Halo FAQs

Entries must be for campaigns that occurred in whole or in part during 2018 in the United States or Canada. Campaigns qualify as cause marketing if they are designed to measurably advance the interests of both a business and a nonprofit partner or cause. Previous Halo Award winning campaigns are not eligible for re-entry in the category in which they’ve previously won (with the exception of new video creative in the video creative category).

For 2019 the deadline will be January 25 with late entries accepted no later than January 30, 2019 and subject to a $100 late fee. All of your materials must be RECEIVED by these dates, not simply postmarked.

A committee of up to six judges will evaluate the entries and select one winner and one runner up in each category. Judges will recuse themselves from judging a category if they have a relationship with an entrant that presents a conflict of interest. The judges may, at their discretion, switch the category in which an entry competes.

Finalists in each category will be notified of their status on or before February 14, 2019. Winners will not be announced publicly until May 30, 2019 at the Halo Awards Luncheon at the 2019 Engage for Good conference in Chicago. The identities of the judges will not be announced until the day of the event. The decision of the judges is final. In the event of a tie, the president of Cause Marketing Forum, Inc. will select the winning entry.

Companies or nonprofits engaged in cause marketing or brand purpose work or their consumer promotion, advertising or public relations agencies.

There are four judging criteria: Conceptual Strength, Execution, Business Results and Cause Results (Note: Entries in the video creative category will primarily be judged on their conceptual strength and execution).

Conceptual Strength

• Fit: Is there a strong fit between the cause and the business? Does the brand purpose shine through?
• Ownability: Does this campaign stand out and have an ownable angle?
• Depth: Does this program demonstrate a commitment to cause marketing beyond a quick promotion?

Execution

• Creative: Does creative clearly communicate the program to target audiences?
• Promotion: Was the program integrated into an effective marketing communications program?

Business Results

• Did the program achieve measurable results relative to stated objectives?

Cause Results

• Did the program achieve measurable results relative to stated objectives?

Cause marketing or corporate social impact programs may be entered in one or more of the following categories (see last year’s winners) or search all Halo Awards:

Best Animal Initiative – A campaign that yields business and social impact focused on domestic animal or wildlife issues such as protecting endangered species or spurring shelter pet adoptions.

Best Consumer-Activated Corporate Donation Initiative – A program that incorporates a linkage between a desired consumer action and a corporate donation. For example, a company makes a charitable donation every time consumers respond to a survey or a buy-one-give-one campaign in which a company donates a product for every product consumers purchase.

Best Consumer Donation or Crowdfunding Initiative – A program that asks consumers to donate  at the point of sale (in a retail location or online) or via a crowdfunding campaign. Common forms include coin cannisters, “pinups”, automated pinpad, cashier asks, round-ups, online auctions, etc..

Best Education Initiative – Focused on an educational issue such as supporting teachers with materials for the classroom or supplementing under-funded programs like art or music while providing a strategic advantage to the involved business.

Best Employee Engagement Initiative (Group Volunteering) – Meaningfully and measurably engaging a company’s employees in a cause-focused initiative, irrespective of their functional role, to achieve both a social and a business impact. For example, a day of service in which cross-functional teams learn collaboration skills while beautifying a local playground. This category can also include a company encouraging employees to volunteer at a nonprofit of their own choosing, outside of work hours or as part of a work day, paid or not paid. For example, a company that makes a donation to an employee’s favorite cause if they volunteer more than 5 hours a month.

Best Employee Engagement Initiative (Skilled Volunteering) – Focused on meaningfully and measurably engaging a company’s employees by leveraging their skills for a social issue or organization. For example, arranging for a company’s finance team to optimize the accounting system of a nonprofit organization, providing leadership and growth for employees and a much-needed upgrade and training to the nonprofit.

Best Environmental Initiative – A campaign focused on an environmental issue (e.g. energy conservation or landfill waste reduction) that fits strategically with the objectives of the business.

Best Experiential Marketing Initiative – An effort that engages people in an in-person cause-related experience that yields business and social outcomes. For example, an athletic footwear company’s pop-up store encourages consumers to run on a treadmill wearing a new model shoe in order to generate a company donation to supporting local high school athletics programs.

Best Health Initiative – A corporate social initiative that deals with health issues. For example, encouraging blood donations or encouraging good oral hygiene in a manner that builds brand loyalty for an associated product.

Best Inclusion Initiative (new!) – A corporate initiative that encourages consumers or employees to involve and empower people, regardless of their abilities, age, social class, political beliefs, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation as valuable members of their communities.

Best Small to Medium-Sized Business Initiative – An effort of any type that yields business and social dividends fielded by a company with revenues under $100 million. This category would also be appropriate for social enterprises.

Best Digital Activation (renamed) – Focused on how effectively and comprehensively a campaign utilizes digital platforms to engage a community around a cause-related campaign. For example, using Facebook to generate interest, awareness and donations for a cause and drive coupon redemption for the business involved or a mobile campaign that encourages youth to take action for a good cause using their phones.

Best Social Service Initiative – Focused on a social issue such as sheltering the homeless or providing food for children while providing a strategic advantage to the involved business.

Best Social Impact Video – Highlights effective and creative use of short-form video distributed online or via traditional channels as part of a larger cause-related campaign. There must be a company involved in these videos — not appropriate for traditional PSAs.

Standard Entry: $150 (must be received by 1/25/19)
Secondary Entry of the same campaign into additional categories: $50/category
Late Entry Fee: (each submission received between 1/26/19 and 1/30/19) $100 additional