APMA Star Awards call for entries

The Australasian Promotional Marketing Association (APMA), powered by The Communications Council, has announced the call for entries for this year’s APMA Star Awards.

Agencies and clients from across Australia and New Zealand are invited to submit their entries until the 31st March, 2011.

Now in its sixth year, the awards recognise the region’s outstanding promotional and experiential marketing work and are designed to generate public recognition for original, strategic, and innovative campaigns.

Click here to enter

The awards will be judged by a panel of industry experts withexperience in the promotional and experiential area. They will bejudging entries on strategic relevance, originality, creative executionand effectiveness.

“We look forward to the sixth annual Star Awards with great excitementand encourage all to enter for a chance to be acknowledged by theindustry.” said David Lo, APMA Chairman.

“Promotional and experientialmarketing is evolving rapidly, and those that can keep up with thosechanges will be the ones that come out on top. After a year in which wewere faced with tighter budgets, it is now the challenge to come upwith consistently creative work that is tactical and raises the bar onexcellence. We anticipate many agencies have done so and look forwardto their entries.”

For the first time this year, Communications Council member agenciesare eligible for the APMA member rate when entering the Star Awards.

Categories open for entry are:

1. Best Integrated Communications Campaign (Under $1 Million)

2. Best Integrated Communications Campaign (Over $1 Million)

3. Best Sponsorship or Tie-in Campaign

4. Best Use of Digital in a Campaign

5. Best Use of Direct Marketing and CRM in a Promotional Campaign

6. Best Use of Social Marketing in a Promotional Campaign

7. Best Brand Building Campaign

8. Best Business-to-Business Campaign

9. Best Retail Account Specific or Channel Specific Campaign

10. Best Event or Experiential Marketing Campaign

11. Best Activity Generating Brand Awareness and Trial

12. Best Activity Generating Brand Volume

13. Best Activity Generating Brand Loyalty

14. Most Innovative Idea/Concept

15. Best Use of Creative in a Promotional Campaign

16. Best Cause or Charity-Related Promotional Campaign

17. Best Small Budget Campaign ($75,000 and Under)

The Grand Prix will be awarded to the overall best campaign, as judged by the APMA Star Award Jury.

APMA member agencies can nominate Account Service or Creative staff forthe Young Achiever of the Year title, for their chance to be recognizedfor their work and achievements, plus an overseas trip, courtesy ofsponsor Free 2 Travel.  

The APMA Executive Committee will also award a Lifetime AchievementAward for outstanding service to an industry figurehead with anoutstanding track record in promotional and experiential marketing.  

Key dates for this year’s awards are- deadline for entry- 6pm on March31st. Finalists will be announced in late May. The announcing of Gold,Silver and Bronze category winners and the overall Grand Prix winnerwill be announced at the Star Awards event to be held in Sydney’sSofitel on the 30th of June.

All APMA Star Awards winners will be eligible to compete in the highlycoveted MAA GLOBES for the Best Promotional Marketing Campaigns in theWorld, held in October 2011.

About the Australasian Promotional Marketing Association (APMA)

The Australasian Promotional Marketing Association (APMA) representsleading Promotional Marketing Agencies in Australia and New Zealand.APMA focuses on being the leading authority on Promotional Marketing inthe region and stimulating each APMA member agency to achieve thehighest attainable level of professional excellence