EXCELLENCE IN PROMOTIONS CAMPAIGNS

Showcase your best work and earn recognition for the creativity, strategy and results behind your promotional campaigns!

CPPA’s Excellence in Promotions awards recognize outstanding promotional programs created by our members.
Entries are evaluated on planning, execution, creativity and measurable results.

Entry Deadline: October 30, 2026

ELIGIBILITY & KEY REQUIREMENTS

Entries are open to CPPA member distributors, suppliers and multi-line representatives.

To qualify:

  • The campaign must have been developed and conducted between November 1, 2025 and October 30, 2026.
  • The entry must represent a single promotional program or campaign using at least one imprinted promotional product. A collection of products with the same imprint does not qualify unless the products are part of a strategic campaign.
  • The campaign must include a clearly defined objective, execution and measurable results.
  • Your write-up should include the budget established by the client or CPPA member.
  • Results should directly relate to the campaign’s stated objective.
  • A client/sponsor letter confirming the results is suggested to accompany your information.

CATEGORIES

  Client Programs:

  • Business-to-Business Programs: Includes programs to introduce products, services, or facilities, or to generate leads, sales appointments, attendance with a specific target audience, or a general businesses marketing campaign to businesses, not individuals. 
  • Consumer Programs: Programs to improve sales, or introduce products, programs, or services specifically to consumers. The type of activity should be measurable, but does not need to be revenue-specific and should include a quantifiable audience, or element of participation.
  • Promotional Programs Developed as a Result of a Distributor/Supplier Collaboration: Programs must be a result of an idea/concept for the creation of a new, or unique product to meet the direct need of the client. Both distributor and supplier will receive recognition during the CPPA Peake Awards.
  • Employee Incentive Programs: A program designed to change behavior, generate involvement, incent achievement of goals, or desired behavior with a specific award, or incentive for achievement of the defined goal by the defined employee audience. 
  • Internal Communication Programs: Programs to employees, volunteers, or members promoting, or communicating information without incentive. The focus is messaging, or drawing attention for new programs, special events, goals, behavior, morale, or involvement. Key element is “without incentive” to an affiliated audience such as employees of a company, or members of an organization. 

  Marketing Programs:

  • Educational Programs: Programs to promote attendance, or participation in an educational event, seminar, or training program that facilitate instruction and specific learning outcomes; event can be live, or online.
  • Sales Incentive Programs: Programs with targeted audience of employee sales staff, external sales force, dealers, franchisees and retailers for the purpose of growing prospect, or customer base and increasing sales, or distribution, launching new product, or general visibility. 
  • Tradeshow/Exhibit Traffic Programs: Programs designed to increase attendance, or participation at/in special events that do not include an educational focus and that are held live, or online. 
  • Health/Wellness Programs: Campaigns with messaging specific to a communication, launch, invitation, etc. and information, programs and services specific to health and wellness activities. Target audience is open. 
  • Goodwill Programs: Programs that include a goal to improve company image, to enhance customer perception, or raise awareness with a focus on communication of services, or programs without specific incentive. 

  Technology Programs:

  • Applications/Website/Online Tools 
  • Social Media Presence/Content
  • Virtual Meeting Content/Best in Class

  Diversity, Environmental and Social Compliance:

  • Diversity and Social Responsibility Programs: Campaigns designed to communicate development, involvement and commitment of an organization, company, government, or individual to enhance sensitivity, knowledge and understanding of an ethical, ideological and voluntary social obligation and accountability for the overall impact of the various ethnicities and cultures within a company or social environment
  • Activism/Political/Legislative Programs: Programs designed to stimulate awareness, participation, or donations related to elections, awareness campaigns, petitioning, political action committees, or lobbying activities in city, county, township, school district, or state, or national political arenas.
  • Recycling/Green Programs: Campaigns designed specific to renewable, or recycled activities, events, or product and services. Target audience is open. 
  • Not-For-Profit Programs: Programs designed to increase participation for not-for-profit groups/organizations, programs, or activities specific to volunteer, or employee recruitment, fundraising, or donation/donor programs. 
  • International Programs: Programs and campaigns that creatively demonstrate the use of promotional products across multicultural audiences. Write up must include description of audience and any special considerations that were required—i.e., unique customs, or traditions to be included, or omitted.

HOW TO SUBMIT
Submitting your campaign is easy:

1. Complete the Online Entry Form
Submit one online entry form for each campaign. You may enter as many campaigns as you wish.

Choose the category that best represents your campaign or audience. If judges determine another category is more appropriate, they may move the entry without penalty.

2. Prepare Your Campaign Write-Up
Provide a thorough but concise description of the campaign, including its objective, audience, budget, strategy, execution and measurable results.

Important: Do not include the submitter’s name or company name anywhere in the campaign description or client letter. Entries are judged anonymously.

Need inspiration? Contact Tiffany@cppa.biz to request a sample of a previous entry.

3. Gather Your Supporting Materials

Include:

  • Client/sponsor letter confirming campaign results
  • At least one digital photo of each imprinted promotional product
  • Relevant screenshots, electronic communications or other supporting collateral

Photos should clearly showcase the products and campaign and should not be digitally modified for the entry presentation.

4. Email Your Supporting Materials

Send all supporting materials together in one email by October 30, 2026. Please do not send materials in separate or piecemeal emails.

Email: Tiffany@cppa.biz
Subject: Peake Awards Promotions in Excellence Submission

Be sure to reference the campaign name or client so your supporting materials can be matched to your online submission.

Once submitted, photos and collateral become the property of CPPA and will not be returned.

JUDGING AND SCORING

Entries are evaluated by an independent panel of promotional products industry professionals outside of CPPA membership.

Each campaign is judged on its own merit rather than against other member companies.

Entries may earn up to 40 points:

  • Planning & Concept — 10 points
    Clearly defined objective, budget, audience, timing and overall strategy.
  • Execution — 10 points
    Effective messaging, theme, delivery, timing, continuity and branding.
  • Product Creativity & Appropriateness — 10 points
    Creative and effective use of promotional products and messaging for the intended audience.
  • Results — 10 points
    Specific, measurable results tied to the original campaign objective and confirmed by the client.

AWARD LEVELS

Gold: 35–40 points
Silver: 30–34 points
Bronze: 25–29 points

Because entries are judged anonymously, your company name must not appear on the campaign description, client letter, labels, stationery or other identifying materials.


QUESTIONS?

Need help deciding on a category or preparing your submission?

Contact Tiffany Kanak at Tiffany@cppa.biz or 410-562-0609.

CPPA may feature submitted campaigns when promoting the promotional products industry. Please identify any sensitive or confidential information that should not be publicly disclosed when submitting your entry.

Winners will be announced at the CPPA Holiday Party/Peake Awards celebration in December 2026.


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