Entries consist of a 1200-word submission, answering seven key questions. It is expected that all submissions will include both quantitative and qualitative material to demonstrate effectiveness and success. It is the combination of robust quantifiable data, judged by a panel of senior industry figures, using transparent scoring guidelines focused on the real effectiveness, insight and delivery of true added value that set our awards apart. However, the judges recognise that in a few categories it is much more difficult to provide realistic and meaningful quantitative justifications, and where this is the case (noted in the relevant category descriptions, below) well-argued qualitative submissions are welcome.

Entry cost in the core brand- or product-related awards is £250 (+ VAT) per category. Entry for the Agency of the Year award is £350 (+ VAT) however, and Young Marketer of the Year and Marketer of the Year awards are free of charge. Submissions are open to financial services brands and technology groups, or their agencies, worldwide.

You do not have to be a member of The Financial Services Forum to enter. Marketing projects frequently have elements that are relevant to two or more of our award categories.

Multiple entries are welcome in these circumstances. Please note that it is not necessary for each entry to be completely different, but it is important to ensure where necessary) that the answers to each question are fully appropriate in each category – as the judges will rate each entry on the basis of what is written rather than what they might infer.

The Questions

Entrants in the core brand- or product-related awards must answer seven set questions within a combined maximum of 1200 words. A different set of questions applies to entries for the individual Agency of the Year, Young Marketer of the Year and Marketer of the Year awards.

The questions for the core brand- or product-related awards are:

Q1. What was the issue or challenge facing the business? [50 marks] Articulate the problem, challenge, project or opportunity. Describe the business environment in which the marketing activity was completed. Only by giving a clear, well-articulated and quantified description of the issues at the outset will the judges be able to determine the overall effectiveness of your marketing activity

Q2. What was the insight that underpinned your strategy and tactics? [50 marks] How and why did you establish your approach to solve the original issue? What drove the decision to focus your resources on this marketing activity? Perhaps it was insight from external research, or a collection of comments from your colleagues. Provide a clear explanation of the insight and how it helped to develop your strategic thinking.

Q3. What was your proposed strategy to address the issue or challenge? [50 marks] Provide an explanation of the overall marketing strategy being used. The strategy might encompass a number of marketing campaigns for a brand (maybe not specific to the category being entered) but your description here should show clearly why certain activities were performed as described in your answer to question 4.

Q4. How did you execute the strategy? [50 marks] Describe in detail, using images if necessary, the marketing activity completed. Whether using an innovative approach, or just doing the basics well, showcase the tactics or elements of the campaign that you feel delivered the greatest impact – and explain clearly and convincingly why this was the case.

Q5. What metrics did you put in place to track the effectiveness of your solution? [50 marks] Give a clear description of the controls used to measure the effectiveness of your marketing activity. Were metrics and objectives set at the start of the campaign, giving a clear definition of effectiveness over a set period? How well do these metrics complement the category being entered?

Q6. How can you prove that your campaign strategy met its objectives? [100 marks] Tell us how your marketing activity met, or exceeded, the original objectives. Where possible, provide the data related to all the metrics you had in place to measure effectiveness. How well does this go towards resolving the issue – or meeting the opportunity – set out in your answer to question 1? Can you link the marketing activity specifically to the results being achieved? Is there clear evidence that the activity was cost-effective – ie that in the medium term at least, revenue is – or has the clear potential to be – greater than cost?

Q7. What value was added to your business as a result of your strategy? [100 marks] As well the short-term cost-effective benefits of the marketing activity provided in the answer to Question 6, the judges are looking for evidence of long-term value-added to the business. The very best entries go beyond the results of the marketing activity, to explain the additional benefits achieved for the organisation as a whole. What long-term impact will this activity have on your business or the industry sector? Give a complete account of the value to the business, with quantification where possible.

 Agency of the Year / Marketer of the Year / Young Marketer of the Year Questions

Entrants to any of these three awards must provide succinct but informative and persuasive answers to four questions, the breadth of which reflect our conviction that – in addition to a track record of successful and innovative marketing and product development – truly effective agencies and marketers also demonstrate leading-edge thinking in understanding real customers and their needs, enlightened approaches to nurturing and developing their teams, and a dedicated focus on improving the performance and reputation of the financial services industry as a whole.

The areas covered in the four sections are, broadly, the marketing activities that the individual or agency has been involved in over the past eighteen months; the approach that the individual or agency takes to understanding and embracing the consumer view; the commitment shown by the individual or agency to the effective development of team members; and the extent to which the individual or agency contributes to the development and improvement of the financial services industry as a whole.

For these three awards, the judges are looking for a clear and succinct narrative description of the impact that the individual or agency has made in each of the four areas – no charts, diagrams or other attachments; no detailed quantification of the approaches described; and no more than 300 words in each answer.

Marketing Activity [300 words] Describe some of your notable recent marketing campaigns, projects or initiatives. Did these build on your existing approaches, or did they involve significant innovation? What did they achieve? What made them successful? How do you balance overall corporate objectives with the need for short-term marketing projects and initiatives? How do you balance the long-term value of innovation in product design and marketing execution with the short-term pressures to deliver immediate profits? What did you and your team learn from the exercises?

The Consumer View [300 words] How are customers and other stakeholders represented in your business and in the development of your marketing plans? To what extent are your product development and marketing plans truly focused on consumers' real needs? What steps have you taken to turn consumers (people whose real needs you understand but who don't recognise the value or relevance to themselves of your offerings) into your customers?

People and Talent [300 words] How do you support (either by the active development and encouragement of teams that you manage, or by influencing your bosses) the nurturing of the marketing talent of tomorrow? How do you recruit and select members of your team? How do you balance formal training and on-the-job experience?

The Financial Services Industry [300 words] How do you support the improvement of the activities and reputation of the financial services sector, personally or through your organisation? What influence does your team have on other teams (eg IT and customer support) that interact directly or indirectly with customers? To what extent do you promote your own perspectives and priorities with colleagues, regulators, industry bodies and other influencers? Are there examples within your own agency or company of recent initiatives that have influenced other providers to follow suit?

Additional Information

Graphs and images may be used in conjunction with the 1200-word submission to clarify data and make the paper engaging. But remember that any such additional material should be legible, clearly explained, and meaningful.

Clarity and brevity are important throughout, but in terms of assessing the entry, some answers are more important than others. This is reflected in the maximum possible score for each question.

Further details of the judging criteria and the score weighting are available on request.

Every entry will be carefully reviewed by a panel of judges. Shortlisted entries will then be debated, discussed and assessed by all the judges at a full day judging event.

Eligibility

Our awards are open to all financial services brands, technology groups, or their agencies, based anywhere in the world. It is not necessary for anyone in your organisation to be a member of The Financial Services Forum to make an entry.

It is important that projects have been “live” for long enough to demonstrate real effectiveness and value-added. If you feel able to demonstrate convincingly the effectiveness of a more recent project, the judges will assess it with the same fairness and rigour as any other entry. This does not apply to entries in the Most Effective Sustainable Brand Campaign category.

Cost

Entries will be charged at £250 (+VAT) per category – so additional fees are payable if you submit the same entry in more than one award category. 

Entry cost for Agency of the Year is £350 (+VAT). If an entry is being made by an agency, authorisation by a senior-level representative from the client company must be provided. This can include a copy of an email.