In the Movie A Christmas Story, Ralphie’s dad beams with pride at his major award, won by placing runner-up in a newspaper puzzle contest (first prize would have been $50,000, the equivalent of $1 Million today).
Awards provide recognition. The prestige of that recognition is in direct correlation to the volume of potential candidates, and as an industry becomes more fragmented, winning, or even being nominated for one provides less of a legitimizing boost. Major Marketing recognitions, including the Cannes, Effie, Clio, and D&AD awards, traditionally provided global recognition for prestige and creativity. In the modern marketing lexicon, with its vast array of players, platforms and processes, there are now more awards doled out than can be counted. Per example:
The Adexchanger Awards, which Celebrate the Best in Digital Advertising include the following (with numerous Honorable mentions per): Best Programmatic or Advisory Firm, Best Use of Data by an Agency, Best Use of Technology by an Agency, Best Use of Technology by a Publisher or Media Seller, Best Data Driven TV Campaign, Best Overall Use of Programmatic in a Marketing Campaign, Best Account Support, Leadership in Advertising, Making Media Better Award, Rising Star – Leadership Under 40, The Overall Ad Exchange Award, AI Innovators, AI Innovators, Best Data Technology, Best Demand Side Technology, Best Identity Technology, Best in Commerce Media, Best Industry Startup, Best Measurement or Analytics Capability, Best Private Technology, Best Sell-Side Focused Technology, Most Innovative Use of CTV Technology, and my favorite.. The People’s Programmatic Pick. Back in the Attitude Era of the WWE, Wayne “The Rock” Johnson would administer The People’s Elbow, usually to devastating effect.
The Cynopsis Media Impact Awards, which recognize Innovation in Media Tech include: Best Ad Serving Technology, Best Advancement in Data Utilization, Best AI/Machine Learning Application in Ad Tech, Best Connected TV (CTV) Platform, Best Creative Optimization Technology, Best Creator-Brand Collaboration, Best Cross-Platform Measurement Solution, Best Identity Resolution Technology, Best Personalization Technology, Best Programmatic Advertising Platform and Outstanding Brand Safety Strategy.
Then there’s the IAB MIXX Awards, recognizing Digital Marketing Excellence in Different Campaigns such as: Social, Native, Brand Content, Best Influencer Marketing, Search Advertising, Brand Advertising Campaign, Direct Response/Lead Generation Campaign, Best Use if Video Advertising, Search Engine Optimization, Digital OOH Advertising, Retail Media, Digital Audio Advertising, Connected TV Advertising, E-Commerce, Sustainability Campaign, No-profit/CSR, Effective Use of Carbon Neutral Tools, Product Innovation, Effective Use of Data / Dashboarding etc., Virtual Augmented Reality or other New Technologies, Best UX Design, Best Use of AI, Best Belgian Marketing Tool, Best International Marketing Tool.
Our industry loves a good gathering; online summits, meetups, thought leadership events, Upfronts, Newfronts, lunches, dinners, and the ever-crucial Happy Hour. The only issue with Award ceremonies is that, like digital inventory, there’s so much of it that it’s hard to make distinctions. The good thing is that in a rapidly evolving space, with vendors galore and a high demand for professional development, they are crucial for a network driven industry such as ours.
So – Award events are excellent bundles of learning from, and networking with, peers, but with networks and categories shattered like Mr. Parkers beloved lamp, now offer less credibility and cachet.
