The entry deadline is rapidly approaching for the 15th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service on Wednesday, January 13. Entry kits and complete details on the competition are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

Eligible nominees include departments, teams, and professionals from around the world who work in customer service, contact center, business development, and sales. New products and services and solution providers used by those professionals are also eligible. The 2021 awards will recognize achievements since July 1, 2019.

The winner announcement schedule has been modified to serve a virtual awards ceremony. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced publicly on January 27. Winners will be celebrated a virtual awards banquet on April 14.

“We are thrilled to be able to host the 15^th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service virtually in 2021 to celebrate successes in these fields yet keep all Stevie winners and their guests safe. We encourage everyone to submit their nominations by January 13 – even if this year did not lead to certain benchmarks or expectations, we have pushed back to entry criteria to July 1, 2019. This means that you can submit nominations with data from before Covid-19 struck,” said Maggie Gallagher, President of the Stevie Awards.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 150 sales awards, customer service awards, business development awards, new product awards, and solution provider awards categories. Entrants may submit any number of nominations to any number of categories.

New categories for 2020 include:

• Customer Service Training Professional of the Year
• Customer Service Training Team of the Year – External
• Customer Service Training Team of the Year – Internal
• Best Customer Engagement Initiative
• Customer Service Training or Coaching Program of the Year
• Sales Enablement Program of the Year
• Sales Incentive Program of the Year
• White Paper or Research Paper of the Year.

Winners of the 2020 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service included American Airlines, Barclays, Carbonite, Cisco, Clarabridge, Cricket Wireless, Cvent, Delta Vacations, DHL Express, GoDaddy, Mailchimp, OneWest Bank, SAP, Wells Fargo Treasury Management, VIZIO Inc., and more.

The 2021 competition will be judged by more than 150 professionals around the world.

Interested in entering the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service?

In March 2018, Beth Suereth, Founder and CEO of Caregiving Pathways and a veteran of health care marketing, left a corporate job to launch the only company in the United States devoted to helping family caregivers understand how to manage a family member’s hospital stay and the final stages of life.

Those who know Suereth know her to be kind; her voice is so soothing you’ll want to stay on the phone with her as long as possible. As she cared for her father for five years, Suereth discovered a huge need: “My dad had one hospital stay after another after another. I searched for information about managing the hospital experience, but there was nothing out there. It was all trial and error.” 

Suereth’s first step was to provide the resources sorely needed by family caregivers to give them the information they need all in one place. “If you don’t know the ins and outs of the hospital environment and culture,” explains Suereth, “you can’t know the right questions to ask, and you can end up being overtreated or undertreated. The number of hospital errors resulting in death is staggering.”

The resources at Caregiving Pathways — available to all free of charge on the company website — are groundbreaking. They focus on everything from handling the hospital stay to end-of-life planning, financial considerations around caregiving, and the many questions family caregivers need to ask, “up front.”

This revolutionary business reached profitability in 2018, and Suereth was on her way to becoming a “superstar” on the growing family caregiving speaking circuit.

Caregiving Pathways has never been as important as it has during COVID-19, with hundreds of thousands of people dying in the United States, many of them older adults with family caregivers who are more stressed than ever. As Suereth states, “People in hospitals and nursing homes have so little communication with their loved ones that they are often declining physically and mentally from loneliness.”

An educated family caregiver can mean significantly improved health outcomes.

Until Suereth, those 53 million U.S. family caregivers (the number according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP) faced so much with so little in hand. Most are women. “And women shoulder a much greater degree of day-to-day hands-on care. As a result, they often leave the workforce with reduced lifetime earnings and retirement savings — which can affect families for generations.”

The comprehensive guides Suereth created for Caregiving Pathways include How to Help Your Loved One in the Hospital (track what happens and ask questions until everything makes sense); End-of-Life Planning Guide (ask how someone wants to spend the time that remains); an End-of-Life Plan (create and share one before you need it); and Complement Your Client’s Financial Plan with a Personal End-of-Life Plan (for financial planners; align financial resources with final wishes).

Suereth provides consulting services for hospitals, financial services companies, and a business that offers trainings for family caregivers and certifications for those who support them. For employers, the company offers strategies that support family caregivers and help businesses manage absenteeism, presenteeism, and retention.

Pharmacists are yet another Suereth focus. As she explains, family caregivers represent two customers in one because they purchase medications for themselves and the person they’re caring for. For family caregivers, a good relationship with a pharmacist can be crucial in helping someone afford medications, keep to a schedule and, notably, look out for duplications — the same medication prescribed by two different physicians.

Suereth also supports and coaches individual caregivers, all overwhelmed as COVID-19 spreads. She provides emotional support and helps them gain insights and perspective, often when they are affected by “visitor” restrictions in the hospital or are excluded from accompanying a family member to a doctor appointment. “During COVID, the key is to understand how communication in these settings took place pre-COVID, how it’s different now, and how to navigate all of that. It can be done.” 

It’s no surprise, then, that Suereth has become in two-plus short years a “name” on the speaking/panel circuit, from the National Caregiving Conference on “When the Care Plan Becomes an End-of-Life Plan” to an invitation to speak to family caregivers in the Virgin Islands and a “Beginning Again Virtual Retreat” for caregivers adjusting to life after a family member’s death during COVID-19. Suereth’s primary talk is titled “How to Help Your Loved One in the Hospital,” an expanded version of her easy-to-read guidebook of the same name.

And AARP, the 38 million-member nonprofit organization, sought out Suereth to join the AARP Public Policy Institute team writing its first-ever series of publications for health care leaders: Supporting Family Caregivers Providing Complex Care. The series includes eight research papers published in 2020, with more to come, and a 2020 webinar series. The publications are available at https://www.aarp.org/ppi/initiatives/supporting-family-caregivers-providing-complex-care/.

The institute also asked Suereth to join the team writing a 2019 research report titled Home Alone Revisited: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Care.

It’s rare indeed that an organization of AARP’s size and power reaches out to such a small company — and a start-up to boot — to tap what is clearly vast knowledge.

Then again, Beth Suereth is a unique combination of entrepreneur, expert marketer, and compassionate family caregiver.

Her time has come, and with the COVID pandemic, thank goodness that time is now.

To learn more about Caregiving Pathways, please visit www.caregivingpathways.com.

Caregiving Pathways won Gold for Most Innovative Company of the Year and the Bronze Stevie for Most Innovative Woman of the Year in the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. 

Interested in entering the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?

• KCD PR teamed up with Brain Corp to position this startup tech company as an industry leader 
• Brain Corp’s floor-cleaning technology became a global sensation with KCD PR’s media expertise
• Targeted, meticulously researched approaches to media coverage made this sanitary maintenance company a distinguished, sought-after technology 

About KCD PR

KCD PR is an integrated communications agency that delivers award-winning strategic public relations, marketing communications, social media campaigns, and counsel to financial services, fintech, and technology leaders worldwide. KCD PR’s mission is to create and communicate a brand’s vision through highly targeted campaigns that drive their business forward. 

Brain Corp x KCD PR: The Genesis

Brain Corp is a successful San Diego-based technology startup that specializes in turning manual machines into autonomous mobile robots. While the mention of ‘robots’ may sound sexy, the primary application of its technology was far less so - in commercial floor scrubbers. Brain Corp engaged with KCD PR to help raise awareness of the company and its technology in order to attract new customers, pave the way for future investment, and for this year in particular, take it beyond the standard floor-cleaning trade media and position it as a leader in the business and technology press. 

Development

KCD PR needed to develop an approach that would make Brain Corp and its technology attractive to a far broader and incredibly discerning swathe of media. In a nutshell, they had to make a company that currently focuses on sanitary maintenance compete for media space with the same writers covering the likes of iRobot and Amazon. 

They focused on the following core campaign elements: 

• Develop a clear message
• Laser-focus efforts on a core ‘media bench’
• Think big picture
• Create a foundation of relationships to set up for campaign success

Execution

With a plan in place, KCD PR hosted a messaging workshop with Brain Corp’s key technology leaders which ultimately provided them with compelling messages that positioned the company’s technology as crucial to the current evolution of work through robotics. Simultaneously, the team meticulously researched and developed a list of 20 key media outlets that moved outreach beyond the cleaning trades and into influential tech and business press such as TechCrunch, ZDnet, Fortune, CNBC, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal. Based on this list, they created targeted approaches, often reserving exclusives, feature angles, and early notice of product news tailored to each title.

One of the campaign’s biggest challenges was that they had a very well-known customer story to tell as part of Walmart’s major tech rollout but had very little control over the message and their position within the announcement. Their challenge was to ensure that Brain Corp gained a strong share of media exposure within the resulting coverage. 

To increase changes for positive and well-informed coverage of the news, the team focused on building influential media relationships well in advance. To secure briefings, they employed a ‘big picture’ approach by creating pitches which positioned the company and its core technology as critical to the current evolution of retail, how they work, and the state of the tech economy - highlighting Brain Corp’s key investors (SoftBank Vision and Qualcomm Ventures) for added credibility. 

Results

The campaign proved highly successful in gaining Brain Corp media coverage far beyond the traditional trade outlets. KCD outperformed its goals for top-tier media interviews by 33%, gaining quality coverage in the business and tech press, thus positioning the company and its technology as leaders in the field. The campaign generated over 500 pieces of coverage against a campaign target of 130. Key media hits included Bloomberg, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, CNBC, and a full feature in broadcast technology program BBC Click, which aired in 200 countries with over 380 million viewers. 

KCD PR’s COVID-19 Response

Though this PR firm prides itself in working with industry leaders and top-ranked organizations, they are entrepreneurs at heart and care about the community they live and work in. When the pandemic hit, the team offered on-demand crisis communications counseling to small businesses impacted by COVID. They were providing counsel on everything from creating a social media marketing presence to critical customer updates to pointing to financial resources to help aid their friends in the community. 

KCD PR won the Silver Stevie for Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Media Relations in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards? 

• Bug Bite Thing is a safe, chemical-free, reusable product that provides relief for bug bites and bee stings
• The product received offers from all Sharks on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank
• Bug Bite Thing improves quality of life of millions of people worldwide 

About Bug Bite Thing

Bug Bite Thing is a 'Shark Tank' product and Amazon’s #1 selling product for insect bite relief. In October 2019, Bug Bite Thing's founder and CEO Kelley Higney and President Ellen McAlister appeared on ABC's hit show 'Shark Tank.' After receiving offers from all of the Sharks, they accepted an offer from Lori Greiner. 

When Kelley moved to South Florida in 2017, both she and her daughter were constantly suffering from mosquito bites. After trying every remedy on the market to alleviate her daughter’s discomfort, Kelley began researching how other countries combat insect bites. As a mother, Kelley was baffled to see how many of the available insect bite relief products contained harsh chemicals and how many unregulated products were being used on children in the United States. Kelley became passionate about finding a solution.

Kelley discovered a little-known tool that uses suction to eliminate the irritant that was also chemical-free, reusable, and safe to use on children and adults. 

Knowing it was a life-saving product, Kelley created the Bug Bite Thing and in October 2019, Kelley and Ellen appeared on ABC’s hit show ‘Shark Tank.’ After receiving offers from all of the Sharks, they accepted an offer from Lori Greiner. 

Bug Bite Thing is completely chemical-free, reusable, and suitable for use by all ages. It has also been recommended by doctors for their cancer patients as it is non-toxic. Unlike other products, which only work on insect bites, the product also works on bee stings.

Bug Bite Thing won the Silver Stevie for Fastest Growing Company of the Year, a Bronze Stevie for Female Entrepreneur of the Year - Consumer Products, and a Bronze Stevie for Company of the Year - Consumer Products in the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business®.

Interested in entering the 2021 program?

• Heather Havenwood helps people break the mold of traditional media by capitalizing on the impact of social media and driving in income
• Her innovative work helps influencers make the market work for them, rather than having to fit into outdated standards 

About Heather Ann Havenwood

Heather Ann Havenwood started Haven Media, which is an education, media, and agency company dedicated to mentoring, guiding and assisting Influencers, Leaders, and Content Creators to dynamically monetize and promote their products and services through social media and online advertising.

In her dynamic rise to the top, Heather has been interviewed on over 450 podcasts, sharing new ways for entrepreneurs to move the market to meet their demands. She grew her own podcast - Like a Boss: Insights with Influencers - into national syndication within the first twelve months of launch. With daring know-how, Heather has launched over a dozen other dynamic, income-flow podcasts for her clients. 

With her pioneering work in the field of social media, Heather has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators achieve authority and influence in the marketplace. She has a Master’s Degree in Digital Marketing and has built and sold two online companies - increasing sales over 1050% in under a year - through her cutting-edge influencer growth methodology. 

Traditional media is old, tired, decaying, and on its way out. Social media is the new, ever-changing frontier. Heather’s marketing strategies are breaking the mold of traditional media by monetizing influencers, educators, and creators’ knowledge through omnipresent social media syndication in order to attain reach and to increase one’s value in the marketplace. Heather continues to fire on all cylinders as she trailblazes exciting new social media avenues into pathways toward influence, impact, and income. 

Heather Ann Havenwood won a Bronze Stevie for Individual Awards Categories - Most Innovative Woman of the Year - Social Media in the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business®.

Interested in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business

• Classic Disney character sees exponential profits after being marketed for millennials
• Sage House partnered with Disney to design a Donald Duck museum with a modern, immersive, interactive experience 
• Popular graffiti artist teams up with Sage House and Disney to help attract social media influencers and young adults 

About Sage House

Stevie-winner Sage House is an integrated marketing agency based in Shanghai and Hong Kong. They became Disney’s first partner in China authorized to design the world’s first Donald Duck Perfect Museum. Disney China used the Perfect Museum concept as a case study on how to create social media buzz using a character’s personality to create curiosity and humor in marketing campaigns. 

Marketing Nostalgia

Beloved Disney character Donald Duck’s 85th anniversary was celebrated in 2019. Sage House conceptualized Donald Duck as the curator of his own museum, giving him an opportunity to be center stage and depart from his traditional role as a side character. To do this, they needed to bridge the gap between the typical Donald Duck audience and the younger, profitable millennial consumer demographic. The use of pop art and fun, interactive marketing created a distinct opportunity for classic Disney China in the young adults’ market. 

The Perfect Museum set design was created using pop art and immersive elements with 25 interactive zones. Some settings were designed to look incomplete—a mop in the corner, messy paint marks, etc.—to reflect Donald Duck’s short temper and impatient personality. One of the most popular settings featured a neon lights installation of Donald and a Hall of Fame centerpiece which attracted many social media influencers, thus generating a high amount of social media content and lots of buzz. Attendees were able to use 3D glasses to walk along Donald’s Hollywood Walk of Fame and see his footprints. 

To increase exposure and attract the millennial audience, Sage House collaborated with Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Joshua Vides, who has previously worked with Fendi, Porsche, and Nike US. Vides created an immersive experience for consumer engagements and photo opportunities. Limited edition artist collaboration figurines were created for VIPs and fans to boost sales. 

This unique experience brought in well over three million visitors across four shopping malls, increasing overall foot traffic by 150% and sales growth by 180%. 

Sage House won a Silver Stevie for Most Innovative Marketing or Advertising Professional of the Year and a Bronze Stevie for Innovation in Marketing - Branded Entertainment in The 2020 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards®. 

Interested in entering The 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards?

• Filipino startup company helps beginner coders become well-versed in technology development
• - Zuitt Coding Bootcamp’s curriculum teaches essential skills that often result in lifelong careers in technology 
• - Despite the global pandemic, Zuitt provided scholarships and online education to help learners continue their training and find fulfilling jobs

About Zuitt 

Zuitt is the #1 Philippine-based startup offering web development coding bootcamps. 

Coding Bootcamp

Founder and CEO of Zuitt Coding Bootcamp, Tomohisa Kato, developed the company to help Filipinos develop their technology skills, as it was his personal mission to help them realize and maximize their potential. Zuitt Coding Bootcamp offers full-stack web development coding with a beginner-friendly curriculum to equip students with essential skills which help them land in-demand tech jobs. 

In its years of service, Zuitt has produced thousands of developers who have a vast array of coding skills. Bootcampers undergo rigid training with curriculum crafted by in-house developers and trainers. Embracing the company’s mission to be a lifelong partner, the learning does not stop after training is completed. Short courses are also provided to help bootcampers continuously improve their skills in all areas of the tech industry. 

One of the changes in the company in 2020 is the shift to fully online classes. This not only made a major impact to the students but also to the company's direction as a whole. This situation paved way for a new product for Pi-shaped Careers, or individuals who need to learn to code so they can understand developers, but don't necessarily need a career shift. The new normal opened another opportunity for Zuitt to everyone who has more time to learn new skills.

Zuitt’s COVID-19 Response 

During the pandemic, a number of bootcamp batches were put on hold, but that did not stop Tomohisa Kato from looking for ways to help bootcampers continue their training and find jobs. People who wished to continue their education were provided mobile internet scholarships and were able to rent PCs from Zuitt. The transition from lab-based instruction to online instruction was completely successful, as many bootcampers graduated and became employed developers. 

Zuitt won a Silver Stevie for Innovation in Technology Development - Other Service Industries in The 2020 Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards. 

Interested in entering The 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards?

• MightyCall’s cloud-based phone system provides VoIP services to thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs across North America
• The Contact Book Plus feature allows users to create contact lists and take notes on specific contact interactions for reference at any time

About MightyCall

MightyCall is a cloud-based virtual phone system, making it possible for solo entrepreneurs and even the smallest businesses to stay connected anywhere and anytime. MightyCall is a VoIP provider that started as part of the Infratel corporate group which ran the early version of the software for call centers. As VoIP took off in the greater business world, the technology was repackaged in a more manageable version accessible to small businesses. Ever since, MightyCall has consistently been building its user base, now serving more than 4,500 small businesses across North America. 

Since the beginning of 2019, MightyCall has made leaps and bounds in the quality of its service. More importantly, however, they’ve done so without a price hike, meaning their customers are getting more value for their money than ever before. The company has made the typical array of improvements that come with time, such as improved functionality of existing features, better call coverage and connections, and UI redesigns to continually take customer feedback into account. 

What is most revolutionary is MightyCall’s Contact Book Plus feature, which single handedly pulls a simple VoIP system in line with mini-CRMs, offering solopreneurs and small business owners an organizational tool at a much lower rate than they would normally have to pay. The Contact Book Plus lets customers create contacts and contact lists within the system, and it lets them take notes for each contact and each individual communication with each contact. 

The Contact Book Plus is significant in that this option hardly exists in the VoIP sphere. Expensive, high-functioning CRMs have featured VoIP features for years, but VoIP has not embraced CRM elements. Through committing to this route, MightyCall has distinguished itself as both a trailblazer and a champion for small businesses, who all too frequently have to pay for a CRM they cannot truly afford or juggle low-priced options that lack centralization. By creating a simple and affordable mini-CRM type system, even solopreneurs will now have an option that centralizes their business communications. 

MightyCall won the Gold Stevie for Company of the Year - Telecommunications - Small in The 2020 International Business Awards®. 

Interested in the 2021 International Business Awards? 

• Burkina Faso’s football teams provide sports, leisure, and education to children and adults
• The women’s football team was removed due to lack of material and funding, and Jaleo jumped in to help rebuild the women’s team
• Jaleo helped coordinate the complete and successful renewal of the women’s team 

About Jaleo! Sports & Human Events 

Jaleo is an event planning agency working around the globe. 

In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the Santos FC football club provides the city with sports, leisure, and education. However, due to the lack of material, logistics, and human resources, the Burkinabe club decided to remove all the women’s teams. When the situation reached the ears of Jaleo through their association with Burkinabe of Barcelona, Jaleo took it upon themselves to find a football club to help recover the women’s teams of Santos FC. 

After intense meetings between the two Burkinabe clubs, Jaleo organized a football tournament with FC Martinenc, the women’s football team. In March of 2019, Jaleo collected sports equipment and financial funds to send to the team with the goal of rebuilding the women’s team and providing them with essentials. 

Jaleo’s efforts resulted in:

• ½ ton of material sent to Burkina Faso
• €2,250+ raised by crowdfunding
• Valuable mass media appearances
• Barcelona City Council assistance
• Promotion of the event through the Catalan Football Federation

Jaleo! Sports & Human Events won a Silver Stevie for Company / Organization Categories - Company of the Year - Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations - Small and a Bronze Stevie for Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories - Communications Professional of the Year in The 2020 International Business Awards®. 

Interested in The 2021 International Business Awards? 

• Animation studio works to produce licensed products and content to consumers worldwide  
• Animaccord’s Masha and the Bear series boasts record-breaking success with over 39 language dubs, broadcasted in over 150 countries, and billions of YouTube views

About Animaccord

Animaccord is an international Media & Licensing company and studio that delivers the best animation across the world. They represent the exceptional attributes of their animated brands in partnerships with the global media and consumer goods companies to broadcast the content on leading TV and Digital channels and bring licensed products to retail shelves worldwide. Animaccord specializes in worldwide distribution of content, consumer products rights, and brand management. 

First established in 2008, Animaccord was the studio behind the animated series Masha and the Bear, created by Russian director Oleg Kuzovkov. The CG-animated series follows the adventures of a little mischievous girl, Masha, and her friend Bear. The cartoon gained worldwide popularity, has been dubbed in 39 languages, broadcasted in more than 150 countries by global media majors including Netflix, Google, Nick Jr., Sony, and Televisa. The series’ massive success paved the way for Animaccord to initiate considerable licensing activity. 

Since setting up as a licensing company, Animaccord has established itself as a hugely successful brand with more than 300 global partners including Fererro, Danone, Simba Dickie Group, Crayola, Clementoni, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and other market leaders. Animaccord manages one of the world’s largest children’s content networks on YouTube with more than 120 million subscribers and 43 YouTube Creator Awards, including 4 Diamond Play Buttons. 

As of 2019, Masha and the Bear episode “Recipe for Disaster” was included in the Guinness World Record Book as the most-watched cartoon on YouTube. With more than 4 billion views, the episode ranks in YouTube’s top 5 most viewed videos of all time. Animaccord is currently producing other seasons of Masha and the Bear as well as launching new projects and brand engagement activities such as promotions and live shows to bolster the property across all markets. 

Animaccord won a Bronze Stevie for Company / Organization Categories - Company of the Year - Media & Entertainment in The 2020 International Business Awards®. 

Interested in The 2021 International Business Awards?