Regional Pyramid Award Winners Announced


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Regional Pyramid Award Winners Announced

Issue: 2008nov

PPAI has announced the winners of the 2009 PPAI Regional Association Pyramid Award. This award recognizes regional associations for outstanding growth directly tied to the incorporation of promotional products into their marketing campaigns. These winners were selected by a panel of PPAI Awards Committee judges.

All award recipients will be recognized at a special ceremony held at The PPAI Expo 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

This year’s winners are:

Education Event Campaign:
Promotional Products Association Southwest (PPAS)
Arlington, Texas
www.ppasw.com

This category awards the regional association that significantly increases attendance in a seminar or training session it sponsors. PPAS wanted to increase distributor attendance, as well as offer MAS/CAS points to attendees to encourage certification.

A list of promotional product distributors was complied and used as a teaser mailing just prior to the event. PPAS also created a full-color advertisement of the Lone Star Sales University (LSSU) mascot, which ran in PPB magazine during early registration for the event. Four weeks prior to LSSU, a lenticular postcard echoing the graphics was mailed to regional distributor members inviting them to attend.

A week before the event, a final e-mail was sent to all distributors. The day before the event Sales Aid Bags were assembled for distribution to graduates/attendees immediately following LSSU. The LSSU Mascot/Graduation Award was given to attendees during lunch the day of the event along with six door prize drawings from professors/suppliers. As a result of this campaign, PPAS ended with an amazing 80-percent attendance. A total of 110 distributors attended LSSU, representing 51 individual promotional products companies. This represented an 18-percent increase over 2007 attendance.

General Membership Campaign:
Michigan Promotional Professionals Association (MIPPA)
Belleville, Michigan
www.mippa.org

Recruiting members to the regional association is the goal behind this award. MIPPA’s objective was to increase distributor membership by 10 percent and to increase supplier membership by 30 percent. The recruiting campaign started with a list of events that lasted one year.

An invitational mailing was sent to 437 nonmembers with a full-color “Charter Bus” magnet fit into a suitcase card holder/mailer inviting prospects to a members-only event. A campaign was used to invite nonmembers to the annual Detroit Tiger members-only baseball game where they would also receive “Takin’ It To The Streets” pompoms, binoculars and baseball caps. At the fall show, guests were given remote controlled cars and the tables were decorated with themed stress relievers in the shape of traffic signs, barrels and cones.

Supplier prospects were given 3M Auto Member recorders. The member brochure mailing sent a license plate badge. MIPPA also had a presence at all the traveling shows that came through the Detroit area in Michigan with a table dressed with the logoed table cover and had prospects at the event enter a drawing for the 3M Auto Member recorders in addition to handing out member brochures.

To culminate the end of the membership challenge, all new members of the past year were given “Takin’ It To The Streets” t-shirts. As a result of this campaign, MIPPA had an eight-percent increase in distributor member companies and a 34-percent increase in supplier member companies.

Tradeshow Attendance Campaign:
Corridor Area Promotional Products Association- (CAPPA)
San Antonio, Texas
www.cappatexas.org

A program that energizes turn out and compels members to support their regional tradeshow is what fuels this campaign category. CAPPA’s goal was to exceed 2007’s net profit by 20 percent utilizing an attention-grabbing theme that left a win-win impression for all participating in the tradeshow.

A football theme was chosen and to encourage 200 suppliers and 450 distributors to participate, a tagline of “Get in the Game” was used. The theme, National Champion Suppliers vs. Home Town Players differentiated suppliers and distributors. They were to come face to face on the field at Freeman Coliseum to learn what was new and exciting in the promotional products industry.

In keeping with the theme, an authentic tailgate party was held at the host hotel on the evening prior to the tradeshow. The ballroom was decorated in the theme colors of blue and orange, and the CAPPA staff wore football jerseys. Following the tailgate party, guests were invited to “Play to Win” at a festive casino event, complete with cheer signs and sports-related prizes. These elements were the inspirations for the “Get in the Game” tagline.

Using the names of the National Champion Suppliers and Home Town Players created a team spirit. Every aspect of the event, from the printed pieces, shirts, painted signs, selection of promotional items, was done to create a continuity for the theme. As a result of this campaign, CAPPA made a big play and ran past its 20 percent goal by 235 percent.

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