SDV Award 2016: The advertising of the future is entertainment

Submissions received before the end of November will now receive a 10 percent discount. *Werbewoche* is once again the media partner for the SDV Awards in 2016.

Over the past decade, new technologies and the rise of social media have multiplied the opportunities for interaction between companies and customers. Effective dialogue marketing capitalizes on these opportunities: it fosters conversations shaped by consumers, thereby bringing them closer to the company or brand. Today, customers can easily voice their concerns on Twitter, help shape new products on Facebook, and rate customer service via text message. This trend clearly shows that the advertising of the future is entertainment.

Through the Ages

The 2016 Swiss Dialog Marketing Award aims to recognize campaigns that are already masterfully bringing the future forward today. Awards will be presented in a total of 23 categories—up from 18 last year. The categories are now divided into three sections: Media, Industry, and Special categories. In the Media division, which comprises nine categories, awards in gold, silver, and bronze will continue to be presented as before. In the other two divisions, one award will be presented per category.

Media categories

In the first category, digital measures are combined with traditional forms of advertising. These will undoubtedly continue to be an important aspect of interactive marketing even in a technology-driven future. «B2C Mailing (2D) over 100,000 copies,' »B2C Mailing (2D) up to 100,000 copies,« 'B2B Mailing (2D),» 3D Mailing (B2B & B2C), «Printed, non-personalized campaigns» and «ambient campaigns» stand side by side here with the newer advertising disciplines «multichannel,» «digital: email marketing / landing page / newsletter,» and «digital: mobile marketing, including apps.».

Industry categories

This category is divided into six subcategories. One of them is «Campaigns for Nonprofit Organizations & Prevention»; advertising initiatives that foster dialogue are indispensable tools here for fundraising and raising awareness. An award is presented in this category, as well as for «Campaigns for Financial Service Providers,» «Campaigns for Retail,» «Campaigns in the Automotive Industry,» «Campaigns in the Telecommunications Industry,» and «Campaigns in the Media Industry.».

Special categories

The special categories encompass eight disciplines, including the SDV Junior Award and the Post Prize. In the «International» category, entries from foreign agencies can earn fame and recognition. «Creative Use of Data,» on the other hand, is a newly created category that recognizes initiatives or campaigns that spark dialogue and make particularly effective use of data and database technologies. The other categories are tried-and-true: «Customer Loyalty Programs,» «Craft: Art Direction,» «Craft: Production,» and «Craft: Copy.».

SDV Junior Award

Once again this year, the SDV Junior Award will be presented to young, up-and-coming talents who will shape the industry in the coming years and decades. In addition, the 2016 winners will have the opportunity to design the presentation for the upcoming SDV Award. This year’s winners were Vasco Bickel (graphic designer) and Anouk Karrer (junior copywriter/concept developer). Karrer produced the work in collaboration with Lukas Binggeli (graphic design) at the Maxomedia agency. As in previous years, the SDV Junior Award is sponsored by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).

Fair Judging System

The jury for the upcoming SDV Awards is made up of 20 experienced advertising and marketing experts. These visionaries are led by Dr. Christian Huldi. The judging process, which was introduced last year, is undoubtedly forward-thinking. The dual judging system gives equal weight to creativity and success. In the first round of judging, one half of the jury evaluates exclusively the creative merit and execution of the submission. The other half, on the other hand, focuses entirely on the campaign’s effectiveness—that is, its strategy and results. Only in the second round does the entire jury evaluate all remaining entries based on both creativity and effectiveness.

Apply now!

Anyone involved in dialogue marketing knows this: If you don’t take action, you won’t get a response. That’s why advertising agencies, service providers, and advertisers should head straight to www.sdv-award.ch, review the terms and conditions, and join in! Submissions must be received at the SDV headquarters by January 31, 2016, at the latest. New: Anyone who submits their campaigns by the end of November will receive a 10 % discount! SDV members (ASW, BSW, SW Schweizer Werbung, SMC, swissfundraising, and VSV) also benefit from reduced entry fees. The awards will be presented on June 9, 2016.

More information:
Sdv-award.ch; Sdv-dialogmarketing.ch