WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 PIA-branding-award
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) has been honored with a prestigious award in recognition of the PIA Branding Program, Local Agents Serving Main Street America(SM).
The PIA Branding Program was presented with a 2008 MarCom Gold Award in the Radio Campaign category by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), which conducts the annual international awards competition to recognize outstanding creative achievement by marketing and communication professionals. The award honors PIA's series of 28 radio commercials that PIA has made available to its members to run in their local markets.
Previously in 2007, the PIA Branding Program won two other MarCom Awards: a Platinum Award in the Corporate Branding category representing entire campaigns, and a Gold Award in the Advertising Campaign category honoring PIA's series of print ads that PIA members may run in their local publications.
"PIA is honored to be recognized for the third time in two years with a MarCom Award," said PIA National President Kenneth R. Auerbach, Esq. "The MarCom Awards define the standard for excellence in branding. And the PIA Branding Program sets the standard for professional independent insurance agents who want to grow their businesses through the use of a high-quality, effective advertising campaign."
"Thousands of independent insurance agents have taken advantage of the PIA Branding Program and 63 insurance carriers have signed on as sponsors," Auerbach said. "PIA does not charge its members any extra fees to make use of the program -- it is simply another benefit of their PIA membership. And PIA does not charge our carrier partners to participate; we just ask that they support the program and their agents who use it in any way they can."
MarCom entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers. The competition has grown to perhaps the largest of its kind in the world. A look at the winners shows a range in size from individual communicators to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. There were over 5,000 entries from throughout the United States and several foreign countries in the 2008 competition.
"PIA's 2008 Gold MarCom Award is in recognition of the excellence of its radio commercial component of its branding and advertising campaign," said Ed Dalheim, Director, MarCom Awards, of the Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals.
"The radio and print ads of the PIA Branding Program stress the personal service and choice that only professional insurance agents provide," said PIA National Executive Vice President & CEO Len Brevik. "They shine a bright light on the advantages of working with professional insurance agents and the deficiencies of direct writers and captive agents. And they remind consumers that PIA members are local Main Street agents who live in their communities."
During 2007, the PIA Branding Program also received two other prestigious awards. The program was named a Gold Award recipient of the Hermes Creative Awards 2007 competition by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. And the PIA Branding Program received an APEX Award for Publication Excellence.
"It is especially gratifying to have our program recognized for excellence in competitions conducted by some of the most prestigious organizations involved in marketing and advertising," Brevik said. "PIA National's communications professionals Ted Besesparis and Alexi Papandon developed the PIA Branding Program from the initial concept to the successful program that benefits our member agents every day. They are indeed deserving of this recognition."
Additional information about the PIA Branding Program is available on PIA National's website at www.pianet.com/piabrandingprogram.
Founded in 1931, PIA is a national trade association that represents member insurance agents and their employees who sell and service all kinds of insurance, but specialize in coverage of automobiles, homes and businesses. PIA members are Local Agents Serving Main Street America(SM). PIA's web address is www.pianet.com.
This press release online at: http://www.pianet.com/NewsCenter/PressReleases/11-18-08.htm
SOURCE National Association of Professional Insurance Agents
