ANA Judges' Journal: Simon Au

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 Simon Au, executive creative director at The Kitchen @ Kraft Heinz and 2024 ANA In-House Excellence Awards Judge. 

Q> Every entrant wants to know what it will take to win an ANA In-House Excellence Award – what campaign components will you be looking for this year to distinguish good vs. exceptional?

Simon> To distinguish exceptional entries, I'll be closely examining several key components:

- Innovative thinking, pushing the boundaries of what's possible within the given constraints.

- Strong strategy and insight that lead to the idea. 

- How your results directly tie to your campaign objectives.

- Show me you understand your audience, their needs and preferences.

Q> We have a variety of “realities” to work in these days - XR, AR, MR, VR - what priority will you be giving to entries that implement an integration of traditional and new tech realities in their marketing efforts?

Simon> Ultimately, the work will be judged on how the new technology enhances and bring the core idea to life, using the tech for tech sakes without a great idea always falls flat.

Q> In the submission form, we ask entrants to impress and excite us with the “ah-ha” solution they developed – what elements are you expecting the entrant to share in this section?  What are you hoping to learn?

Simon> I am hoping entrants to share how their solution was truly unique and the inspiration behind the “ah-ha” moment. I'm hoping to learn about their ability to think differently, adapt to challenges, and craft solutions that have a direct positive impact on their campaigns. 

Q> A key section of the case study submission is dedicated to how teams brought their big idea to life – for you as a judge, what details would you consider critical for entrants to include?  What will it take for this section to achieve a higher score over other submissions? 

Simon> Tell me a story that showcases how your team worked together creatively to bring the idea to life. I would like to see details like:

- From concept to execution – walk me through the creative process. 

- How you reached the strategy behind the work

- Any challenges faced during implementation and the solutions you came up with to address them.

- How did your campaign successfully meet (or exceed) its objectives. 

Q> An effective performance evaluation framework is critical to show the value a marketing campaign delivered.  What type of evaluation framework do you use when assessing marketing efforts?  What metrics and KPIs will you expect entrants to provide in their submissions?

Simon> Earned impressions is important to me, it shows how well it impacted culture. 

Q> Risk taking and effectiveness – sometimes friends, sometimes foes. How have you handled the balance in your marketing efforts, and how will you weigh these elements in your judging of the In-House Excellence submissions?

Simon> A truly bold breakthrough idea always carries risk, without it the work will be wallpaper. I rather see something that ‘risky’ and challenge me then not at all. I push my team every day to make bold decisions and I would like to see the same in the work that I’m judging. 

Q> My last question – if you could offer just one key suggestion, one request in your role as an In-House Excellence Awards judge to teams preparing their entries – what would it be?

Simon> Make sure the work is backed up with a strong strategic insight that is based on human truth. 

The ANA In-House Awards programme 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 programme is February 9, 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 honor 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 15, 2024 | Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad, CA.