Leader Publications walked away with 16 awards, including six first-place honors, in this year’s Missouri Press Advertising and Marketing Executives contest.
Newspapers across Missouri compete in the annual contest, and awards are given in daily and weekly categories based on circulation size. Typically, all Leader Publications newspapers compete in the category for large weekly papers.
However, due to a judging error this year, entries for the West Side Leader were judged in the dailies category, competing against the biggest daily papers in the state.
The West Side Leader alone captured nine awards, including two first-place honors and a sweep of first-, second- and third-place awards in the category for best ad smaller than a quarter page.
“This strong showing against daily newspapers in Missouri shows the quality of our work and the truth in our motto, ‘Once a Week but Never Weakly,’” Leader publisher Peggy Scott said.
She said the Leader shares the awards with local businesses who work with the newspaper staff to create eye-catching ads that help readers make decisions about where to shop.
Leader Publications advertising manager Mark Grebe also praised the partnership. “Going on our 29th year, the Leader continues to deliver quality ads and results to our advertisers,” he said.
The following is a list of awards the Leader won in the contest.
Jefferson County Leader
First place: Best Idea to Grow Revenue, Real Estate Showcase, staff.
First place: Best Newspaper-Produced Event (new category), Jefferson County Job Fair, staff.
First place: Best Single Classified Display Ad, Open House, Patty Hammond, Debbie Skaggs.
First place: Best Single House Ad, the Leader Team, Debbie Skaggs.
Second place: Best Ad Smaller than 1/4 Page, Annual Harvest Chicken Dinner Zion Lutheran, Michelle Engelhardt and Andrea Chambers.
Third place: Best Ad Smaller than 1/4 Page, STL Brite Lights, Debbie Skaggs and Andrea Chambers.
Arnold-Imperial Leader
Second place: Best Full-Page Ad, Building Jeffco Together, Debbie Skaggs and Rob Schneider.
West Side Leader
First place: Best Single House Ad, West Side Senior Expo, Debbie Skaggs.
First place: Best Ad Smaller than 1/4 Page, Thank You For Your Service, Michelle Engelhardt and Ryan Duvall
Second place: Best Single House Ad, Who says color doesn’t sell, Michelle Engelhardt.
Second place: Best Ad Smaller than 1/4 Page, Rohrer and Sons, Debbie Skaggs.
Second place: Best Ad Series, Northwest Chamber Pupillo’s restaurants, Michelle Engelhardt, Debbie Skaggs and Ryan Duvall.
Third place: Best Ad Smaller than 1/4 Page, Flea Market Old Time Finds, Michelle Engelhardt and Ryan Duvall
Third place: Best Ad Smaller Than a Full Page but no smaller than a 1/4 page, Don’t Pay Retail! Chapman Cabinetry, Debbie Skaggs and Ryan Duvall.
Third place: Best Single Classified Display Ad, Big River Timber Co., Michelle Engelhardt.
Third place: Best Shared Signature Page, Northwest Blue and White, Michelle Engelhardt and Debbie Skaggs.