Judging Criteria

Business and Discipline-based Categories

Ranked in order of importance:

• How effectively did the campaign/communication/marketing activity engage its target customer? Did it, for example, successfully call customers to take action, change their behaviour or encourage interaction and a relationship with the brand?


• How successfully was the entrant’s objectives for the campaign/communication/marketing activity met?


• How impressive was the measure of financial return on investment (noting that metrics used to measure this will not necessarily be like for like)?


• How innovative was the campaign/communication/marketing activity in terms of using a new idea or channel to begin a dialogue with its target customer?

Special Award Categories

Rising Star: Entries are welcome from candidates with at least three years of relevant marketing experience who have contributed to a key marketing initiative within their company within the judging period. When trying to identify the winner, judges will be looking for somebody they feel has the skills and vision to be an industry leading marketer in the future. Entrants will provide a maximum of 1,000 words outlining relevant project experience or a short video introducing themselves and detailing and his/her personal contribution made to an important marketing initiative, as well as a copy of their CV.

The shortlisted candidates will take part in a 10 minute Question and Answer session on the Judging Day, in order to see the candidates in person.

Brand Innovator: This award is designed to reward any entrepreneurial marketing initiative, new product or brand development that demonstrated new thinking in a specific sector and which can boast significant success. The innovation may be related to a new brand; the rejuvenation or repositioning of an existing brand; brand extension or an innovative marketing campaign and will be measured by the following specific criteria in order of importance:

1.    The vision and authority to innovate in a way that will grow the market or category
2.    Sales figures, early market share figures
3.    A description of how the market responded to the idea and future development possibilities

Agency of the Year: Through their part in a string of successful campaigns or communications, the winner will show true understanding of the range of tools with which consumers can be engaged in the modern marketing landscape. The winner will demonstrate that understanding through the creation or enhancement of their client’s marketing activity with a joint emphasis on creativity and effectiveness. Entrants may provide details of work they have done within the judging period for a maximum of three clients.

Brand of the Year: The consumer brands on the shortlist for this award are been based on performance during the calendar year of 2012 using YouGov’s BrandIndex tool. Judges will look for evidence that each brand engaged its customers, (somehow changed their behaviour or created some emotional relationship between them and the brand), using marketing activity (some campaign or communication), through which it delivered effective returns.