The Media Federation of Australia (MFA) has introduced Signature Judges, a new tier of judges for its 2023 Awards, with seven senior marketers joining the panels.
The seven big-name judges are:
- Brent Smart, chief marketing officer, Telstra
- Jenni Dill, chief marketing officer, Arnott’s
- Lisa Ronson, adjunct profession, Deakin Business School & former CMO, Coles
- Martin Brown, general manager, Nestlé
- Mel Hopkins, chief marketing officer, Seven
- Mim Haysom, CMO/EGM brand & marketing, Suncorp
- Sarah Sorrenson, director, digital marketing, media & commerce, Unilever
It’s hoped the Signature Judges will provide a “strong advertiser voice” in the judging and ensure there is a focus on proven effectiveness.
The Signature Judges join a judging cohort of more than 100 experienced professionals drawn from around the industry including marketers, media agencies, media owners and tech companies.
The MFA Awards celebrate work by media agencies that demonstrates best-practice media thinking and long-term business growth for clients. The winners will be announced at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on 21 September.
MFA Awards chairs Sophie Price, chief strategy officer at EssenceMediaCom, and Chris Colter, chief strategy & product officer at Initiative, thanked the new judges.
“We’re enormously proud of the rigour and effort that goes into judging the MFA Awards, and we’re thrilled to add an important layer to the process with the Signature Judges to act as champions for proven effectiveness. These leading professionals are responsible for some of our industry’s best, most effective work, so they’re highly qualified to lead the discussion in the judging room.”
Telstra’s Smart added: “No matter what side of the fence I’ve sat on, my motivation has been the same – to make more great work happen. And in judging the MFA Awards I look forward to seeing the innovative ways that marketers and media agencies are working together to deliver commercial impact and to celebrating the work that works.”
Suncorp CMO/EGM Brand & Marketing Mim Haysom said: “I’m thrilled to be joining my fellow MFA Awards judges to identify the most effective media campaigns in Australia. The best media thinking depends on finding original and unexpected ways to connect with audiences to tell the story of a brand and drive customer and business outcomes. In judging, I’ll be looking for work that demonstrates strong collaboration, resulting in the execution of great creative ideas in new and innovative ways.”
