Ad, Editorial & Website Awards Rules
RULES AND CATEGORIES
Entries must be Published Between
January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021

1. Only regular MACPA members’ publications in good standing with current dues paid are eligible to enter.
2. Entries or ideas that have previously won MACPA awards for your company may not be entered.
3. Advertising agency or camera-ready advertisements may not be entered.
4. Choose the category for your entry carefully. Send a FULL-PAGE TEAR SHEET, showing publication name and date of issue. If the item to be judged occupies less than a full sheet, mark or outline the ad/item that you wish to be judged. Complete the appropriate entry label and tape it to the UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER of the BACK side of the tear sheet. NO MATTING ACCEPTED!
5. A brief explanation, if necessary, may be attached to the back of the entry, below the entry label.
6. Limit of five entries per division of a category for your company. Additional entries will be disqualified. Any ads not showing publication date will be disqualified.
7. In the event that three or fewer entries are received in any category they may be moved to another appropriate category.
8. Entries for Category 10 (Editorial) MUST be submitted electronically as well as a hard copy version. Please submit the files to kasey@gomaava.com. Any entries that are not submitted electronically will be disqualified.
9. Mail entries via USPS to MACPA, P.O. Box 408, Hamburg, PA 19526, or via FedEx/UPS MACPA C/O Interlace Communications 10 Zion Church Road, Suite 202, Shoemakersville, PA 19555. All entries become the property of MACPA and are not returnable.
10. No entries will be accepted at the conference, as judging will be completed in advance.
11. A $5 fee for each entry must accompany entries. Please make checks payable to MACPA and mail along with entries
12. Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by January 17, 2022. All entries received afterward will be disqualified.

Download the Entry Forms today!

Category Descriptions

Entries within your Publication

General Excellence

Only one entry per company, per division is allowed in this category. Please choose one copy of your publication for each of the quarters listed below for a total of 4. Two divisions based on amount of advertising content – Shoppers Guides are greater than 75% advertising and Community Papers are less than 75% advertising. The third division, Niche Publications, includes publications that are designed for a specific audience. Must include a copy of your publication from each quarter (January-March; July-September; April-June; October-December)

Division 1: Community Papers

Division 2: Shoppers Guides

Division 3:  Niche Publications

2 - Single Ads - Small Space

All ads must show good layout, originality, design and quality printing. Ads must appear as a regular run of your paper and must be 1/4 page or less of your publication size.

Division 1: Ads using black ink only

Division 2:  Ads using color

3 - Single Ads - Large Space

All ads must show good layout, originality, design and quality printing. Ads must appear as a regular run of your paper and must be more than 1/4 page of your publication size.

Division 1: Ads using black ink only

Division 2:  Ads using color

4 - Grocery Ads
All ads must show good layout, originality, design and quality printing. Black Ink Only and Color will be judged together.
5 - Automotive Ads
All ads must show good layout, originality, design and quality printing. Black Ink Only and Color will be judged together.
6 - Restaurant Ads
All ads must show good layout, originality, design and quality printing. Black Ink Only and Color will be judged together.

Entries Part of Your Publication

7 - Timely and Themed Sections or Guides

Fair Days, Moonlight Madness, Sidewalk Sales, Octoberfest, Vacation Guide, Wedding Planners, Home Improvement, etc – includes editorial material

Division 1: Newsprint – within publication

Division 2: Newsprint – Pull outs, stand alone, multiple pages

Division 3: Glossy Medium/Magazine

Other

8 - Original Photography
Best original photo or series of photos taken by a member of your own staff.

Division 1:  Editorial

Division 2:  Advertising

9 - Community Service

Entries included serving the community through news, advertising columns, and/or aiding or promoting community projects. The beneficiary may be an individual, group, or entire community. Please note that this category does not include self-promotion.

Division 1: Run as sequential pages of publication.

Division 2:  Run as separate section or insert.

Editorial

ALL ENTRIES FOR CATEGORY 10 MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY AS WELL AS A HARD COPY VERSION. Any entries not submitted electronically will be disqualified. Please provide a pdf as well as a word document to kasey@gomaava.com. Entries must be labeled by their Category and Division numbers. (Example: A personal column written by the publisher with three entries: Cat10Div1_Article1)

10 - Original Writing

Entries should be original articles written by the publisher or member of your staff and published during the contest period. Syndicated or mat service items are not eligible. Judging is based on originality of content, quality of writing and layout. Please include byline for each entry.

Division 1:  Personal Column – Submit three different columns by a single writer with different topics.

Division 2:  Editorial – An opinion article by a writer on a single topic.

Division 3: News Story – A newsworthy event concerning a particular item, product, place or thing.

Division 4:  Feature Story – A human interest story where timeliness is not a factor.

Internet

CONTEST RULES FOR INTERNET ENTRIES

1. Website pages will be judged via internet connection.
2. Send a link to your website to kasey@gomaava.com by January 17, 2022.
3. Include the following information with the email:
Name of Publication
Website Address
Webmaster name & email address
Special Webpages, Comments for the judges to aid them in experiencing your website.
4. Please mail the entry form found with the other entry forms along with $5 for each category entered.

12 - Site Design

Entries for this category include:

• Attractive Site

• Easy to navigate

• Mobile Friendly

• Provides timeliness of news

• Easy to find advertisements of both classified and display ad

• Online version of publication

• Overall community involvement

• They have a way to feature display advertisers

13 - Social Media

Provide a link to your social media accounts showing engagement with your readers and advertisers. Provide a screenshot of a weeks worth of analytics showing engagement on your posts. (Any week in 2019 qualifies.)

14 - Email Marketing

Provide up to three email marketing campaigns with a screenshot of the results showing the open rate and click throughs.

Division 1: Self Promotion

Division 2: Promotion for Advertisers

GOOD LUCK!!!

Please mail your entries to
Interlace Communications
c/o MACPA Awards
10 Zions Church Road Suite 202 Shoemakersville, PA 19555.