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Blog Post: Your Guide to Everything Pinnacle Awards

We are so excited for the 2020 AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards! For those of you that are new to the AMA Omaha community or to entering the Pinnacle Awards, we’ve put together some background information on the event, the categories, and how to compose a winning entry. Plus, dive in to pro tips for using our new digital awards entry platform. 

AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards

The AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards are an opportunity for Omaha-area organizations to showcase their most successful marketing campaigns from the previous year. Example: for the 2020 AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards, you’ll select work from your 2019 marketing efforts. The Pinnacle Awards are judged based off metrics and measurable tactics. This means, our awards are RESULTS-BASED, NOT CREATIVE-BASED. Yes, you can and should upload your head-turning creative assets, but the judges are not judging your entry solely on how the creative looks. They’re looking to see if your objectives and results line up and if you presented that in a clean, logical way. Simply put, they are looking for measurable success.

Pinnacle Award Categories

When entering your marketing campaigns, there are six categories to choose from: Communications, Public Relations, Promotions, Digital Media, Total Marketing Campaign and Video. Within each of those categories, entrants select Small Business, Large Business or Not-for-profit. We also provide a Student entry option. You can find descriptions of each category and the criteria for Small, Large and Not-for-profit by visiting: https://amaomahapinnacle.awardstage.com/#!/home and selecting “Categories” from the menu.

Composing an Entry

When composing your Pinnacle Award entry, it’s extremely important you cover these items: Objectives, Execution and Results.

  • Objectives: Describe the marketing or public relations situation and the objectives you set out to accomplish with this particular project.
  • Execution: Explain the marketing approach and implementation process. Please keep this straightforward and include a discussion of messaging and a description of all creative materials you send along with your entry.
  • Results: What results did you achieve and how did you measure them? Simply put, how did your project perform? Carefully tie your results back to your objectives. If results were different that your objectives, explain why. Also, include any unplanned events that may have directly affected your results.
  • Optional—Other: Include any unique circumstances you believe contributed to the success of your plan.

Nomination-based Awards

If you are familiar with the AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards, you know that we also have nomination-based awards. Nomination-based awards are free to enter! In addition to the Marketer of the Year award, last year we introduced two new additional categories, Agency of the Year and In-house of the Year. Each award has its own criteria that the judges use when reviewing the nomination. More information about the awards can be found here: https://amaomahapinnacle.awardstage.com/#!/home The complete description and criteria for each is available in your portal after you “Register” on the site. How to “Register” is explained in the “Digital Platform Pro Tips” section of this blog.

Pinnacle Award Judges

Who judges the AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards? We’re proud to share that our awards are judged by esteemed AMA marketing professionals from across the country. Representatives from AMA Omaha DO NOT judge entries in the AMA Omaha Pinnacles competition. Our national panel of judges ensures an unbiased competition. Our judges for the 2020 AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards are from the distinguished chapters of AMA Cincinnati and AMA Madison. They use a predetermined point system to judge each entry’s objectives, execution and results. This panel is responsible for judging Pinnacle entries, as well as Marketer of the Year, Agency of the Year and In-house of the Year nominations.

Digital Platform Pro Tips

This year we’re excited to provide you with a digital platform for your convenience and ease in entering. If you’re new to an awards digital platform, it can be somewhat intimidating. In reality, this system makes both the entry/registration AND judging process simpler than ever before. Everything you need for entering and registering for the gala is housed in one place. No more uploading to Dropbox, paying in a different location, registering for the event and paying for it in yet another location. 

Once you arrive at the site, click “Register,” fill out the form, create your profile and you’re ready to start submitting your entries. Your dashboard will help you keep track of your entry drafts, submitted work and payments/invoices. There is also a schedule and countdown so you always know how much time you have left to enter. We have provided some helpful videos and articles that you can look over if you have questions. Those can be found here: /pinnacle-awards/ If you aren’t able to find an answer to your question, I’m also available as another resource, you can email me at amapinnacles@gmail.com

Go forth and enter your rocket-powered marketing campaigns! The general submission deadline is Friday, February 14th, 2020.