Success Stories Wanted for the 2022 Annual SMP Strategic Mail Performance Awards                                                              

• Mailing houses and printers invited to enter 2022 Awards
• Esteemed panel of expert judges will select winners

Mailing houses and printers are invited to enter the 2022 SMP Strategic Mail Performance Awards, to celebrate producers who have achieved outstanding results for their clients. 

Business size is irrelevant; the judges will be looking for how mail producers have made a difference to a client’s mailing or a campaign. The size of the client is also immaterial – only the performance of the mailing will be taken into consideration. 

The awards are open to all SMP members, and if a business is not already a member, they can sign up to become one for free and submit an entry. Entries can cover business mail, advertising mail, door drop or partially addressed mailings and can be B2B or B2C focused. Entries are also free.   

Entries close on August 31st and the winners will be unveiled at the SMP Awards evening at the Mail Rail Museum in London on September 28th. Up to five Golden Envelope Awards are up for grabs with a Platinum Envelope Award for an outstanding entry with outstanding results. 

Examples of entries include where mail producers have: 

• Helped a client save money or improve performance by changing a pack design and format
• Helped a client save money by optimising postage charges
• Helped a client achieve a better ROI by enhancing areas such as the use of data or targeting
• Helped a client enhance their customer journey by redesigning a campaign 
• Helped a client introduce mail into their marketing automation platforms providing enhanced targeting, segmentation and speed to market 
• Or anything else that improved mail performance for your client.

SMP Chair, Lucy Swanton said: “These awards, which we are delighted Canon is sponsoring this year, specifically look to celebrate and showcase exceptional work across our industry. Unlike other awards, what we want to see specifically, is what YOU, the mail producers, did that made the difference to a client’s mailing or campaign.

“The awards are open to all SMP members, so if a business isn’t one already, they can simply sign up for free and enter.  This is irrespective of size of business, and the size of the client is also immaterial, from the local farm shop to a FSTE top 100 company. Size and volume are not important, with judges looking at how the mail producer has helped the client with the strategy, creative and use of data to drive evidenced performance. Our collaboration with Canon clearly demonstrates our alignment of strategies in supporting printers and mailing houses to retain or grow mail volume sustainably.”

Stuart Rising, head of commercial print for Canon UK, the headline sponsor of the awards added: “We are delighted to sponsor this event as we have a similar ambition to drive growth in our industry. Looking at the capabilities of high-speed inkjet technology today, we see an exciting future for print service providers to integrate the power of personalized print into client campaigns. Our team are totally committed to building out this opportunity together with our customers enabling them to leverage their technology investments.”

The judges for this year’s awards are Philip Ricketts, wholesale commercial director at Royal Mail; Jack Gallon, the creative director of MBAstack; Rik Moore, strategy director for the Kite Factory; and Kevin Green, the partnering director at Read Group.

SMP members can enter the awards via the website by completing an online form, to be submitted by August 31st. The SMP is free to join for all UK-based mailing houses – visit https://thestrategicmailingpartnership.co.uk/events