categories
The goal of the Canadian Marketing Awards is to recognize the top marketers in the country for excellence in marketing, whatever the discipline, whatever the sector.
Of course, a marketing campaign can't start without a strategy. It can't be done without great creative. And it can't succeed without great results.
This is why the judging process will be based equally on STRATEGY, CREATIVE and RESULTS. A great strategy drives impactful creative. Impactful creative drives great results. And great results - sales, click-through rates, perception changes, behavior changes - are proof that the objectives as set out in the strategy were met or, even better, surpassed.
Our belief: the more equitably the work is judged, the more meaningful the awards will be to the winners and to the entire Canadian marketing community.
Awards are entered into a specific category within a discipline. For example, you can enter in Digital: Automotive or Promotion: Pharmaceutical. For the Integrated Discipline, you must enter your campaign in three separate disciplines, showing proven results in each, before it can be considered.
The following disciplines will be judged in the new process:
Digital Interactive
Digital Interactive uses digital media to create a variety of user experiences that promote a brand and influence specific behaviours and outcomes.
Digital Interactive employs a number of different digital channels (e.g. websites, social media, user-generated content, viral media, banner advertising, micro/promo sites) to engage with individuals at the time and place when they most likely want to absorb and act on a marketing message, often immediately. Success is measured by click through rates, referrals, usability and repeat visits and conversions ( when transactional ).
Direct 1:1
Direct 1:1 engages directly with a qualified target, usually with a specific call-to-action, benchmarked by measurable results.
Direct 1:1 strategies include acquisition, activation, retention, loyalty, cross-sell, win back and often rely on the use of or help to build a marketing database. These strategies often employ database marketing techniques that include segmentation analytics, propensity, purchase models, customer/prospect profiling and more. Media can take the form of direct mail, email, SMS, online, DR PRINT and DRTV. Success is measured through ROI, response, conversion, a lifetime value equation, sales lift analysis, etc.
Promotional Marketing
Promotional Marketing motivates and/or influences specific consumer behaviour and attitudes to positively impact the sales and equity of a product, service or brand offering.
Promotional Marketing employs a number of communication channels and tactics that include sweepstakes or contests, online engagements, events, gifts with purchase, loyalty rewards, retail and in-store activity, packaging, sampling, coupons, partnerships and other activities that build sales, as well as brand equity with consumers. The ultimate measure of success is increased sales or share, but can also include brand preference, contest entries, POS compliance, display activity and overall consumer and retailer engagement.
Advertising
Advertising generates or maintains awareness, influences attitude, changes behaviour, or creates trial and traffic for a brand to a specific audience.
Advertising includes a range of mass media including broadcast, out-of-home, non-traditional and print. Success will be determined by those entries delivering excellence both in creativity and strategy. Providing positive business results associated with the work will enhance the entry’s standing. Note: Only real ads for real clients will be considered.
Public Relations (PR)
Public Relations is the strategic management of relationships and information between an organization and its diverse stakeholders—clients, consumers, partners or employees— through the use of communication, the goal of which is to deliver a specific message in order to influence opinion.
PR provides an organization with exposure to its audiences using topics of public interest and news items, either through the press or via social media initiatives. Common tactics include media relations, online outreach, press releases, crisis management, direct to consumer and corporate events, conference speaking and employee communication.
PR: Success is measured by mutually agreed upon goals which are tied to larger marketing and business objectives. Frequently, PR success is measured by earned media impressions.
Media Innovation
The selection and scheduling of any type of communication vehicle, the goal of which is to meet the objectives as set out in a campaign strategy in a unique way.
We're looking for media campaigns that were groundbreaking, like nothing done before, ahead of the times, used new ways of doing things, had novel and unexpected methods.
Your profound understanding of the consumer, their motivation and their media menus, matched with intuition and imagination, drove real, strategic innovation that engaged consumers..got noticed...talked about...drove results.
Integrated
Integrated uses a combination of at least three disciplines (e.g. advertising, direct 1:1, promotions, digital, interactive, public relations) built around a big creative idea, orchestrated to drive significant results.
An Integrated marketing campaign is a multi-disciplinary, concerted effort that shows the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It must be developed in Canada and executed within the past twelve months. The campaign is not required to have run in Canada.
Please note, in order to be entered in the Integrated category, the campaign must first be entered in three separate disciplines, showing proven results in each.
Pro Bono
The Pro Bono category is new for 2010 and was created to recognize campaigns developed at little to no cost to a client. The campaign can use donated or paid-for media to support the campaign but creative work must have been done for free. All campaigns entered in the Pro Bono category will be judged against each other in one group, with no discipline divisions, and one overall Pro Bono award will be given. A Pro Bono submission does not count as one of the three entries required to qualify for an Integrated discipline submission.
Submission Deadline
Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 12:00 PM EST..
If you have any questions regarding the Awards Application Process, please contact Amanda DiQuattro, Tradeshow and Special Events Coordinator by telephone at 416-645-3280 or email adiquattro@the-cma.org
