Wisconsin Award Program

The SMPS Wisconsin Excellence Award will let you show what you do best. By participating, you will achieve recognition for outstanding marketing in the architectural, engineering and construction industry.

Earn peer recognition, positive publicity, and company pride. Projects of all sizes are eligible. There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit.

Whether big or small, an award winning project is one that:

• Sets clear objectives and supports business goals and shows an understanding of a target audience.
• Brings value and measurable benefits to an organization with a creative, effective communication effort.
• Measure the outcome of the communication program to prove that it successfully achieves its stated goals.

If you’re are ready to step into the spotlight, then this is your call to action! Learn more in the award program brochure. And then nominate your project online before April 1, 2010. Be sure to plan to attend the award event on April 15, 2010 to learn how you can create award winning materials.

AWARD CATEGORIES
Hasn’t 2009 been complicated and challenging enough? This year, we’re keeping it simple. There is only one submission category, the SMPS Wisconsin Market­ing Excellence Award. Our judges will categorize the awards according to their strongest attributes. This year, we want to see all types of marketing, including new ways of promoting your company. Categories can be so restricting. If you have a marketing tool that you’ve used this year that you’ve succeeded with, we want to see it.

Some of the categories we’ll be placing awards in to include:

• Presentations
• Electronic Communications
• Internal Communications
• External Communications
• Advertisements

THE JUDGES
Each year we try to get a few industry experts in the A/E/C industry to help judge, this year we’re also adding a few creative minds from the marketing and advertising world.

Carol Stauss of Via1 Marketing – Carol has been in the marketing industry for 20+ years. She currently owns and operates her own marketing and advertising firm located in Southern Wisconsin. She has helped clients with branding, strategic planning, marketing collateral and overall business development. She has the ability to meld science and art to form the ultimate marketing campaign.

Brittany Buchanan of Square Toast Technologies – As a very skilled creative person, Brittany has helped clients in the Madison area create some effective yearly marketing plans, consulted with a franchise to make their business grow, and implemented a radio ad campaign to help a local business come to life. Brittany has a true creative sense for making campaigns a success.

Tanya Van Kirk, Daily Reporter Marketing Director – Tanya is currently Circulation Marketing Manager for the The Daily Reporter, Wisconsin Law Journal and Wisconsin Builder magazine, and spent the past 15 years marketing both consumer and business-to-business publications, events and online products. Her work in email marketing, Web site marketing, direct mail, communications and sales – primarily within the publishing industry – has allowed her to stand out as a highly specialized professional in the state of Wisconsin.

WINNER NOTIFICATION
Awards are distributed for three winners and one for the Best of 2010 winner. Awards will be given only if the entries meet all the necessary criteria. An award notification letter will be sent to the contact listed on each entry form confirm­ing that you are one of the top three winners. As a winner, you will receive:

• A SMPS Wisconsin Excellence Award
• Recognition at SMPS Wisconsin’s Award Ceremony
• Individual recognition in the spring issue of SMPS Wisconsin’s newsletter
• Your name and company on the Awards page of our Web site
• The ability to give a 2-3 minute speech on strategy and implementation of your project at the awards breakfast.

If you are chosen as a first place winner, you will be asked to give a 2-3 minute speech on the strategy behind your piece and the outcome. This will help fellow SMPS members learn about successful materials in our industry.