City of Hickory earns two national awards for marketing and communications
The City of Hickory’s Office of Communications earned national recognition on Sept. 10, receiving a first-place Savvy Award and a third-place Award of Excellence from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA).
The City received the first-place Savvy Award in the Marketing and Tools – Economic Development category for MyHKY.com, an immersive website designed to showcase Hickory and attract individuals and businesses looking to craft their home, visit, career, education, or enterprise in the community. Judges praised the project, stating:
“WOW! Super cool and innovative. I feel like I've been to Hickory right on my computer screen...and now I want to go for real! Great job doing all of this in-house. Super cool and fiscally responsible? That's a win!”
Explore the full site and its 360-degree interactive virtual tour of Hickory and the surrounding region at www.MyHKY.com.
MyHKY.com was also nominated for 3CMA’s Diamond Award, the organization’s highest honor, recognizing the best entry across major categories. Only one Savvy Award winner per category is selected for this distinction, which pays tribute to 3CMA founders Dick and Pam Lillquist. Hickory’s nomination places MyHKY.com among the most exceptional communications projects submitted this year.
The City earned its second national accolade with a third-place Award of Excellence in Graphic Design – Publications for the 2025 edition of Crafting Hickory Magazine. This high-quality publication blends rich storytelling and dynamic photography to reflect Hickory’s brand identity, “Life. Well Crafted.” Distributed across multiple channels, the magazine supports business recruitment, community engagement, tourism, and elevates Hickory’s position as a thriving destination.
Judges noted, “The design of the magazine is visually cohesive and well executed. The thoughtful integration of graphics, photography, and supporting visual assets was very well done, resulting in an engaging and polished final product.”
The full publication is available at www.hickorync.gov/crafting-hickory-magazine.
The Savvy Awards, presented at the 3CMA Annual Conference, honor outstanding local government achievements in communications, marketing, and community engagement. This year, more than 1,200 entries across 37 categories were submitted, with professional communicators nationwide serving as judges.
In addition to Hickory’s award wins, Communications and Marketing Manager Dana Kaminske was appointed to the 3CMA Board of Directors during the organization’s business meeting on Sept. 11. She will serve a three-year term as part of the Class of 2029. The 15-member board oversees 3CMA’s operations through its marketing, membership, awards, and conference committees.
“I am honored to represent Hickory in this amazing group of my peers from across the country,” Kaminske said. “Being appointed to this national board with individuals who have been mentors and leaders in government communications is one of my major career achievements. I look forward to serving in this new capacity and giving back to my career field on this board.”
With over 2,100 members, 3CMA is the nation’s premier network of local government communicators. Founded in 1988, the organization champions the role of communications and marketing in building strong resident-government relationships. More information is available at 3cma.org or by calling 703-707-0830.