PIA Branding Program Wins APEX Award of Excellence

Second Award in Two Weeks for "Local Agents Serving Main Street America" (SM)

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2007 - The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents' (PIA National) "PIA Branding Program" has been named an APEX Awards for Publication Excellence award winner.

The PIA Branding Program, Local Agents Serving Main Street America (SM), is an advertising and promotional campaign available at no additional cost to all PIA member agencies throughout the nation. The program currently consists of twenty-one print advertisements with 251 variations that PIA members can run in their local publications.

The APEX Awards for Publication Excellence is an annual competition for writers, editors, publications staff and business and nonprofit communicators. APEX Awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. The PIA Branding Program was presented with the prestigious APEX Award of Excellence in the Marketing and Public Relations Campaigns category.

"PIA is honored to receive the APEX 2007 Award of Excellence," said PIA National President Donna Pile. "Almost daily we hear from agents who see the benefit of branding their agencies using the advertisements PIA makes available through the PIA Branding Program. It's nice to have an independent group of professionals recognize the quality of this program."

The APEX award was the second in two weeks for the PIA Branding Program. The program was previously named a Gold Award recipient of the Hermes Creative Awards 2007 competition. The Hermes Creative Awards program is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The awards program is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional materials and programs, and emerging technologies.

Additional information about the PIA Branding Program is available on PIA National's website here.

Founded in 1931, PIA is a national trade association that represents member insurance agents and their employees who sell and service all kinds of insurance, but specialize in coverage of automobiles, homes and businesses. PIA members are Local Agents Serving Main Street America (SM). PIA's web address is www.pianet.com.