Tuesday, 1 November 2016

All you need to know to enter The Bookmark Awards

The IAB SA Bookmark Awards, set to take place on 16 March 2017, are renowned for recognising top talent in the digital industry. This year, we have expanded the definition of digital advertising, including all new categories that reflect the evolving media landscape.
The awards’ global relevance, combined with the extensive representation of all facets of the industry, make it a prestigious opportunity for brands, agencies, publishers and digital leaders to be recognised for great work. On 18 October, the IAB SA held an intensive workshop to share more information about the new categories, and how the judging process will work.
New industry sub-categories launched
The awards will now recognise new sub categories in the Channels, Emerging and Digital Technologies, Publishing and some new Special Honours.
  • Channels category will now include online video series and innovative use of mobile media
  • Emerging and Digital Technologies category has introduced chat, messaging and dark social categories
  • Publishing sub-categories include publisher apps, online photography, online news videos, live event coverage and streaming services.
  • New Special Honours have been added for best CTO, Best Contribution to Transformation in the Digital Industry and Pixel for Purpose, an award for socially-minded digital campaigns.
Each new sub-category reflects emerging trends that are of critical importance to the industry. More information and descriptions of the new categories are available on the Bookmarks website.
Full workshops reflect widespread interest
The workshop itself was well attended, with a highly engaged audience. IAB SA CEO, Josephine Buys said, “The full house turnout showed a keen interest from the industry to understand more about the new and evolved categories, as well as learning key tips and tactics offered by our Jury Chairs and Jury President. It confirms that the industry are driven to enter their best work into the awards, and see the Bookmark Awards as an important industry event.”
Jury President, John Dixon, informed the attendees that judging will take place in two rounds, with judges first reviewing the ‘one-pagers’ via an online system and then meeting in person for two days of intense judging to score all the finalists. Scoring is secret and only the Jury President will know at the end of the judging who the winners are. Multiple steps have been taken to ensure neutrality, fairness and equal application of the entry criteria and competition rules.
It’s all about crafting a winning entry
Kerry Friend and Felix Kessel presented winning entries, emphasising that an entry should be just like any great ad, “a good idea, simply told that talks to your identified audience proven by meaningful results becomes undeniable gold.” This can be achieved by clearly stating your claim upfront, and telling the story of your campaign in concise language, supported by engaging visuals and video and relevant numbers.
Get to the point through concise writing that is easy to read and makes use of clear headings. “Don’t be scared to tell us why your idea is so damn clever. If there is one place to brag a little, it’s at awards. We’re also an audience, so keep it short and entertaining,” they added.
If campaigns are being entered into multiple categories, take the time to please tailor each entry and state the relevance and brilliance per category. Or, if this is a campaign that has evolved from last year, clearly state how the idea/campaign has grown and how it is different.
It’s important to support your entry with the relevant media if you have it at your disposal. This includes live links to the actual creative, video and storyboards, or, if a physical piece of hardware or interactive installation, a clear explanation on how the technology works. Though a case study video is not compulsory, if you do include a video, keep it simple, well produced and focused on the success of the campaign.
Numbers, of course, tell a clear success story. The art of good results is to only include quantified and referenced results that actually mean something. This refers to numbers that show success directly related to campaign, that are contextualised to illustrate why they matter. If you are illustrating an improvement over a previous effort, use a base number to show growth and state the claim you are making upfront.
For every entry, it is important to ensure and emphasise its relevance for the category you are entering.
Enter now
Entries close 11 November 2016. Let your hard work be counted in South Africa’s largest digital industry awards and gain world recognition. More information on the entry categories, rules and entry tips visit thebookmarks.co.za
Download the presentations here:
About the IAB South Africa:
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) South Africa, formerly the DMMA, is an independent, voluntary, non-profit association focussed on growing and sustaining a vibrant and profitable digital industry in South Africa. The IAB South Africa represents the digital industry across all sectors including the media, the marketing community, government, and the public, and also acts as the channel through which international bodies can enter the South African digital market. The IAB South Africa currently represents over 200 members including online publishers, creative, media and digital agencies, brands, and educators, between them accounting for more than 39 million local unique browsers. The IAB South Africa strives to provide members with a platform through which they can engage, interact, and address digital issues of common interest, thereby stimulating learning and commerce within the South African digital space. To find out more about the IAB South Africa, visit its website, like its Facebook page and follow @iab_sa on Twitter.
Issued on behalf of the IAB South Africa (Interactive Advertising Bureau South Africa) by Janice Wilson Janice@iabsa.net on (011) 555 3800

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