Cc21 tribgeneric logo standard color

Best of the Best program all-around success despite pandemic

We launched Trib Total Media's Best of the Best awards during the pandemic in 2020. It was not an easy year to sell anything, much less launch a new program of this magnitude. Despite the economy's challenges, Best of the Best, or BoB as we like to call it, has been a boon for the company, our clients, and our readers.

In 2019 our combined revenue for Readers' Choice and Quest for the Best was $265,000. After moving to our Best of the Best format in 2020, we increased revenue by nearly 15 percent to more than $300,000. We took another step forward in 2021, selling just shy of $400K.

Not only has Best of the Best been a success from an advertising perspective, but it has been successful from a reader engagement perspective as well. In 2021, 29,631 individuals submitted 65,458 nominations and 270,735 votes.

Al DiCroce, Director of Advertising, said, "The truth is BoB is not an easy program for our company to put on. We devote six months per year to this initiative, and it's draining for our staff. It's also wildly rewarding, however. Our clients care deeply about winning, which is a tribute to what we're doing. Despite the difficulties, BoB has become a favorite for nearly everyone in advertising."

BoB is genuinely a team effort for advertising. There were 604 packages sold in 2021, representing more than 30 percent growth (455 in 2020). We had a solid performance from all offices and some memorable performances from individual sales staffers.

Carolyn Pardi took the crown for packages sold (99) and revenue ($56,001). Patty Klingensmith said, "Carolyn's efforts were truly outstanding. She left no business uncalled, putting her heart and soul into this sales effort." Jessica Rocco was right on Carolyn's heels with 62 packages sold for $47,213. Rounding out the top three in revenue was Claudine DePaul, with 37 packages sold for $28,613.

Matt Miller said, "There's no doubt about it; BoB will be a half-million-dollar program for our company in 2022. We also intend to launch an event. We've canceled our event the last two years due to the pandemic, but 2022 will be the year we can launch an in-person event for our customers and truly take this program to the next level."

Congratulations to all involved in making Best of the Best a premier event for Trib Total Media. It takes a monumental effort from advertising, creative services, development, marketing, and many other departments to put on this program, but it is worth it.