The APPA Awards for Promotional Products Marketing Excellence recognise outstanding contributions by businesses and individuals who are making positive changes towards a more progressive and sustainable promotional products industry.
The APPA Awards seek to highlight members who have raised the industry's profile by generating marketing initiatives that are original, highly creative, socially responsible and environmentally conscious and most importantly, effective in exceeding client goals and expectations.
Distributor Award Categories (submission based entries)
- Business to Business
Showcasing a promotional product that was integral to a Business to Business (B2B) marketing campaign. The B2B campaign objective could be, but not limited to, introducing products, services, or facilities, increase or convert sales leads, increasing brand awareness, increasing web traffic. This type of activity should be measurable but does not need to be revenue specific and should include a quantifiable audience, element of participation, or another metric.
- Consumer Program/Gift With Purchase
Submissions should champion a consumer promotional product marketing program or campaign through retail or other sales channels. This category can include but not limited to: Consumer and Client Loyalty Gifts, Gift with Purchase, Packaging, Point of Sale and Retail Product Merchandising. This type of activity should be measurable but does not need to be revenue specific and should include a quantifiable audience, element of participation, or another metric.
- Distributor Self-Promotion
Highlighting superior marketing campaigns and promotional products designed to promote the distributors brand and promote sales of the entrant themselves.
- Distributor/Supplier Collaboration
Highlighting cases where a collaborative and cooperative relationship between distributor and supplier has achieved exceptional results above and beyond the client brief. Submissions must be the creation of a new or unique product to meet the brief’s requirements.
- Event Merchandise
Showcasing the most outstanding event merchandise program. This category demonstrates the highest outcome achievable in brand messaging through the use of unique and quality merchandise, together with onsite event marketing initiatives.
- Integration to a Media Campaign
Highlighting elite marketing campaigns where a promotional product is integral to the broader media campaign, whether it be digital media or traditional advertising. Examples could include a promotional product that creatively features in a digital campaign and demonstrates innovation in linking a physical promotional product to a digital platform.
- Limited Budget
Celebrating the most enterprising and effective promotional product or promotional product campaign where the cost of producing the product itself was less than ten dollars per unit.
- Made in Australia/Made in New Zealand
Highlighting the best marketing campaign or initiative that incorporates locally made promotional products or garments to promote an increase in the client’s sales. In line with ACCC classification, “the product must have undergone substantial transformation within Australia” to be classified as ‘Australian Made’ / All products entered must meet the requirements of the Fair Trading Act for Country of Origin Labelling.
- Not For Profit
Promoting the most effective not-for-profit or charitable promotional product marketing program or campaign.
- Promotional Product Innovation and Design
Celebrating innovation and creative development of promotional products or designs for use within a promotional product program or campaign. The innovation/creativity /design must be in response to a brief or generated by the APPA member for the client.
- Sustainable/Eco-Friendly Initiative
Celebrating marketing campaigns and initiatives that incorporate sustainable or environmentally conscious products. This category aims to highlight initiatives and products that reinforce environmental messages or demonstrate improved environmental awareness or measures of waste reduction. Please note that all entries must be compliant with ACCC or CCNZ guidelines, and entrants must substantiate any claims made in the submission.
- Uniforms, Apparel and Accessories
Recognising outstanding branding campaigns on any form of apparel, uniform or wearable product, and used in a creative, flexible and effective manner to convey a consistent brand message.
Supplier and Decorator Award Categories (submission based entries)
- Branding Innovation Award
Celebrating achievements in branding innovation that have resulted in a new decoration process or a significant improvement/evolution of an existing process. This category aims to highlight innovative and creative approaches to branding solutions. Improvements to existing processes could include modifications to production processes or machinery, changes to inks or application processes, waste reduction etc.
- Digital Innovation Award
Highlighting an innovative new digital aide, tool, or service that was developed to assist distributors. This can include but is not limited to configurators, order management tools, software development, digital and website support systems.
- Most Innovative Marketing Tool
Highlighting an innovative new marketing aide, tool or service that was developed to assist customers with marketing your products and/or services to their clients. This can include but is not limited to catalogues, marketing support, educational material, or any other materials or aids created to help distributors sell your product.
- Product Innovation Award
Showcasing an innovative and original new promotional product that has been introduced to your range. This product could be, but is not limited to, an exciting new product that is first to market, features superior design, caters to a specific demographic, is a trend-setting new concept, uses unique or sustainable materials, or is a locally sourced alternative to an imported product.
Supplier and Decorator Award Categories (voted by distributors)
- Best Supplier
Voted by distributors, this award celebrates the supplier who is leading the industry. The following attributes should be considered: product range, communication, customer service, problem resolution, product quality, creativity, website functionality, marketing support, response times to briefs, delivery times, decorating and packaging.
- Best Boutique Supplier
Voted by distributors, this award highlights the best specialist supplier in the industry. The following attributes should be considered: product range, customer service, product range and quality, decoration quality, creativity, delivery times and response time to briefs.
- Best Decorator (open to decorators only, not supplier decorators)
Voted by distributors, this award highlights the best decoration provider in the industry. This category is open only to businesses whose entire operation is decoration. The following attributes should be considered: customer service, branding capability, decoration quality, creativity, and response time to enquiries.
Individual Award Categories (submission based entries)
- Industry Distinction
The APPA Industry Distinction Award recognises individuals who champion the value of branding and have made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the promotional product industry and to APPA. Nominees of this award will be held in high regard by their peers, and demonstrate that they have given their time, energy, and resources to further the industry as well as to volunteering for APPA. This award can be self-nominated or nominated by a peer.
- Young Achiever
The APPA Young Achiever Award recognises and celebrates the future of our industry by acknowledging exceptional young achievers, up to the age of 35 as at 31st March 2023 with at least 2 to 5 years’ service in the promotional industry and with a clear affiliation with APPA. This award can be self-nominated or nominated by a peer.
