The Red Deer Advocate has been recognized nationally for its creative flare.
The Advocate figured prominently in Newspapers Canada’s 2011 Great Ideas competition, which involved daily and weekly newspapers from across the country.
Its Wake Up with the Red Deer Advocate campaign — which accompanied the Advocate’s switch to early-morning delivery last July — was judged tops among small market dailies in the newspaper marketing and promotion category. That initiative made use of multi-media publicity, reader input and business partnerships.
The Advocate also earned second- and third-place awards for special sections it published last year. Courage Remembered, a Nov. 10 tribute to soldiers and war veterans, was runner-up among the entries from small market dailies; and Report on Central Alberta, an annual review of developments, trends and issues in the region that was published in June, placed third.
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive the recognition of our peers from across Canada,” said Gord Derouin, the Advocate’s advertising manager.
He said the award for marketing and promotion was particularly satisfying.
“This marketing initiative was developed in-house, to promote and inform Red Deer and Central Alberta about the new morning delivery of the Red Deer Advocate and encompassed many fun and informative elements.”
The level of competition for the Great Ideas awards was very high, added Derouin, who credited the “hard work and dedication” of Advocate staff from production to delivery personnel.
The Advocate, Prince George Citizen and Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal were the only daily newspapers to win three awards in this year’s Great Ideas competition. A panel of nine judges chose the winning entries, which will be formally recognized at an April 30 ceremony in Vancouver.
Newspapers Canada is a joint initiative of the Canadian Newspaper Association and the Canadian Community Newspapers Association.
The two organizations represent more than 830 daily, weekly, and community newspapers.