BEST AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

This award will recognise the technology and creativity behind campaigns that produce real, demonstrable engagement with their target audience.

BEST USE OF GAMING

Awarded to the best creative idea using in-game technology. Campaigns entered into this category will have utilised the comms opportunities of any type of gaming (including console games, PC games, social or mobile gaming) to reach audiences in new and exciting ways.

BEST USE OF AI

This award recognises the most effective use of AI for a campaign or business optimisation. Entries must clearly explain what type of AI was used, how it was implemented, and how it produced demonstrably better results and performance for a brand.

BEST USE OF CREATIVE PERSONALISATION

This award is for campaigns using technology to deliver targeted and personalised communications. The winner will pair brilliant creative with insightful use of data and media to deliver a highly tailored message to the customer resulting in great engagement and conversions.

BEST USE OF DATA

This award is celebrated across six sub-categories. These categories seek to recognise innovative brand activity rooted in data-driven customer insight. The winning work will show that data was used not only to solve a problem but also contributed to the brand’s overall marketing mission. 

• Best Use of Data: Entertainment
• Best Use of Data: Financial & Professional Services
• Best Use of Data: Food & Drink
• Best Use of Data: Other Consumer Goods
• Best Use of Data: Retail
• Best Use of Data: Public Sector/Charity

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BEST USE OF EXPERIENTIAL TECH

This category rewards a branded experience that makes use of technology in an innovative way that wows consumers, helps drive deeper engagement for fans and delivers an unforgettable experience for the customer. This can be a digital or physical experience, the sky’s the limit.

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BEST USE OF EXPERIMENTAL TECH

This award recognises campaigns that have used experimental technology to deliver great brand engagement. In particular, judges will be looking for an application of technology that is genuinely innovative, even if the technology itself is not being used for the first time.

BEST USE OF INSIGHT

This award seeks to recognise innovative brand activity through insight. The winning work will show that insight was used not only to solve a problem but also contributed to the brand’s overall marketing mission. 

BEST USE OF PAID SEARCH

We are seeking proficient and successful management of a paid search campaign. Successful entrants must demonstrate an innovative use of the channel, incorporating data and new tools where necessary, managed by an in-house team or for a client. Judges will seek alignment to brand values and goals across a well thought-out and delivered effort.

BEST USE OF PAID SOCIAL

We are seeking an innovative and effective paid social campaign or strategy that gained a stellar set of results via a performance-based effort. Whether the objective was to drive sales, engagement, leads or even footfall, entries should demonstrate how client objectives were met and ROI achieved from the activity.

BEST USE OF PROGRAMMATIC MEDIA

This award is open to media owners, media agencies, brands or creative agencies that have maximised the use of automated media solutions to create memorable campaigns. The judges will look for clever and creative ways of using data and optimising programmatic media deployment to achieve outstanding results for clients.

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BEST USE OF TECH IN CRM

Tech has enabled brands to talk directly to their customers in more innovative and personalised ways. Companies that are most effective or innovating in customer relationship management should enter this award.

BEST USE OF TECH IN OUT-OF-HOME

The UK’s out-of-home industry has been transformed by digital and there are more opportunities than ever before to use tech in ingenious ways to reach consumers. This award recognises memorable and powerful advertising created by innovative and creative uses of technology. 

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BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN

This award is for campaigns that demonstrate both excellence and creativity across a range of channels. The objectives of the media strategy must be clear and the entry should include how the campaign was modified for online and offline channels and how the channels came together to deliver outstanding results.

BEST LOCATION-BASED OR PROXIMITY MARKETING CAMPAIGN

This award celebrates agencies and tech providers who have enabled brands to give their consumers an engaging, personalised and targeted brand experience using proximity technology or location-based data. Open to all stripes of agency and tech companies.

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TECH AS PART OF A CAMPAIGN

This award is celebrated across six sub-categories – recognises tech innovations created as part of a brand campaign or branding initiative. Entrants must be able to demonstrate that the technology made a difference to the campaign. The winning entry must also explain how the tech furthered brand goals or solved brand problems. 

Tech as Part of a Campaign: Charity/Public Sector 

Tech as Part of a Campaign: Consumer Goods 

Tech as Part of a Campaign: Entertainment 

Tech as Part of a Campaign: Retail 

TECH FOR GOOD

The winner of this award will demonstrate excellence in using technology in a creative campaign. Entries can be from commercial brands, agencies, tech providers or charities. Entrants must show how they have identified a specific audience need and created a piece of work (of any medium) that improves social, environmental and economic outcomes. It may or may not be pro bono work.

GRAND PRIX

The Grand Prix will be awarded to the campaign who receives the most nominations and awards throughout the evening. Each entry that makes the final shortlist will score points, and these points will be used to identify the leading agency. The scoring system will allocate an appropriate tally for each entry, depending upon the results. This category cannot be entered directly. 

RISING STAR

This award honours the emerging new talents in an industry being revolutionised by the coming together of brave clients, smart creative thinkers and game-changing tech. We are looking for people who have demonstrated exceptional skill and ambition and whose personal endeavours, whether creative or tech focused, have begun to make their mark. We welcome entries from the individuals themselves or nominations from peers, company leaders and clients. This category is open to anyone with less than 3 years experience in the industry.

START-UP OF THE YEAR

The UK is Europe’s most vibrant and successful breeding ground for tech startups and the Tech Awards will now recognise those emerging tech companies that demonstrate outstanding work in advertising, media or marketing. 

Note: The entrant must have begun trading within three years of 28 November 2020.

TECH LEADER OF THE YEAR

This award will celebrate the individuals, in brands, agencies or tech partners, that are leading the charge and creating great work, using smart technology, that delights and engages consumers and re-imagines the world. Personal nominations are welcome, as are entries from colleagues, company leaders and partners.