The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has announced the winners in its annual "Measures of Success" marketing awards program, which is conducted under the auspices of AEM's Publications in Construction and Agriculture (PICA) subgroup. Winning companies come from across the United States as well as Canada.
The AEM-PICA awards recognize excellence in off-road equipment industry marketing communications and honor outstanding industry efforts as an educational example of "best practices." The awards also aim to promote to a wider audience the important role that marketing communications plays in a company's business success.
A special award of excellence goes to the winning entry receiving the highest score overall from the judges. The members of PICA this year voted to have this "platinum" award dedicated to publishing executive John Weatherhead of Associated Construction Publications in recognition of his longtime stewardship of the PICA group. Winning this award was Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Ill. with its agency Rhea & Kaiser Communications of Naperville, Ill. for their entry in the product literature category (over $50 million in sales division).
As part of the awards, PICA publication editors name a Public Relations Person of the Year, and this honor went to Rick Zettler, president of Z-Comm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Senior editors at PICA publications choose the Public Relations Person of the Year as an outstanding example of best practices in media relations. The criteria the group uses to rank nominees include reliability; accuracy; quality of information provided; trustworthiness; integrity and level of experience about their company, products and industry. PICA recognized Zettler at AEM's annual Marketing Council Seminar, held in mid-May in Las Vegas, Nev.
The PICA "Measures of Success" awards program is open to off-road equipment manufacturers and industry service providers. Award categories (by sales divisions of over/under $50 million) include magazine ads, product literature, direct mail and press kits. The awards are given for work in 2006 and fourth quarter 2005.
Entries are judged by a panel of business-to-business agencies, industrial marketers, university marketing communications professors and PICA publishers. Press kits are evaluated by PICA industry editors. Judges score the entries independently, and the AEM statistical department tabulates the scores. The number of awards given in each category and division is determined by the judges based on entries received.
Winners of PICA "Measures of Success" Marketing Awards:
Direct Mail, Single Piece (Over $50 Million Division)
1st: Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Pella, Iowa/Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, Iowa.
2nd: Subaru, Cherry Hills, N.J./The Promersberger Company, Fargo, N.D.
3rd: CLAAS Omaha, Omaha, Neb./Ayres Kahler, Omaha, Neb.
Direct Mail Campaign (Over $50 Million Division)
1st: Husqvarna Construction Products, Olathe, Kan.
2nd: Terex/Genie, Redmond, Wash./Belyea, Seattle, Wash.
3rd : Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Pella, Iowa/Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, Iowa.
Magazine Ad Series (Over $50 Million Division)
1st: Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill./Rhea & Kaiser Communications, Naperville, Ill.
2nd: Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill./Rhea & Kaiser Communications, Naperville, Ill.
3rd: Subaru, Cherry Hill, N.J. /The Promersberger Company, Fargo, N.D.
Magazine Ad Series (Under $50 Million Division)
1st: SAKAI America, Adairsville, Ga./Advantage Marketing Communications, Hackettstown, N.J.
2nd: Compact Power Equipment, Fort Mill, S.C./Advantage Marketing Communications, Hackettstown, N.J.
3rd: IronPlanet, Pleasanton, Calif.
Magazine Ad, Single/Fractional Page (Over $50 Million Division)
1st: CLAAS Omaha, Omaha, Neb./Ayres Kahler, Omaha, Neb.
2nd: Bobcat Company, West Fargo, N.D./Flint Communications, Fargo, N.D.
3rd: CLAAS Omaha, Omaha, Neb./Ayres Kahler, Omaha, Neb.
Magazine Ad, Single/Fractional Page (Under $50 Million Division)
1st: Minimizer, Blooming Prairie, Minn./Last Call Studios, Minneapolis, Minn.
2nd: Allmand Brothers, Holdrege, Neb./The Promersberger Company, Fargo, N.D.
3rd: VMAC - Vehicle Mounted Air Compressors, Nanaimo, B.C., Canada.
Press Kits (Over $50 Million Division)
1st: Bobcat Company, West Fargo, N.D./Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, Iowa.
2nd: Volvo Motor Graders, Goderich, Ont., Canada/Marketing Strategies and Solutions, London, Ont., Canada.
3rd: John Deere Power Systems, Moline, Ill./Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, Iowa.
Press Kits (Under $50 Million Division)
1st: Stone Construction Equipment, Honeoye, N.Y.
Product Literature (Over $50 Million Division)
1st: Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill./Rhea & Kaiser Communications, Naperville, Ill.
2nd: Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill./Rhea & Kaiser Communications, Naperville, Ill.
3rd: Manitowoc Crane CARE, Shady Grove, Pa./Imaginasium, Green Bay, Wis.
Product Literature (Under $50 Million Division)
1st: Safway Services, Waukesha, Wis.
2nd: Power Pavers, Salisbury, N.C.
3rd: Atlas Copco, Westfield, Mass./The Promersberger Company, Fargo, N.D.
