The Casualty Actuarial Society was honored for exemplary work done in 2014, garnering four coveted EXCEL Awards for marketing and communications projects involving the CAS Centennial Celebration, Actuarial Review magazine and CAS Student Central. The EXCEL Awards, hosted by Association Media & Publishing, recognize excellence in nonprofit association publishing, marketing and communications. The highly competitive contest received over 850 entries, producing 218 winners across 75 categories. A group of 100 media and publishing professionals volunteered to judge the submissions, which included work from associations such as Habitat for Humanity International and the World Wildlife Fund. Winners were honored at the EXCEL Awards Gala on June 15 in Washington, D.C.
Projects supporting the CAS Centennial, a year-long campaign that culminated in the CAS Centennial Celebration and Annual Meeting in New York City last November, received awards in two categories.
“It was a unique privilege and thoroughly enjoyable experience to pay tribute to the 100-year history of the CAS,” said Joanne Spalla, Chair of the CAS Centennial Marketing Committee. “For many CAS members and staff, notably our dedicated Centennial Committees, this campaign was years in the making. Seeing these outstanding projects enjoyed by our members and recognized by these awards is truly validating.”
The CAS was also honored for the successful launch of its membership program for university students, CAS Student Central, in January 2014, and for Actuarial Review’s March/April 2014 cover story, “The Great Trade-Off and the Birth of the CAS.”
The complete listing of awards includes:
- A silver award in the category of “General Excellence in Web Publishing (Event/Convention)” for the CAS Centennial Celebration Website.
The standalone website featured an interactive Centennial timeline that included milestones from CAS history, as well as a Centennial countdown clock, a Centennial news ticker and a photo/video gallery.
The website is the culmination of years of work compiling photos, videos and historical milestones.
- A silver award in the category of “Feature Article in a Magazine” for Actuarial Review’s March/April 2014 cover story, “The Great Trade-Off and the Birth of the CAS.”
In the article, author Steven Sullivan details events leading up to the development of the property and casualty actuarial profession and focuses on the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in 1911. The story serves as a reminder of how far the U.S. has come regarding workplace safety and the integral role the CAS played in those developments.
- A bronze award in the category of “Integrated Mixed-Media Campaign” for “Celebrating the CAS Centennial,” the assortment of projects that paid tribute to the CAS’s 100th anniversary.
Components of the campaign included the CAS Centennial Museum, which housed artifacts and exhibits from pivotal moments in CAS history; the CAS Wall of Names, a 40’x8′ banner displayed at the Centennial Celebration that listed every person who has earned CAS credentials over the 100-year history; a commemorative CAS Centennial history book featuring historical photos and personal recollections from CAS members; and a Centennial video that highlights milestones from 100 years of the CAS, including testimonials from the CAS’s oldest living member, 96-year-old Bill Wieder, who earned his Fellowship in the Society in 1947.
- A bronze award in the category of “Integrated Mixed-Media Campaign – Membership” for the launch of CAS Student Central in January 2014.
The marketing campaign that launched CAS’s free university student membership program included a dedicated CAS Student Central website and online community, a video highlighting CAS members in the early stages of their careers, social media pages across LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and an infographic showcasing the CAS’s credentialing benefits and resources for students. One year later, the program now boasts over 3,100 student members from 370 different universities.
“The CAS has always prided itself on producing quality work for present and future CAS members that is innovative, relevant and reflective of our core values as an organization,” said CAS President Bob Miccolis. “The work produced during our Centennial year, from publications to special projects to launching new programs, was particularly exceptional. These awards speak to the hard work of our dedicated CAS volunteers, staff and external partners who took 100 years of CAS history and created memorable, lasting tributes to the organization.”
