Hawthorne Strategy Group Takes Home 18 Industry Awards in 2026!
This award season, Hawthorne Strategy Group and our clients were recognized with 18 awards from three major regional and national communications industry competitions: the Bulldog PR Awards, the PRSA Chicago Skyline Awards, and the Publicity Club of Chicago. Each of these awards reflects our mission to use strategic communications to advance our clients’ business goals and have a positive impact within the communities we serve.
We share these honors with our clients, whose trust and collaboration are what make this work possible. These achievements are a testament to what can be accomplished through meaningful and strong partnerships.
Solar Powers Illinois Hawthorne led a comprehensive communications and public affairs campaign to pass Illinois’ landmark Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act. Our work spanned earned media, email newsletters, owned media, social media, and legislative communications to support the bill’s progress and secure a win for the Illinois solar and energy storage industries. Through press releases, media advisories, press conferences, and pitching, our efforts secured 543 placements and 3.8 billion impressions, placing stories in every Illinois media market.
Bulldog PR Awards
Best Green/Environmental/Sustainability Campaign
Best Public Affairs Campaign
PRSA Skyline Awards
Skyline Award, Newsletters
Award of Excellence, Media Relations – Nonprofit
Award of Excellence, Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability
Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Awards
Golden Trumpet - Media Relations
Golden Trumpet - Public Affairs
Chicago Dental Society Hawthorne executed an integrated communications campaign for the Chicago Dental Society to drive attendance and increase awareness to the 2026 Midwinter Meeting. Leveraging macro and micro influencers, as well as a mix of traditional and new media tactics, the campaign exceeded all its objectives. We secured 395 pieces of earned media coverage. Additionally, when taking into account syndicated coverage, mentions increased to 1,520 articles and generated over 1 billion impressions. Organic content generated over 1 million impressions across social media channels, and the influencer program secured 390 registrations, generating over $95,000 in direct revenue for CDS.
Bulldog PR Awards
Best Integration of Traditional and New Media
PRSA Skyline Awards
Skyline Award, Influencer Marketing – Micro
Award of Excellence, Influencer Marketing – Macro
Skyline Award, Integrated Communications – Nonprofit
Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Awards
Golden Trumpet - Influencer/Creator Campaigns
Silver Trumpet - Integrated Marketing Communications
Silver Trumpet - Association Communications
Organogenesis Organogenesis, a leading regenerative medicine company, engaged Hawthorne to organize an event and communications campaign introducing its $100 million biomanufacturing facility in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to the local community, state leadership and regional stakeholders. Local and state elected officials, including Gov. Dan McKee, attended the event. Media coverage generated more than 409 million broadcast impressions, along with 11.2 million print and digital impressions across regional and industry publications. Organic stakeholder social media posts reached over 550,000 followers across the state.
Bulldog PR Awards
Best Local/Hyperlocal Campaign
Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Awards
Golden Trumpet - Special Events/Experiential
Hope Ignites Hope Ignites, formerly known as Boys Hope Girls Hope, engaged Hawthorne to support its national rebrand. Hawthorne planned and executed a strategic earned media campaign designed to bring awareness to the new brand, the organization’s legacy and lay SEO groundwork. Working closely with national leadership, alumni and board members, the campaign earned 127 media placements, reaching a potential audience of 2.1 million and producing more than 3,200 release views.
PRSA Chicago Skyline Awards
Silver Trumpet - Nonprofit Communications
Lasagna Love Lasagna Love, a nonprofit organization dedicated to feeding families, spreading kindness and strengthening communities, engaged Hawthorne to support their National Lasagna Month Initiative. The goal of the campaign was to increase national awareness during a brand-relevant moment centered around National Lasagna Day on July 29. Through a targeted earned media campaign featuring stories of dedicated volunteers to Lasagna Love, the effort generated coverage in diverse markets including Baltimore, Hawaii, Delaware, Philadelphia and the United Kingdom.
PRSA Chicago Skyline Awards
Silver Trumpet - Nonprofit Communications
We are so proud of what these campaigns have accomplished for our clients and the communities they serve. Thank you to our clients, partners, and team members whose collaboration made this work possible!
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