ELEVATED NEWS Wins 2026 SPRF Lantern Award
Elevate Next's monthly newsletter earns the Southern Public Relations Federation's top honor in the Advertising & Publications category.
Sarah Clancy, APR, SPRF President (L) and Christie Solomon, MBA, Founder and Principal, Elevate Next (R)
Elevate Next is honored to share that ELEVATED NEWS has won a 2026 Lantern Award, the top honor from the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), in the Advertising & Publications category (Tier Three, Tactical Materials/Projects).
The award was presented at the SPRF 2026 Lantern Awards Ceremony during the PR Roots Conference, held Sept. 20-22 at Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Founder and Principal Christie Solomon, MBA, accepted the award on behalf of the agency.
SPRF entries are judged by public relations practitioners outside the federation's member states using the four-step research, planning, implementation, and evaluation (RPIE) process, which is the standard for measuring strategic communications work. Earning the program's highest level within that framework means ELEVATED NEWS was recognized for how it's planned, produced, and measured, not just how it reads.
ELEVATED NEWS is a trusted, top-of-mind resource and connective hub for small businesses, nonprofits, and creatives on the Emerald Coast and beyond. Each issue pairs actionable business and marketing insights with client highlights and a curated look at what's happening in the community.
Thank you to the Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO) for a valuable membership program, support, and encouragement; to SPRF for the recognition; and, most of all, to every reader who opens ELEVATED NEWS each month. You're the reason we publish it.
Read the Latest ELEVATED NEWS Issues
This month's ELEVATED NEWS issue covers why doing the right thing isn't enough without telling the story: a lobster fishery lesson in regulation, new client website launches, community wins from our partners, and a full events calendar running through Labor Day weekend and beyond.