Informative Writing

This award is presented to the best example of informative writing, such as news release, blog, feature story, etc. 

This is awarded one per each region and among those, an international winner is selected.

Each agency may submit only ONE entry.

Criteria for selection:

  • Content 
  • Clarity
  • Engagement
  • Effectiveness


2025 Winners

International and Region 4

Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division 

Blue Envelope Partnership Press  Arizona DOT MVD

In April 2024, ADOT MVD issued a press release announcing a new partnership in Arizona to bring awareness to, and better understanding of, drivers with Autism. Arizona’s Blue Envelope program began in Arizona after several agencies with unique perspectives and interests came together to offer a voluntary way for drivers with autism to place their credentials in blue envelopes to enhance communication with law enforcement officers during traffic stops. What started out as a partnership between ADOT MVD, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the University of Arizona, has now expanded to include law enforcement agencies and community organizations across the state. Through the successful outreach of the press release and corresponding media coverage of this new program in Arizona, nearly two dozen additional law enforcement agencies and community organizations have reached out to ADOT MVD to get involved. Additional agencies from across the country, and even internationally, have also reached out to MVD as a result of the press release and stories about the new program in Arizona. 


Region 1

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration 

The Groundhog  Maryland MVA

Aiming to capture the attention of those customers that would renew in March, April and May, Maryland MVA capitalized on the February 2 Groundhog Day observance to communicate to customers that they didn’t need to wait to renew their license. The team created a marketing email to this group with the subject line call to action: “RENEW NOW and Spring Ahead of the Rest,” Once the customer opened the email, they saw a cute groundhog pic, with the amusing phrase, “The groundhog isn’t waiting six weeks and you don’t have to either!” Underneath the graphic were several quick links to seamlessly visit MVA's online services portal and renew.  Marylanders were also talking about the email tactic, especially Maryland ophthalmologists. We had several anecdotal eye care providers and the Board of Ophthalmologists that mentioned the uptick they had seen over the months of February, March and April in customers asking them to send vision results to MVA so they could renew their driver’s license/ID with MVA online. Overall, MVA sent the groundhog message to more than 150K customers over a six-week period. The results of successful open rates and click throughs provided a boost of more customers exploring MVA’s online services including driver’s license/ID transaction. 



Region 2

Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security 

New Driver License Brochure  Tennessee Dept. of Safety and Homeland Security

On Aug. 19, 2024, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, TDOSHS, began issuing new Tennessee Driver Licenses and ID cards with a fresh design and improved security features. To prepare for the launch of Tennessee’s new credentials, TDOSHS created an informative brochure for partners across the state who verify licenses including elected officials, departments of state government, sheriff’s offices, police departments, county clerks, administrators of elections, colleges and universities, airports, the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Tennessee Grocers &amp  Convenience Store Association, and the Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association. TDOSHS sent hard copies of the brochure to more than 400 partners along with an introductory letter from TDOSHS Commissioner Jeff Long. Commissioner Long also shared an electronic version of the brochure to nearly 600 partners via email. The email also had information, graphics and a flyer that these partners could distribute to all of their members. The New Driver License Brochure gave our partners detailed information about the new credentials that was not shared with the general public, including information about the new security features. The brochure showed multiple versions of the new credentials including the back and interim document. Providing this informative document to our partners, helped to make the new credential launch smooth for Tennesseans. 


Region 3

Ohio State Highway Patrol 

Driver Training Bulletin  Ohio State Highway Patrol

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office, in partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, has provided driver training enterprises with crash statistic information beginning in October of 2022. These Driver Training Bulletins are created for each of Ohio’s 88 counties and released twice annually, in April and October. The bulletins are used by driver’s training schools to show new drivers a variety of information for their specific county. Each bulletin has a spot map with the location of every serious injury and fatal crash in the county in the previous year. Driving instructors are encouraged to start a discussion about locations and crash clusters. The students are made aware of how it is critical to eliminate distractions, slow down and leave space between you and other vehicles.