Marketing Communications Awards
The University Communications and Marketing department, continues to radiate award-winning excellence, as it receives accolades for its print, digital and media creations.
Kent State joins the ranks of other university winners this year such as: Stanford, Syracuse, UMass, Tennessee and Rutgers with the MarCom Awards, to name only a few. UCM's work also competed with major brands globally and domestically such as Coke, IBM, etc.
Recent Awards
- The American Advertising Federation – Akron ADDY Awards
- AVA Digital Awards
- Educational Advertising Awards (EAA)
- Education Digital Marketing Awards (EDMA)
- PRNEWS Digital & Social Media Awards
- MarCom Awards
- Viddy Awards
View the full breakdown by award
Team UCM
UCM is made up of more than 30+ professionals who serve as a treasure house of knowledge on Kent State University and its brand identity. These individuals bring with them extensive experience from the private sector, not-for-profit organizations, agencies and media. This team advances the university's brand and drives marketing and communications initiatives that deliver on the university's Roadmap to a Distinctive Kent State Strategic Plan.
“These awards represent a great mix of individual and team efforts.”
- Stephen Ward, Vice President
Division of Marketing and Communications
Breakdown: Recent Awards
Award-Winning Division
American Advertising Federation – Akron
The American Advertising Federation – Akron is affiliated with, the nation’s largest and oldest advertising trade association, with more than 40,000 members working as a unifying voice for advertising, committed to making advertising a positive force in America’s economy and culture.
The Akron chapter has a long, rich history in the region and receives several hundred entries to its annual Addys award competition each year. Entries from Kent State been honored with Addys in years past and our entries earned eight awards in 2023.
2023
- 2023 SILVER Addy - Destination Kent State Campaign
- 2023 SILVER Addy - "You're Admitted!" Video
- 2023 SILVER Addy - "Easy To Apply: Football" Video
- 2023 GOLD Addy - "Flashes of Pride" Photo
- 2023 SILVER Addy - "Cafe" Photo
- 2023 SILVER Addy - "Ponte Vecchio" Photo
- 2023 GOLD Addy - "Siena Church" Photo
- 2023 SILVER Addy - "Ilha Do Mel" Photo
2022
AVA Digital Awards
This international competition recognizes excellence by creative professionals responsible for the planning, concept, direction, design, and production of digital communication. The work judged in the AVA Digital Awards competition ranges from digital campaigns – to audio and video production – to website development – to social media engagement – to mobile marketing.
Each year, the AVA Awards competition receives more than 2,500 entries, and in 2023, Kent State earned seven of its top awards.
2023
- 2023 PLATINUM Award - "Day In The Life" Social Media Campaign
- 2023 PLATINUM Award - "You’re Admitted!" Video
- 2023 PLATINUM Award - "Women Aviators" Commercial'
- 2023 GOLD Award - "Happy Halloween Golden Flashes!" TikTok Post
- 2023 GOLD Award - "Study Abroad: Paris" Commercial
- 2023 GOLD Award - "Easy To Apply: Football" Video
- 2023 GOLD Award - "Easy To Apply: Viral Dance"
- 2023 HONORABLE MENTION - "Study Abroad: Florence" Commercial
- 2023 HONORABLE MENTION - "Happy Thanksgiving Golden Flashes!"
2022
- 2022 PLATINUM Award – “Flashes Safe Eight” Video Series and Graphics for Social Media Posts
- 2022 PLATINUM Award – Kent State Magazine Fall/Winter 2020-2021 “Black Lives Matter” Issue
- 2022 GOLD Award – “Flashes Safe Eight” Video Series
- 2022 HONORABLE MENTION – “Virtual ‘KSU Kickoff ‘Interactive Black Squirrel’”
Educational Advertising Awards
For nearly 40 years, the Educational Advertising Awards competition has given advertising and marketing professionals across the country the opportunity to have their best work reviewed by industry specialists for creativity, marketing execution and message impact.
In 2023, Kent State’s entries to the competition were selected from among several thousand submissions to receive top honors.
2023
- 2023 GOLD Award – "Women Aviators" Commercial
- 2023 GOLD Award – "Happy Halloween Flashes!" TikTok Post
- 2023 SILVER Award – Forever Brighter Website
- 2023 SILVER Award – "You're Admitted" Video
- 2023 SILVER Award – Health Professions Campaign
- 2023 SILVER Award – "Study Abroad: Paris" Commercial
- 2023 SILVER Award – "Study Abroad: Florence" Commercial
- 2023 MERIT Award – "Day In The Life" Instagram Campaign
- 2023 MERIT Award – Kent State Magazine Spring/Summer 2022
2022
Education Digital Marketing Awards
Recognizing the best educational websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media and social media the Education Digital Marketing Awards gives institutions the opportunity to test their programs and content against the best in the country. A national panel of industry specialists reviews each piece; judging creativity, marketing execution, message impact, technology application and innovative content.
Each year, the Education Digital Marketing awards receives several thousand entries from educational institutions in the U.S. Kent State is honored to have our work recognized this year with 12 awards.
2022
- 2022 Gold Award - Alumni Website Forever Brighter Website
- 2022 Gold Award - Miscellaneous Interactive Media Welcome to KSU Web Page
- 2022 Silver Award - Blogs Social Media Blogs
- 2022 Silver Award - Digital Advertising Engineering Campaign
- 2022 Silver Award - Tik Tok Flash Getting Ready For Fall Semester
- 2022 Bronze Award - Facebook Happy Thanksgiving Flashes!
- 2022 Bronze Award - Microsite Strategic Roadmap Microsite
- 2022 Merit Award - Instagram Julie's Day In The Life at KSU
- 2022 Merit Award - Other Social Media Content Happy Earth Day Photo
- 2022 Merit Award - Social Media Content - Campaign Super Flash!
- 2022 Merit Award - Digital Special Video: Over 2 minutes College of Podiatric Medicine
- 2022 Merit Award - Digital Special Video: Under 2 minutes Study Abroad Paris
2021
MarCom Awards
One of the world’s largest and most respected competitions, the MarCom Awards honor excellence in marketing and communication by recognizing the creativity, hard work and generosity of industry professionals.
Each year, the MarCom Awards receive about 6.500 print and digital entries from around the world. Kent State was honored to receive recognition, again in 2022 with five platinum awards in the international MarCom Awards competition, receiving a total of 15 awards overall.
2022 MarCom Awards
- 2022 Platinum Award - Print Media Design (print) Brain Health Research Institute Environmental Graphics
- 2022 Platinum Award - Print Media (Publications - Brochure) 2022 Recruitment Viewbook
- 2022 Platinum Award - Print Media (Ads) Clouds Meet Cap
- 2022 Platinum Award - Digital Media (Social Media) Super Flash!
- 2022 Platinum Award - Video/Audio (Television) Women Aviators
- 2022 Gold Award - Digital Media Web Element Kent State Welcome Page
- 2022 Gold Award - Digital Media Website Forever Brighter Website
- 2022 Gold Award - Digital Media (Social Media) Day in the Life
- 2022 Gold Award - Print Media (Publications - Magazine) Climate Change Issue
- 2022 Gold Award - Video/Audio (Television) Study Abroad Paris
- 2022 Honorable Mention - Digital Media Website Coronavirus Dashboards
- 2022 Honorable Mention - Print Media (Direct Mail) Destination Kent State Welcome Kit
- 2022 Honorable Mention - Video/Audio (Video - Film) College of Podiatric Medicine
- 2022 Honorable Mention - Digital Media (Social Media) Happy Thanksgiving Flashes!
- 2022 Honorable Mention - Video/Audio (Television) Study Abroad Italy
2021 MarCom Awards
- 2021 Platinum Award – Kent State Magazine Fall/Winter 2020-2021 “Black Lives Matter” E-magazine Issue
- 2021 Platinum Award – “Kent State Magazine Spring/Summer 2020 “May 4 50th Anniversary Issue”
- 2021 Gold Award – “Flashes Safe Eight” Video Series and Graphics for Social Media Posts
- 2021 Gold Award – Kent State Magazine Fall/Winter 2020-2021 “Black Lives Matter” Print Issue
- 2021 Gold Award“ - Flashes Safe Eight” Video Series
- 2021 Honorable Mention – 2020 Kent State Viewbook
- 2021 Honorable Mention - “Virtual ‘KSU Kickoff’ Interactive Black Squirrel’”
- 2021 Honorable Mention – “First-Year Students ’K’ Formation Time-lapse Video
- 2021 Honorable Mention – Admissions Website Redesign
PRNEWS Digital & Social Media Awards
Drawing from a worldwide community of communicators and marketers from corporations, agencies and nonprofits, the PRNEWS Awards recognize people, organizations and brands that “challenge assumptions and embrace the seemingly impossible-to-create winning campaigns.”
2022
Viddy Awards
The Viddy Awards is one of the oldest, largest and most respected awards programs in the video industry, honoring excellence in the way videos are created, produced and delivered in a digital world. Each year, the Viddy Awards attract the most prestigious businesses, production companies, agencies, broadcasters and individual video producers from more than100 countries around the world.
Kent State’s submissions were selected for awards from nearly 1,300 entries in the Viddy Awards spring competition.
2022
- 2022 Platinum Award “What Is Our Brand?” Video
- 2022 Platinum Award - "College of Podiatric Medicine"
- 2022 Platinum Award - "Internationalization"
- 2022 Platinum Award - "Aeronautics Program"
- 2022 Gold Award – “Flashes Safe Eight” Video Series
- 2022 Gold Award – “Students First” Fall TV Spot
- 2022 Gold Award - "You're Admitted"
- 2022 Gold Award - "Study Abroad - Florence "
- 20222 Honorable Mention - "Super Flash!"
- 2022 Honorable Mention - "Study Abroad - Paris"
Learn more about the Viddy Awards