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A01 Food Service/Restaurants
Food Service, whether dine in, takeaway, or delivery services all apply to this category.
A02 General Retail/Etail
Stores and/or websites that provide either a diverse range of merchandise (e.g. department store) or that specialise in a particular line of products.
A03 Business to Business (B2B)
The Business-to-Business category is designed for dedicated campaigns that are directed from one company to another company or companies, within a professional, trade or industry context, as opposed to consumers.
A04 Food, Confectionary and Snacks
FMCG businesses selling all things edible.
A05 Beverages
For brands that are concerned with share of throat. Alcoholic drinks compete with carbonated soft drinks, health tonics and water for consumers’ attention.
A06 Other Consumer Goods
All fast-moving consumer goods products (NB: established in the market for over 12 months) not covered in categories A04 and A05.
A07 Consumer Durables
Any product which is not purchased on a regular basis, and where there is a high involvement decision-making process. For instance: motor vehicles, white goods, brown goods, household furnishings, electronics and pharmaceuticals.
A08 Financial Services
Any brands that provide financial services are eligible in this category
A09 Telcos & Utilities
You’ll be judged alongside other telco and utility providers so you’ll need to clearly present the case for your approach to overcoming the challenge you faced within the category.
A10 Other Consumer Services
Open to companies whose main focus is providing a service to the consumer. For instance: airlines, hotels, domestic tourism and entertainment. Financial Services, Telcos and Utilities should enter categories A08 or A09.
A11 International Marketing
The intent of this category is to recognise campaigns that run in other countries but are designed to generate financial, sales or other results in New Zealand. It recognises marketing campaigns for New Zealand based organisations that were developed here in New Zealand but have run in other countries, but with the specific and sole intent of generating results in New Zealand. These campaigns have generated demonstrable results and paid back here in New Zealand which they can connect to work that ran outside New Zealand (the work can also have run in New Zealand, but that is not an eligibility requirement for this category).
Examples of the types of work eligible could include:
- A New Zealand based e-commerce site that markets in multiple countries but that manages the sales process from New Zealand and revenue comes directly to New Zealand.
- Inbound tourism campaigns that ran in other countries e.g. Australia, that can demonstrate results in New Zealand as opposed to results in Australia. This could include things like increased visitor numbers, increased spend, regional uplifts, average spend per tourist etc.
NB: Specifically excluded from this category are New Zealand brands that sell products in other countries where the revenue remains with a local subsidiary or distribution partner, even if the campaign was developed in New Zealand.
If you are considering entering this category for the first time, please contact the Convenor of Judges prior to developing your entry to ensure you are eligible.
A12 Social Marketing/Public Service
Marketing communications of a public service nature, including campaigns to promote social or behavioural change. This typically involves government department, local body or community service campaigns.
A13 Charity/Not for Profit
Promoting a particular not-for-profit association, special interest group charity or charitable society. Typically fundraising or promoting the work of the charity.
B01 New Product or Service
These must be NEW products, services, brands or variants developed to exist beyond just the campaign period. To be eligible, a NEW campaign and product or service must have launched within the eligibility period of 1 June 2021 and 30 June 2023. Results for launches are often good in the first year, so you’ll need to clearly demonstrate to the judges why the results were above and beyond what would ordinarily be expected.
Results can be measured until close of entry in August.
B02 Limited Budget: Less than $250,000
Campaigns with a total production and media spend of $250,000 or less. It must be a stand-alone campaign as opposed to a single execution from a larger campaign. This category is all about achieving a lot for a little. Judges are looking for strategic thinking, creative work and results that show how to convert a modest budget into a significant commercial result. Note: the budget limit of $250,000 must include the cost of any promotional prizes or incentives. NB. If any media has been provided at non-commercial rates, this needs to be calculated at rate card equivalent (or the entry might be better suited to A13 Charity/Not for Profit).
B03 Customer Experience
In this category, innovative single marketing & business activities or entire marketing programs will be awarded. You can 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. If communication was a significant element of marketing mix, work should be submitted in another competition category of Effie. Examples of eligible activities in this category include: design, technology or UX innovation for the customer experience; introduction/change of a loyalty program, introduction of a new distribution channel, app development, store design, etc.
B04 Content or Social-first campaigns
Campaigns that met the client challenge and had a demonstrable impact on business results through a compelling content-led solution. The judges are looking for content campaigns that took the big idea beyond advertising-led solutions and formats. Examples might include editorial-style content, branded entertainment, informational content that influenced brand and business results, or social-first campaigns that leveraged the distinct capabilities of social platforms to drive results. Entries should explain what insight led to content being the best solution to the client brief. You will need to demonstrate how the context or platform in which the content appeared enhanced the relevance and impact of the content. You will need to prove how this solution drove material and measurable results for the brand.
B05 Most Original Thinking
In this category entrants must demonstrate a high level of effectiveness and clearly articulate why the campaign deserves an award for Original Thinking. We’re looking for the sort of work that makes you wish you’d thought of it, that encourages other brands to think differently. Consider the factors that define Original Thinking, such as:
- First of its kind (in a category)
- Breaking the rules of the category - media, technology, idea
- New combination of existing ideas
- Wow factor - surprise, delight, fresh, unexpected
B06 Clever use of Research/Data
Campaigns that used data, analytics, or other research to inform the strategic solution and shape its execution to market. This is more than using off-the-shelf research platforms to generate audience insights. It recognises the critical role that great research and data can provide at all stages of the development process. It might be a textbook example of unlocking audience understanding through research, but equally, it might be an example of harnessing modern data capabilities to inform a campaign in real-time.
B07 Most Effective PR/Experiential Campaign
Campaigns that have a PR or experiential idea at their heart. The kind of idea that sets out with the explicit purpose to get the media talking or involve consumers in a tangible experience that delivers on the brand’s positioning or business objectives. Judges are looking for campaigns that begin with a PR or experiential idea, as opposed to marketing or integrated campaigns with a PR or experiential element. Great use of sponsorship or partnerships could be entered in this category. The judges will be looking for evidence of significant earned media, alongside commercial results. They’ll need a clear rationale for why PR or experiential was the right way to tackle the client’s brief, and evidence of how the PR or experiential activity measurably and materially drove the commercial result. Strength of proof will rely on demonstrating the link between this activity and how it has shifted consumer perceptions and behaviour in a way that has tangibly driven business effect.
B08 Short-Term Success
This category is for short-term impact campaigns that are designed to work within a 6-month period. This could be a day, a week or a number of months. Judges will still be looking for proof around the business challenge, where the insight and strategy came from, the great execution and how it delivered excellent results that met the short-term objectives.
B09 Insights & Strategic Thinking
Campaigns that showed the greatest fresh insights and strategic thinking to lead to the communications idea and achieve the marketing objectives. This is the thinking before the creative brief, as opposed to the creative idea or execution. Judges are looking for examples of where an agency has taken a client’s brief, and through fresh insight or inspired problem solving, developed a ground-breaking strategic direction. Judges will need to see a clear delineation between the strategic and creative thinking and understand how the strategic and creative platforms have or will deliver long-term success for the brand.
B10 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Community Engagement
This category applies to any campaigns, brand or non-profit, whose success was dependent on effectively and authentically connecting with specific cultural, ethnic, or underrepresented groups or communities (example: LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, etc.). If the entry had multiple audiences, it is necessary to demonstrate results for the specific audience detailed in the entry. Identify any elements in the creative work or strategy that are specifically directed to this community and any relevant cultural differences, dynamics and/or nuances, traditions, values, linguistic characteristics, and their significance with respect to your submission. Judges may not be familiar with your particular audience, so this is your opportunity to showcase the details that they may miss.
B11 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Positive Change
This category celebrates work with objectives designed to have a positive impact on society, people and the planet. Diversity and inclusivity initiatives or campaigns targeting broad audiences on issues such as inequality, poverty, prejudice, or disabilities. The entry will need to demonstrate that efforts have measurably shifted audience behaviour towards better choices and/or grown demand by integrating relevant socially-aware messaging into their marketing communications. Entries could be either for commercial enterprises, brands, governments and not-for-profit organisations or philanthropic trusts.
B12 Brand Revitalisation/Transformation
This is an award for rebirth campaigns. To enter, your brand must have experienced a significant downturn in brand equity/share followed by a period of at least six months of upturn sales. Entrants must detail the business challenge, the situation of the brand, the competitive landscape and how the effort succeeded.
Note: Your entry must address the previous marketing investment and strategy as part of the entry context. Also, provide detail on the length of the rebirth.
B13 Sustained Success
Products or services that have experienced sustained success for a period of at least 36 months. Entries must have a common objective and utilised the same strategy throughout the length of the campaign. They may have done so using different executions, but still deliver to the core insight and idea. The current year’s results must be included and be shown to build on the previous results. This award recognises strategy and creative platforms that are ‘built to last’ and demonstrate effectiveness over time. Judges will be looking for proof around the scale of challenge, where the strategy came from, where it’s going and how it continued to deliver results for the client over a sustained period of time.
Word Count 3000
C1 Effective Marketer of the Year
This award celebrates clients who champion effectiveness. Open to clients who have entered Effie cases within the last 3 years and can demonstrate a culture and commitment to advertising effectiveness. The entry can be jointly submitted by the advertiser and the agency/agencies.
Word Count 1500
EXECUTIVE JUDGES’ CHOICE AWARDS
These special categories cannot be entered and are awarded either by the Executive Judging Panel from the small pool of winning finalists or through the calculation of points.
Hardest Challenge
Campaigns that begin with an extraordinary degree of difficulty and achieve the seemingly impossible. Judges are looking for evidence that the challenge to the agency was an extremely tough one and, where relevant, that success was sustained. The campaign objectives will need to be very well qualified with a clear description of why they are so challenging. The winner will demonstrate strategic thinking, creative work and results that show how to succeed against all odds. Judges will favour entries that campaigns that provide evidence of sustained effects.
Most Effective Agency of the Year
This award recognises the most significant contribution made by an advertising agency to the success of their clients in the Effie Awards and reflects the true partnership between agency and client in achieving outstanding effectiveness in marketing communications. The award is based on the weighted value of Gold, Silver and Bronze Effie Awards won and number of finalist entries. The Grand Effie winner will receive 48 points, 24 points are awarded for Gold, 12 for Silver, 6 for Bronze and 2 for a finalist. Points are calculated and the winner is identified.
GRAND EFFIE® sponsored by TVNZ
All Gold Effie category winners will be eligible for the Grand Effie. This award is given to the campaign that achieved the most extraordinary commercial result for its client. Judges will evaluate the magnitude of the results, the return the client received on their investment and the evidence of that return having been driven by the agency’s campaign, to recognise the most effective campaign from a commercial results perspective.
