Best Marketing Awards 2021 edition

‘Marketing through Transformation’

The ICCA Best Marketing Awards recognises the excellence and outstanding achievements of organisations in their effort to market their product and services. Now, we’ve given this prestigious, annual award a makeover to reflect the challenges ICCA Members have faced during the pandemic.

The 2021 ICCA Best Marketing Awards will celebrate Marketing through Transformation. 

The judging panel has selected the 10 finalists for the ICCA Best Marketing Award 2021.

We’re not looking for big budget campaigns and Hollywood productions. 

Show us your unique, out-of-the-box efforts. We want to recognise the ways you’ve inspired, engaged, and demonstrated our industry’s resilience and renewal. 
We invite all types of initiatives from all ICCA sectors and regions to showcase their Marketing through Transformation in:

• Crisis management
• Innovative digital solutions 
• Diversified sustainability solutions
• Organisation reputation maintenance and enhancement 
• Transition from brand promotion to brand protection
• Extraordinary collaborations & partnerships

The 2021 Best Marketing Awards criteria

This year’s edition features an inclusive judging panel to ensure all ICCA sectors and regions are well represented. The 2021 Best Marketing Awards winner and five outstanding recognitions will be selected based on high scores in the 2021 Awards criteria and voting results during the 60th ICCA Congress. 

Judging panellists and voting members will evaluate the 2021 Best Marketing Awards entries based on: 

• Innovation and creativity
• Research and rationale 
• Success in meeting the objectives
• Communication 
• Return on investment (beyond-revenue gains are encouraged. Such as collaboration, awareness, community support) 

The five entries with the second highest score for one criteria will be recognised alongside the award winner. 

2021 Best marketing Award Judging Panel

This year diverse judging panel, boosting years of experience behind them includes:

2021 Submission process

Phase 1 – Opening Submission

The competition is open to all ICCA Members and the ICCA Association Community (including individual members, or groups of members working together). 
Entries should be submitted in digital format and include:

• A short-written proposal/presentation (max 4 pages)
• A video presentation (6.40 mins, PechaKucha style, 20×20 presentation format. No need to download software or programme, just apply the format to your presentation)
• A short reel (Instagram style, 30 seconds in length)

Videos and reels production should be consistent with the following criteria:

• Personalised touch. We want to see ‘you’, your team and recognise your efforts.
• Casual tone of voice and engaging delivery. Captivate the audience in a fun and dynamic way.
• No state-of-the-art video production. Video quality should not exceed the quality of smartphone video standards.
• Big budget does not equal victory. We want to recognise the creativity and outstanding achievements of initiatives implemented with little to no budget.

Submissions should be sent to bestmarketingaward@iccaworld.org by September 15, 2021. 

The Best Marketing Award judging panel will choose the finalists. Stay tuned and you can watch the finalists’ videos on the ICCA Congress website from October 18.

Phase 2 – Selection of finalists

The finalists are chosen by the the Best Marketing Award judging panel.

Phase 3 – Voting and announcement of winner and recognitions

If you are an ICCA member, your ICCA first contact will receive a link at the email address associated with your organisation’s ICCA membership that will allow you to vote on the projects of the finalists for this year’s Best Marketing Award. The link will be sent on October 18, and the voting system will be open until 26 October, 5:00 PM CET (UTC -1).

Based on the results of the judging panel and the member vote during the ICCA Congress, the entry receiving the highest score across all criteria will be the winner. The winner for each of the five “outstanding recognition” categories will be the entry who receives the second highest score in that criterion.

Winner and recognitions for the 2021 Best Marketing Award will be announced during the 60th ICCA Congress, 27 October, at 2.30 PM CET (UTC-1).

Phase 4 –  Winner and Recognitions’ education and legacy

The winner and recognitions’ entries should be educational and inspiring to peers in the industry. ICCA will highlight the projects in an article that will include best practices and relevant strategies that other community members can use as a model for their own marketing efforts.

Why participating?

For Entrants

• Opportunity to showcase your efforts and projects to internal and external stakeholders
• Global visibility 
• Recognition of team efforts and reward
• Chance to inspire others and develop best practices for industry and sectors 
• Work on a fun and exciting project 

For Finalists

• One free registration for the ICCA Congress
• Profiling on ICCA communication channels (website, newsletter, social media -LinkedIn)
• Entry video featured on the on the ICCA Congress digital platform 
• Recognition during the ICCA Congress
• Reel streamed before/after Congress sessions 

For Recognitions 

• All the finalist perks
• Worldwide recognition from peers and colleagues
• Permanent featured recognition on ICCA website
• Personalised recognition award
• Project highlights featured in the “Best Marketing Award Education Paper”
• Dedicated global PR (newsletter, press release, social media) 

For Winner

• All the Recognitions’ perks 
• Personalised logo to use on your website, emails or promotional materials