Client-Side Marketers: This Is Your Party, Too

Mark your calendar: On a Tuesday evening just 28 weeks from now – at 5 p.m. on Sept. 14 – you, I, and hundreds of our colleagues from around the world have a date on Chicago’s Navy Pier to toast the winners of the 10th Annual World PRO Awards of Excellence.

Yes, the promotion industry’s annual dress-up event will again feature live music, an open bar, lots of schmoozing, and a fast-paced program honoring the best and the brightest of campaigns from as many as 500 entries to be evaluated in the months ahead.

And if past performance is any indication of what to expect, the 81 crystal flames to be presented that evening will honor some of the most unusual, if not the most innovative and effective, marketing campaigns you’ve ever seen.

There’s so much new and different about the 1999 program, in fact, and so much work to be done between now and then, that I’m dedicating this column as a heads-up for all those who plan to enter or attend.

Whether you’re a client-side marketer or an agency worker bee, the first and most important thing to know is that the worldwide deadline for entries is only two months away: April 16. (Note to U.S. agencies: Get an extension on filing your tax returns; the PRO Awards are more important.)

The good news is that first-stage entries will be in the form of 11-by-14-inch (29.9-by-35.5-centimeter), 20-page “portfolios,” which are smaller and less expensive to prepare, handle, ship, and mail than those large-size presentation boards.

World-class finalists will be required to submit full-size boards, of course, because winning entries will be displayed at the Creative Gallery during PROMO EXPO ’99. Expected attendance: 3,000 marketers at the world’s largest promotion conference and expo.

Judging this year will take place on April 20 in Brussels for entries from Europe, the Middle East and Africa; in late June in Sydney for those from the Asia-Pacific countries; June 30 in Buenos Aires for Latin American entries; and late July in Chicago for those from the U.S. and Canada.

Gold winners in each of these regions, as automatic finalists in the World PRO Awards, will be announced by promo Media Partners immediately after judging. Sixteen categories and one overall Best will add up to 17 winners in each of the four regions and 64 finalists going to the worldwide competition in Chicago.

Media Partners will play an important role in this year’s program. In addition to providing pre- and post-event publicity and advertising in their respective countries, each will collect, catalog, and ship entries, assist with the recruitment of regional juries, host and attend the judging events, and participate in regional and world-level juries.

Our 1999 Media Partners include Revista Target and Tiempos de Promocion in Argentina; Professional Marketing in Australia; Media Marketing in Belgium; Meio e Mensagem in Brazil; Marketing in Canada; Mercado y Publicidad in Chile; In-Store Marketing in England; CB News in France; Adfo Direct in Holland; Forum Shivuk in Israel; Media Key in Italy; Adcebra in Mexico; and Revista Estrategias in Spain.

An important change for 1999 is the list of categories to which entries will be assigned. Instead of by product, they’ll now be grouped either by function or by “Best” attribute. The functional groups includes Trial, Loyalty, Image, Display, Traffic, Usage, Account- Specific, Direct/Database, Dealer/ Salesforce, and Interactive. And the “Best” attributes are Media Use, Creative Concept, Graphic Design, Copy Writing, and Marketing Integration.

Now for a word about our other partners in the PRO Awards: the Association of Promotion Marketing Agencies Worldwide. As you may know, this year’s program marks the third year of the alliance between promo and the APMA.

This partnership grew out of the fact that until 1996, both parties – each with its peculiar strengths and weaknesses – were running programs with the same general objective: global recognition for outstanding work by companies and agencies everywhere. The goal was a joint effort for one bigger, better program.

There’s plenty more to do. Topping the list is to get more client-side marketers involved, both as judges and as entrants, either independently or in support of those agencies whose blood, sweat, tears, and talent ought to be represented but are not – usually because the client says no.

This year we’ve challenged ourselves as well as the APMA to get everyone who benefits from promotion excellence to step up to the bar. So if you’re someone whose career could stand a little enhancement, why not shuck that corporate anonymity. Take a walk on the wild side – or at least give your agency the green light to enter the work it did for you.

Fax, phone, or e-mail us now for a Call for Entries brochure.