As the call for entries for the Indian Marketing Awards 2014 closed on October 31, 2014, Brand Activation, Digital Marketing and New Brand Launches emerged as the most popular award categories
As India’s stellar marketing event, the Indian Marketing Awards (IMA) 2014 completed its first phase, Brand Activation, Digital Marketing and New Brand Launches have emerged as the most popular award categories this year. IMA 2014 received 326 entries (at the time of going to Press) on the entry deadline day of October 31. Even as all categories saw a consistent entry flow, some categories clearly took centre-stage.
Industry’s choices
At the top of the pyramid is Brand Activation with the highest number of entries at 71. For this category, brands that are able to provide evidence of how they achieved outstanding results through incorporating all available communication means, such as sponsorship, events, PR, advertising and promotions, in a single theme will be shortlisted.
The next top pick is Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing with 55 entries. Brands that are able to demonstrate that they have efficiently used social media, mobile media or any other form of digital marketing media to leverage their brand and commercial performance will be in the running for the award.
With 39 entries, New Brand, Product or Service Launch is another popular entry category at IMA 2014. For this category, entrants are required to exhibit strong commercial success in creation of a new product/service from an existing brand owner, or from an emerging business.
Besides these three top picks, Brand Revitalization, Cause Related Marketing, Consumer Insight, and Marketing Communication are some of the other categories that have created a lot of buzz for IMA 2014.
Next phase
IMA will have a rigorous two-stage judging process. The pre-screening jury will scan entries beginning November 3. The judges will look to reward innovation, strategic thinking, results and key outcomes that contributed value to the respective organizations. All entries will be evaluated equally on the basis of four elementary criteria—issue, solution (including marketing outputs), result (marketing outcomes), and key outcomes that contributed value to the organization.
Expert take
Keeping in mind the challenges and opportunities, exchange4media’s unique initiative, IMA 2014, will set the standard for marketing excellence in India, and recognize the fact that marketing is critical for organic growth of a business and highlight its central role in creating, communicating, capturing and sustaining value for an organization.
According to IMA jury chair, Vinita Bali, “With the marketing conversation entering the boardroom it becomes a key imperative for marketing professionals to demonstrate the return that marketing investment generates, so that in crunch situations, companies don’t slash advertising budgets, but rather spend them wisely and effectively to generate incremental sale.”
Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, exchange4media group, said, “With digital taking over, brands today are acting as publishers and newsrooms. Content creation and distribution are complex and difficult phenomena. New models in e-commerce emerge every day. The brands that are rethinking the traditional commerce model are the ones that will shape the future for marketers and consumers alike.”
The awards will be presented to organizations, individuals and teams who have achieved extraordinary success from innovative and effective marketing practices, having regard to the particular circumstances of different industries and diversity of marketing programmes.
Key driving factors of success in business like Brand Activation, Brand Extension, Brand Revitalization, among others, reflect strategic marketing objectives that are common to all organizations. As the industry, at large, expects marketers to master every channel and technology that pops up, to integrate them flawlessly and to realistically be able to forecast what’s next, the Indian Marketing Awards 2014 aim at recognizing and celebrating the most innovative and effective campaigns for their strategy, execution and delivery.
