The following categories will look to award agency networks by discipline both globally and regionally. Judges will consider overall financial success within the eligibility period, as well as commitment to D&I and CSR programmes, staff engagement and talent development which can be shown to have had an affect across the entirety of the network. Multiple awards may be given across different disciplines. Please indicate your discipline within the online entry form.

Global Network

This award recognises agency networks that have a multi-region presence / client base. To qualify for this Award, entries must include offices from at least three different regions (Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa and North America).

Best Network: Asia Pacific

This award recognises agency networks across the Asia Pacific region. To qualify for this Award, entries must include at least three offices across the region.

Best Network: Middle East & Africa

This award recognises agency networks across the Middle East & Africa. To qualify for this Award, entries must include at least three offices across the region.

Best Network: Europe

This award recognises agency networks across Europe. To qualify for this Award, entries must include at least three offices across the region.

Best Network: Latin America

This award recognises agency networks across the Latin American region. To qualify for this Award, entries must include at least three offices across the region.

Best Network: North America

This award recognises agency networks across the North American region. To qualify for this Award, entries must include at least three offices across the region.

The following categories will look to award individual agency offices by discipline. Please use the following sub-headings when writing your submission. Please note this is open to individual agencies rather than the global network they belong to. The Agency that wins will be the best in class globally as opposed to global reach.

Brand Experience Agency

This award recognises agencies specialising in providing the best experiential marketing solutions.

Consultancy

This award recognises the best companies across the globe that provide professional services from brand design to business strategies and more.

Creative Agency

This category recognises the best agencies specialising in creative advertising work.

Customer Engagement Agency

This category recognises agencies specialising in providing targeted, response driven creativity.

Digital Innovation Agency

This award recognises the very best agencies providing digital solutions.

Independent Agency

This category is open to independent agencies and agencies that are not majority owned by a holding company or network. All disciplines are welcome. Entrants must be majority-independent owned, or at minimum 51 per cent privately held. Agencies not eligible are those who are either majority or fully backed by a holding company as well as sharing resources or using the holding agency brand name.

Integrated Marketing Agency

In-House Agency

For agency teams that have been built to exist within the structure of their clients' companies and who provide dedicated creative services to that client.

Media Agency

This award recognises the very best agencies working in media management.

Performance Agency

This award acknowledges agencies that best demonstrate a consistent ability to translate consumer intentions into revenue for clients, deliver ROI-based campaign activity and drive sales results for clients across geographies. Judges will look at the use of intention-based media (e.g. search, social) to deliver client results, along with exceptional execution of biddable media and digital exchanges to drive results, as well as consistent use of measurement and attribution to measure media ROI and business impact.

PR Agency

This category recognises the achievements, performance and excellent work of a general PR consultancy or crisis communications specialist agency.

Social Media Agency

This award recognises the best agencies specialising in providing the best social media solutions, innovative use of social platforms and strategies for engaging consumers in the social space.

Within your individual or team submissions, use the following as sub-headings under which you clearly enter your information. Entries will be awarded as best in class globally but entries are also welcome from those with global facing roles.

Account Person

The award recognises professionals responsible for client account management who have displayed the most innovation, skills and enthusiasm in bringing the benefits of advertising to their clients’ businesses resulting in the development of solid business relationships. Judges will consider contribution to the agency and clients, client relationship management, client retention as well as new business wins, and positive organic growth for clients.

Agency Growth Leader

This award recognises individuals working in a C-Suite leadership position who have done the most to advance their agency or network's commercial growth. Judges will consider the individual’s achievements during the eligibility period, including achievement against objectives, new business wins, client retention, personal involvement in growth initiatives, innovation with results. Please note that this category is broken down by discipline: Creative /Advertising, Customer Engagement, PR, Digital, Integrated, Experience, Media, Performance or Consultancy.

Agency Leader

This award recognises individuals working in a C-Suite leadership position who have done the most to advance their agency or network in the industry. Judges will consider the individual’s achievements during the eligibility period, including achievement against objectives, size of the operation, client profile and disciplines, new business wins, client retention, personal involvement in staff development initiatives, innovation with results, agency/network development and contribution to the role or image of the marketing communications industry in his or her market. Please note that this category is broken down by discipline: Creative /Advertising, Customer Engagement, PR, Digital, integrated, Experience, Media, Performance or Consultancy.

Creative Leader

The award recognises creative directors who have produced the best work for an agency or network during the review period and have not only set the standard for creative excellence but have also raised the bar. Judges will consider recognition received at the major recognised award shows. If they are in a senior leadership role, the individual’s contribution to staff development initiatives, particularly their involvement in nurturing young talent, and how their work has contributed to the role or image of advertising will also be considered. Samples of the nominee’s work will be required as support materials.

Media / Channel / Engagement Planning Leader

This award is for the planning professionals who have made the biggest impact on their clients’ business through development of innovative customer engagement strategies; the creative and effective use of media channels; and the creation, use and leverage of digital and social programs and platforms. Judges will consider the individual’s contribution to both agency and client, originality of thinking, and mastery of emerging capabilities in the engagement and planning space. If they are in a senior leadership role, the individual’s contribution to staff development initiatives, particularly their involvement in nurturing young talent, and how their work has contributed to the role or image of their agency/network.

Strategic Planning Leader

This award recognises the individual who has made the biggest impact on clients' business through the development of breakthrough consumer strategies, brand and communication strategies, as well as innovation and commercial strategy development. Judges will be looking for evidence of the individual’s contribution to both agency and clients, thinking that is clear, insightful and change enabling, innovative approaches to problem solving, and ability to develop effective creative and commercially effective solutions to clients’ challenges. If they are in a senior leadership role, the individual’s contribution to staff development initiatives, particularly their involvement in nurturing young talent, and how their work has contributed to the role or image of their agency/network.

Corporate Communications / Marketing Team or Person

Open to corporate communications / marketing teams within an agency or network, this award recognises world class success in addressing issues related to management, corporate communications, reputation, brand-building, campaign execution and media relations. Judges will look for ability to establish/reinforce communications’ role in the agency and the C-suite; impact on the agency’s broader reputation; creativity and originality of programs; and the strategy and execution of those programs, as well as their bottom-line impact.

New Business Development Team or Person

This award is for the new business development person/team who have proven to have built and developed a new account or grown the business and expanded the services of an established client relationship. Judges will consider the achievements during the eligibility period, including achievement against objectives, client profiles and disciplines, new business wins and retained accounts, client growth, and solid examples of leadership in new business development initiatives that contributed to the success and financial growth of the agency.

Talent Management Team / Person

This award sets out to recognise an individual or team that can demonstrate innovative and successful talent development programmes covering all levels of talent. Winning individuals/teams will prove that they understand the need to nurture and develop all talent and will have created an environment where employees are able to gain the knowledge and skills needed to reach their full potential.

The following categories will look to award agencies demonstrating global impact in CSR, D&I and who go beyond the norm to foster the most productive and rewarding working environment.

Global CSR Achievement

This award sets out to recognise a company that can demonstrate it runs an innovative and successful CSR program that has a global impact. Winning companies will prove that they understand the need to go beyond making token gestures and can prove a real social impact from their programme.

Global Diversity and Inclusion Initiative

This award honours agencies that can demonstrate an ongoing and meaningful commitment to diversity and inclusion programmes across their organisation and who can provide real evidence of their effect within their companies and the benefit to their clients. Entries should include policies and practices to support diversity within the workplace and within your recruitment strategies.

Best Place to Work: Individual Shop & Network

This award sets out to recognise an agency/agency network that goes above and beyond the norm to foster the most productive and rewarding working environment possible. Judges will look at how companies create cultural diversity, cultivate an inspirational vision and provide a purpose, balance and career development for its employees. Entrants are asked to provide evidence of high staff engagement, retention and a 'best in class' approach when judged against agencies globally.

Best Global Marketer

This award recognises the individual marketer within a client company who has had the biggest impact on the brand, multi-regionally or globally. Judges will consider the scope of the individual’s responsibilities, effectiveness of the marketing strategy against objectives during the eligibility period, the individual’s strategic skills and insights into core business issues, and how they have influenced and driven business performance for both their brand and their partner agency at a global / multi-regional level.

Global Tech Partner

This award is for external providers, partnering with agencies to provide excellence in technology solutions for the agency/network or their clients. Agencies may nominate tech partners existing at global / multi-regional level.