The Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) is inviting all geniuses of the marketing, media and advertising world to enter their best campaigns into the 2016 Australian Creativity and Effectiveness Awards (AC&E Awards).

The AC&E Awards were launched in 2014 to replace ADMA’s long-running awards program in order to establish a new benchmark for industry awards: to reward campaigns that are both creative and effective in equal measure and are aimed at both agencies and brands.

“The AC&E Awards have grown year on year since their launch in 2014 as the whole industry has supported the premise that marketing and advertising should be a balance of creativity and effectiveness,” said Jodie Sangster, ADMA CEO.

“Customer experience is also a critical component of today’s marketing landscape which is reflected in the inclusion of categories including UX and Customer Retention/Loyalty Campaign.”

New for 2016: external audit process

In 2016, ADMA will introduce an external audit process for all shortlisted finalists in the awards. The Audit committee will be chaired by Luke Brown CEO of tech-driven, CX and creative agency AFFINITY and will work to confirm that all shortlisted winning entries are entirely legitimate in order to eliminate the possibility of scam or tenuous ‘awards fodder’ entries to the AC&E Awards.

“As the largest and fastest growing  marketing and advertising industry association in Australia we want our flagship awards to really stand for something, “ explained Sangster.

“We have already raised the game by being the first Australian awards to require both creativity and effectiveness and now the external audit process has been introduced to ensure all campaigns are real, executed and delivered.

“AC&E Awards are the pinnacle of achievement for marketers in Australia and only those who have demonstrated outstanding creativity and exceptional effectiveness in a real world campaign will be considered.”

Luke Brown, chair of AC&E Awards Audit Committee added, “For too long suspect or downright scam award entries have proliferated, and in many cases achieved significant recognition, at award shows in Australia and internationally.

“It’s time the industry took a stand so the work that genuinely delivers real effectiveness for clients is honoured rather than that created purely to win silverware in order to attract new business or meet agency KPIs. I look forward to ensuring the finalists and winners of the AC&E Awards are the most credible and deserving.”

There are 30 categories of awards in 2016:

• Ambient or Experiential
• Apps
• Art Direction
• Best Use of Search
• Branded Content
• Broadcast
• Copywriting
• Customer Acquisition Campaign
• Customer Retention/Loyalty Campaign
• Data Analytics & Planning
• Data Strategy
• Data Visualisation
• Data-Driven Mail
• Digital & Social Advertising
• Digital Website & Microsites
• E-Commerce Website and Marketing
• Email Marketing
• Integrated Campaign
• Integrated Campaign-Small Budget
• Media Campaign
• Mobile Marketing
• Most Effective use of Content
• Not-for-Profit
• Out-of-Home
• PR Campaign
• Print
• Social Commerce
• Social Media Campaign
• Use of New Technologies
• UX