What will it take to have your work make it to the winners’ circle?
ANA’s Judges’ Journals features a series of Q&A sessions with leading industry executives participating on 2024 ANA Award juries. Gain insight from the judges on what they will be looking for and what makes the difference between a good vs. award worthy submission. In this segment, Denise McDevitt, senior vice president, award programs at ANA connects with Russ Meyer, executive director, brand strategy and innovation at CVS Health and 2024 ANA In-House Excellence Awards Judge.
Russ> Exceptional creative solutions come down to a few straightforward criteria. But that doesn’t make them easy. I’ll be looking for examples that are: Simple. Unexpected. Maximising the opportunity. Driving action, not just perceptual change.
Russ> It’s easy to err by either getting distracted by the new, shiny tech solutions or dismissing them as not ‘tried and true.’ I will be focused on programs integrating new technologies that provide real, tangible benefits to the target, not ones that provide an opportunity for the creator to show off.
Russ> I’ll be expecting the ‘unexpected’: fresh framing and insights into the problem being solved, the tension being highlighted, the idea they inspire or the outcomes they cause. I want to leave knowing something I didn’t before – ideally something in plain sight that no one has articulated in quite that way before.
Russ> Big ideas are about maximising the opportunity presented, not about size. It isn’t about the size of budget, number of channels executed, the sheer volume of material created or the flash in the marketplace.
Russ> Marketing efforts must be assessed against metrics that matter. Eyeballs and clicks are no longer enough. Performance is about measuring actions that directly accrue to tangible business results.
Russ> Risk taking (i.e., the unexpected) must be a part of every winning entry. At this stage, a well-run, well-done program like anyone else’s is not going to stand out. The exciting fact is the unexpected can come from many aspects of an entry.
Russ> How would you complete this sentence:
“If nothing else, be sure your submission… is clear about the tangible actions the target took as a direct result of your idea and execution.
The ANA In-House Awards program is dedicated to showcasing the most creative, strategic, and growth-driving advertising created by any type of in-house team dynamic.
The final deadline to submit work into the 2024 In-House Excellence Awards program is February 9th, 2024.
Awards will be presented to top in-house teams for the best advertising and marketing projects of 2023 across thirteen different categories plus the In-House Agency of the Year honour at the In-House Excellence Awards Gala - a special evening reception/dinner awards ceremony event at the ANA In-House Agency Conference & Awards Gala | May 15th, 2024 | Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad, CA.