PPB May 2021

SILVER WINNER AZX Sport Tonawanda, New York Entry Name: Sales Support Material That Doesn’t Suck Primary Objective: AZX wanted to create sales support materials to help distributors sell straws and showcase AZX’s differentiating factors. AZX became a bin sponsor at three industry trade shows to get the products in front of the maximum number of people while minimizing logistics costs. Strategy And Execution: The “ex-STRAW-dinary” package of distributor sales materials drove traffic to the booth and started a bigger conversation about sustainability. AZX Sport also created sales support materials that make it easy for distributors to showcase and sell to their customers, ensuring everything is branded so people know where they received it, and gaining awareness in a category where a distributor may not think of AZX, thus increasing sales. Results: This program nearly tripled booth traffic, reduced individual sample requests for straws from the show by 90 percent, increased quote opportunities on straws by nearly 350 percent and increased search results on multiple platforms. The supplier also received many orders as a direct result of the campaign, the largest worth $50,000. Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB . 2022 ProgramDeadlines And Details The entry period for PPAI’s 2022 Pyramid program opened April 1 and closes May 7, 2021, for submissions in categories of Client Programs, Marketing Programs, Supplier Decorating and Technology. Find the entry form and details at www.ppai.org/members/awards/company-recognition. In the PPAI Supplier Star competition, PPAI member distributors can vote for their top supplier companies based on communication, customer service, product quality, decorating and packaging. Voting begins May 24 and ends June 18, 2021. Log in at awards.ppai.org/supplierstars. FEATURE | Pyramids In Marketing 22 | MAY 2021 |