Patrick S. Carpenter
Brush Wellman Inc.
Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Category: Publications

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

cinch—Your 2009 Benefits
Towers Perrin and Tween Brands
St. Louis, Missouri

Connections Newsletter
J. Cropper, A. Lindell, A. Olsen, C. Pardo, M. Reid
Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
St. Paul, Minnesota

Side by Side Newspaper
Tracey Sen
NSW Department of Education and Training
Sydney, Australia

TELUS 2007 Annual Report
Miriam Trottier and Dianne Trach, ABC
TELUS Corp. and Geneva Ventures Inc.
Edmonton, Alberta

MERIT WINNERS

Benefits Magapapers
Wendy O’Dea
The Capital Group Companies
Los Angeles

DTT 2008 Annual Review: Looking Back, Thinking Ahead
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Communications Team
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
New York City and Chicago

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario: Annual Report 2008
Parent Brand Team
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
Toronto

HiLines Employee Magazine
Communications and Public Affairs
SaskPower
Regina, Saskatchewan

Inside USAA
Doré S. Redfern
USAA
San Antonio, Texas

Red Magazine
Maureen Frame and Kerry Little
Griffith University, External Relations
Brisbane, Australia

Wellness at Ball
Mark Schumann, ABC; Lisa Brzezniak, Towers Perrin
Ball Corp. Health & Welfare Department
Houston, Texas

Category: Writing

MERIT WINNER

Ed’s B:log: Engaging Linguistics
James D. Lynch
American Express
New York City

Division 3: Communication Creative

Category: Publication Design

EXCELLENCE WINNERS

cinch—Your 2009 Benefits
Towers Perrin and Tween Brands
St. Louis, Missouri

Our Promise: Scripps 2007 Annual Report
Mike Godfrey
Scripps Health
San Diego, California

Rotman Magazine
Karen Christensen
Rotman School of Management
Toronto

Small Capital for Africa: “Business in a Box”
Sophia Dower
Words’worth
Johannesburg, South Africa

MERIT WINNERS

2007 Annual Report
T-Jay Upper
City of Brampton
Brampton, Canada

2009 ADM Enrollment Campaign
HR Communications Team
Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM)
Decatur, Illinois

2009 Kellwood Wellness Newsletters
Tracy Lindwedel
Kellwood Co.
St. Louis, Missouri

Butterfield Bank 2007 Annual Report
Mark W. Johnson
Butterfield Bank
Hamilton, Bermuda

Cuelga un libro en tu armario (Hang up a book in your closet)
Paula Mastrangelo
BPMO Edigrup
Barcelona, Spain

DTT 2008 Annual Review: Looking Back, Thinking Ahead
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Communications Team
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
New York City and Chicago

Executive Education Open Catalog 2008
Brian Wong
Suka Design Inc.
New York City

I to We: 2007/2008 Online Annual Report
Nova Scotia Business Inc.
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Inside USAA Employee Newsletter
Mark Harlien
Ideawire Inc. and USAA Employee Communications
San Antonio, Texas

Leading Medicine Magazine
Emma V. Chambers
The Methodist Hospital System
Houston, Texas

Magical Moments: A Guide to Making Dreams Come True
Internal Communications
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and Anaheim, California

One Australia Resource Directory
Simone Ferrier-Clingan
Amcor Limited
Hawthorn, Australia

Wellness at Ball
Mark Schumann, ABC; Lisa Brzezniak, Towers Perrin
Ball Corp. Health & Welfare Department
Houston, Texas

Category: Other Graphic Design

MERIT WINNER

J.P. Morgan 2009 International Trading Calendar
Alexander M. Mecum
J.P. Morgan
New York City

Category: Interactive Media Design

MERIT WINNERS

Harry’s Big Adventure Web Site
Valerie Sherman
Terminix
Memphis, Tennessee

Online Virtual Tour
Marilyn Burns
Trent University
Peterborough, Ontario

Category: Outdoor/3-D

MERIT WINNER

Almost This Close: Parks Awareness Campaign
Donna Sinclair, Judy Hobbs and Jason Geib
The City of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta

Category: Photography

MERIT WINNER

Fashion with Compassion:
The White Cashmere Collection 2008
Strategic Objectives
Toronto