By the time you see this issue, we’ll be catching our breath after three busy days at PROMO Expo in Chicago. This year, we’ve been especially keen on reconnecting with far-away colleagues and giving marketers a forum to focus on their business — and to discuss how world events have affected them.
We presented our annual PRO Awards at the show, and are delighted (as always) to share the winners’ case studies in this issue. It’s always a pleasure to commend excellent work, and we were thrilled this year to have such diversity of brands and tactics among the winners. Congratulations to this elite group. We hope the rest of our readers find inspiration in your successful campaigns.
Our second feature story, “Back to Business,” looks at how the Sept. 11 attacks and subsequent events have altered the marketing landscape. This time of recession, political tension, and consumer wariness presents brands with unprecedented challenges. Our story offers insights on the emotional as well as practical aspects of marketing in these uncertain times. Senior editor Betsy Spethmann captured the concerns and advice of promotion industry experts as they ponder tough questions about how we move forward in our professions and our personal lives.
In happier times before Sept. 11, senior writer Carrie MacMillan tagged along for Anheuser-Busch’s Wild on Bud fete in New York City and Long Island. She shares her impressions here as part of our ongoing series, “The Experience.”
You’ll find other practical pieces throughout the magazine, from details on Dr Pepper’s holiday plans (in Marketers) to a run-down on the changing rules of P-O-P placement (Channels) and the evolution of sports marketing (Hot Properties). As always, we are eager to hear your feedback on the magazine, PROMO Expo, or our choices for the PRO Awards.
We hope you are well.
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