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Group, has also shepherded multiple
Pyramid Award-winning projects. He
says, “I have been entering and support-
ing this award for over 25 years. Having
won multiple silvers a bronze and now
gold the reasons are clear. Winning an
award from PPAI and your peers does
give a certain amount of satisfaction that
we are doing well for our clients. The
fact that your client wins just elevates
your relationship. It’s a great way to gain
additional projects and help promote
you and your company to future clients.”
The Pyramid Awards celebrate dis-
tributors and regional association’s
accomplishments in 15 different cate-
gories. Their work is judged by a panel
of outside experts and members of the
Awards & Recognition Action Group.
Judges are looking for organized plan-
ning of the concept, effective execution,
the appropriate and creative application
of promotional products and messaging,
and solid results.
There are several elements to a win-
ning campaign, Quicksell says. First and
foremost, it must be well thought out
and, in the case of client campaigns, it
requires a distinct objective that can be
measured at some level. Award-winning
campaigns are built on strategies that
solve problems in truly innovative and
creative ways. Not only do they need an
executable plan of action, he says, but
also a cohesive follow-up strategy in
order to gather data. Quicksell adds that
campaigns that win Pyramid Awards are
measurable and their results validated by
a third party: “You can’t just say ‘client
loved the program’, it must be validated
by a client that the projected goals were
either met or exceeded.”
Pyramid Award judging’s central focus
on results also appeals to Felber.
“Pyramids are not just about using promo-
tional products, but how to apply them to
enhance and create messaging for your
client,” he says. “Good design, section of
products and execution are critical. It’s
about how you accomplish your client's
goals and meet their expectations.”
The Pyramid Awards and similar
programs not only validate the winners
but also the industry they work in.
Quicksell says, “The public needs to
know that our industry is not a trinkets-
and-trash business; rather, it is a viable
medium that goes much further than
just ‘products.’ When we can communi-
cate that with our clients and
prospects, it elevates our perception
in what we do.”
The benefits of taking home a
Pyramid Award are extensive, and it’s
logical to seek out advice and assis-
tance in putting together a winning
entry. “Find a mentor who can assist
you in the process,” says Quicksell.
“PPAI has such a program and I am one
of the mentors in the group. The com-
petition is strong but don’t get discour-
aged if you don’t win the first or second
time; while I have won 23 of these
awards, I have entered over 50 times.
The awards committee has gone to
great lengths to ensure that it is a fair
and impartial judging; that’s why win-
ning to me is so special.”
This year’s program opens June 1,
2015 and closes July 10, 2015. Find the
entry details at
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