The 2026 Capital Region MARCOM Awards
The awards program recognizes excellence in marketing and communications through outstanding work in a number of categories.
This year’s MARCOM Awards will take place on November 18, 2026
2026 Call for Submissions
Has your Marketing and Communications team created powerful, intriguing, thought-provoking campaigns to propel your organization’s message? Show us your best work. This awards program is open to nonprofits, all-level of government, and marketing agencies We are now accepting entries for the 2026 MARCOM Awards.
Entries will be judged from a campaign perspective and tactics used to achieve the campaign goals.
Eligibility
Who’s Eligible
The MARCOM Awards are designed to honor the region’s best marketing and communications campaigns and tactics in the region. The competition is open to individual marketing and communications professionals, marketing and communications units within an organization, or outside agencies and firms who have created a campaign or project work on behalf of a client or their own company or organization.
What’s Eligible
In order to be eligible for submission, campaigns must have been created between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Winning campaigns will be selected in categories that combine type of campaign and the client’s overall marketing communications budget for the campaign. Winning Tactics will be selected based on quality, creativity and resourcefulness determined by the judges.
Categories
Campaigns
Marketing Campaign
Campaign Budget: $0 – $50,000 and $50,000+
A campaign consisting of a number of specific elements and activities developed to achieve a set of objectives, such as promoting a project, service, business or event. These elements and activities may include research, advertising, sales promotions, direct mail, pricing, distribution strategy, social media, etc.
Public Relations Campaign
Campaign Budget: $0 – $25,000 and $25,000+
A campaign consisting of a series of activities planned in advance and executed in a strategic manner in order to achieve a specific goal or goals, such as drawing attention to or promoting a nonprofit or for-profit organization’s products or services.
Public/Government Affairs Campaign
Campaign Budget: $0 – $20,000 and $20,000+
A campaign specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidates.
Integrated Campaign
Campaign Budget: $0 – $50,000 and $50,000+
A campaign that employs the creative and effective integration and leadership of public relations strategies and tactics with other promotional marketing communications. Entries should demonstrate the integration of strategies, plus the budget and measurement of return on investment of the communications to any stakeholder group, including employees, consumers, the media or shareholders.
Digital Media Campaign
Campaign Budget: $0 – $25,000 and $25,000+
A campaign that is used to market and promote a product, service, business or event strictly online, using digital advertising, social media, video or other forms of digital communications.
Tactics
Media Relations (Regional, for-profit)
Media Relations (Regional, nonprofit)
Media Relations (Statewide and beyond)
Print Publications used for marketing and/or communications. Could include newsletters, annual reports, brochures, etc.
Websites used for marketing or public relations activities to promote a product, service, business or event.
Video produced for marketing or public relations activities to promote a product, service, business or event.
Submit Entry
Entries and supporting materials must be received by 5 p.m. September 18, 2026. You may submit as many entries as you like. Please follow these instructions when entering your campaign(s):
Fill out the form on this page, and upload your entry form, brief of effectiveness and supporting materials. The brief and any supporting materials should be saved as PDFs, maximum size of 10MB. (For larger file sizes, please contact CRMarComAwards@gmail.com for instructions.) Please format entries so that they can be printed on pages no larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches. If you are including images with your submission, please provide them as JPGs or high resolution PDFs. If you are including a video or audio file with your submission, please include a link to the multimedia file(s) in your brief.
Submit your entry and make payment online here:
AMA and PRSA Members: $125.00
Non-members: $150.00
If using a check, please make check payable to American Marketing Association New York Capital Region
Mail to:
Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte, CPAs
Attn: Ali Anechiarico
7 Washington Square
Albany, NY 12205
Re: MARCOM
All checks must be received within a week of entry submission.
If you are making one payment for multiple submissions, please indicate what campaigns your payment covers.
Winners—2025
Digital Media Campaigns
Corning Place Communications
on behalf of dairy4good
dairy4good
Empire State University
How You Do University
Integrated Marketing Campaigns
New York State Media Services Center (MSC) Creative Services Department
on behalf of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
988: We Hear You
The Martin Group
on behalf of PaintCare
Albany Mural Sparks Paint Recycling Awareness
St. Peter’s Health Partners and St. Joseph’s Health (Members of Trinity Health)
Less Is More
Marketing Campaigns
Albany Med Health System
Albany Med Health System: Employee Recruitment Campaign
Center for Internet Security (CIS)
How to Develop a “Reasonable” Cyber Defense Program
TILT36T°
on behalf of Maria College
Marketing Campaign: Maria College
Public Relations Campaigns
Sustainable PR
on behalf of Nichols Farms
Cultivating Brand Recognition with Broadcast Coverage in a Saturated Market
Corning Place Communications
on behalf of KIPP Capital Region Public Schools
KIPP Capital High School Grand Opening
Baker Public Relations
Passport to Paris – A Philanthropic Fashion Experience
The Martin Group
on behalf of Regional Food Bank
Regional Food Bank Launches First-of-its-Kind Thanksgiving Distribution
The Martin Group
on behalf of USA Football
USA Football Becomes American Football’s First National Governing Body
Public/Government Affairs Campaigns
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, the New York Can End Child Poverty Coalition (led by Schuyler Center), and Avoq
on behalf of the Save Burdett Birth Center Coalition
New York Can End Child Poverty Campaign
The Martin Group
on behalf of New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA)
Transit Systems Secure State Funding to Meet Growing Demand in Communities
Media Relations (Regional, for-profit)
The Martin Group
on behalf of M&T Bank
M&T Bank Announces Naming Rights for New Venue at Schenectady’s Mohawk Harbor
Media Relations (Regional, non-profit)
No Finalists
Media Relations (Statewide and beyond)
The Martin Group
on behalf of Com’Over; Vendée Globe
Live on BBC News: Climate Action and a Race Around the World
The Martin Group
on behalf of Phillips Lytle, LLP
Phillips Lytle Provides Clarity with SME Interviews Amid Uncertain Period
Printed Publications
TILT36T°
on behalf of Maria College
Kaleidoscope Magazine: Maria College
Video
Corning Place Communications
on behalf of dairy4good
How the Dairy Industry Works Towards Sustainability Every Day
New York State Media Services Center (MSC) Creative Services Department
on behalf of New York State Office of General Services (OGS)
We Press On: New York State Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King — The Martin Luther King Jr. Broadcast Special 2025
Websites
The Martin Group
on behalf of Cass Hill Development
Cass Hill Development Website Redesign
Corning Place Communications
on behalf of NY Dairy Toolbox
NY Dairy Toolbox Website – NYdairytoolbox.com
The Martin Group
on behalf of PaintCare
PaintCare Mural Website
The Mailworks
The Mailworks Website
Brawn Media
on behalf of Unalam
Unalam Website Redesign
History
The idea to merge the AMA New York Capital Region’s Mark of Excellence and the PRSA’s Empire awards programs sprang from a friendly conversation about memories of past awards. Each program had sunset for various reasons, including the sheer amount of work that events like these require. However, the lack of an awards event for local marketing communications professionals left a noticeable void. That conversation created a spark; we realized that by working together we could rekindle the tradition of recognizing the excellent work and outstanding achievements of our members and other Capital Region marketing communications professionals, as well.
While PRSA Capital Region’s Empire Awards honored outstanding PR and Public Affairs and AMA New York Capital Region’s Mark of Excellence Awards recognized exceptional marketing, the two organizations’ events were similar. Both held their awards ceremonies in the fall and historically had experienced robust participation in terms of entries submitted and attendance. Most importantly, each awards program recognized work that brought results. Given these similarities, and the growing crossover between marketing and public relations, it seemed only natural to work together instead of separately.
Hence, the Capital Region MARCOM Awards was born, honoring the best in Capital Region marketing communications.
News
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Contact
Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte, CPAs
Attn: Ali Anechiarico
7 Washington Square
Albany, NY 12205
CRMarComAwards@gmail.com
