Chris Howatson, founder and CEO of multi-award-winning agency Howatson+Company, has told B&T that he expects Australia and the rest of APAC to outperform rivals on the awards circuit this year.
Howatson sat down with B&T to talk about awards and the value of creativity ahead of the inaugural Cairns Crocodiles Awards — entries close in just over a week!
Howatson and his team are no strangers to awards, either. The agency has won five B&T Awards in the last two years — including the Grand Prix in 2022.
The Cairns Crocodiles Awards, taking place in June at the culmination of Cannes in Cairns, are set to be the new benchmark for creative awards in APAC. The Awards are judged purely by clients — with some of APAC’s biggest CMOs taking part.
Read More: AMEX, Baiada & TikTok APAC CMOs Announced Among First Wave Of Cairns Crocodiles Awards Jury Members
The jury will also be advised by three of the sharpest marketing brains in the business:
- Andrew Tindall, global partnerships director, System1
- Robert Brittain, former Nielsen, Mondelēz and ANZ marketer turned independent marketing consultant
- Jeff Estok, managing partner, Navigare.
Howatson also explained the growth benefits that great creativity can bestow upon businesses, telling B&T that “brand demands a 30 per cent premium on any product” in an age when rapid development processes have led to products being easy to copy and imitate.
“We’re coming into an era where our ability to copy things and do things at pace outstrips anything that has come before,” he added.
With that change in the marketplace, being able to sell the idea and creativity of a brand and product is the only differentiator for business and the only defensible strategy.
With entries closing in just over a week for the Cairns Crocodiles Awards, there has never been a better time to ensure that your creativity matches the rest of the APAC market. And, there has never been a better opportunity to get your work in front of the CMOs who are demanding improvements from their creative agencies.
Make History – Enter The Inaugural Cairns Crocodiles Awards Now!
CAIRNS CROCODILES AWARDS CATEGORIES
The Cairns Crocodiles Awards will bring the best work and creatives from across Asia Pacific into one show, with the most prestigious jury in the region, with awards available across 30 categories:
| Audio Craft | Healthcare | Automotive Campaign |
| Branded Content and Entertainment | Integrated | B2B Campaign |
| Creative Commerce | Media | Beauty and Wellness Campaign |
| Data-Driven Creativity | Music | FMCG (Household/Home Products and Services) Campaign |
| Design | Out of Home | Food and Beverage Campaign |
| Digital Craft | PR | IT/Telco Campaign |
| Direct | Print and Publishing | Media/Entertainment Campaign |
| Experiential and Activation | Radio and Audio | Retail Campaign |
| Film | Social and Influencer | Travel/Leisure Campaign |
| Film Craft | Strategy and Effectiveness | Changing the World Campaign |
No other market is as innovative, creative or effective as APAC and the Cairns Crocodiles Awards will rightly shine a spotlight on the work that drives business success for clients and changes the world that we live in.
CAIRNS CROCODILES AWARDS KEY DATES
- 23 February 2024 – On Time Entries Close
- 1 March 2024 – Late Entries Close
- 11 March-15 April 2024 – Online Judging
- 18 April 2024 – Shortlist Announced
- 3 June 2024 – Live Judging at the Cairns Convention Centre
- 6 June 2024 – Awards Night at the Cairns Convention Centre
Download the full Criteria Document and enter the inaugural Cairns Crocodiles Awards now!
