The Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL) Torchѐ Awards Luncheon was held on Friday, June 10, 2022, at Louisiana State University in Alexandria. The Torchѐ Awards program was established by PRAL in 2020 to recognize outstanding work in the field of public relations and provide Louisiana professionals the opportunity to gain feedback on their strategic initiatives. The PRAL Torchѐ awards program is judged by a panel of accredited professionals and rooted in research, sound strategic planning and metric-driven results. Two members from the PRAL Northwest Louisiana Chapter were honored in two separate categories.
Millie Elliott won the Torchѐ Award of Excellence in the marketing campaigns category for her work displayed through Providence House’s Give for Good campaign in 2021. The campaign was titled “Squeeze the Day,” which was created to reflect a handful of the opportunities that Providence House provides homeless families with children in the Shreveport-Bossier community while also raising general awareness and critical funds.
The campaign was based around the idea that “when life gives you lemons, Providence House makes lemonade.” Throughout the campaign, Elliott highlighted: 1) that the shelter is not only for women with children but also for married couples and single dads by having the men in the program build the lemonade stands, 2) the in-house dietary staff by serving home-made lemonade at the lemonade stands throughout the two-week giving period, and 3) how at the end of the day, kids are kids and that all children, regardless of economic status, deserve the simple opportunity to host a lemonade stand. One judge noted, “The planning was exceptional, innovative, creative and meets the highest standards.” The campaign raised over $50,000 for the Providence House.
Emerie Eck Gentry won the Torchѐ Award of Excellence in the special events category for her work displayed through the 45th Annual Red River Revel Arts Festival marketing campaign in 2021. The campaign was based around the theme “Art, Music, Food and Family,” which was created to promote the Red River Revel Arts Festival and attract audiences to attend the event. During this time, Gentry also supervised the redesign of the Red River Revel’s website for there to be consistency across platforms and an ease of information for the public. She managed all of the advertising for the nine-day festival including radio, television, billboards, print, digital, and social media.
The six-week campaign featured high quality visual images of artists, musicians, food, and children at the Revel in previous years, along with spotlights on artists and musicians attending in 2021. In addition, artist Candice Alexander was commissioned to create artwork reflecting the Revel that was then utilized as the official poster, guidebook, merchandise, and other marketing assets while keeping consistency as a main goal of the campaign. Throughout the campaign, Gentry was able to highlight elements of the event that appealed to different audiences. The judges noted, “What makes this project notable is thinking outside the box in how to market the event by breaking down the elements or components rather than marketing it as a one-size-fits-all event. We loved the way she leveraged the theme and used creative ways to speak to different audiences and interests. She brought fresh thinking to the project!” The 46th Annual Red River Revel Arts Festival had record breaking attendance, along with art and food sales.