Camden, New Jersey, August 4, 2020— Corporate Synergies, a national insurance and employee benefits broker and consultancy, has captured two major awards in an annual competition. The firm won a coveted Grand Award and an Award of Excellence in the APEX 2020 Awards, now in its thirty-second year.
Corporate Synergies won a Grand Award for its Voluntary Benefits SmartGuide. “We revised an existing printed publication to modernize its functionality and to align with how people consume information today,” said Brian Feeley, Senior Vice President of Marketing. “And because voluntary benefit products are constantly evolving, our new online SmartGuide allows us to quickly update with the latest and greatest offering.”
The SmartGuide was written by Ellen Hosafros, Corporate Synergies Director of Corporate Communications, with the assistance of Senior Account Manager Nicholas Park, the firm’s voluntary benefits subject matter expert, and was designed by Senior Graphics Designer Keiren Dunfee.
“The SmartGuide was an all-hands-on-deck project,” Hosafros said. “Nearly all of our Marketing team touched the publication throughout the production phase. The APEX 2020 Grand Award was one of only 100 that were presented this year among 12 competition categories, so it’s very gratifying for our team to receive the recognition.”
Corporate Synergies also won an APEX Award of Excellence for its Magic Eight Ball campaign. Conducted in 2019 through the first quarter of 2020, the campaign targeted Human Resources and Finance professionals.
“We deliberately chose a nostalgic item–a magic eight ball–to introduce our company to prospects,” said Randy Shaw, Senior Vice President of Business Development.
The campaign’s goal was to capture a prospect’s attention with humor and to show Corporate Synergies’ differentiation in the marketplace. The project was a combined effort of the Marketing and Business Development departments. Shaw, along with Business Development Administrative Analyst Shannon Mullan, worked with Feeley and Marketing Director Dina A. Beck to develop the campaign strategy and the Magic Eight Ball’s messaging. Graphic Artist Stephanie Eisele designed the custom packaging.
“Because HR departments are often staffed with multiple generations, the Eight Ball’s nostalgia combined with humorous present-day answers (“Ask Siri,” “OMG, Yes,” “Wait I’m Dizzy” and others) for a broad appeal to recipients,” Beck said.
The humorous messaging was a hit. “One of the HR people who received the Eight Ball told us she uses it in hiring decisions,” Mullan said. “The campaign was among the top three in successful outcomes for our company,” she added.
“What’s really great is the partnership between Business Development and our Marketing team,” Shaw said.
About the APEX Award
Now in its 32nd year, the APEX Awards are based on excellence in editorial content, graphic design and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. The Grand Award, which Corporate Synergies first won in 2014 for its website (corpsyn.com), honors outstanding works in each main category, while the Awards of Excellence recognize exceptional entries in each of the individual categories. The APEX Awards are sponsored by the editors of Writer’s Web Watch and published by Communications Concepts. Corporate Synergies has now won 10 APEX awards over the past six years.
About Corporate Synergies
Corporate Synergies is a national insurance and employee benefits brokerage and consultancy. The firm delivers strategies that control costs, relieve administrative burdens and mitigate risk. Its experts develop a deeper understanding through established listening posts in all areas of their competencies, fueling the ability to better execute. The company operates from five U.S. locations, including the headquarters in Camden, New Jersey, and regional offices in New York City; Melville, New York; Bethesda, Maryland; and Orlando, Florida. corpsyn.com
