The only awards program focused singularly on recognizing excellence in public relations measurement and evaluation has been renamed the Jack Felton Golden Ruler Award. The competition is now open for entries online at instituteforpr.org.

The award was created by the Commission on Public Relations Measurement & Evaluation, a unique body formed under the auspices of the Institute for Public Relations. Felton served as President and CEO of the Institute and was instrumental in founding the Commission.

The award’s primary objective is to identify superb examples of measurement integrated into public relations practice, and to publish these as case studies on the Institute’s website. Winners will also be honored at an award ceremony at the Summit on Measurement, held in September on the campus of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH.

Entry forms and fees must be received by June 30, 2006. The judging criteria fall into three broad areas: research methodology, quality and substance, and contribution to the practice of public relations.

“The Golden Ruler” is the only award sanctioned and judged by leaders in public relations measurement from corporations, non-profits, public relations agencies, academic and research organizations,” said Dr. Don W. Stacks of the University of Miami, who co-chairs the judging team.

“We encourage entries from throughout the public relations field – agencies, corporations and institutions, researchers and educators,” added fellow co-chair Dr. David Michaelson of David Michaelson & Co.

The 2006 Jack Felton Golden Ruler Award is sponsored in part by MetLife, a leading provider of insurance and other financial services; and VMS, a world leader in news monitoring and analysis services. Media sponsors are the Holmes Report and PR News.

The Commission on Public Relations Measurement & Evaluation exists to establish standards and methods for public relations research and measurement, and to issue authoritative best-practices white papers. The Institute for Public Relations is an independent foundation dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations. It exists to build and document research-based knowledge in the field of public relations, and to mainstream this knowledge by making it available and useful to practitioners, educators, researchers and the clients they serve.

Heidy Modarelli handles Growth & Marketing for IPR. She has previously written for Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, The Next Web, and VentureBeat.
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