For immediate release
Awards recognize San Diego’s most skillful marketing work of the past year, selected from a record-breaking field of 154 entries to San Diego’s premier marketing awards program.
SAN DIEGO – May 28, 2026 – Compass Digital took home a Gold American Marketing Association (AMA) San Diego Sandie Award in the SEO/SEM category for Turning Search into Scalable Revenue with American Forests.
More than 250 marketing professionals, agency leaders and students gathered at the Town & Country Resort on May 21 to celebrate the region’s top marketing campaigns and projects as winners were announced live across 14 categories. With a record-breaking 154 award submissions, the 2026 Sandies were the most competitive in the program’s history.
Compass Digital’s winning entry: American Forests – Turning Search Into Scalable Revenue. Compass Digital submitted a highly successful campaign that transformed American Forests’ paid media from a reactive, single-channel effort into a scalable, full-funnel acquisition engine. By anchoring the strategy in a rebuilt, high-intent SEM structure and reinforcing it with Meta Ads and Google Grants, the campaign optimized the donation journey around urgency and mission alignment. Ultimately, this coordinated approach delivered a 71% year-over-year increase in year-end donation revenue, improved return on ad spend (ROAS) by 33%, and sustained strong performance momentum well into Q1.
Sandies Chair and AMA San Diego Board Member Summer Haines says, “Congratulations to Compass Digital for its award-winning work in SEO/SEM. Our judges had a difficult job this year, the depth of talent across every category made for some of the closest scoring we’ve ever seen. Earning a Sandies Award is a real distinction, and reflects the bold ideas, sharp execution and measurable results that define the best of San Diego marketing.”
All entries were judged by AMA members from chapters outside San Diego with no affiliation to the nominated organizations, agencies or campaigns.
About American Marketing Association San Diego
San Diego AMA is a 501(c)3 organization of marketers at every career stage — from students to senior leaders — dedicated to advancing the art of marketing and creating unique growth and learning opportunities for marketers. San Diego AMA provides education, networking, information, resources and valuable connections in a fun and approachable environment where personal development goals can be achieved. Visit www.sdama.org.
About Compass Digital
A San Diego-based digital marketing agency, Compass Digital specializes in B2B and D2C customer acquisition, delivering exceptional results through paid media, SEO, CRM, and conversion marketing. With a focus on the home and leisure space, Compass Digital’s award-winning campaigns set industry standards. Their month-to-month contracts offer flexibility, allowing clients to scale marketing efforts without long-term commitments.
Media Contact:
Greg Haines
Compass Digital
greg@getcompassdigital.com
619-726-0230
