April 9, 2024
The National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) recently honored Anne Arundel Community College during the 2023 Paragon Awards at the council’s national conference. AACC’s Strategic Communications team earned a gold award in the flyer category for the team’s work on Transfer Fair flyer as well as a silver award in the video shorts (single) category for the Riverhawk Ready: Course Correct video.
“I’m incredibly proud of our Strategic Communications team, and how these two pieces showcase their range of talent," said Dan Baum, executive director of Strategic Communications at AACC.
The Transfer Fair flyer provided eye-catching promotion and information for current students seeking to transfer to four-year institutions. Judges' comments included, "Great use of color and graphics. Writing is clear and concise,” and “I love everything about this one. Including university logos could easily get messy, but this design corrals them and makes them feel purposeful. The arrow imagery works really well on the eye-catching front, and the copy is concise and relevant.”
"Riverhawk Ready: Course Correct" is a video short in the Riverhawk Ready video series, which uses 8-bit artwork to share relevant information in easy-to-understand snippets. The video aims to help students who are trying to decide which course length to enroll in. Judges' comments on this entry included, “I really loved this! So creative and fun. Cuts through the noise and makes you pay attention. Delivers the information in a fun and informative way.”
“When you tell your college’s story well, you ensure that students can find themselves, and the supports and services they need, at your institution,” said Jeff Julian, NCMPR’s 2023-24 president. “It’s evident in the winning entries that our members are committed to serving their students.”
The 2023 Paragon Awards drew 1,531 entries from 210 colleges across the country and was judged by 65 professionals from the marketing and public relations industry.
NCMPR’s Paragon Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design, strategy and communication at community and technical colleges. It's the only national competition of its kind that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges.