the Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the winners of its ninth annual WebAward Competition for Web site development. More than 2,100 sites from 33 countries were adjudicated in 95 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

The 2005 Best of Show WebAward is presented to Atlanta -based IQ interactive, for their outstanding work on National Geographic – Inside The Mafia. The site was also awarded Best Entertainment WebAward. To generate interest and viewers for the show, IQ Interactive was challenged to create a web site as engaging and compelling as the show itself. With a click, mysterious and intriguing rich media banner ads drive viewers straight to the full screen immersive interactive experience. Targeting a lifestyle demographic called New Enthusiasts, this dark and stylistic micro site engages in an almost game-like way. This discovery based site allows viewers to explore the world of the mafia through a variety of avenues, from full original animation, to a variety of video compositions and much more. The goal being to use video in a way that hasn’t been used before.

Zugara was named Top Agency at the 2005 WebAward Competition, taking home 20 awards, more that any other organization in the history of the competition. The Top Agency Award given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms. Zugara is headquarted in Los Angles and took home Best Music site for Red Bull Music Labs, 11 Outstanding and 8 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all of the many judges who participated in this year’s WebAwards. Our judges are industry leaders who donate their valuable time and expertise to help set the standard for Internet excellence. It is an honor and a privilege to work with such an esteemed group of individuals, without whom the WebAward competition could not go on.

A special thanks also goes to all of the great sponsors of the 2005 WebAward Competition including BURST! Media, Oddcast, NewsUSA, O’Dwyer’s PR Daily, Small Army Creative Services, Burrelles Luce, Line 56 Media, Perseus Software and PRWeb. The Web Marketing Association thanks it sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.

For complete information regarding 2005 WebAward Competition winners, please go to www.WebAward.org

The judging for the 2005 WebAward competition is complete and we are processing the scores and selecting the winners. Right now the plan is to notify the winners on September 6th and announce to the world the following week on September 13th. This may change, but that’s what we are shooting for.

The 2005 WebAwards Call for Entries period is now closed and soon the judging process will begin. Good luck to all who entered this year’s competition.

Colgate-Palmolive Wins Best of Show in the Second Annual Interactive Investor Relations Awards Competition

The Web Marketing Association, in partnership with the Wealth Management News Service, is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Interactive Investor Relations Awards Competition (IIR Awards) for investor relations Web site development. Entries competed with peers within more than 50 industry categories as well as against an overall standard of excellence. Sites were judged on design, navigation, ease of use and use of technology to enhance the investor’s experience as well as specific content criteria relating to investor and financial communication.

“This year’s winners demonstrate that it takes more than just a flashy design to have an effective investor Web site,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “IIR Award winners are judged not only on design, but with a strong emphasis on content, combined with a high level of functionality and usability for their target audience. Participating in the competition provides management with valuable feedback from expert judges and gives companies an opportunity to measure the effectiveness of their online investor relations efforts.”

The 2005 Best of Show IIR Award is presented to the Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) at investor.colgate.com for their outstanding investor Web site. In the opinion of the competition judges, the site went beyond all others entered in the IIR Awards to provide investors and the financial community access to critical information in a user friendly format. Particularly, effective use of Flash and video presentations were sited as contributing to the sites success.

A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the interactive Investor Relations Award Web site at www.iiraward.org.

Special recognition is also given to b2i Technologies, Inc. of Richardson Texas. B2i won 21 awards in the 2005 IIR Awards for their clients, including 14 Best of Industry Awards and 7 Outstanding IR Website Awards.

The interactive Investor Relations Awards are judged by individual and institutional investors, financial advisors, financial media, IR professionals and Web developers. Each site is judged on 35 different criteria, earning a score between 0 and 100 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. Remaining entries receiving a score of 80 points or greater receive the Outstanding Web site Award. All entries receive judges’ comments and feedback to help participants understand how their entry is viewed and to facilitate improvement.

Sponsors of the 2005 interactive Investor Relations Awards include Barron’s and The Wall Street Journal Online, Burrelle’s Luce, NewsUSA, O’Dwyer’s PR Daily, Small Army Creative Services and PRWeb.

The deadline for entering the Web Marketing Association’s 2005 WebAward Competition has been extended until June 15th. This will be the only extension to allow the judging to begin on schedule.

If you have not yet submitted your entries and want to be recognized for your outstanding Web development work, please go to www.webaward.org and enter today. You’ll never know if you don’t enter.

If you are one of the many Internet professionals who have already entered, now is the time to review your entry one last time before it is sent to the judges. Entries may be edited until the 15th using the edit entry link in the confirmation email sent when you entered your site. All entry fee payments must be received before the entry deadline.

The WebAwards is the premier Website award program available to the interactive community. This is your final opportunity to be included in this exciting event.

Good luck to all our participants and judges.

If you are like most Internet professionals, you have already entered the 2005 WebAward competition for website development. If you have not done so yet, what are you waiting for? There is only one week – 7 days – less than 168 hours – to earn the recognition that will get you noticed.

You don’t want your CEO coming to you in September and asking why your competitor won a WebAward and have to tell him or her that missed the deadline! With 90 industries participating, of course there is a category for you.

Don’t wait any longer – enter the 2005 WebAwards today before it is too late!

Go to www.webaward.org and enter right now.

Time is running out to enter the Web Marketing Association's 2005 WebAward competition for Website development. The deadline is June 1st and the order form and complete information can be found at www.webaward.org

If you have not yet entered, this is your chance to be recognized as having the best Website in your industry. And with 90 industries you choose from, you're sure to find the right one to meet your needs.

Imagine the look on your boss' or client's face when you tell them your online work has earned the company a prestigious WebAward! Think of the marketing opportunities you could create - but you need to enter to win!

A Website says "you're here".
An award winning Website says "You've arrived"

With only two weeks left, now is the time to go to the online entry form and get the recognition you deserve.

Enter today at www.webaward.org

The Web Marketing Association announces the winners of its annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards, an effort to honor excellence in online advertising and to recognize the individuals and organizations responsible for the best in Internet marketing. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. The Competition web site with a complete list of winners is located at www.advertisingcompetition.org

“Online advertising is finally getting the recognition it deserves and The Web Marketing Association is pleased to help set the standard for Internet excellence,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association, Inc. “Spending for online advertising continues to grow rapidly and the IAC Awards highlight the best in this unique advertising medium by industry.”

2005 Best of Show Awards were awarded in each of the online medium categories. This year’s winners include:

EVB, Inc. for Redwood Creek (Best of Show Online ad)
TMX Communications for Endo_Lidoderm Campaign (Best of Show Email Message Campaign)
she communications (Hong Kong) for Heineken Pulse (Best of Show Online Campaign)
Power Design for Wanda Sykes Cotton T-shirt Tour (Best of Show Email Message)
Organic, Inc. for Jeep Brand Web Site (Best of Show Integrated ad campaign), Jeep Trail Rated Challenge (Best of Show Interactive application) and ROBOTS – CONQUEST AD (Best of Show Rich Media Online Ad)
i33 Communications for Buick Email Re-contact Program (Best of Show Online Newsletter Campaign)
Agency.com for Someone To Turn To (Best of Show Rich Media Online Campaign) and Where Did The Time Go? (Best of Show Microsite/Landing Page)

Two agencies tied for the 2005 Top Agency Award, each winning 21 IAC Awards.

Organic, Inc. of Bloomfield Hills, MI received 21 IAC Awards, including Best of Show Integrated ad campaign for Jeep Brand Web Site, Best of Show Interactive application for Jeep Trail Rated Challenge and Best of Show Rich media Online ad for ROBOTS – CONQUEST AD.

TMX Communications of Conshohocken, PA for recognition of winning the most awards in the competition. TMX Communications took home 21 IAC Awards including Best of Show Email message campaign for Endo_Lidoderm Campaign.

Other IAC Award winners who received multiple awards included:

AGENCY (number of awards) JWT (11)
USDM.net (10)
Marketel-McCann Erickson (9)
Agency.com (6)
Beyond Interactive (6)
BLITZ (6)
Wunderman (6)
Nurun/Ant Farm Interactive (5)
Avenue A Razorfish (4)
Bridge Worldwide (4)
Bronwyn Communications (4)
GREY Direct Oy (4)
Internet Strategy Group (4)
Team One (4)
VML (4)

The Competition web site with a complete list of winners is located at www.advertisingcompetition.org

The 2005 Internet Advertising Competition is sponsored by, BURST! Media, Small Army Creative Services, AdTools, ExactTarget, OddCast, Line56 Media, and PRWeb.

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 Associations annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its ninth year, the WebAward Competitions have become the premier event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

The Web Marketing Association is currently accepting entries for the ninth annual WebAward Competition for Web site development at www.2005webaward.org. Deadline for entry is June 1th.

Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association will be hosting the International Assoication of Online Communicators (IAOC) Blog next week to discuss the importance of winning awards and how they can be used in an overall marketing strategy. The blog is located at www.iaocblog.com.

Please join us for what we hope to be timely blog postings.

WebAward Competition –The 9th annual WebAwards Call for Entries has begun. Recognizing Net Excellence, the WebAwards are your opportunity to be recognized and gain valuable exposure for yourself and your Website. Deadline for entry is June 1st. Don’t wait – Enter today! For more information go to www.webaward.org

Interactive Investor Relations Awards – 2005 IIR Awards Call for Entries has ended and judging as begun. Good luck to all who have entered. For more information go to www.iiraward.org

Interactive Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards – The 2005 judging has been complete and we are tabulating the winners which will be announced May 4th. Join our mailing list to be notified when the winners are announced. For more information go to www.iacaward.org