The USC Center for Public Relations Purpose Award recognizes organizations with a genuine commitment to their stated purpose. Many companies publish mission statements and launch campaigns around social and environmental issues. This honor goes to those whose values show up consistently in how they operate, not only in what they say.

The recognition is presented at the Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium, which the Center has hosted since 1990. The award reflects the values of USC Annenberg's public relations program, where purpose is central to the curriculum, and students learn to connect communication strategy with an organization's broader responsibilities.

Every year, Center faculty and students examine policies and initiatives from companies across industries. They consider how a company's mission connects to what it actually does, how it treats those affected by its work, and whether its promises hold up. The recipient is chosen using the criteria below.

Selection Criteria

• The organization's purpose guides its business decisions, including how it sets policy, allocates resources, and responds when that purpose is tested.
• The organization involves employees, customers, investors, and communities in its purpose-driven work, and its communications address the concerns of each group.
• The organization supports its public commitments with specific actions and results over several years, and it reports openly on its progress, including setbacks and goals not yet met.

Honorees offer a useful model for students, professionals, and companies looking to align what they stand for with how they communicate.

Jon Banner of McDonald's, USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay, and Joanna Sabato of Ronald McDonald House Charities with the 2026 Purpose Award at the Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium.

Previous Winners of the Purpose Award

• 2026 – McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities, accepted by Jon Banner, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Impact Officer, McDonald's; and Joanna Sabato, Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ronald McDonald House Charities
• 2025 – Levi Strauss & Co., accepted by Kelly McGinnis, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
• 2024 – Nike, Inc., accepted by Virginia Rustique-Petteni, Vice President, Enterprise Communications
• 2023 – Patagonia, accepted by Vincent Stanley, Director of Patagonia Philosophy