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A Golden Marketing Opportunity
By: Marsha Londe
Issue: May 2010

Use Pyramid entries to enhance your business and enhance your selling technique

Oscar! Emmy! Tony!

Each represents best in class, superior performance, talent and creativity. Our industry’s Pyramid Award represents those same winning qualities—it recognizes the results obtained through the creative use of product. And, like those honors, a Pyramid is a marketing dream come true.

Why did I enter the first time? I realized that receiving a Pyramid or two could help me build my business. A Pyramid Award is substantiated bragging rights; my clients would have national acknowledgement that I was creative and could help them with marketing and branding. They were informed because I took advantage of the successful self-promotion opportunities that are inherent in a win.

Clients come to us to develop a program that will drive a response. As consultants, our job is to recommend a creative product solution to carry out objectives and deliver results. A logoed product is a means of conveying a message and influencing the recipient to take a preferred action. Purchase their brand. Come by their booth. Go to their website. Attend an open house. Work safely. Sell more.

A Golden Marketing Opportunity
Winning a Pyramid provides a three-pronged marketing opportunity—within your client base, prospects in your geographical area and the industry. Capturing a Pyramid in this competition adds to your credibility. Awards are a plus when making presentations, listing qualifications to prospects, and responding to requests for proposals. In addition, you can use the entries as case studies in your showroom, on your website, in your brochures and as part of your selling technique.

The best part of entering the competition is spending one-on-one time with clients. I’d arrange to fill out the entry form with them over lunch or in their offices (I’d bring treats), recall the highlights of the program and review the results. This exercise does several things. It shows the client how knowledgeable and creative you are on their behalf and in reviewing the program’s accomplishments, they realize how you met their goals. You’re now a partner in their business.

Recognition For You And Your Client
When I won the first time, I couldn’t believe my luck. But the reality is that each Pyramid reflected critical thinking, an emphasis on measurable results and a partnering attitude when designing programs with my clients. I kept my initial notes about their objectives, checked out the results and kept a sample of every product we used. Long before I won my 24th Pyramid, I was in a groove!

After each win, I’d present the award (The client received a Pyramid, too.) to my contact, preferably in front of their peers and management. Of course I’d bring food and create a celebration. In sharing the proud moment with the client organization I built name recognition. And that made for an easier entrée into other departments.

Consider sending a press release and photo about you win to publications within the industry and to your local business papers and magazines. Or you can demonstrate your creativity by announcing your win with a direct-mail piece. One winner shared his good news by sending a pyramid-shaped gift in a pyramid-shaped box to clients and prospects.

Announce the win to all of your clients, communicating how your creativity solved a problem. Invite them to work with you on their marketing issues. Promote the win and add a photo of the Pyramid on your website, in your corporate materials and display the case study in your office or showroom. Along with the award you’ll receive embossed stickers—place them near your signature on correspondence or on the back of your business envelopes.

Just Do It
When listing the program’s goals on the entry form keep it simple by using bullet points.

Next, match the results to the goals, and use bullet points. (Questions one and nine are critical—clearly state your objectives and match these with the results.) If you used a large number of products, list the products in a chart, which helps the judges better understand how each item was used and delivered. Don’t forget question No. 8. This is where I really sold my campaigns, by explaining pertinent points.

Many potentially strong entries skimp on this critical question. Numerous entries fail to explain why their product choices were the right ones. Question eight is where you tie together theme, strategy, creativity, copy, distribution, packaging and any highlights that made your program successful.

Your samples may be clever and interesting, but if the entry doesn’t tell the story, the judges can’t connect what they’re seeing with what they’re reading. Don’t shortchange your chances with a short response.

One of the biggest rewards of winning in this national competition is the chance to hone your capabilities and distinguish your work. What are you waiting for? What unique programs, campaigns and projects have you created for your clients? This year’s deadline is September 10. For more information on the Pyramid program, contact Carol Gauger at PPAI at 972-258-3088.

Marsha Londe is CEO of Tango Partners, a consultancy firm for the promotional product industry. In her 27 years in the industry, Marsha has received numerous awards, led classes at national and regional tradeshows, and written articles for industry magazines. In July, Londe is one of the featured speakers at the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference. She can be reached at 404-846-1900.

This article was reprinted and updated from the 2008 August/September issue of Promotional Consultant.