A congratulations is in order, folks. Chief Marketer has revealed the finalists of the 2023 Pro Awards, recognizing the most outstanding campaigns in promotional marketing across 40 categories.

This year’s winners demonstrate the evolution and innovation of promotional marketing, which continues to deliver exceptional campaign results for some of the world’s top brands. Through combining tried-and-true tactics like contests and sampling with newer trends, from sonic branding to gamification to metaverse marketing, these impressive campaigns are shining examples of promotional marketing’s ability to drive demand amid an increasingly fragmented marketplace. Please join us in celebrating this exceptional work.

Something else that bears mentioning: this year’s powerhouse panel of PRO Awards judges—populated by heavy-hitters from the likes of e.l.f. Beauty, Walgreens, Dickies and others—offered insights on promotional programs making waves in the marketplace, the best practices driving results for their brands, influencer marketing success stories, and much more. Explore their expertise and inspiration here.

Meanwhile, the world is still experiencing the reverberations and after-effects of the “Barbie” movie’s phenomenal success—reflected in no small part by a 16 percent increase in Mattel’s third-quarter sales. It’s also taught influencer marketing teams a few valuable lessons about authenticity, hypertargeting and the dangers of tokenism. Read up on those lessons here.

Lastly, though the digital marketing industry has made moves to embrace diversity and serve underrepresented audiences in recent years, there remains a gap between industry leaders' intentions and the reality of their efforts. But some of that can be solved with the right technology tools. Here are four ways marketers can adjust their targeting practices to reach underserved demographics more effectively.

Until next week,

Kaylee Hultgren
Editor
Chief Marketer

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