How Can You Take Home an Influencer Marketing Award? The Judges Share Their Tips…

The Influencer Advertising Awards ceremony is going down on ninth June on the glamorous Sheraton Grand. If you need to see your self standing on the stage gathering a trophy to your group, then who higher to share their recommendation on what makes a stand-out entry than those that chosen final 12 months’s winners? 

Beckii Flint, Co-Founding father of Pepper Studio, and Vik Khagram, Senior Account Director of Influencer Relation at Ketchum sat on the IMA judging panel in 2021 the place they shared their experience and opinions on an excellent number of campaigns that had been within the working. Finally, there can solely be one gold winner in every class, and Beckii and Vik are right here to share some perception into what’s going to put your marketing campaign above the remaining. 

In case you have been sitting on the fence as as to whether to enter, there is no such thing as a higher time than now to obtain the entry equipment, sit down together with your group, and get planning. 

What did the judges suppose had been the stand-out campaigns in 2021?  

Beckii, together with most of the judges, was blown away by the Hellman’s Animal Crossing by Ogilvy. She stated, “I imagine creativity is the important thing to unlocking the very best outcomes, and hijacking our lockdown cultural obsession with a slice-of-life recreation like Animal Crossing was an immersive option to contain audiences in addressing a severe message about meals waste.” 

Beckii famous how the marketing campaign was not superficial, and that the group behind the marketing campaign had actually understood the sport’s mechanics, and harnessed them in a manner that might relate in-game issues to real-life points. 

There have been two campaigns that actually stood out to Vik, firstly, Pantene: My Hair Received’t Be Silenced. Vik was excited to see how this marketing campaign sparked emotive content material, highly effective responses from shoppers, and unimaginable outcomes. He added, “The mix of expertise used, together with specialists within the space, was additionally nice to see. It was great to see such a strong message being shared far and extensive.”

Colgate’s Pout Free marketing campaign additionally sparked Vik’s curiosity because it took one thing as iconic as a runway present at London Vogue Week, which traditionally has leaned in direction of a standard format, and turned it into a strong social media message encouraging individuals to smile as a substitute of pout.

The highest standards for a successful marketing campaign

For each Beckii and Vik, the way forward for our tradition relies upon upon variety and inclusivity, and this must be mirrored within the campaigns which might be within the working to be award winners. 

Vik stated, “It’s very simple to ‘pay and play’ by creating content material and utilizing focusing on, however will that content material resonate with its audience if the number of influencers is off the mark? 

“Additionally, illustration issues, and giving influencers from completely different backgrounds an opportunity to showcase their abilities is massively essential to assist them develop their viewers and fame in an business that’s nonetheless tackling unconscious bias.”

Vik believes that content material will at all times be king, however when judging an entry, a very good influencer advertising and marketing marketing campaign displays in each the outcomes and statistics and the standard of content material produced. 

Beckii agrees that entries that show analysis, progress, and statistics to match actually stand out, however in addition to this innovation and bravado are what can push you from a Bronze or Silver award to a Gold. She says, “Seeing manufacturers take dangers and stepping out of their consolation zone with the intention to differentiate themselves from the remainder of the pack is one thing we should always applaud, particularly inside our business.”

How can successful an IMA profit you? 

Beckii can converse from expertise when discussing how successful an Influencer Advertising Award can profit you and your group. Beckii and her group at Pepper Studio took house awards for Finest Boutique Company and Most Efficient Marketing campaign for ROI in 2021. 

Delighted concerning the wins, Beckii stated, “We knew that we had been creating spectacular work, and our shoppers may see that too. Nonetheless, nonetheless being fairly a younger enterprise, it was troublesome to make sure that outsiders may see what we’re able to with out displaying them first-hand. Vetted by the skilled panel of judges from throughout the business, successful our awards was a manner for us to rejoice our successes, and show the standard of our laborious work past our natural attain.”

Vik notes that though ‘influencer’ is usually included as a sub-category in different advertising and marketing and PR awards, the IMAs actually elevate influencer advertising and marketing as a specialism. He provides, “Manufacturers and companies can rejoice the unbelievable work they do inside influencer advertising and marketing and hero their groups concerned in creating impactful campaigns. They’ll additionally assist construct a legacy for the specialism because it continues to develop.”

So now that you simply’re all set with ideas from the judges themselves, what are you ready for? Obtain the entry equipment and be sure you submit your finest at school entries earlier than 14th March to be in with an opportunity of securing an accolade on the Influencer Advertising Awards 2022. 

It’s also possible to discover final 12 months’s Ebook of the Evening to find why the judges chosen the deserving Gold winners.

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