2025 Awards for Innovation and Transformation

Draft Entry Forms

To enter, you'll need to answer four questions telling us about the origin, execution and impact of your innovation.

The total word count for the entire of your entry should not exceed 1000 words with the exception of the Background Summary, which is unmarked - but it's up to you to decide how to allocate that total word count across the four questions.

For example, you might want to allocate more words to questions 3 and 4, where there are more marks available.

Whilst supporting evidence is welcomed, the only element of the entry that is formally marked is the responses to the questions. Additionally, please note that this year we will only accept two A4 sides comprised of relevant graphs, statistics, images or where relevant, links to video. This should function as an appendix only.

Those who go more than 10% over the word limit will be penalised.

Scoring for General Categories

0. Background Summary [150 Word Limit NOT Included in Word Count]

Remember that some judges may not be aware of the unique challenges of a particular sector of financial services, particularly if you work in a very niche area.

Whilst the Background Summary is unmarked, an ability to concisely explain why innovation or change was required will help the judges to accurately mark the scored elements of the entry and make a fair comparison against other entrants.

1. What Was the Business Challenge? [25 Marks]

•What business problem or challenge were you aiming to address?

• Why was innovation necessary to solve this problem?

• What goals or objectives did you set out to achieve?

2. What Was the Market Context? [25 Marks]

• What were the key trends, opportunities, or constraints in the market at the time?

• How did customer behaviour, competitive dynamics, or industry challenges influence your approach?

• Were there any regulatory or compliance factors that shaped the innovation?

3. What Was Your Chosen Strategy? [50 Marks]

• What was the core idea or vision behind your approach?

• How did you define the target audience and their needs?

• How did your strategy differ from usual approaches?

4. How Was This Executed? [50 Marks]

• What specific tactics, tools, or technologies were used to bring the strategy to life?

• How did you integrate innovation across channels or platforms?

• What challenges or obstacles arose during execution, and how were they overcome?

5. What Were the Outcomes, and How Do You Demonstrate Success? [50 Marks]

• What measurable results did the campaign or initiative achieve? (e.g., ROI, engagement, brand awareness, conversions)

• How did the innovation contribute to solving the original business challenge?

• What insights or learnings can be shared from the success of this initiative?

Supporting Evidence - Appendix

We will accept no more than two sides of A4 as PDF as supporting evidence. This will ideally be comprised of graphs, statistics, images or where relevant, links to video. This should function as an appendix only and will not be formally marked.

Scoring for Most Transformative Agency Partnership

0. Background Summary [150 Word Limit NOT Included in Word Count]

Provide the judges with the context that informed your innovation, change or transformation. This should include any background information on your market, business or category to help them understand the requirement for change. Remember that some judges may not be aware of the unique challenges of a particular sector of financial services, particularly if you work in a very niche area. Whilst the Background Summary is unmarked, an ability to concisely explain why innovation or change was required will help the judges to accurately mark the scored elements of the entry and make a fair comparison against other entrants.

1. Innovative Activity [50 marks]

• Describe a specific notable recent innovative, transformative and/or change initiative or project that was created as a result of an agency partnership.

• How did you balance overall corporate objectives with innovation within the partnership?

• What did the project achieve?

2. Nurturing a Successful Partnership [50 marks]

• How did the agency support the client in creating a new approach?

• What methods did the agency use to unlock innovation in the client business?

• Did you overcome any significant barriers to change?

3. Project Output [50 marks]

• How disruptive was the project output and what was the long-term impact for the client company, the user, customer, or the financial services industry?

• Are the learnings and/or new processes sustainable for the client?

• Have any new approaches been adopted within the business as a result of the partnership?

Supporting Evidence - Appendix

Scoring for Innovator of the Year Category [Individual, Company, Agency]

0. Background Summary [150 Word Limit NOT Included in Word Count]

1. Innovation in Marketing Strategy [50 Marks]

Describe your most innovative campaigns or projects from the past year.

What new techniques or tools have you introduced, and why were they important?

How did your innovations impact your business or the market?

In addition to the above, feel free to focus on the following areas that best apply to your work. You don’t need to cover all three, but here are some ideas to guide you:

• Delivering Consumer-Centric Innovation

• Driving Creative Excellence in Teams

• Transforming the Financial Services Landscape

2. Vision for the Future [50 Marks]

What is your vision for the future of financial services marketing?

How are you preparing to push the boundaries of innovation in the coming years?

What role will marketing play in addressing key challenges in the industry?