Sponsorship Opportunities within Charleston AMA

The board of Charleston AMA prides themselves on the fact that they volunteer hours to create educational, idea-sharing, networking opportunities for marketing professionals in the Charleston area. But these opportunities would not be possible without the kindness and support of sponsors. As a credited 501c3, Charleston AMA uses the generosity of sponsors to organize exceptional events and programming, share new ideas, along with aiding fellow Charleston marketers to advance in their careers. 

As a sponsor of Charleston AMA, you are not only supporting their efforts to strengthen and nurture the local marketing community, you are also able to benefit from the countless business and networking opportunities that Charleston AMA provides. We encourage sponsors to promote their brands at events they back by setting up a table/space with products/promotional collateral, along with the opportunity to speak to attendees about their business. Besides brand promotion at events, sponsors also receive digital promotion through Charleston AMA’s social media outlets (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) as well as through email marketing. 

Sponsors not only have access to Charleston AMA’s 100+ members, social followers (Instagram: 1,070, Facebook: 2,300, Twitter: 4,165, LinkedIn: 598) and email recipients, but they can also obtain connections with American Marketing Association’s National organization and the 70+ surrounding AMA chapters. Is that an appealing way to grow your audience or what?! 

There are dozens of opportunities to get involved with Charleston AMA, such as:

  • Coffee Talks
  • Happy Hours
  • Luncheons
  • Special Events (such as the annual Spark! Awards and educational Boot Camp)
  • Newsletters 
  • Podcast (NEW!)

Charleston AMA understands that no two businesses are the same, so they customize each package to best benefit the sponsor. 

If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities with Charleston AMA, contact sponsorship director, Noelle Richard noelle@charlestonama.org

Marketing in 2022 (or is it 2020, too?)

It feels like the remix of 2020, and across the board many of us marketers are having a bit of PTSD. With COVID cases spiking everywhere, it leaves a lot of uncertainty as to what the next steps should be to kick off the new year.

While there are still many in-person events and luckily no lockdowns insight, it still begs the question of whether planning events is worth the risk? Or better yet – what is the best ROI for marketing dollars in 2022? What are the best use of your time, efforts, and talents?

Let’s jump into some ideas that won’t blow your budget and should make a bigger splash than a New Year’s Day polar plunge:

Hone your brand

Have you been itching for a rebrand, a fresh website, or a new color scheme? If it doesn’t carry a big price tag, now might be the time to try that edgy image update. Another idea is to take a moment to organize and polish yourself with a new brand book, fresh graphics, an entire year campaign strategy, and more. 

Content, content, content!

The old adage is true – content is king, so build an empire in 2022 with more content. Take this time to create a content strategy and stick to it. Analyze your results, and pivot focus if necessary (we are pros at that now!). Work on that SEO research you have been putting off. View this as a gift – it’s time to be more proactive than reactive, and really craft the marketing content and campaigns of your (and your clients!) dreams. 

And with that, we get to our third idea…

Try something new

Mastered blog posts and boosted your social following? That’s great, but can you TikTok? The point is, expand your skillset. Keeping your marketing chops sharp is all about continual learning. Social media platforms are always adding new features and updating algorithms so it is up to you and your team to stay keen on the latest and greatest. 

So stay agile, curious, and connected with your Charleston AMA Community! Together, we can make 2022 a year of marketing triumphs here in the Holy City. 

Reflecting on 2021

And just like that, we are at the end of 2021. 

This year wasn’t the year that I had prepared for when I considered running for president-elect. No one could see what was going to happen in 2020, and we certainly did not think we would still be in the pandemic at the end of 2021. Well, at least this overly optimistic person did not. Despite the past two years not developing to be all that we had hoped, we have proved the resiliency of our Charleston chapter and the community we love. Together we pivoted and created opportunities for professional development outside of our norm. You all kept showing up for events, even when the Zoom fatigue was next-level. And for this, the board and I are forever grateful.

As we go into the New Year, I am excited for not only the opportunity to be back in person for events but to have the opportunity to take what we learned in the past year to grow. We recognize that one of the many benefits of being a member of the Charleston American Marketing Association is the opportunity to network and gather together. We are excitedly working on a new calendar of events full of opportunities to learn, grow and engage in our community.

One of our highlights this year was the highly successful Spark! Awards. After having to take a year off to do a virtual event, it was wonderful to be amongst our peers and celebrate our marketing community in person with dancing, drinks, and seeing new and familiar faces. We have exciting plans for the 2022 Spark! Awards and our annual Marketing Bootcamp coming up in a few months. Not to leave out our signature programming and new opportunities to mix and mingle. Let’s just say, I am exhilarated, proud, and hopeful for all the things to come.

I want to take a moment to thank my fellow board members and volunteers for their dedication and hard work throughout this past year. Some of you started during the pandemic and quickly jumped in headfirst. All of us were forced to evolve and think outside the box to deliver programming that mattered. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to work beside you, and as you know, are all marketing superheroes in my book.

2022, we are coming in hot and hope you are ready. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you at an event soon. Happy New Year! 🎉

Stephanie Barrow
President, Charleston AMA

Getting Your Act Together for #GivingTuesday

As marketers, we all know those editorial calendars should be built out at least 90 days in advance. However … if you’ve waited this long to think about your #GivingTuesday strategy, all is not lost. Giving Tuesday is a global  generosity movement launched in 2012, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, with not much more than 30 days’ notice either. It has grown to a movement that in 2020 generated at least $2.47 Billion in twenty-four hours in the U.S. alone. And, good news! Donors were giving at record high levels during the pandemic. 

Always held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this year #GivingTuesday is November 30th. Short lead times are no problem with social media. However, with popularity comes competition, so, how can your organization stand out?

 Get specific. Instead of one post on the “day of,” choose one program or funding need your social media followers can readily identify with and create your drive around that. When you share where donation dollars go, you give your organization credibility and fuel donor buy-in and confidence.

“$25 cleans the water supply”

“$50 serves lunch for a week”

“$100 trains 3 demining volunteers”

“$250 provides a lifesaving veterinary surgery”

Skip the generic feel good, happy faces and use photos of your clients, volunteers, and projects to tell the story and increase conversion. Everyone appreciates behind-the-scenes photos which show, rather than tell, about your organization’s good works.

No need to reinvent the wheel, get #GivingTuesday graphics and toolkit here: https://www.givingtuesday.org/resources/ to add your organization’s outreach.

Don’t just use the #GivingTuesday hashtag, though. Add your specific industry and donation drive to gain social momentum. For instance, #coatsforkids, #aidsawareness #cleanwater, #helpingthehomeless, #fooddrive, #sustainablefood.

Can you get your team together in a hurry?

Don’t wait til November 30th. Start announcing your fundraising needs as soon as you can with ideas like, “We’re creating an AmazonSmile page for Giving Tuesday.” Or, “Go through your closet now and start putting aside those gently used clothes for our #GivingTuesday drive.” 

More than just money. While donations are certainly necessary to any nonprofit organization, so are volunteers. Your posts can appeal to those people who like to roll their sleeves up for a good cause, and because you are not asking for money, your post will stand out from the millions of others that day. This is the perfect time to harness those individuals and families who look for opportunities to serve during the holidays. 

It’s not all over on Tuesday. Here are two ways to get more mileage out of #GivingTuesday.

You may not have time to promote #GivingTuesday in your newsletter but be sure to talk about your success in the next newsletter to come out and include all the ways to give. 

Appeal to the procrastinators out there with “morning after” posts.  “It’s Not Too Late.” “Giving Tuesday might be over, but the fight to end hunger isn’t.” 

Then sit back, appreciate the community support you’ve generated, and start thinking about next year’s marketing campaign. Plus, watch for Charleston American Marketing Association’s upcoming nonprofit-focused marketing coffee talks starting up in 2022.

Charleston AMA Announces 2021 Spark! Awards Winners

2021 Spark! Awards

Charleston American Marketing Association (AMA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Spark! Awards. The annual Spark! Awards is the premier marketing event of the Lowcountry that honors creative and marketing excellence in the Charleston community. After receiving hundreds of submissions in 20 categories, fellow AMA chapter, AMA Tahoe, judged and casted their votes for finalists and winners, while Charleston AMA Board of Directors selected winners for Marketer of the Year, The Giving Award, and Chapter Volunteer of the Year.

Awards finalists, Charleston area marketing professionals, and business leaders gathered for the lively awards celebration on September 23 where winners were revealed. The awards were hosted by event emcee Whitney McDuff, who is a recent winner of Best Marketing/PR Company for Charleston City Paper’s 2021 Best of Charleston.

Charleston AMA is thankful for this year’s sponsors, including Nelson Printing, Squeeze Marketing, Fox Audio Visual, Larry Monteith Photography, Seth G. Music, Holy City Sinner and Chris Hervochon CPA CVA.

And the winners are…

Charleston AMA 2021 Marketer of the Year:
Charlotte Berger, CharlotteBergerPR

The Giving Award:
Stan Foxworthy, Foxworthy Studios

Chapter Volunteer of the Year:
Taylor Ion, Charleston AMA Director of Marketing and Communications

Best Book Cover
WINNER: Advantage | ForbesBooks – Stuck In The Middle Seat by Stephen E. Gerard
FINALISTS:
Advantage | ForbesBooks – Stuck In The Middle Seat by Stephen E. Gerard
Advantage | ForbesBooks – Hidden Wealth by Terry H. Monroe –
Banks Creative – Eleanor, Alice and the Roosevelt Ghosts by Dianne K. Salerni
G Sharp Design – Mindscaping

Best Branding
WINNER: Squeeze Marketing – Lowcountry Trolley
FINALISTS:
PlanSource – PlanSource
Trio Solutions – Marketing Impact Assistant (aka M.I.A)

Best Corporate Blog
WINNER: Roper St. Francis Hospital – House Calls Magazine and Health Hub Blog
FINALISTS:
Stingray Branding – Tumbleston Photography
Winkler Group – Winkler Group Corporate Blog: Part 1 – Counterintuitive Fundraising

Best Corporate Identity
WINNER: Roper St. Francis Hospital – Roper St. Francis Healthcare Brand 2020
FINALISTS:
Trio Solutions – Bleecker Family Law

Best Collateral
WINNER: Rawle Murdy – Desert Highlands
FINALISTS:
Push Digital – Stop Soldier Suicide – 2020 Impact Report
Squeeze Marketing – Lowcountry Trolley

Best Content Marketing
WINNER: Lunch + Recess – Vertical Roots Brand Video
FINALISTS:
BoomTown – The BoomTown Effect
PlanSource – Employee Communications Interactive Site

Best Digital or Print Ad
WINNER: Push Digital – Dermatology & Laser Center of Charleston
FINALISTS:
Rawle Murdy – Terminix

Best Direct Mail
WINNER: PlanSource – THRIVE SalesCon Box and Deliverables

Best e-Newsletter
WINNER: Charleston County Parks – Charleston County Parks Explore

Best Event Marketing
WINNER: Mex 1 Coastal Cantina – Mex 1 Snowboard Rail Jam
FINALISTS:
BoomTown – Unite
Push Digital – Lung Cancer Research Foundation – Free to Breathe Event
PlanSource – Eclipse Live Marketing Collateral

Best Fundraising Campaign
WINNER: CharlotteBergerPR – Warrior Surf Foundation Surfboard Auction

Best Social Media Presence
WINNER: Rawle Murdy – Sleep.com Mattress Firm
FINALISTS:
Charleston County Parks – Charleston County Parks Facebook Page –
Push Digital – Stop Soldier Suicide

Best Illustration
WINNER: Banks Creative – College of Charleston ‘What Type of Cougar are You?
FINALISTS:
Banks Creative- College of Charleston ‘What Type of Cougar are You?
Charleston County Parks – Step Into Nature
Lunch + Recess – Osprey and Snake Illustration

Best Logo Design
WINNER: In the Black Marketing & Consulting – Migliori’s Pizza
FINALISTS:
Gibbes Film in Focus – Banks Creative
Stingray Branding – Juneteenth
Stingray Branding – Your Space Designs
TRIO Solutions – Ruby’s Academy

Best Non-Traditional Marketing
WINNER: Banks Creative – Gibbes on the Street – Gibbes on the Couch
FINALISTS:
CharlotteBergerPR – LoDi Coffee Sleeve Design
Rawle Murdy – Primland Resort

Best Social Media Campaign
WINNER: Matchstick Social – Kickin Chicken
FINALISTS:
Chernoff Newman – MUSC Don’t Go Viral
Nelson Strategic Marketing – Meals on Wheels Summerville: Stories of Isolation

Best Pandemic Pivot
WINNER: ArcheMedX, Inc. – COVID-19’s Effect on Virtual Tech in Clinical Trials
FINALISTS:
CharlotteBergerPR – Warrior Surf Foundation Surfboard Auction
Maggie Mills – Take Maggie’s Word for It

Best Promotional Video
WINNER: Lowcountry Local First – Every Dollar Matters
FINALISTS:
BoomTown – Success Assurance
Charleston Battery – This Is Your Club
Mara James – Shiksona Beauty

Best Website
WINNER: Squeeze Marketing – Lowtide Brewing
FINALISTS:
Push Digital – PushDigital.com
Squeeze Marketing – Southern Concepts
Stingray Branding – Wild Blue Ropes

2021 SPARK! Awards Finalists

Drum roll, please! We’re excited to announce finalists for the 2021 Spark! Awards. This year, 112 exceptional entries were submitted in 20 categories reflecting the creativity and skillful execution of the applicants who innovated and pivoted during a pandemic to create dynamic, successful marketing. Do you see your entries among the finalists? Category winners will be announced at this year’s awards ceremony. In addition, The Giving Award, Marketer of the Year, and Chapter Volunteer of the Year will be announced at the event!

We want to thank the AMA Reno-Tahoe board of directors who judged this year’s submissions. The top 3 entries were selected as finalists in each category. In the case of tied scores, up to 5 finalists were selected. We appreciate all of the judges who spent their time and assistance to make the 2021 Spark! Awards a success.

We look forward to seeing finalists and Charleston marketers at the Spark! Awards Ceremony on Thursday, September 23. Learn more about this year’s prom themed event, and get your ticket here!

Best Book Cover

Stephen’s Book – Advantage | ForbesBooks

Terry’s Book – Advantage | ForbesBooks

Hand Lettered Design – Banks Creative

Mindscaping – G Sharp Design

Best Branding

PlanSource – PlanSource

Lowcountry Trolley – Squeeze Marketing

Marketing Impact Assistant (aka M.I.A) – Trio Solutions

Best Corporate Blog

Roper St. Francis Healthcare Brand 2020 – Roper St. Francis Hospital

Tumbleston Photography – Stingray Branding

Winkler Group Corporate Blog: Part 1 – Counterintuitive Fundraising – Winkler Group

Best Corporate Identity

Roper St. Francis Healthcare Brand 2020 – Roper St. Francis Hospital

Bleecker Family Law – Trio Solutions

Best Collateral

Stop Soldier Suicide – 2020 Impact Report- Push Digital

Scottsdale AZ – Rawle Murdy

Lowcountry Trolley – Squeeze Marketing

Best Content Marketing

What’s your boom effect? – BoomTown

Vertical Roots – Lunch + Recess

Employee Communications Interactive Site – PlanSource

Best Digital/Print Ad

Dermatology & Laser Center of Charleston – Push Digital

Terminix – Rawle Murdy

Best Direct Mail

SalesCon Box and Deliverables – PlanSource

Best e-Newsletter

Charleston County Parks Explore – Charleston County Parks

Best Event Marketing

Unite – BoomTown

Mex 1 Snowboard Rail Jam – Mex 1 Coastal Cantina

Lung Cancer Research Foundation – Free to Breathe Event – Push Digital

Eclipse Live Marketing Collateral – PlanSource

Best Fundraising Campaign

Warrior Surf Foundation Surfboard Auction – CharlotteBergerPR

Best Social Media Presence

Charleston County Parks Facebook Page – Charleston County Parks

Stop Soldier Suicide – Push Digital

Mattress Firm – Rawle Murdy

Best Illustration

Greenville – Banks Creative

College of Charleston ‘What Type of Cougar are You?’ – Banks Creative

Park Step – Charleston County Parks

Snake Illustration – Lunch + Recess

Best Logo Design

Gibbes Film in Focus Logo – Banks Creative

Migliori’s Pizza- In The Black Marketing & Consulting

Juneteenth logo – Stingray Branding

Your Space – Stingray Branding

Miss Ruby – TRIO Solutions

Best Non-Traditional Marketing

Caribbean Street Art Festival – Banks Creative

LoDi – CharlotteBergerPR

Primland Resort – Rawle Murdy

Best Social Media Campaign

MUSC Don’t Go Viral – Chernoff Newman

Kickin Chicken – Matchstick Social

Meals on Wheels – Nelson Strategic Marketing

Best Pandemic Pivot

COVID-19’s Effect on Virtual Tech in Clinical Trials – ArcheMedX, Inc.

Warrior Surf Foundation Surfboard Auction – CharlotteBergerPR

Take Maggie’s Word for It – Maggie Mills

Best Promotional Video

Success Assurance – BoomTown

Charleston Battery – Charleston Battery

Buy Local Season – Lowcountry Local First

Shiksona Beauty – Mara James

Best Website

PushDigital.com – Push Digital

Lowtide Brewing – Squeeze Marketing

Southern Concepts – Squeeze Marketing

Wild Blue Ropes – Stingray Branding

Budweiser: A short history of advertising during prohibition

Budweiser: An American Marketing Icon

Budweiser, an American icon and a beer brand that is well known beyond US borders, has always been famous and loved for its marketing activities. From the TV-advert campaign that made a whole generation greeting each other on the phone with “Whassup” to high-budget Super Bowl commercials and beyond.

But even in times before events like the Superbowl existed and when TV advertising was not invented yet, Budweiser was a marketing pioneer and well ahead of its time, even in difficult times like the prohibition.

The beginnings

But let’s go step by step, the roots of the brewery lay (no surprise) in another beer-loving country, Germany. Eberhard Anheuser was born in 1806 in the small German town of Kreuznach. After emigrating to the United States in 1842 he became a successful businessman as a candle and soap manufacturer. With the money he earned, he continuously invested in the already existing “Bavarian Brewery” which he completely owned by 1860. Ten years later he allowed his son-in-law Adolphus Busch to join the company, the business name of Anheuser-Busch as such has its origins in the company’s family ties.

Besides the strong family bond, one reason why Anheuser-Busch became such a powerful company was the vision of Adolphus Busch, to create a national beer brand for the USA. The company, therefore, was looking towards their European roots, and focused on a pale lager type of beer Bohemian immigrants from the city of Budweis took with them into the US.

As Pilsner beer is a beloved beer type all over Germany, the decision for a Pilsner for a new national beer by Anheuser and Busch, therefore, was an easy decision, and the famous US beer brand Budweiser was born and became a registered trademark in 1878.

To become a truly national beer, Adolphus Busch invested in cooling storage facilities across the US railway network to ensure the cooling of his product especially for long-distance transports, and thus provided a nationwide quality of his beer which led to high popularity and the success of the brand.

Die Prohibition in den USA

The ever-growing popularity of the Budweiser brand however was confronted with the political proposal by the US congress in 1917 to ban alcoholic drinks in the United States, as the early 20th century saw excesses in the personal consumption of alcohol which raised political concerns about the wellbeing of US-citizens. With the 18th amendment of the United States Constitution which was ratified by the US congress i.e. the requisite number of states in 1919 the prohibition of alcohol became a fact and lasted from 1920 till 1933.

This was a shock for all companies producing alcoholic beverages like Anheuser-Busch, as it caused a threat to the existence of the family business. Whereas the 18th amendment to the Constitution imposed a ban on alcoholic sales, the advertisement of such was not a part of the ban itself. Furthermore, even though the regular sales of alcohol was prohibited, the legal execution was lacking enforcement of local authorities. As such, loopholes existed, e.g. which allowed the sale of alcoholic products for medical reasons. Nevertheless, if you are not allowed to legally sell standard alcoholic beverages, companies were exposed to high risk if they still did, as in case of legal prosecution if they would get caught but also by the damaged reputation of the brand.

Budweiser, respectively the brand’s owner Anheuser-Busch solved the situation from different angles. They continued to advertise their brand Budweiser with emotional and patriotic ads, they joined an anti-prohibition movement, but also pushed existing non-alcohol products like their malt and frozen egg products and even came up with a new non-alcoholic beverage, to tackle the declining sales of alcoholic products.

With their patriotic ads, they included famous pioneers and heroes like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and many others to create and strengthen an emotional bond, in times when people were missing alcoholic beverages.

On the other hand, ads that were advertising the health benefits of Budweiser e.g. after sportive exercises or in general where Budweiser was displayed as liquid bread addressed the audience in favor of the alcohol ban.

And then there was Bevo, a clever strategic movement of Anheuser-Busch that introduced the near beer brand to the American people. Bevo initially was introduced to the United States Armed Forces, which already had to deal with an alcohol ban in 1916. Thus, Anheuser-Busch was able to push the product nationwide during the prohibition in 1920 and provided anyone who wanted to have a close-to-beer experience with Bevo. Anheuser-Busch also heavily invested in the Marketing of Bevo as the ads, but also the merchandise example does show, see below. Only a few years before the end of the ban, the production of Bevo was discontinued in 1927, which makes Bevo truly a prohibition phenomenon.

With their clever marketing strategies concerning product variety and emotional advertising techniques, Anheuser-Busch and respectively Budweiser managed to survive the prohibition period and continued to become one of the largest breweries in the world and the synonym for American beer and stays true to its focus on marketing. We are curious about what the future brings for Budweiser and what kind of clever ads they will come up with in the future.

Below, we feature some extraordinary but surprisingly not so famous examples of Budweiser advertising campaigns during prohibition which appeared in famous newspapers of the time.


Author: Marc Brida, Marketing Museum
In cooperation with the American Marketing Association, Charleston

Charleston AMA Launches Nonprofit Outreach Program

It started with the creation of a new Spark! award category in 2018, called The Giving Award. The Board of Directors saw that many members of our marketing community were giving generously of their time to help nonprofits and thought they deserved recognition for this valuable work. Developing a Nonprofit Outreach Program to create a virtual clearinghouse connecting nonprofits and marketers is the next logical step.

The last year has had a devastating impact on individuals and industries. Nonprofits are especially hard hit with many closing their doors in 2020.
There has been an almost 37% loss of jobs in the nonprofit sector. Two thirds of South Carolina nonprofits expect to run out of cash within the next six months. Dire times indeed. A positive pandemic outcome is that more and more people are looking for virtual volunteer opportunities, making the Nonprofit Outreach Program is a win/win.

Marketers participating in the program gain exposure to future clients through our online promotion of the work they develop for their chosen nonprofit.

We will be adding an online form to charlestonama.org for volunteers to sign up and nonprofits to seek help in areas like logo design, email campaigns, website assistance, and SEO advice – any creative work that can be completed virtually or with safe-distancing.

Help us name the program. Come on, we’re marketers. Nonprofit Outreach Program is a little dull, don’t you think? Help us name the new program, and we’ll give you all the credit on social media.

Today, we begin community outreach, sharing the good news about our program. In the next 30 days we will roll out our online volunteer/nonprofit match-up form. The first year is dedicated to planning, development, and testing. We welcome your input and your questions. Do you want to volunteer? Do you know a worthy nonprofit? Contact Nonprofit Outreach Director, Maggie Mills, at maggie@charlestonama.org.

2020 SPARK! Award Winners

Thank you to everyone who submitted their outstanding work for our annual awards. This year, 110 exceptional entries were submitted in 21 categories reflecting the creativity and skillful execution of the applicants. Congratulations to our 2020 winners… 

Best Branding
Solvent Networks Branding – Chernoff Newman 

Best Corporate Blog
Tasting Notes – Charleston Wine + Food

Best Book Cover
G is for Gibbes: A Museum ABC Book – Banks Creative 

Best Collateral
PlanSource: Product Book – PlanSource

 Best Content Marketing
Cooper River Bridge Run | Mustache For Julian – Momentum Marketing 

Best Digital Ad
Stop Soldier Suicide Digital Ads – Push Digital

Best Direct Mail
Poe Group Advisors Direct Mailing – Trio Solutions

Best e-Newsletter
From the Kitchen – Charleston Wine + Food 

Best Event Marketing
48th Annual Charleston Scottish Games – Stingray Branding

 Best Fundraising Campaign
South Carolina Aquarium’s 2019 Gala – SC Aquarium

Best Social Media Presence
Stop Soldier Suicide Instagram Stories – Push Digital 

Best Use of Influencer Marketing
SpiiderGriip Influencer Campaign – The Brandon Agency

Best Illustration
G is for Gibbes: A Museum ABC Book – Banks Creative

Best Logo Design
Winyah Bay Brewing Company Logo – The Brandon Agency 

Best Non-Traditional Marketing
DAODAS Just Plain Killers Ambient – Chernoff Newman 

Best Outdoor Signage
DAODAS Underage Drinking – Chernoff Newman

Best Print Ad
Mex 1 Day of the Dead Print Ads – Mex 1 Coastal Cantina

Best Commercial Photography
Chosen Women’s Conference Victory Shoot: Seacoast Church – Seacoast Church 

Best Social Media Campaign
Stop Soldier Suicide Engagement Campaign – Push Digital 

Best Promotional Video
Lip Sync For Lungs – Motion Filmworks 

Best Website
GlideStep – Perfect Pitch Concepts

The Giving Award
TRIO Solutions

Volunteer of the Year
Mike Compton

Marketer of the Year
Alan Thompson

 

2020 SPARK! Awards Finalists

The results are in! This year, 110 exceptional entries were submitted in 21 categories reflecting the creativity and skillful execution of the applicants. Do you see your entries among the finalists? The Giving Award, Marketer of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year have been chosen and will be announced at the awards event.*

With so much spectacular work, choosing the winners was not easy. Entries were judged by the board of directors of the AMA Reno-Tahoe, AMA Triangle, and AMA Charlotte chapters. The top 3 entries were selected as finalists in each category. In the case of tied scores, up to 5 finalists were selected. We thank all of our judges for their time and assistance to make the 2020 Spark! Awards a success.

*After months of discussion and planning, we are hosting the Spark! Awards virtually on August 20th. Find out more information here. 

 

Best Branding

Seacoast Music – Seacoast Church

Solvent Networks Branding – Chernoff Newman

“Our Mighty Citadel” – The Citadel

 

Best Corporate Blog

South Carolina Aquarium Blog – SC Aquarium

Omatic Software Blog – Katie Biondo

Tasting Notes – Charleston Wine + Food

Wild Dunes Resort Blog – Wild Dunes Resort

 

Best Book Cover

The United States of Opioids: A Prescription For Liberating A Nation In Pain – Advantage Media Group

Say Grace: How the Restaurant Business Saved My Life – Advantage Media Group

Monkey Money Mind: How To Stop Monkeying Around With Your Money – Advantage Media Group

G is for Gibbes: A Museum ABC Book – Banks Creative

 

Best Collateral

SC Ports Annual Report – Chernoff Newman

PlanSource: Mastering the Art of Benefits – PlanSource

PlanSource: Product Book – PlanSource

Seacoast Magazine – Seacoast Church

 

Best Content Marketing

Feature Stories for “Our Mighty Citadel” – The Citadel

SCEC NoExcuseSC Campaign – Chernoff Newman

PlanSource: Workplace Wellness – PlanSource

Cooper River Bridge Run | Mustache For Julian – Momentum Marketing

 

Best Digital Ad

Stop Soldier Suicide Digital Ads – Push Digital

Palmetto Moon: Cyber Monday Madness – Momentum Marketing

 

Best Direct Mail

Real Trends Top 250 Direct Mail Campaign – BoomTown

Poe Group Advisors Direct Mailing – Trio Solutions

Wild Dunes Golf – Wild Dunes Resorts

 

Best e-Newsletter

Meals on Wheels Summerville – Nelson Strategic Marketing

South Carolina Aquarium’s Conservation Matters – SC Aquarium

From the Kitchen – Charleston Wine + Food 

 

Best Event Marketing

Mex 1 Coastal Cantina Rail Jam – Mex 1 Coastal Cantina

PlanSource Eclipse: Conference Event Marketing – PlanSource

SC Department of Ag 2019 SEWE – Chernoff Newman

48th Annual Charleston Scottish Games – Stingray Branding

 

Best Fundraising Campaign

South Carolina Aquarium’s 2019 Gala – SC Aquarium

 

Best Social Media Presence

Sweetgrass Plastic Surgery – Momentum Marketing

SafeShowings Social Media – Nelson Strategic Marketing

Charleston Wine + Food Instagram – Charleston Wine + Food

Stop Soldier Suicide Instagram Stories – Push Digital

 

Best Use of Influencer Marketing

SpiiderGriip Influencer Campaign – The Brandon Agency

 

Best Illustration

South Carolina Aquarium Shark Week – SC Aquarium

Cooper River Bridge Run | Mustache For Julian – Momentum Marketing

G is for Gibbes: A Museum ABC Book – Banks Creative

 

Best Logo Design

Coastal Community Foundation’s New Logo – Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina

Hotel Anthem Logo – Chernoff Newman

Winyah Bay Brewing Company Logo – The Brandon Agency

Hibben Preschool Logo – Banks Creative

 

Best Non-Traditional Marketing

DAODAS Just Plain Killers Ambient – Chernoff Newman

Charleston Int’l Airport Baggage Claim Art – SC Aquarium

Tasting Notes Live! – Charleston Wine + Food

 

Best Outdoor Signage

Fetter is Here – Trio Solutions

DAODAS Underage Drinking – Chernoff Newman

Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem – Banks Creative

 

Best Print Ad

Mex 1 Day of the Dead Print Ads – Mex 1 Coastal Cantina

Reasons to Visit Campaign – SC Aquarium

Dermatology and Laser Center Glow Night Event – Push Digital

  

Best Commercial Photography

Chosen Women’s Conference Victory Shoot: Seacoast Church – Seacoast Church

 

Best Social Media Campaign

Library Card Signup Month – Charleston County Public Library

ECCO Brand Awareness – Trio Solutions

CHS British Airways Takes Off – Chernoff Newman

Stop Soldier Suicide Engagement Campaign – Push Digital

 

Best Promotional Video

BoomTown’s Unite 2019 Promo Video – BoomTown

Success Assurance, by BoomTown – BoomTown

PlanSource: Mastering the Art of Benefits – PlanSource

We Are Sizzle – Charleston Wine + Food

Lip Sync For Lungs – Motion Filmworks

 

Best Website

GlideStep – Perfect Pitch Concepts

Nuthouse Website – Chernoff Newman

Farm to School Website – Chernoff Newman

Steve Palmer Personal Brand Website – Advantage|ForbesBooks

Charleston Scottish Games – Stingray Branding