That’s right Pittsburgh, the Marquee Awards from the American Marketing Association are back and will be better than ever. One of the historical cornerstone events of the AMA Pittsburgh, the Marquee Awards, gives members and non-members in the marketing community a chance to show their stuff and prove they are the creme de la creme of marketing in the Steel City. 

The Marquee Awards haven’t occurred since 2018 because of COVID and the inability to have live events. However, now that the AMA is hosting routine, in-person events, we are bringing the awards back, though looking a little different. 

In April 2024, we will announce the winners in 3 categories at our signature Marquee Award event. 

• The Pittsburgh Up and Coming Marketers to Watch – these are recent or soon-to-be college graduates (Under 25) in the marketing field. They are the go-getters, the trend-setters, and the marketing leaders of tomorrow. We will name 5 winners in this category who will win free membership into the AMA, a personal shout-out to the entire AMA membership and on our social media sites, and personal mentorship from the AMA Board of Directors. 

• The Pittsburgh Marketing Team or Agency of the Year – A team of 2 or more marketers living in the greater Pittsburgh area. If you serve as a leader or member of one of Pittsburgh’s fantastic marketing agencies or you serve on an in-house marketing team, we want to hear how you’ve made an impact and used your highly developed marketing skills to earn success. 

And finally, the most coveted:

• The American Marketing Association Pittsburgh Marketer of the Year – If you know that you are one of the top marketers in Pittsburgh, we want to hear from you. Share with us how you have honed your skills, created successful campaigns, and overcome your competitors with marketing prowess to become the Marketer of the Year. 

Applications will be opening in January 2024. Teams or individuals can self-nominate or be nominated by another person. Questions? Contact us. 

Stay up to date on the opening of applications by following us on social (add likes) or join our newsletter.

The Marquee Awards are Back and Better Than Ever!

The flagship event of the American Marketing Association is The Marquee Awards. This event showcases the top marketing talent in Pittsburgh culminating with the naming of the Pittsburgh Marketer of the Year. 

One of the most sought-after sponsorship opportunities, the Marquees gives the opportunity for you to easily recruit, hobnob, and get your brand in front of Pittsburgh’s finest marketing leaders.

Date: May 4th, 2024

What’s Been Happening with the Marquees?

The Marquees are a well-established event for the AMA, but like most things, COVID put an end to in-person events for several years and that included the Marquee Awards. Understanding the importance and impact of this event, we took time to rebuild our membership base, our event calendar, and our board so that we could support this event once again and bring it back to Pittsburgh. With a fully staffed Board of Directors, membership numbers higher than ever before, we felt that the time was perfect to bring this event back!

Who Attends the Marquees?

The structure of the Marquees ensures that there is a mix of marketing agencies, well-established marketing professionals, and leaders, and welcomes up-and-coming professionals starting their marketing careers. In addition to those who are trying to secure the coveted title of “Pittsburgh’s Marketer of the Year”, attendees also include community leaders, AMA Chapter leadership, and members of the marketing community. 

Why Sponsor?

Historically, this event is the most well-attended event that the American Marketing Association hosts. We also work together closely with other like-minded organizations in Pittsburgh’s vibrant marketing and advertising scene, meaning that sponsorship of the Marquees offers additional impact within several other organizations with a single sponsorship. 

Sponsorship Levels:

So, are you interested in being a part of bringing the Marquees back to Pittsburgh? Then let’s talk!

Submit your entries here

The following work is eligible for submission:

1. Any marketing work that was created for a marketer based in Western PA
2. Any that was created by a marketing/advertising agency based in Western PA.

Each entry will include answers to the five judging criteria questions below.

A panel of independent Judges scores each entry according to the point system outlined below.* The entry with the highest total number of points in each category is the winner.

Unless the work was done 100% by the organization’s internal marketing team, the  partnering marketing/creative agency on the project must be identified.

Business Problem /Opportunity (10 points) 

What was the basic problem to be solved or situation to be addressed by the marketing  program? Highlight internal and external constraints.

Objectives (10 points) 

What objectives were established to solve the problem or address the situation? Judges  will assess points based on whether the objectives are sound, clear and measurable.

Strategy (20 points) 

What was the strategy for achieving the objectives? Judges will assess points based on  how well the strategy is defined, and how well it resolves the problem or situation being  faced by the organization. Judges will also examine the organization’s selection of target market(s) and message positioning.

Tactics (20 points) 

What individual tasks and/or promotional tools were used, e.g., web, digital and social media, traditional media- print, radio, television, outdoor or direct mail, public relations,  etc.? Judges will assess points based on how well the tactics are defined and integrated and how appropriate the tactics relate to the strategy.

Results (40 points) 

What were the results of this effort? Judges will score this section based on how effective the entry was in achieving the stated objectives and producing the results that solved the problem or addressed the situation. Because marketing is about results, this criterion will be weighted more heavily than the others. Therefore, a thorough description of the results is especially important to the overall score.

*Category winners must receive a threshold average score of 70 points or higher to win a category.  To win in a category where there are less than 4 different entries, an entry must have an equal or  higher judged score than at least two other category winners. 

**Each submission is entered in a specific category. You may mention in the notes other categories that you would like to be considered.