Plaques are a fantastic way to show appreciation and recognition for group or individual achievements. Customized plaques can also boost your corporate image. People receive plaques for any variety of reasons, from most valued employee of the month to honorary recognition for a specific achievement.

While the primary purpose of a personalized plaque is to honour the individual in question, promotional plaques can also raise brand awareness. The way it works it quite simple. A salesperson of the year for Acme Inc, will receive a customized plaque for his or her service to the company with the corporate logo printed conspicuously above the individual's name. Whether they decide to mount their personalized plaque at home or in the office, co-workers or visitors will realize that not only has this person done a fantastic job, but their company has recognized them for their superior work. Effectively, this means that whoever sees the branded plaque will realize the company's appreciation for their employees. An emotional bond with the brand or corporation will arise because everybody loves to be recognized and appreciated for their hard work.

And this is the key to great branding. An emotional bond with a brand is what makes a company successful and memorable. ‘Employees of the Month' awards at fast-food chains is just one of many examples. All over America, as thousands wait in line in a thousand different chains, they will most likely see the corporate plaque and the individual it was awarded to. The point is not for the customer to remember the employee of the month, but to see that the corporation values their employees, and this is something most people respect and hope for from their own employers.

The invaluable promotion expressed using customized plaques is not limited to just companies, of course. Institutions such as universities often use customized plaques to honor certain professors or philanthropists who have donated to their institution.

Again, the purpose of these plaques is double-fold. On the one hand, the personalized plaques recognize the individual's achievements, and on the other, they are also branded plaques. Though the advertisement in this case is of a slightly different nature, the effect is the more or less the same. As prospective undergraduates visit universities and to choose their favourite, a significant number of plaques displayed in foyers or hallways will improve their impression of the university. The customized plaques is branded with the university's crest and it creates a mental connection between scholastic achievement and the institution.

Personalized plaques have existed for centuries but this is no reason to dismiss them. As a corporation or institution, look at them as being branded or corporate plaques. The individual being recognized is certainly important. But as any savvy marketer knows, brand awareness is one of the keys to success. By turning personalized plaques into promotional plaques, you hit two birds with one stone – anyone who sees them will realize that the institution or corporation recognizes and appreciates certain individuals who have devoted time, energy or money. Everybody wants personal recognition and when they see a company which devotes time and energy to deliver this, they will remember that company as being truly respectable and warranting attention.