The Web Marketing Association judges will select the best email advertising of 2008 in 86 industries as part of their sixth annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. Companies or agencies wishing to nominate their work for consideration may do so at www.IACAward.org before the deadline of January 31, 2008.
“Email marketing is the workhorse of online marketing for many companies trying to maintain an ongoing relationship with customers and prospects,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The creative used in an email marketing campaign has gone from text only to highly personalized ads targeting highly segmented lists. Each email advertisement and campaign will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium. The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to find out who is doing an outstanding job creating email advertising. It’s also a great marketing opportunity for the winners to promote to senior management, customers and prospects their outstanding work”.
The 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards will accept entries from 86 industries, including airline, biotech, B2B, consumer goods, education, health care, financial services, professional services, technology and travel just to name a few. Entries judged to be outstanding will receive an IAC Award. The entry receiving the highest score in each industry will be recognized as the best email advertisement for that industry.
“We believe that winning an industry specific award is more valuable to the participant. It allows the participants to be judges against their peers, just like in the marketplace,” said Rice.
The 2007 Best of Show winner for Email Message was IQ Interactive for “Explorer” Video Newsletter. The entry was also recognized as the Best Travel Email Message. Other Top Email Advertisements for 2007 included:
Goodyear Garage January Enthusiast Email Best Automobile Email message submitted by Hitchcock Fleming & Associates
Money Laundering International Conference and Exhibition Best B2B Email message submitted by Creative Direct Marketing Group
Landor Associates Best Consulting Email message submitted by Landor Associates
NMFN News Brief Best Financial Services Email message submitted by TMX Communications
SeaBear Wild Salmon Best Food Industry Email message submitted by Tellus, LLC
U.S. Department of State – “Today I will help a local government” Best Government Email message submitted by JWT Employment Communications
The Rittenhouse – Email Message Best Hotel and Lodging Email message submitted by TIG Global
MetLife Quarterly Service e-Mail Best Insurance Email message campaign Steven Paraboschi
TMX Holiday Cheers Email 2006 Best Interactive Services Email message submitted by TMX Communications
Hispanic Email Best Marketing Email message submitted by CRN International, Inc. Hispanic Email
TAMIFLU Email Best Pharmaceuticals Email message submitted by TMX Communications
Coast Sweetest Day HTML Email Best Restaurant Email message submitted by Mark Roller, Coast Restaurant
Donald Haack Diamonds – Holiday Treasures Best Retail Email message submitted by CC Communications, Inc.
I’ve been everywhere – eDM Best Telecommunication Email message submitted by The white agency
The 2007 Best of Show winner for Email Message Campaign was NASCAR.com/Datran Media for NASCAR.com Revs Up Fans with Email Marketing. The newsletter was also recognized as the Best Real Estate Email Message. Other best email ad campaigns included:
Driven to Succeed: Mercedes & Aeroplan Best Automobile Email message submitted by ThinData, Inc.
BankAtlantic Upromise Email Offer Best Bank Email message campaign submitted by BankAtlantic Marketing Department
Divide and Conquer Best Consumer Goods Email message campaign submitted by Mark Roller, Ascedia. Inc & Kohler Co.
Key Sector Marketing Campaign Best Employment Email message campaign submitted by AndersElite
Georgia.org Email Newsletters Best Government Email message campaign submitted by Spunlogic
Bariatric Edge Email Best Health Care Email message campaign submitted by Bridge Worldwide
MetLife Quarterly Service e-Mail Best Insurance Email message campaign submitted by Steven Paraboschi
TAMIFLU Email Campaign Best Pharmaceuticals Email message campaign submitted by TMX Communications
Perfect Home Email Campaign Best Retail Email message campaign submitted by nurun | ant farm interactive
SeaBear Wild Salmon Best Small Business Email message campaign submitted by Tellus, LLC
Miami, FL – Festival Season Campaign Best Travel Email message campaign submitted by USDM.net
The 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are open to all organizations and individuals (advertising and interactive agencies, corporate marketing departments, etc.) involved in the process of developing Internet advertising. Entries may be submitted online at www.iacaward.org. The deadline for entry is January 31, 2008 and will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.
In addition to email advertisements and campaigns, Awards will be presented within each of the industry categories and advertising formats such as:
Online ad (including banner, pop-up or interstitial)
Online ad campaign
Rich media online ad
Rich Media ad campaign
Email message
Email campaign
Online newsletter campaign
Microsite/Landing page
Integrated ad campaign
Ads the client did not choose
Best of show award for each format will be selected from among the industry winners. Ads eligible for entry in the competition must have run during the period from January 1, 2007 through January 31, 2008 (except for the Ads the client did not choose format which do not have to have run.)
Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2008, and winners will be notified by e-mail one week prior to the general announcement of winners in March, 2008. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, National Cable & Telecom Association, Refinery, Euro RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink.
The 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: BGT Partners, Burst Media, PRWeb, Misukanis & Odden, SimpleFeed, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, NewsUSA, eComXpo, MediaPost’s OMMA conference, TopRank Online Marketing, Creative Chocolate Printing Company, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio, Rovion, AllBusiness.com and eMarketer. The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the Web Marketing Association
The Web Marketing Association is an organization working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of advertising, marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to Web sites. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 11th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier industry-based site recognition program for online advertisers, Web developers and marketers worldwide.