Digi-Key Continuing Education Center Wins Marketing Award

Design News magazine's popular Continuing Education Center has been named a Gold Award Winner in one of the country's most prestigious marketing contests.

In a gala award ceremony in Chicago, the magazine, along with its sister division, DeusM, and its sponsor, Digi-Key Electronics, won the top 2013 Reggie Award in the business-to-business marketing category. The Continuing Education Center program won out over competitors representing DuPont and FedEx.

Design News's how-to education program has been a hit with readers, who often log onto the site hours before the presentations. As many as 500 readers often register for the classes, which involve such topics as energy harvesting, microcontroller applications, functional verification, and much more.

The magazine received the award as part of a ceremony that honored marketing efforts in 20 categories. Competitors in other categories included PepsiCo, for its well-known "Uncle Drew" commercials, Amazon Publishing, for its "My Mother Was Nuts" ad campaign, and McDonald's for its "You Want McDonald's Fries With That" TV spots. Other well-known brands, such as Ford, Nestle, Target, Campbell's, MillerCoors, and Taco Bell, also shared the stage at the event. The award ceremony was highlighted by performances from recording artists Coco Jones and Phil Vassar.

The Reggie Awards, now in their 30th year, are given to recipients by the Brand Activation Association to recognize the "best-of-the-best brand activation campaigns." Winners are featured on an electronic billboard in New York's Times Square.