Company: The Harbinger Group, Chicago, IL
Company Description: The Harbinger Group is a boutique B2B marketing agency with deep expertise in digital marketing, executive visibility, earned media, and content creation. We partner with mission-driven organizations in the education, financial services, industry associations, and health tech sectors.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Non-Profit / Charity
 Nomination Title: The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Leadership
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated PR campaign or program, or written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- Optional: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 89 words used.
Complete documentation of our success, including detailed media coverage books and video content, can be found in:
Earned media coverage books for the 2024 Golden Apple Awards campaigns provide links to all of the media coverage The Harbinger Group secured and the metrics associated with the coverage:
To showcase the surprise moment for each educator, we filmed each surprise and created playlists for this campaign on YouTube.
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
January 1, 2024 - May 15, 2024
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 203 words used.
In 2024, Illinois educators faced unprecedented challenges: a severe teacher shortage left thousands of positions unfilled while students grappled with pandemic-related learning loss. For over 35 years, Golden Apple has stood at the forefront of preparing, honoring, and supporting exemplary educators through their prestigious Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership. This recognition program, known for its rigorous selection process, celebrates individual excellence while highlighting solutions and inspiration for the future of education.
The Harbinger Group was engaged to transform this awards program into a catalyst for change. Our mission extended beyond recognition to address the fundamental challenges facing Illinois education. We established two core objectives:
First, to generate widespread awareness of Golden Apple's mission and teacher preparation programs (Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators) by securing more than 240 pieces of earned media coverage. This coverage would serve as a platform to showcase the programs' impact on teacher quality and retention.
Second, to develop compelling content that would expand Golden Apple's reach and achieve more than 500,000 engagements on their social media channels through organic posts and paid campaigns. These campaigns would celebrate each Award recipient within their local communities while emphasizing the critical importance of investing in teacher development.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 138 words used.
Our strategy centered on transforming traditional recognition moments into powerful recruitment and advocacy opportunities. Through extensive research into each nominee and finalist—including detailed reviews of applications, recommendation letters, teaching videos, and judges' feedback—we crafted authentic narratives that resonated with both local communities and statewide audiences.
The campaign architecture followed a strategic progression designed to build momentum and maximize impact. We began with the announcement of finalists and culminated in surprise visits to award recipients' schools. Each phase was carefully orchestrated to amplify Golden Apple's message about the vital role of educators and showcase how their teacher preparation programs directly address the teacher shortage crisis.
Critical to our approach was the integration of local storytelling with broader advocacy. Each educator's story became a window into both excellence in teaching and the transformative power of proper teacher preparation and support.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2023. Even if your initiative started before 2023, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2023 only (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
The campaign unfolded through a carefully synchronized combination of media relations and digital storytelling. We leveraged the compelling human-interest stories of each nominee and finalist through targeted media outreach across Illinois, focusing particularly on the communities where educators lived and worked.
Our press strategy extended beyond traditional announcements to create meaningful conversations about education. We facilitated interviews between journalists and both educators and Golden Apple spokespeople, weaving together personal achievement with systemic solutions to the teacher shortage.
In the digital sphere, we captured the emotional impact of the surprises through professional videography, creating individual stories for each recipient. These authentic moments were amplified through strategic paid promotion on Meta platforms within recipients' local communities and shared across Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
The campaign exceeded expectations across all metrics, demonstrating both immediate impact and long-term value:
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The Awards Finalists announcement generated 115 earned media stories, representing a 21% year-over-year increase, while achieving 115,000 social media engagements—15% above previous year's performance.
The Award Recipients surprise visits campaign proved even more impactful, securing 148 earned media stories (5% year-over-year growth) and generating 535,000 social media engagements, marking a 23% increase from the previous year.
These metrics tell only part of the story. The true measure of success lies in how each piece of coverage and every social media engagement contributed to elevating the teaching profession and addressing Illinois' critical teacher shortage. Through compelling storytelling and strategic amplification, we transformed individual recognition moments into powerful advocacy for educational excellence.
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