Award-Winning Campaigns That Turn Calls into Change

Stones’ Phones is honored to have our work recognized at this year’s Campaign & Elections Reed Awards and the AAPC Pollie Awards—two of the most respected distinctions in political communications and public affairs.

Georgia Association of Educators

The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) earned an Innovation in Phone Engagement Reed Award for its work helping its members make their vote count on Election Day. When thousands of Georgia voters were purged from the rolls, GAE partnered with us to alert members and help them verify their registration through Live Voice Broadcast Calls. 

These calls featured a live speaker and prompted members to press “6” to receive a follow-up text with a direct link to confirm their status. This interactive approach reached both landlines and cell phones, making the message personal and actionable. We reached 30,000 educators, equipping them with the tools needed to protect their vote on Election Day.

Planned Parenthood Votes North Carolina

At the Pollies, we took home the prize for Best Auto Call in the Campaign Division for our work with Planned Parenthood Votes North Carolina (PPVNC). In their effort to elect Governor Josh Stein, PPVNC wanted to highlight the egregious statements made by GOP opponent Mark Robinson to as many voters as possible. 

We sent an Automated Interactive Call to one hundred thousand North Carolina voters, asking them to use their phone keypads to indicate which issues they wanted to hear Mark Robinson speak about in his own hateful words. We then sent voters a follow-up call sharing how their neighbors felt about Robinson’s hateful statements– over 75% of respondents found Robinson’s stance on a total abortion ban to be the most alarming.

This program was doubly effective because it allowed voters to choose which of Robinson’s stances they wanted to hear him speak about in his own words. Then the follow-up Auto Call let them know that many of their friends and neighbors shared the same concerns. We called 100,000 voters, and this outreach played a key role in the successful election of Governor Josh Stein in North Carolina.

Friends of the Lake Forest County Preserves

Our work with the Friends of the Lake Forest County Preserves earned recognition for Best Telephone Town Hall at the Pollie Awards. Partnering with legendary broadcaster Bill Kurtis as host, we created an engaging phone forum that reached an unprecedented number of voters. There were 6,555 participants during our event, achieving a remarkable 72.44% participation rate, nearly 30% higher than average for similar events.

What made this campaign special was our innovative use of both landline and cell phone outreach, allowing us to reach a broader audience than traditional Telephone Town Halls. Participants stayed engaged for an average of 6.08 minutes—significantly longer than typical engagement—while local experts and community leaders answered questions about the proposition to preserve funding for building and maintaining public outdoor spaces. The event featured strategic poll questions that both encouraged participation and gauged support for the initiative.

This comprehensive approach, including pre-event notifications via text and auto calls, helped inform voters about the preserve proposition and its placement on the ballot. The campaign's success demonstrates how traditional communication tools can be reimagined to create meaningful civic engagement, ultimately contributing to the preservation proposition's success at the polls. 

These award-winning campaigns showcase the creativity, collaboration, and trust we share with our incredible partners. We're deeply grateful for the opportunity to support their work and victories.

As we look ahead to the 2025 election season, we’re excited to continue delivering impactful, results-driven campaigns. Over our 25 years, Stones’ Phones has received dozens of Pollie and Reed awards, so if you're ready to make your message stand out, reach out to us today!