Submissions for PPAI’s 2024 Pyramid Awards are now accepted through May 12. PPAI’s annual Pyramid Awards, sponsored by Pacesetter Awards Co., celebrates creative excellence in the promotional products industry. These outstanding promotions and creative campaigns represent the artistry and skill of Association members.

The submissions for the 2024 Pyramid Awards must be chosen from campaigns created between April 1, 2022, and April 1, 2023. Entries should represent a devotion to client relationships, demonstrate the ingenuity of the promo industry and yield measurable results.

In March, PPAI Magazine highlighted a few 2023 winners whose innovative programs stood out from the rest. For business-to-business programs, Cliff Quicksell Associates won a Gold Pyramid and a Silver Pyramid.

“My clients deserve to be recognized when they have a successful campaign utilizing our media,” says Cliff Quicksell, MAS+, president and CEO of Cliff Quicksell Associates. “Additionally, it aids in bolstering our industry's image beyond the typical  trinkets, trash and swag perception.”

Winning a Gold Pyramid, Cliff Quicksell Associates designed the “Make It A Home Run With KMK” program direct mail campaign to “pitch” the client’s team as a new baseball season approached. A box decorated inside and out with custom baseball graphics was filled with custom baseball cards of each member of the KMK team that listed relevant “stats” and experience, plus logoed baseballs signed by the salesperson sending the kit.

The program targeted 100 prospects with a goal of 25% making a sales appointment with the client. The multi-sensory box, with a custom light-activated sound chip that, when opened, played a series of ballpark sounds, produced an 80% appointment rate, generating 52 new clients at a cost of $86.54 each.

When determining which program to submit, Quicksell says, “We always analyze every aspect of the promotion, compare the results to the KPIs we established at the onset, and if I feel it meets the criteria we will submit.”

Quicksell says everyone has their own reasons for submitting. “I would encourage any marketer who feels they have a viable program to enter. Furthermore, if you don’t win, do not be discouraged. I am blessed to have won over 40 Pyramid Awards, but I have entered more than double that amount. It is also a great professional resume builder.”

The 2024 Pyramid Awards competition is open for entries through May 12. For more information and to enter the competition, visit www.ppai.org/pyramid. If you need assistance or have additional questions, email awards@ppai.org.