Insights & Tips | MMA Global

Insights & Tips

Judging Process

Smarties are judged by an independent global panel of senior brand marketers and agency executives. Entries are judged in two phases:

  • Phase One – Pre-Screening: Entries are judged without comparison to other entries in their category. A voting system selects the highest marks given in each category. The four entries with the highest scores become the category finalists.
  • Phase Two – Finalists: Finalists in each category are judged against other finalists within the same category. Judges evaluate, discuss and debate the merits of each shortlisted entry to determine the category winners, which is the basis for the juries' discussions and awarding of Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Click here for more information on the judging process.


Jury Tips

Bring the Idea to Life

Write your entry like a short story but you don’t want to overwrite it. Don’t just answer the questions. Your case study should read like a story – make your story interesting and compelling. Remember that various people are judging your campaign so try to appeal to all of them by making it easy, enjoyable and entertaining.

Present the case in a clear, concise and simple manner. Substance and impact is important, so be clear about the impact and results delivered. Use visuals to highlight the data you are presenting. It can be more impactful when seen in a chart.

It is imperative that you check for grammar, typos, math, and inconsistencies. Judges review 10-20 entries in a sitting, and get frustrated when not being able to properly read the campaign due to incorrect grammar and typos.

Help judges understand the challenges faced and how the campaign met or exceeded these challenges.

Carefully read and answer all questions on the entry form. Judges look to be sure all information is provided.

Be sure the written entry form and video case study complement each other. It isn't about the quality of the video itself but more about the content. And don't completely repeat the case in video form. Use the video to bring to life the key elements of the campaign. Judges read the written cases and then review the video.

Judges like to see examples of the work. So provide as much examples as possible. Do not show examples that have no relevancy to the campaign.

Context is Key. Do not just provide percentage growth but also benchmarks. Without the context for these percentages, it is hard to tell what is truly great. And if possible, show how your results compare to the relative success of your competition. Identify KPIs and how your campaign met or exceed them.

Ensure that the results tie to the objectives. The objectives should be measurable and they should include performance against benchmarks. If possible, use charts and graphs.

Tie together the story of how your work drove the results (back to your objectives), explaining how or why. Do this in a storytelling manner rather than just listing the results.

Remember - make the context clear, simple and concise. Judges are reviewing 10-20 cases in a judging session, so the easier it is for them to understand your case, the better.

See Categories for criteria and requirements for each category.