AMA Pinnacle Awards 2020 Winners

AMA Rochester Hosts Virtual Pinnacle Awards Event; Announces 2020 Winners & Marketer of the Year

Rochester, NY (September 15, 2020) – The Rochester Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA Rochester) held its annual Pinnacle Awards virtually on Tuesday, September 15. The event  broadcast via AMA Rochester’s Facebook page and the recording is available for viewing at https://www.facebook.com/AMARochester.

The Pinnacle Awards is an annual event hosted by AMA Rochester where local marketers are recognized for their program strategy, tactics, creative – and importantly results. This year, 109 entries were submitted in total and were reviewed, scored, and ranked by the AMA Columbus chapter.

Local Rochester media veteran Norma Holland served as the Pinnacle Awards event host and announced winners in 27 categories, including the coveted Marketer of the Year Award.

In addition to the many tactical category winners and the Marketer of the Year (listed below), 2 winners were announced for the special 2020 Resiliency Award. This recently added category recognizes the extraordinary efforts taken by marketing professionals as they rose to meet the many challenges presented by COVID-19 in 2020. The Resiliency Award winners are:

  • For-Profit: LeClaire Communications for the collaboration between Iron Smoke Distillery and Rochester Midland to produce and donate hand sanitizer to a variety of local first responders and other agencies including the Rochester and Fairport Police Departments.
  • Not-for-Profit: McDougall Communications partnered with the Center for Ocular Research & Education to get the word out about contact lenses and COVID-19, along with comprehensive guidance for wearers.

The 2020 Marketer of the Year Award winners honoring outstanding overall strategy, creative and results are:

  • For-Profit: First American Equipment Finance
  • Not-for-Profit: Monroe Community College
Annual Report
Winners:
Dixon Schwabl – Daystar Makes a Big Impact
Brandtatorship – Leveraging the Tools at Hand
Villa of Hope – My Name is Noah

Finalists:
Brandtatorship
Dixon Schwabl
First American Equipment Finance
Villa of Hope

B2B Integrated Marketing
Winners:
CaterTrax – Driving New Business
The Verdi Group – Invent 2019

Finalists:
CaterTrax
McDougall Communications
The Verdi Group

B2C Integrated Marketing
Winners:
Flynn – Quest Direct Product Launch
Aimee J. Lewis, PR, Marketing & Communication – Good schools ROC Application Tool

Finalists:
Aimee J. Lewis PR, Marketing & Communications
Brandmint
Butler/Till
Dixon Schwabl
Flynn

Best In Branding
Winners:
First American Equipment Finance – Fresh First Impressions
The Marketing Collaborative/Crafting a Brand – United Helpers

Finalists:
Ardent Learning
Brandmint
Dixon Schwabl
First American Equipment Finance
The Marketing Collaborative/Crafting a Brand

Collateral
Winner:
First American Equipment Finance – Higher Education Sales

Finalists:
Dixon Schwabl
First American Equipment Finance

Digital Marketing
Winner:
First American Equipment Finance – Testing the Waters of AI in Finance

Finalists:
First American Equipment Finance
Dixon Schwabl

Direct Mail
Winner:
The Verdi Group – DRX Mobile Deployment Kit

Finalists:
The Verdi Group
Dixon Schwabl

Influencer Marketing
Winner:
First American Equipment Finance – Now Boarding: NetJets and First American

Finalists:
Dixon Schwabl
First American Equipment Finance
Linden Digital Marketing

Internal Communications
Winners:
First American Equipment Finance – Accelerating Associations
eHealth Technologies – Caring Together
The Marketing Collaborative/Crafting a Brand – United Helpers

Finalists:
First American Healthcare Finance
eHealth Technologies
First American Equipment Finance
The Marketing Collaborative/Crafting a Brand
Villa of Hope

Market Research
Winner:
First American Equipment Finance – Testing the Water of AI in Finance

Finalists:
CaterTrax
First American Equipment Finance

Most Improved Tactic
Winners:
CaterTrax – Annual Satisfaction Survey
First American Equipment Finance – The Leasing Advantage

Finalists:
CaterTrax
First American Equipment Finance
Manning & Napier
Mason Digital

Organic Social Media
Winner:
Dixon Schwabl – GRE: Get Back to Real
Packaging
Winner:
Black Button Distilling – American Whiskey

Finalists:
Black Button Distilling
Dixon Schwabl
Monroe Community College

Paid Search and/or Display
Winners:
Dixon Schwabl – Embrace Life: St Johns
Monroe Community College – MCC Program Marketing

Finalists:
Dixon Schwabl
Monroe Community College

Paid Social Media
Winner:
Dixon Schwable – Embrace Life: St Johns

Finalists:
Dixon Schwabl
Digital Hyve

Print Advertising
Winners:
Dixon Schwable – Beyond Great: NYS Fair
Monroe Community College – MCC Downtown Campus
Print Piece
Winner:
First American Equipment Finance – Test and Learn campaign

Finalists:
First American Equipment Finance
Manning & Napier

Product Launch
Winner:
CaterTrax – Account Based Retention

Finalists:
CaterTrax
Dixon Schwabl
McDougall Communications

Product Launch
Winner:
CaterTrax – Account Based Retention

Finalists:
CaterTrax
Dixon Schwabl
McDougall Communications

Small Budget Campaign
Winners:
First American Equipment Finance – Expansions and Renovations
Villa of Hope – Thank You Neighbor

Finalists:
CaterTrax
First American Equipment Finance
Relph Benefit Advisors
The Old Dog Press
Villa of Hope

Small Business Campaign
Winners:
L-Tron – OSCR360
Rubino’s Italian Foods – Rainbow Layer Donut
Aimee J. Lewis, PR, Marketing & Communication – Good Schools ROC Application Tool

Finalists:
Aimee J. Lewis PR, Marketing & Communications
Linden Digital Marketing
Livadas Consulting
L-Tron
Rubino’s Italian Foods

Special Event
Winners:
Brandtatorship – The Strong: Play Ball
Dixon Schwabl – Buffalo Waterfront Brand Launch

Finalists:
Brandtatorship
Dixon Schwabl
eHealth Technologies
Manning & Napier

Tradeshow Marketing
Winner:
McDougall Communications – IACLE Celebrates Four Decades

Finalists:
Brandtatorship
McDougall Communications

Video (online, broadcast)
Winners:
McDougall Communications – IACLE Celebrates Four Decades
United Way of Greater Rochester – United for Good

Finalists:
Dixon Schwabl
eHealth Technologies
Epilepsy-Pralid, Inc.
Mason Digital
Myers Creative Imaging

Video
Winners:
Epilepsy-Pralid – Camp EAGR
First American Equipment Finance – Our Promise, 20/20 Focus and Now Boarding: NetJets and First American

Finalists:
Dixon Schwabl
First American Equipment Finance
Mower
United Way of Greater Rochester

Website
Winners:
L-Tron – Building our Dream Home
Vertical Insite Website & Marketing Solutions – SPCC Website Redesign

Finalists:
Dixon Schwabl
Friendly Senior Living
L-Tron
Vertical Insite Website & Marketing Solutions