Pinnacle Awards

2018 Pinnacle Award Categories & Descriptions

Best Use of CONTENT for Inbound Marketing and Engagement

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content. It’s not just blogs and white papers anymore, but leveraging all kinds of media in interesting ways so brand can tell a story and spark engagement with their intended audience. Share with us your uses of Content for Inbound Marketing to help drive prospect or customer action.

Best Overall DIGITAL Strategy & Execution

We live in a world of constant digital innovation and transformation. At the core of the best marketing efforts is a website that informs, engages, inspires action, captures leads and drives sales. For optimal impact it must go farther, reaching your audience and drawing or driving them to your website to create those engagement and conversion opportunities. Share with us your best digital work, with the Google Analytics and metrics to back it up.

Best INTEGRATED Marketing Campaign

As marketers, it could go without saying that any marketing campaign should and would be executed across multiple channels to reach your target audience, right? This category welcomes submissions for the best thought-out marketing campaigns that use a variety of channels and vehicles (video, print, web, social media, PR, traditional paid media/advertising, events) with carefully tracked metrics to accomplish their business objectives or solve a marketing problem.

Best CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Execution
(formerly best use of INSIGHTS to Drive Experience, Engagement and/or Innovation)

Customer experience has become the new “currency” for brands looking to up their status and profit. This category welcomes submissions in which an experience was created that made a difference for a target audience. What were your insights gained? How did you continuously improve and innovate?

Best BRAND Launch or Rebranding Effort

AMA Cincinnati went through a rebrand this year–who else did too? We want to recognize the company that best demonstrates the “why” behind a brand or rebrand effort. Whether you’re a startup or a decades-old company going through a turnaround or rebirth, share your rebrand process with us–from old versus new, graphics, messaging, rollout and education. Oh, and don’t forget applicable metrics!

Best “Non-Marketing” Marketing Program

Marketers wear many hats, and sometimes that means stepping out of some disciplines and into different ones like Internal/Employee Relations or Community Involvement. Did you undertake a big change initiative? Facilitate a social engagement campaign for/with employees? Support talent management and recruiting efforts? How about community involvement and volunteer initiatives? Share your best “non-marketing” marketing and how it drove value for the organization.

Best COLLEGIATE/STUDENT Marketing Plan, Campaign, and/or Program

Calling all students! Many have term papers, projects or capstone courses that require the creation of a marketing plan, campaign, and an extent of execution. Share your work with us to be recognized! Please include results on any execution of marketing plan.

Best Use of Technology for SALES ENABLEMENT

One of the biggest opportunities and challenges for Marketers these days is to incorporate, adopt and adapt Marketing Automation and CRM for lead and demand generation activities. These activities are essential to drive sales initiatives, asset creation, relationship development, and conference/trade show participation. Share your transformation or application story, including goals, results and creative solutions.

Best SCRAPPY Marketing Campaign

Are you a non-profit operating your marketing initiatives on a shoestring? New manager in a large organization trying to build a business case for something new and fighting for every budget dollar? Startup with lean funds to promote your new business? We want to see what you accomplished! Tell us what you had to work with, how you tackled the creative challenge of getting the most bang for your frugal buck, and how far it went in the end.

NEW!   Special Merit/Recognition: In-House Warriors

Not every organization hires an agency partner. Great marketing can come from within the company. Based on entries submitted, this special recognition is for the in-house warriors who rocked a campaign from brainstorm to execution and measurement, regardless of budget. Consider this a “no agencies allowed!” space. No extra submission is needed, simply check the box “Consider me for In-House Warrior Special Recognition” on your submission form to be considered.

NEW!   Special Merit/Recognition: Research or Insight Catalyst

Who doesn’t love a good backstory? Based on entries submitted, this special recognition is to recognize the research and/or insights that helped spark the effort for a successful marketing campaign, initiative, rebrand, operations innovation, etc. The campaign or initiative may have been executed in 2017, but the research may have occurred earlier, so this special recognition is not time-bound to 2017 No extra submission is needed, simply check the box “Consider me for Research or Insight Catalyst” on your submission form to be considered.

Cincinnati Marketing Legends Award

We are happy to welcome a second class of Cincinnati Marketing Legends for the 2018 Pinnacle Awards. This prestigious award is like a “lifetime achievement” award, not time-bound. Who has made a lasting impact, and brought acclaim to the city or the profession of marketing? Please complete the nomination form with the name, current role, social media handles or links to published work (if available) and 300 words or less on what makes them a Cincinnati Marketing Legend for award recipient consideration. Self-nominations are discouraged. Nominees do not have to be AMA members.

The inaugural class of Cincinnati Marketing Legends from the 2017 Pinnacle Awards set an impressive standard for the caliber of distinguished marketers this award is meant to recognize. Read about them here.

Curious about past Pinnacle Award winners?

Learn about them here.