Category: WebAward

One of the benefits of participating in the WebAward competition is feedback from our judges. Below are public comments made regarding the Romney vs Obama Website Challenge where 61 WebAward judges reviewed the websites of the two presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
Here are the comments. Attribution is given when judge provided name.

While I overwhelmingly favor President Obama’s web site based on the above criteria, the most glaring departure for me is the negativity represented on the President’s web site vs. Candidate Romney’s, which is a potential turn off for undecided voters. BO.com offers a much more pleasing and modern design; however, MR.com has some content elements, such as the one-pager, that make getting to the issues more effective.

Creatively, I think both sites are very similar. To me, Governor Romney’s site seems to be structured more like a professional (business) site with most of the content falling under specific menu items. President Obama’s site seems to be laid out more like a personal site (blog) as there are may “post” type additions (comments/videos/etc.) directly on his main page. Personally, I find Governor Romney’s site easier to navigate and-for me–more appealing. President Obama’s site has a lot going on where one can spend several minutes scrolling through the main page. I’m sure President Obama’s site is considered much more favorable by his supporters and those with adequate time on their hands to scroll down through post after post. I suspect many of the surveys you get back will be positive/negative right along party lines.
Brian K. St.Ours
President – eWareness
Founder – VeteranOwnedBusiness.com

Obama’s website is with better use of communication type of user interface and marketing, making it more friendly and attractive; Romney’s website is so conservatively designed…

BarackObama.com’s design has embraced the generation now. The site is a direct reflection of the way people are consuming digital and social media news. MittRomney.com’s one seems to be stuck in time with a retro look I can’t help but feel is out of place and old fashioned. Are both a direct reflection of their voters? America, where are you heading?
Thierry Halbroth
Executive Creative Director
McCann

I am not a fan of Obama. But I must say that his marketing and design team has done a great job on the web.

Both of these sites are politically very effective and cutting edge. I do not like the aspect of scrolling down a page as in Obama site. Users will not do this. Romney site cleaner and easier to identify content locations.
Alan J. Potasnik
Senior Partner
The Point Betsie Internetwork

This websites comparison shows Obama is a greater endorser of technology -which is one of the things that makes this country be where we are worldwide. Having a website that looks dated almost shows you don’t care so much about the present or the future in terms of technology and where we are standing, as well as a lack of detail and dedication in what you do.
Solana Crawford

Both are hard to use but Barack Obama’s puts too many roadblocks in my way. I reluctantly voted for Romney’s as the better site.
Burkey Belser
Greenfield/Belser Ltd.

Overall I like the Barack Obama website better because it is better layed out and not as busy as the Mitt Romney web site. I do like the web site navigation on the Mitt Romney web site more than the Barrack Obama web site.
Hieroweb Interactive

Both sites offered more information links. Obama’s featured information on voter registration and polling locations, issues and offered a side column about comparing the candidates. Romney’s featured information about him, and reasons why you shouldn’t pick Obama. This leaves visitors with a feeling that Obama cares more about the issues and your right to vote than Romney.

The difference in the two sites was easily noticeable. Romney’s site was positive and upbeat and talked about his plans for the future. Obama’s site spent at least half of the available real estate simply attacking Romney on minute details rather than giving voters an overview of HIS plan and a positive message for the future of our country.

The Obama site navigation disappears on most all sub-pages. Romney’s always stays anchored at top, much more conventional usability.

When I looked at the sites side by side they were remarkably similar in design. Use of the same updated tones of red, white and blue , a photographic style with transparent type boxes on top, font size and use of the same rollover map of the USA to find out where you can participate locally. The use of technology had grown immensely since the last campaign and both websites avail themselves of interactive features. Obama’s landing page asks up front for a donation and he has a large request to share on Facebook. The most surprising feature to me is Romney’s shop where he sells everything from buttons to “Nobama” bumper stickers. For a limited time only, and I’m wondering if this is until the election, shipping is free. At the shopping cart, one can add in a donation as well.
Meg Levine
Meg Levine Design

The Mitt Romney site had a poor experience on the initial landing page. The user might be confused on how to click into the main site. The Barack Obama site did a better job of this by using the wording “continue to main site.”

I am surprised at the lackluster state of the President’s website. His team should take a good look at the Romney site and figure it out.

Ninteen agencies or companies were also recognized as Outstanding Website Developer for having six or more sites recognized in the 2012 WebAward Competition. They include:

AGENCY AWARDS
Sabre Hospitality Solutions 29
Risdall Marketing Group 28
Extractable 25
TRAVELCLICK 20
TMP Worldwide 17
Blenderbox Inc 12
SapientNitro 11
Atlantic BT 10
CareTech Solutions 9
Possible Worldwide 8
VML 7
BGT Partners 7
Euroweb Internet GmbH 7
Cuker Interactive 7
Duo Consulting 7
Mineral, LLC 7
Sherpa Web Studios 6
WSI 6
HeBS Digital 6

Biggs|Gilmore was named Top Agency at the 2012 WebAward Competition, taking home 39 WebAwards. This is the third time Biggs|Gilmore has won the Top Agency WebAward. The Top Agency Award is given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms.

The firm also has been named Top Agency in the Web Marketing Association’s Internet Advertising Competition for three straight years (2009, 2010 and 2011). Biggs|Gilmore is a digital creative agency with offices in Chicago and in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was recognized in the 2012 WebAwards with Best Advocacy Website, Best Diversified Business Website, 7 Outstanding Website WebAwards and 28 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.

About Biggs|Gilmore

Biggs|Gilmore (www.biggs-gilmore.com) is a digital creative agency with offices in Chicago and in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Named Top Agency in the 2011 WebAwards; Top Agency in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Internet Advertising Competition; and an AdAge Agency of the Year in 2010, Biggs|Gilmore delivers measurable and award-winning results for Fortune 500 clients including Heinz, Kellogg Company and Kimberly-Clark. Follow us on Twitter @BiggsGilmore and read our agency blog, Slacker CEO.

Congratulations to the 2012 Best of Show WebAward winner UrbanDaddy for their exceptional work on “UrbanDaddy + Herradura Mixology Battle Royale” website. The site was also recognized as Best Marketing Website.

UrbanDaddy, a luxury lifestyle company for the digital world, custom created a multi-faceted brand awareness program for Brown Forman’s Herradura Tequila. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness and engage UrbanDaddy’s affluent, educated, and lifestyle-focused members with the Herradura tequila brand and products. A microsite boasting interactive flash video dovetailed into a highly engaging sizzle reel backed by one ultimate goal: user voting and engagement. The experience was driven by viewers interacting with integrated icons that appear at certain milestones throughout the video. There were multiple layers to the experience: the main video, individual mixologist interviews, bespoke cocktail recipes and a voting interface, all tying into the big theme of the UrbanDaddy & Herradura Mixology Battle Royale between Los Angeles and San Francisco mixologists – where only one winner will come out on top, and whose fate is left in the hands of UrbanDaddy’s cocktail and tequila enthusiasts.

the Web Marketing Association congratulates Urban daddy and all of the winners of the 2012 WebAward Competition. For complete results go to the WebAward Website.

The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 16th annual WebAward Competition for Web site development. More than 2,000 entries from 42 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year’s competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.

A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org.

Best of Show

The 2012 Best of Show WebAward is presented to UrbanDaddy for their exceptional work on “UrbanDaddy + Herradura Mixology Battle Royale” website. The site was also recognized as Best Marketing Website.

UrbanDaddy, a luxury lifestyle company for the digital world, custom created a multi-faceted brand awareness program for Brown Forman’s Herradura Tequila. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness and engage UrbanDaddy’s affluent, educated, and lifestyle-focused members with the Herradura tequila brand and products. A microsite boasting interactive flash video dovetailed into a highly engaging sizzle reel backed by one ultimate goal: user voting and engagement. The experience was driven by viewers interacting with integrated icons that appear at certain milestones throughout the video. There were multiple layers to the experience: the main video, individual mixologist interviews, bespoke cocktail recipes and a voting interface, all tying into the big theme of the UrbanDaddy & Herradura Mixology Battle Royale between Los Angeles and San Francisco mixologists – where only one winner will come out on top, and whose fate is left in the hands of UrbanDaddy’s cocktail and tequila enthusiasts.

Top Agency

Biggs|Gilmore was named Top Agency at the 2012 WebAward Competition, taking home 39 WebAwards. This is the third time Biggs|Gilmore has won the Top Agency WebAward.. The Top Agency Award is given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms. The firm also has been named Top Agency in the Web Marketing Association’s Internet Advertising Competition for three straight years (2009, 2010 and 2011). Biggs|Gilmore is a digital creative agency with offices in Chicago and in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was recognized in the 2012 WebAwards with Best Advocacy Website, Best Diversified Business Website, 7 Outstanding Website WebAwards and 28 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
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Outstanding Website Developer

19 agencies or companies were also recognized as Outstanding Website Developer for winning six or more WebAwards in 2012. They include:

AGENCY AWARDS
Sabre Hospitality Solutions 29
Risdall Marketing Group 28
Extractable 25
TRAVELCLICK 20
TMP Worldwide 17
Blenderbox Inc 12
SapientNitro 11
Atlantic BT 10
CareTech Solutions 9
Possible Worldwide 8
VML 7
BGT Partners 7
Euroweb Internet GmbH 7
Cuker Interactive 7
Duo Consulting 7
Mineral, LLC 7
Sherpa Web Studios 6
WSI 6
HeBS Digital 6

Competition format

The competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.

The WebAward competition format allows Web sites to compete head to head with other sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry award. Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries receive a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that score higher than their industry average and below 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.

The 2012 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: ExactTarget, Burst Media, PR Newswire, BGT Partners, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, EContent Magazine, Webmaster Radio and Website Magazine.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is 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 Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward, Internet Advertising Competition and MobileWebAward award programs have been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 16th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

The judging of the 16th annual Web Marketing Association WebAward Competition is well underway and as always we are seeing some outstanding websites this year.

At this point, we expect to announce the winners of this year’s competition on September 12, 2012.

Good luck to everyone who entered and a special thanks to all of our expert judges who are reviewing the entries,

The Web Marketing Association has extended the deadline for entering its 16th annual WebAward Competition until Friday, June 15, 2012 to allow final entries to be submitted and existing entries to be edited if needed. This will be the only extension granted as Judging begins the following Monday. Learn more and enter at www.webaward.org.