It’s coming up to award season; that time of the year when PRs are furiously juggling submission deadlines and events teams are working out which celeb hosts are still available at the eleventh hour.
But marketers know all too well that even putting forward the most effective campaign doesn’t always mean its an award-winning entry.
Stepping in to help – and offering a plethora of advice for anyone looking to make a last-minute submission as he does so – is DMA Awards committee chair, Tony Miller, as he takes a look back at how previous award-winning campaigns have won over DMA judges in the past.
To be an effective marketer, we must identify, empathise, and engage with our customers’ needs like never before – especially with customer loyalty at an all-time-low due to rising pricing sensitivity, as recent DMA research reveals.
Therefore, we must proactively seek innovative solutions to challenges customers are experiencing — not just during the engagement phase, but also to retain their custom; their experience at all touch points is vital.
But valuable marketing doesn’t automatically translate into an award-winning campaign.
Marketers must communicate their campaigns in a way where the judges can see work that inspires and drives meaningful change, showcasing how their brand is evolving with consumers’ increasingly complex challenges and demands.
These are the types of values that need to be communicated in the submissions of this year’s DMA Awards’ Winners.
Marketing that matters
The DMA Awards recognise the most inspiring and effective campaigns that always have the customer at their heart.
Because of this, it is vital that every decision in the judging process leads back to the impact on the most important stakeholder; the customer.
The entries are judged on three key pillars: strategy, creativity and results.
Strategy
This is where entries are measured against what they set out to do, the route they planned and mechanics they used to get there.
Effective campaigns incorporate into their strategy compelling incentives for their audience to interact with the brand’s products or services, reasons for customers to discuss benefits with their peers, and even a sense of urgency to try something new.
Creativity
Any award within the creative industries should seek to celebrate those firecracker moments when ideas ignite to bring the world around us to life. Where concepts surge off the page, the screen, the billboard, the package to take up residence in our minds and imaginations.
The most innovative campaigns can often invoke the most impassioned responses, drive customer engagement, and ultimately, increase brand loyalty with the consumer.
Results
Results play a pivotal role in demonstrating the overall effectiveness of original creativity and rock-solid strategy. It is why marketing is an investment and not a cost. Results are clear evidence that the overall campaign mix was potent enough to make an impact and have the desired effect on the target audience.
The challenge and, to some extent, confusion that is present in the industry is highlighted by the fact that there are nearly 180 different metrics being monitored and measured by marketers, according to our
Effectiveness databank
Marketing leaders must identify the ‘metrics that matter’, shifting from shallow campaign metrics towards the goal of business, brand, and response metrics. This may sound obvious, but for many it is easier said than done. The DMA’s CMO Measurement Toolkit provides CMOs and marketers with the guidance they need to identify effective measurement and prove marketing effectiveness to business leaders to showcase the true value of marketing.
So, how did previous winners communicate this in their submissions?
Demonstrating innovation and relevance
Last year, the ‘Have a Word’ campaign, by Mayor of London and Ogilvy UK, won a range of awards, as well as taking home the Grand Prix prize. It strove to make London a safer space for women by changing the attitudes – and actions – of men. Too many men were standing by and watching misogynistic behaviour happening.
The Mayor of London needed men to end this bystander attitude. ‘Have a word with yourself, then your mates’ is a powerful call to action to start changing men’s behaviour – accountability and self-reflection are powerful, emotive values to target.
It is the perfect example of how data-driven marketing can be a force for good. Due to its relevancy, directness, and engaging creative approach, alongside an effective strategy on how to make it resonate with men, it will have a positive impact on millions of people’s lives for years to come.
The campaign spread internationally, being shared by large international organisations such as Fifa, the United Nations, universities, councils, and NGOs, plus sports stars and influencers – with no paid support.
Showcase your best work
Awards ceremonies not only act like a shop window for brands and agencies to showcase their best work, they also offer the campaigns a sustaining legacy.
The winning campaigns will be viewed by aspiring marketers of future generations, highlighting what the very best that the industry has to offer and the impact this work had. There is no better way to demonstrate this to judges than to show how your campaign truly understands, relates to, engages with, and impacts the target audience.
A customer-centric campaign isn’t just about getting someone’s attention; we must use a fusion of creativity, data, business values, and technology to deliver innovative campaigns full of meaningful solutions — persevering with this approach to build sustainable relationships founded on trust and transparency.
Marketers must place this front and centre of their thoughts when developing award-winning marketing campaigns. They are a fantastic opportunity to show the industry who you are and why your marketing matters — the DMA Awards 2023 submission deadline is Friday 22 September, so don’t miss out.
