There are some amazing companies that have won Bennys at the Premier Print Awards! This post is part of a blog series profiling 2014 Premier Print Award Benny winners from small print shops to large corporations as well as universities. Check out how a company in your demographic used their 2014 Benny win to leverage more business.
Something catches your eye. The striking color, beauty, and elegance—images flawlessly flowing together throughout each calendar, poster, book, and other printed pieces. The work produced by the illustrious Australian company Body of Work is a culmination of sharp talent in print, design, and photography. But the the team at Body of Work has gained exciting market success thanks to Bob Armstrong.
No stranger to awards, Armstrong ascended the stage at the 2014 Premier Print Awards Gala last September to accept 17 total Bennys as well as the Best of Show first-place title on behalf of his comapny. Though they do their own promotions, Armstrong also credits their success to the unparalleled endorsement of their peers through the Premier Print Awards. Here he explains how they get some valuable exposure for their Body of Work and how you can “work it” for your brand as well.
Q: First can you share what these awards mean to your company?
A: Ours is a bespoke product to a small elite group. The success of all bespoke products, from Rolls Royce down, is totally reliant on brand reputation pedigree and above all brand endorsement. There is no [greater] credibility than endorsement from your peers, and in our industry there is no higher international endorsement than the Premier Print Awards
Our focus is totally craft driven, and our driving ambition is to be the best in the world at what we do. To achieve this, everything we do is without compromise. [This means that our company] bans the word “cost” because that is the first step of compromise. If we create the perfect product, the financial rewards will follow—and they have thanks to the committed team of craftsmen that make up Body of Work.
Q: How have you been able to leverage your Premier Print Award wins to further build your brand?
A: We have been extremely successful in leveraging these awards because, in addition to being a designer and photographer, I am an advertising man of long standing. We totally understand who we are trying to impress, what reaction we are seeking, and how to get it.
If it becomes an exercise in self-glorification to your peers, it may satisfy your ego but won’t work commercially, and we are too pragmatic to go down that path. We are skilled in creation of all media and use it to the fullest. It is easy for us because promotions are a big part of what we do.
Q: What advice would you offer other industry companies
If you do not have the promotional skills yourself, get someone who has them. The reason most printers don’t get leverage from their awards is simply because they try to do it themselves. We are well aware of our limitations, and if we need outside skills we have no hesitation in seeking them.
We also use these awards as a very useful measuring stick, and here we are very ruthless on ourselves. Anything that does not win a Benny is discarded. In marketing our brand, the market knows we will only offer the very best for sale, and the Printing Industries of America judges are the arbiters!
Ready to leverage your brand on a Premier Print Award like Body of Work? First you need to enter! Just submit your pieces via our online entry system. The early-bird discount ends April 17, and the final deadline to enter is May 15, 2015. Learn more at www.printing.org/ppa.