A-1. Building, Real Estate

Commercial and residential real estate, construction, development, includes all related products, materials, tools and services of real estate.

A-2. Government & Public Service

Municipal or state economic development, lotteries, utilities, civil, diplomatic or armed forces, parks, libraries, public services, etc. Includes political and patriotic campaigns, state campaigns and programs.

A-3. Pet care

Animal care products and services of all types, including food, toys, veterinary and boarding services, training, breeders.

A-4. Delivery Services

Couriers, package/freight shipping, food & drink delivery, grocery delivery, flower/gift delivery, overnight delivery, package tracking, international service, etc.

A-5. Electronics

TVs, radios, mobile devices, home entertainment, laptops, tablets, cameras, computer hardware, game consoles, drones, external or integrated VR/AR devices, sound systems, etc. Electronic devices may be aimed at consumers or businesses.

A-6. Health, Fitness,& Wellness

Unregulated products/services focused on consumer health and/or promoting a healthy lifestyle. Includes digital health products, fitness trackers, health/fitness apps, exercise equipment, nutraceuticals, vitamins, energy bars and drinks, etc.; fitness studios; weight loss and fitness programs, training camps and facilities, etc.

A-7. Gaming & E-Sports

All forms of e-sports and single and multi-player video games, including virtual reality, arcade, console, mobile, online & computer games.

A-8. Internet & Telecom

Mobile network providers, high speed internet access services, online services, bundled communications (internet, telephone, and TV), etc.

A-9. IT, Software, Apps

Software, groupware, operating systems, SaaS/IaaS and Cloud based services, software/apps stored locally on a computer/tablet/mobile device, etc.

A-10. Beauty, Personal Care & Fragrance

Products and services focused on beauty, which includes cosmetics, fragrances, hair products, nail products, skincare treatments.; beauty services such as salons, spas, etc. Personal care products such as soap, dental products, face & body lotions and cleansers, cotton swabs, deodorants, feminine hygiene products, razors, shaving cream, etc.

A-11. Culture & The Arts

Museums, plays, music organizations and festivals, concert series, cultural festivals, theater festivals.

A-12. Media & Entertainment Companies

TV networks, streaming services, websites (entertainment, lifestyle, news, trade, etc.), magazines, newspapers, consumer or trade media, radio stations, broadcasters, etc.

A-13. Fashion & Accessories

Jewelry, brands of clothing, handbags, accessories, eyewear, shoes, etc. Includes style services etc.

A-14. Beverages: Alcohol

Beer, champagne, liquor, wine, hard seltzers, wine coolers, etc.

A-15. Beverages: Non-Alcohol

Diet and non-diet soda, coffee, tea, juices, milk, milk substitutes, bottled water, sparkling water, etc.

A-16. Non-Profit

Not-for-profit organizations of all types including charitable, social, civic, advocacy, trade, special interest, religious, etc. Includes membership drives, recruitment, fundraising, etc.

A-17. Education & Training

Includes all educational organisations and institutions, training programmes, job/career sites, development centers, language schools, etc.

A-18. Household Supplies & Services (incl FMCG)

Cleaning products, detergents, floor-care products, fabric softeners, paper products, domestic services, mowers, fertilizers, lawn care, gardening services, etc.

A-19. Travel & Tourism

Cruises, hotels, resorts, amusement parks, travel websites and booking services, travel tours, tourism campaigns, etc.

A-20. Products & Services For Children

Includes baby food, cosmetic and personal care, clothing, toys and other goods and services for kids etc.

A-21. Food

All food, whether fresh, chilled and frozen and packaged, foods both regular and diet/light. Also includes snacks and desserts such as ice cream, candy/sweets, chips, cookies, bakery items, nut, fruit & vegetable snacks, popcorn, chocolate bar etc.

A-22. Professional Services

Includes Business/Professional services such as accounting, consulting, legal, staffing, recruiting, domestic services, etc.

A-23. Restaurants, Catering

Quick service, casual dining, mid-scale, fine dining, tablecloth, and any other restaurants. Catering services.

A-24. Entertainment, Sports, Leisure & Recreation

Includes all forms of entertainment, e.g. video games, movies, TV shows, podcasts, games, toys, entertainment apps, etc. Sporting events such as the Super Bowl, sports teams, etc. Leisure & Recreation: Products and services aimed at hobbies, leisure, and recreation, including, but not limited to: dating services/apps, personal development/improvement programs/apps, genetics/ancestry testing services, sporting and camping goods/services, etc.

A-25. Retail

All retail companies (online and/or brick and mortar) with general or specific merchandise such as department stores; clothing, shoes or jewelry stores; grocery stores; home and garden stores; movie/bookstores; discount/bulk retailers; pet care; toy stores; specialty stores; convenience stores; etc.

A-26. Agricultural, Industrial

All related products, materials, tools and services.

A-27. Insurance

Communications promoting specific products or services related to insurance and the capabilities of financial institutions offering these services. All types of insurance are eligible (home, auto, financial, life, travel, business, health insurance companies etc).

A-28. Home Furnishings & Appliances

Kitchen and laundry appliances, air conditioners, carpeting, furniture, decorator’s supplies, paint, wallpaper, etc.

A-29. Business & Office Supplies

Business cards & professional printing, office equipment including printers, copiers, supplies, furniture, etc.

A-30. Automotive – Vehicles

Cars, trucks, motorcycles, vans. Both brand and model advertising.

A-31. Automotive – Aftermarket

Gasoline, motor oil, tires, batteries, paint, quick-lube, oil change, muffler, transmission, windshield wipers, enhancements, etc.

A-32. Transportation & Logistics

All transportation methods: air, train, bus, taxi, rideshare services, subway systems, bike shares, scooter shares, car rentals, ferries, etc.

A-33. Pharma & Healthcare Services

Pharmaceutical and medicinal products, medicines, healthcare services: OTC, consumer/DTC, devices, professional healthcare (healthcare products that are directed to healthcare professionals), hospitals, HMOs, referral services, dental and medical care services, pharmacies or chronic care facilities. Efforts may be targeted to healthcare professionals, patients,and/or consumers.

A-34. Finance

Financial products and services including: communications promoting overall image and capabilities of a financial institution; specific products or services including credit/debit cards, reward/loyalty cards, financial planning, mobile payment services, retirement funds, investment, home banking, loans, mortgage, mutual funds, etc.

B-35. Business-to-Business

This category is for marketing efforts from businesses targeting other businesses. Business-to-business efforts for any type of product or service, from any marketplace segment, are eligible to enter.

B-36. Youth Marketing

This category honors efforts that successfully communicate to teens or young adults. The entry should be written in a way that identifies how the case was created and specifically directed to this audience, and how it succeeded.Identify any elements in the creative work or strategy that are specifically directed to the youth market and any relevant dynamics and/or nuances, trends, values, linguistic characteristics, and their significance with respect to your submission. Note: Judges may not be familiar with this particular youth audience, so showcase details that may be missed.

C-37. Brand Content & Entertainment

For efforts that effectively reached their audience through the creation of original branded content that is not advertising. The core of the entry should be content designed to be consumed/ experienced and sought out by the consumer for entertaining or informative reasons. Entrants must detail the content, how it related back to the overall brand and business goals, how it was distributed to, and shared by, the audience, and the results it achieved for the brand and business. Branded content may be produced and distributed by either publishers or independently and can include longform entertainment. Note: Judges will expect to understand why branded content was chosen as a tactic.

C-38. Brand Integration & Entertainment Partnerships

This award will honor those brands that have effectively reached their audience via strategic integrations & entertainment partnerships. Submissions should detail how the brand was seamlessly interwoven within the right content in an engaging way. Detail the strategic reasoning behind the partnership – why was this partner chosen over others? Clearly detail the selection process of the partner, and explain how this partnership led to the results that met the objectives of the brand.

C-39. Experiential Marketing: Live, Digital

This category is to showcase brand experiences beyond traditional advertising – work that truly brought a brand or product to life and interacted with a specific audience to achieve desired objectives should be entered. It may include a re-invented product demo, re-imagined pop-up, or a “brick and mortar” retail overhaul; it may have created a new game, an alternate or virtual reality experience, or an interactive/immersive film experience that effectively showcases a new product or brand personality. Award winners will show how the brand is reaching out to their audiences to establish meaningful relationships, memorable, engaging experiences, and unique connections. Entrants must address how the experiential marketing related back to the overall brand strategy. Judges will expect to understand the ‘participation’ in the experience as a core factor.

D-40. Business Challenge/David vs. Goliath

This is an award for smaller, new, or emerging brands that are making inroads against big, established leaders, taking on “sleeping giants,” or moving into a new product/service field beyond their current category and set of competitors to tackle a dominant leader. Entrants must detail the business challenge, the competitive landscape, and how the business succeeded despite the odds. Define your competitive landscape, including the market difference between the David and Goliath to demonstrate why the brand was a David. Note: Judges will deduct from the case without sufficient proof that the submitting brand is a David in the situation.

D-41. Renaissance/Rebranding

Renaissance: This is an award for rebirth efforts. To enter your brand must have experienced a downturn of several years and a period of at least six months of upturn sales. The effort being entered needs to have been the driver of renaissance, perhaps via re-positioning or an alternative strategic approach. Entrants must detail the business challenge, the situation of the brand, the competitive landscape and how the effort succeeded.
Rebranding: Campaigns that succeeded in renewing an older brand, reversing a declining brand or re-staging a brand (rebranding) to reach new audiences and contemporize its relevance in the category or marketplace

D-42. New Product/Service Introduction

Efforts used to introduce a new product or service that is not a line extension. Address the category situation and how your product/service was new and the situation you faced as a result of it being new. For example, what specifically was new? Why did the newness matter?

D-43. Short-term Effectiveness

Activation campaigns that may take effect over one day, or up to four weeks. Maximum of 3 months data permitted. Participants should determine relevance between entry and its' category depends on product and the campaign objectives. In the jury process will be account factor of achieve results in a shorter time, or compared to the usual similar campaigns.

D-44. Single Communication Channel

Effiective use of single communication channel (TV, outdoor, magazines, radio etc.).

D-45. Small Budget

Cases eligible for this category must represent the only communications efforts for this brand during the qualifying time period. To be eligible, an entry may not be for a line extension, a sub brand, or have an overarching brand campaign to support it. Value of donated and non-traditional media as well as activation costs must be included. This category is all about what you were able to achieve with a small media budget, rather than small production and creative budget.

D-46. Timely Opportunity

This category spotlights effective strategic efforts that were able to generate desired results as a direct outcome from a single significant moment of activity. Cases should show how the brand or product/service was put in an intensely bright spotlight to create immediate, measurable, unexpected, and unconvential impact. The best examples include live experiences, moments, stunts, and tactics, online and offline, perhaps amplified through PR, social media, digital engagement, or even the use of content created in the moment to fuel paid campaigns.

D-47. New Product or Service Line Extension. NEW

Efforts used to support a variation of an existing product that shares the same brand name and is in the same category as the existing product and shares the same characteristics as the parent but offers new benefit (flavor, size, package, type, etc). Address the category situation and how your product/service was new and the situation you faced as a result of it being new. For example, what specifically was new? Why did the newness matter?

D-48. Marketing Disruptors

For efforts that grew the business/brand by changing the marketing model in ways that drive the industry forward. A marketing disruptor of any size can enter. Detail the marketing challenge, the competitive landscape, and how the brand succeeded by changing the existing marketing model for the brand/category.

D-49. PR, Corporate Reputation

This category is for communications that promote corporations, not exclusively their products. Includes sponsorships, image & identity. In addition to presenting metrics related to the reputation, entrants are encouraged to also address how these metrics relate to the business of the brand and why they are important.

D-50. Sponsorships. NEW

This category is for marketing efforts centred around sponsorships. Entrants are required to provide information on the nature of collaboration/sponsorship and strategic rationale/fit behind it, as well as evidence that it was this sponsorship that led to effective results and delivered your objectives. Sponsorships can be between two brands or between a brand and an individual e.g. an influencer/public-life personality/celebrities. This sponsorship can be part of a wider marketing effort or a standalone activity and the entrant needs to make this clear in their entry.

D-51. Sustained Success

Product or service marketing efforts that have experienced sustained success for at least three years are eligible for entry.
•At a minimum, you must include at least three years of creative work and case results, and you must include the current competition time period.
•Work must have a common objective in both strategy and creative executions; with a continuation of core executional elements (e.g. spokesperson, song, theme, tagline, etc.) that demonstrates effectiveness over time.
•As part of your entry, specifically address how the effort evolved over time (e.g. media choices, targeting, insights, new products/services, etc.). Answer all questions for the initial year and describe how/why change occurred over time.

PLEASE NOTE! Download the special entry form for this category - SUSTAINED SUCCESS ENTRY FORM

E-52. Category/Aisle Evolution. NEW

Some of the most impactful efforts occur when a deep understanding of shoppers’ attitudes, behaviors, and needs lead to innovative category/aisle evolution, whether in-store, online or both. Entrants must outline how the effort utilized shopper activation at shelf or shopper awareness of evolution to enhance the shopping experience and drove greater engagement, conversion, and category growth. Successful entries in this category will be sustainable evolutions and not simply promotional in nature.

E-53. Challenger Brand Solution. NEW

This is an award for smaller, new, or emerging brands that are making inroads against big, established leaders, taking on “sleeping giants,” or moving into a new product/service field beyond their current category and set of competitors to tackle a dominant leader. (Challenger brands are defined as having less than 15% of branded market share in the product/service category.) Entrants must detail the business challenge, the competitive landscape, and how their business succeeded despite the odds. Requirements include a definition of the competitive landscape, including the market difference between the entered brand and it’s top competitors to demonstrate why this brand is a challenger. Note: Judges will deduct from the case if sufficiently proof that the brand is appropriately classified as a challenger brand is not included.

E-54. E-Commerce

This category is for campaigns that effectively used insights, strategy, creative, and analytics to drive ecommerce shopper conversion. Show how, by utilizing data and a deep understanding of the shopper, the brand and/or retailer succeeded in an e-commerce setting. A successful effort will combine strong shopper knowledge with digital marketing practices to increase conversion online. The effort must be based on a shopper insight(s) and be shopper-driven. Explain the strategy of how the effort went to market with e-commerce. Submissions in this category will be solely evaluated on e-commerce effectiveness.

E-55. Experiential Shopper Marketing. NEW

This award features work that truly brought a brand, product, or retailer to life – either literally or virtually – and interacted with shoppers to influence conversion. You may have re-invented the product demo, re-imagined the pop-up store, or led a “brick and mortar” retail overhaul, or created a new game/interactive film experience that effectively showcases a new product or brand personality. The winners of this award will show how brands and/or retailers are reaching out to audiences to establish meaningful relationships, memorable engaging experiences, and unique connections. Entrants in this category must address how the experience related back to the overall brand strategy.

E-56. Multi-Brand Shopper Solution

Shoppers are looking for ways to tackle everyday challenges, whether it’s what to prepare for dinner or how to maintain a beautiful lawn – they seek all-in-one solutions. This award celebrates multibrand/product/manufacturer solutions that came together to address exactly what their target shopper needed. Entries into this category must address the rationale behind the creation of these differentiated shopper solutions. Brands may be from a single manufacturer or multiple manufacturers. Shopper solutions may be developed by manufacturer(s) and/or retailers.

E-57. Multi-Retailer Program

For campaigns that ran with a central idea and executed that idea via dedicated rollouts to three or more different retail chains. Cases in this category will highlight and explain both the cohesive thread working at each retailer, and the specific customizations that were done for each retailer. Entrants should outline the specific barriers and challenges in tailoring their solution to each retailer – elaborating on the nuances among the shopper segment and insights at each retailer, differences in retail environments, etc.

E-58. Omni-Channel Shopper Solution

Winners in this category will represent the best examples of manufacturers and retailers committed to providing effective omni-channel shopper programs. Enter brands that have ensured an effective, connected shopper journey and showcase how manufacturers and retailers are connecting the dots in their engagement strategies to ensure simple, seamless, effective experiences across the shoppers’ path to purchase. Instore, online, customer service, loyalty programs, mobile apps, delivery services, social media, aisle disruption – it could entail anything – as long as the case illustrates how it was all connected to provide a fully integrated “shopper journey” from beginning to end.

E-59. Single-Retailer Program

For campaigns that ran with a tailored, retailer-specific idea and executed that idea at a single retail chain (mass merchants, supermarkets, drugstores, warehouse clubs, pure play e-commerce stores, etc.). The work in this category will provide insights as to how an effort was effectively designed to work with the retailer and the shoppers of that retailer. Entrants should elaborate on the specific shopper barriers affecting their brand at that retailer and how they addressed those issues in a customized way for that retailer.

F-60. Social Media

The campaigns must show how the brand used social media at the core of the campaign to communicate campaign messages to its target market, understand how it impacted them, whilst also evaluating both the paid and organic reach that was achieved. It is not enough to count the number of impressions, likes or shares. You will need to measure and prove the commercial value of social through the direct effect it had on audience behaviour or perceptions and demonstrate correlation with the achieved business results.

F-61. Engaged Community

This category is about managing effective, engaged communities. Entrants are brands that are creating content, experiences, platforms, news, etc. that get their communities to grow, engage, share, act, or amplify messaging in a way that directly relates to the brand’s goals. State clearly how the brand managed the community, defined effectiveness around the community, what they specifically achieved, and why the engaged community was significant for the development of the brand/business.

F-62. Direct to Consumer

This category is for effective marketing efforts from direct to consumer businesses. DTC efforts for any type of product or service, from any marketplace segment, are eligible.

F-63. Influencer Marketing

For brands that effectively worked with key influencers to reach their target audience to achieve short or long-term marketing goals. Influencers/opinion leaders may be a social media/vertical platform leaders, brand ambassadors, bloggers, etc. – from micro to macro. Clearly identify the strategy, the desired audience, and why the influencer was important to that audience. Explain why the brand selected that influencer, what the influencer did for the audience, how they were used to carry out marketing activities, and what consumer behaviors were impacted, and a result, how the business was impacted.

F-64. Performance Marketing

This category recognizes the most effective performance marketing efforts. To be eligible, your effort must have been led by performance marketing and the case must demonstrate how the effort drove results for the business using performance marketing KPIs.

PLEASE NOTE! Download the special entry form for this category – PERFORMANCE MARKETING ENTRY FORM

G-65. Cross Media Storytelling

The brand builds up the communication area through the usage of 3+ marketing tools, creates a loud informational occasion around itself and receives a viral effect (earned media). Communication should coincide with the global values of the brand as much as possible, and the content should be relevant to the target audience. This is a large-scale integrated campaign that brought business results, and also formed an image in the long term perspective. The category does not include shopper/trade marketing campaigns, promo sale activation. Participants should describe the idea in detail, eco-system of the campaign, organicity, efficiency and further development of communication.

G-66. Media Idea

This category is about outstanding effectiveness as a result of media-led ideas. The line between what constitutes a creative idea and a media idea is blurring and there are occasions when the media idea drove the entire effort. Of course, media cannot exist without the content, but this award is intended to recognize those cases that were led by the media thinking – where the integration of media and message led to success. The award honors media-led ideas that are powerful enough to become the genesis of the marketing program itself, to the extent that the program would not have been successful without the strategic media idea.

G-67. Media Innovation

This award showcases those who had the insight and creativity to change the way a particular media channel is consumed, or to create a new channel. The award will go to brands who reached out of the conventional approach to grab their audience and effectively engage with them. Whether the effort was one execution or multiple, and/or used one engagement channel or multiple – the work must represent new and creative usage of the media channels we know and love, or have not yet met. Note: All entries must specifically address what was innovative and the results achieved. Provide clear articulation of how the media was used innovatively and how the media strategy/plan optimized the results.

G-68. Media Content Partnerships

For efforts based on partnerships between a brand and a media owner/platform to create and activate original media content beyond traditional advertising. Partnerships should demonstrate the innovative consumer connections that media companies can develop for advertisers via integrated communication channels centered on creative and strategic content. Each activation channel is critical to delivering the overall effectiveness. Submissions must detail the strategic reasoning behind the partnership – why was this partner chosen over others? Clearly detail the selection process of the partner, and explain how this partnership led to the results that met the objectives of the brand.

G-69. Target Audience Reach In Media Campaign

This category are evaluated the depth of analysis and understanding of the brand role and media in the life of specific groups of consumers, including their needs, lifestyle, values and interests. The reach of target audience should insure a success of campaign in general.

G-70. Data-driven/Programmatic

For the application of data and technology used to identify and match the right audiences to the right message at the right moments. These efforts should prove how they specifically utilized data to optimize media to improve business outcomes (brand KPIs, ROI, performance marketing measures, etc.). The best examples will recognize the interplay and application of automation, applied technology, and human and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver to a precise audience and achieve the best results. To enter, the case must detail the role that data had within the media strategy in achieving the brand and business goals. Submissions are expected to: • Utilize personalized/custom-tailored creative messages. • Explain how data impacted the media plan through clear measurement & analytics. • Demonstrate the insights captured from data used to understand audience.

H-71. Business/Product/Service Innovation. NEW

This category awards innovative single marketing and business activities or entire marketing programs. Submit any action or business idea regarding innovation for the product, service, or business that has had an exceptionally positive impact on the market position. Examples of eligible activities in this category include: product/service innovation; change in packaging, both in terms of its appearance and size; design, technology or ux innovation for the business, product or service; consumer involvement in product development; operation change, etc.

H-72. Customer Experience. NEW

This category awards innovative single marketing and business activities or entire marketing programs. Submit any action or business idea regarding customer experience innovation that has had an exceptionally positive impact on the market position of a business, brand, product or service. Examples of eligible activities in this category include: design, technology or UX innovation for the customer experience; consumer involvement in product development; introduction/change of a loyalty program, introduction of a new distribution channel, etc.

I-73. Positive Change – Environmental: Brands

Recognizing brands with marketing programs that have measurably shifted audience (B2B or B2C) behavior toward more environmentally sustainable choices, and/or grown demand for more sustainable products and services by incorporating environmentally conscious messaging into their marketing communications.

I-74. Positive Change – Environmental: Non-Profit

Recognizing non-profit organizations and associations with marketing programs that have measurably shifted audience (B2B or B2C) behavior toward more environmentally sustainable choices, grown demand for more sustainable products and services, and/or measurably drove positive impact for their cause by incorporating environmentally conscious messaging into their marketing communications.

I-75. Positive Change – Social Good: Brands

Recognizing brands that are making the world a better place by using the power of their communications platforms for "good." This category celebrates for-profit brand efforts that effectively combined business goals with a social cause (health, education, community, family, etc) and successfully related that cause back to the company's overall brand strategy, resulting in positive business and social impact.

I-76. Positive Change – Social Good: Non-Profit

Recognizing non-profit organizations and associations whose communications efforts have effectively driven positive change for society and successfully contributed back to the organization's purpose. Campaigns must show measurable impact and proven results in support of the cause.

I-77. Positive Change – Social Good: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. NEW

"For marketing efforts proven effective in solving / impacting a social problem or in expanding an existing program in ways that benefit our society. This is about creating positive societal and cultural change, changing accepted norms and stereotypes that create societal inequalities with inspired action. Examples include initiatives that creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive society; or creating equal opportunities at work and in wider society for all members of our society. Any effort that sets out to give back in some way for the greater good is eligible to enter, and any/all marketing efforts, whether full campaigns or unique efforts within a campaign are eligible to enter as long as measurable results exist."

I-78. Positive Change – Social Good: PEACE. NEW

For marketing efforts proven effective in positively impact the world. Examples include initiatives aimed to change the world: to fight against war, aggression, genocide, crimes against humanity.

J-79. Seasonal Marketing

Seasons, holidays and annual events allow marketers the opportunity to build strategic efforts based on the time-based interests of their target audience. This category honors those efforts that effectively capitalized on a season, holiday, or annual cultural event to drive results for their business.

PLEASE NOTE! Entrants may submit into either Seasonal Marketing or Topical Marketing – the same case cannot be entered into both categories.

J-80. Crisis Response / Critical Pivot

This award is for brands that created positive change by effectively pivoting their marketing program or business activities in response to significant structural and cultural shifts (e.g. Covid 19, election, etc.) in the current landscape. Entrants will need to demonstrate the effectiveness of the action for the brand. Examples can include a pivot in positioning, a change in portfolio management, a digital acceleration, etc.

J-81. Topical Marketing (Current Events)

For cases that effectively leveraged immediate relevance, interest, or importance via a targeted marketing/PR strategy around current news and events (e.g., World Cup, Olympics, economic situations, social issues,etc.).

PLEASE NOTE! Entrants may submit into either Seasonal Marketing or Topical Marketing – the same case cannot be entered into both categories.