The Experience is Energizing

We always go into judging with high expectations. But not every year lives up to the hype. This awards season, our judges walked away invigorated by the work and energized by the spirited debates and discussion. The judging process peels back the curtain, uncovering the insights, strategy, and results of each program. Or as Dana Stotts, EVP Account Director, puts it: “Judging is a fantastic way to hold our own work up to other award-worthy ideas and programs.” Ultimately helping us ensure we’re delivering best-in-class strategies and creative for our clients.

A Creative Commerce Renaissance

It’s no secret that the creative commerce category has exploded in recent years. With endless ways to engage shoppers, commerce has become a wide-open playing field—with some of the most innovative work and fiercest competition.

For our judges, the work that stood out most is finding disruptive new ways to engage and convert shoppers—while simultaneously driving brand growth. “It feels as though there’s been a renaissance for creative commerce. My favorite cases were the ones that truly harnessed and impacted human buying behavior,” Jennalee Reiff, VP Strategy Director, said.

Start With Insights (Not Facts)

We all know the best ideas flow from authentic human insights. It’s the glue that holds great campaigns and award entries together. And for our experienced judges, lack of a true insight was an immediate red flag that a submission wouldn’t be taking home a trophy. For Dana Stotts,  it’s the biggest opportunity he saw this year. “It is rare to read a case where there is a true insight, versus data points, that leads to an actionable strategy.” On the flipside, our judges celebrated the entries that uncovers universal truths or sticky behavior to build a strong narrative.

Avoid the Marketing Jargon

While insights should be human, so should the entry itself. One of our judges’ biggest critiques is the amount of complexity and “marketingese” in the submissions. Alma Klein, SVP Creative Director, wants marketers to “remember that your entry is being read by a real human being. Instead of relying on marketing jargon, tell an engaging story about the ah-ha’s you uncovered, the challenges you overcame and the wild success your program enjoyed.”

Judges are tasked with evaluating a high volume of submissions—often under significant time pressure. That’s why Matt Denten, EVP Creative Director, recommends “trimming the entry to only the necessary context needed to showcase the business result. But, of course, it’s important to not lose your voice in the submission. The judges are human (at least for now!), and they want to enjoy the story.”

Sweat the Details

Finally, with multiple stakeholders and glory on the line, our judges were unanimous in their observation that the best entries are clearly reviewed again and again (and again). Stand apart from the pack by ensuring there are strong links from insight to idea to experience. Then, tie it all back to positive, impactful results. Make sure your video case brings the creative spirit of your campaign to life while complimenting (versus repeating) the written portion.

Or as Jess Bydlak, VP Strategy Director, put it: “Put a big bow on the blood, sweat and tears that went into what is probably years of work from brief to execution. The work deserves the best you can give it right up to the moment you upload the entry, review one last time to make sure it’s as strong as it can be and press ‘enter’ with a firm belief that the submitted campaign deserves to take home the gold.”