PPB July 2019

Tips For Submitting AndWinning A Pyramid PPB went straight to some of the most ‘decorated’ Pyramid award winners to find out how to successfully submit an entry in the competition. How To Publicize The Big Win All three companies make the most of their wins to parlay the recognition into maximum exposure for the company. “We let everyone know by sending out email blasts and press releases,” says Jim Ristuccia of A+ Wine Designs. “We include our award wins in our catalog and on our homepage as well as in our email signatures.” Dominic Demers at My Green Bag! also includes the awards in his email signature and on the company website. Because the awards are presented at The PPAI Expo, he puts stickers on the winning products on display in his booth, so distributors can view them. Social media is the promotion tool of choice to promote Pyramid wins for Brad Bartlett at Optigraphics, who has used Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and LinkedIn. “Before the awards are even presented, we have a plan to get photos online right after the presentation. Social media has to be immediate and widespread, and photos taken with an iPhone are fine.” He also adds a list of awards the company has won to his email signature and takes full advantage of the press kit PPAI provides to Pyramid winners that includes a variety of logos and a news release. 1 Select the right product. “Look at your body of work and ask, ‘What is Oscar-worthy?’” says Brad Bartlett of Optigraphics. “If it’s just the run of the mill—it’s not going to win. You’ve got to have something truly unique.” 2 Don’t assume the judges understand what is involved in producing the piece. “Be very detailed in your write-up, noting who, what, when, where, why and how. You have to paint a picture for the judges, including the problem to be solved and terms and techniques, so they understand the level of detail required. Be very analytical and detailed in your write-up,” says Bartlett. “Don’t skim over this part—it’s your place to shine.” 3 Collect documentation all year long. Dominic Demers of My Green Bag! creates a Word document right after he completes a product he thinks is special. He notes all the details needed for a possible entry, saves it in a clearly marked file and stores a sample of the product safely away. Then, when the competition opens, he has all the necessary information and materials at his fingertips. 4 Demers also recommends not entering too many products just to enter them. “If you’ve got four or five projects you want to enter, don’t try to find a few more just to blow up your numbers. Stick to the ones that are spectacular and make a big impact with them.” Using this approach, he often submits two entries in the same category if the company is a master at that particular process—for example, screen printing, sublimation and innovative new products. “Most of the time when we enter two entries in a category, we win with both.” 5 Over the course of the year, Jim Ristuccia of A+ Wine Designs and his team make notes on projects that are unique, challenging and showcase different skill sets. He says they submit only the best of the best, so the competition write- ups must showcase detail and creativity, and be clear and engaging. FEATURE | Pyramid Award Winners—Supplier Decorating 28 | JULY 2019 |