Fees

Please refer to regional & country programs for any special discounts on fees.

Eligibility

Campaigns/products submitted should be active in the marketplace between June 2015 through June 2016.

• The competition is open to marketers and agencies globally including, but not limited to, those involved in advertising, media, PR, design and the creative industries.
• It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that the client has the rights to use the intellectual property of the brand advertised/promoted. Entries cannot be made without the prior permission of the client/owner of the rights of the case. At our request, you shall immediately provide us with a copy of such permission.
• Entries cannot be cancelled or removed from the competition after June 30, 2016.
• In the event that additional information regarding results and the outcome of the campaign becomes available after you have submitted your entry, we will accept updated and additional information relating to the results section only up to July 10, 2016.
• In the event that a campaign runs over an extended period of time (with multiple implementation dates), it is the responsibility of the entrant to provide adequate proof of the campaign’s evolution from year to year.
• Only one party may enter an entry, i.e. either the agency or client may enter a piece that both parties have worked on, but not both.
• The Smarties staff may contact the agency/client related to any entry at the request of the jury at any time during the voting process should any questions about the implementation or presentation of the work arise.
• All entry forms must be completed online.
• Entries will not be considered completed until full payment has been made.

Completing the Entry Form

All entries must be submitted for judging exactly as implemented and may not be modified for awards entry. Entries that are not originally in English may be translated as long as the presentation is exactly the same as the original version. Entries must be entered using the entry online tool. The electronic form cannot be altered or modified in any way. No other form or substitution will be accepted. Please provide all required information. Failure to provide complete information will be subject to disqualification. An entry is considered submitted after payment has been made.

Entrants are required to answer all questions in the four main areas: Strategy, Execution, Creativity and Results. Please be as specific and as concise as possible. Winning entries are well written entry forms.

We recommend that you write your entry like a short story, but keep it simple, clear, and concise. Smarties judges are highly experienced mobile marketing experts, however, they review several campaigns in a single judging session. Therefore, we recommend that you consider the readability of each entry and attempt to tightly edit your write-ups, using short, brief paragraphs wherever possible.

When providing results, hard numbers and context will have a great impact on how your entry is judged. Judges are reviewing a variety of cases across a number of different industries. Providing context for your marketplace/category is helpful so they can understand just how challenging your situation was. Context is crucial in helping them understand your challenge and the significance of your results.

Some entries may include information deemed confidential by the client. If your client won't let you reveal results in terms of actual response rates or sales, express results in relative terms — percentage improvement over control or return on investment ratio. Index results against your allowable, your past campaigns' successful performance or another standard. But if you do, be sure to explain what that standard is. Index numbers are meaningless if out of context.

To protect the integrity of the judging, do not include the agency name except where asked on the entry form. Any mention of the submitting agency in the body of the Entry Form is grounds for disqualification. The only exception would be for agency self- promotion campaigns.

View the Entry Insights section for tips to increase your chances of winning a Smarties Award.

Credits for Your Entry

An area to list companies and individuals who worked on your campaign is part of the entry form. You should list agency and client individuals. Please carefully check and re-check the credits you have entered. If you are shortlisted or a winner, these credits will be published on our website exactly as you have typed them here. Credits cannot be altered until after the Gala Ceremony when a specific period of time will be allocated to entrants to make amendments or additions to credits.

Please note that the person submitting the entry form will be considered the entrant and will be advised of the competition results. If the submitter is no longer a part of your organization, please email [email protected] with new contact information.

Foreign Language Entries

All foreign language copy must be translated into English. Clear translations must be provided for all work not in English. Entries may be dubbed or subtitled in English or include a complete written translation. Local idioms that may not be understood in the U.S. must be explained. Entries not accompanied by translations and/or explanations will not be judged. Submit translations electronically via URL or include additional sheet with your official entry form.

Video Clip of Your Entry

Entrants have the opportunity to supplement the written entry form with a video showcasing how you brought your idea to life. This video should summarize the challenge, strategy, objectives, execution and outcome of your entry. This clip will be viewed by the judges during the judging sessions. If your entry is a winner, the clip will also be used at the Smarties Gala, in the traveling Smarties Gallery, on the Smarties website, and for media and educational purposes. Please indicate when you enter your submission if there are reasons, such as music licensing, that restrict your video showcase from being shown at or after the Gala.

Your video showcase should be no longer than 3 minutes. This explanatory clip must be concise and should contain key visuals — video, still images or any other relevant footage — along with simple, clear commentary in English summarizing your entry. Please name this video clip as "2016 Entry Video Showcase" and submit via URL.

Recommended formats:

• 3-minute video
• 16:9 aspect ratio with minimum resolution of 1280x720
• QuickTime or an embedded link (as in YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
• .H264 QuickTime .mov format

Finalists whose videos do not meet these requirements may be asked to submit a video for use at the gala.

New Creative Images Requirements for 2016

Company Logos
Upload company logos for all lead agencies and clients credited on the entry.

Technical Requirements: eps or .ai format.

Please label as "Company Logos"

Team Photos
Upload team photos of the lead agency and client team. These images will be shown on screen at the Awards Gala to promote your win. If you are unable to assemble your team for a team photo at time of entry, please make a note to submit a team photo by August 31, 2016 if your submission is a winner.

Technical Requirements: 300 dpi .jpg or .jpeg. 1000 pixels minimum wide or tall. 5MB max.

Please label as "Team Photos"

Publication of Entries

Any material submitted in the course of entering the awards becomes the property of the MMA and cannot be returned. Smarties Awards competition will be showcased in various ways. Publication is at the sole discretion of the MMA.

Work submitted must be original or you must have received rights to submit it.

In order to promote the Smarties Awards, each entrant hereby grants to MMA a non-exclusive, right and license to:

Publicity Purposes

• Reproduce and display all campaign materials submitted to the Smarties – for education and publicity purposes – including creative materials, case summaries, and statements of effectiveness, in the Smarties Gallery, programming/conferences, at MMA public or private presentations, and offline.

• Reproduce and publish all campaign materials submitted to the Smarties in the website, and partner websites as approved by the Smarties and MMA.

Publication Purposes

• Use any/all content included with the entry for the purposes of research. Information used for research will be kept confidential. Also, regional and global award winning campaigns may be published as part of an annual mobile marketing guide, and/or additional publications approved by MMA.

Each entrant confirms to the MMA that they have the legal right to enter the Smarties Awards on the terms of these entry rules. Each entrant indemnifies the MMA against all liability to any other person, firm or company and all loss arising from a breach by the entrant of any of these entry rules.

We respect that entries may have information considered confidential by the client. If you have these concerns, please contact [email protected].  

Judging

The award-winning entries are selected by an independent global panel of senior brand marketers and agency executives. Judges are asked to evaluate specific criteria in scoring the entry’s overall effectiveness and provide four separate scores for specific attributes of the work:

Strategy – 25%: Judges look for information and understanding of the business and/or marketing challenge along with a solid mobile strategy. Reference research, creativity, demographic targets, technologies leveraged as well as other strategic considerations for the campaign

Execution – 25%: Explain how the campaign was implemented and its level of success.

Creativity – 25%: Consumer engagement, unique use of mobile media types, creativity dynamics and integration with overall campaign will be considered. Make it as easy as possible for judges to experience the creative as originally intended.

Results – 25%: Include qualitative and quantitative data to support claims of success.

Review Jury Tips and Effective Entry Insights PowerPoint for additional insights as to how to craft your entry form.

Judging is done in two stages:

Phase One

Pre-Screening: The shortlist is decided by a first round of voting. Judges evaluate and score each entry. Each campaign is screened by a minimum of 5 judges. A voting system selects the highest marks given in each category. The four entries with the highest scores become the category finalists.

Phase Two

Further voting establishes the ranking in each category, which is the basis for the juries' discussions and awarding of Gold, Silver and Bronze. Judges evaluate, discuss and debate the merits of each shortlisted entry to determine the category winners. Judges score each campaign from 1-10. Scores are tabulated, and campaigns are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Jury Panel will determine the Best-In-Show from the winners of each of the award categories.

Smarties Jury Panel will make the final selection of winners. If there are no suitable entries, judges may decline to appoint a winner for any category in any given year.

At all marking stages, a judge’s vote will not be counted for any entry submitted by his or her own company(ies) in his or her own country. The decision of the juries in all matters relating to the awarding of prizes will be final and binding.

Awards

The awards given are as follows:

Category Award Winners
Gold, Silver, and Bronze

Industry Awards
The Industry Awards represent the best of the best in the mobile marketing industry. All winners will have a direct impact in the growth of the industry and will be chosen by the MMA Board Members. It is not possible to submit an entry for consideration. If you would like to recommend an organization for consideration, please contact [email protected].

Best in Show

Each Smarties Awards Program has a Best in Show award which is selected from the winners of each of the award categories within a region or country.

Global Smarties Program Industry Awards

Global Marketer of the Year

This award represents the Marketer that has incorporated mobile marketing as an indispensable part of their marketing strategy worldwide and is using mobile to drive the innovation of marketing.

Global Leadership Award of the Year

This award represents the organization that has shown unprecedented leadership around the world within the mobile and marketing industry to drive growth, best practices and innovation of business.

Global Media Company of the Year

This award represents the Publisher or Media Company that has exhibited unprecedented leadership within the mobile marketing industry to drive growth and best practices.

Global Enabling Technology Company of the Year

This award represents the Mobile Enabling Technology Company whose innovative technology has changed the landscape of the mobile marketing industry and disrupted industry.

Global Agency of the Future

This award recognizes the agency that demonstrates the visionary use of mobile to generate measurable results for clients. The agency's work blends strategy, creative, technology, and results to come up with work that not only pushes boundaries to get noticed, but points the way for other clients and agencies.

Entry Deadlines

These deadlines are for the following Smarties Programs:

Regions: Global, EMEA, LATAM

Country: France, Spain, Middle East, Turkey, South Africa, UK

Early Bird – May 24, 2016
On Time – June 23, 2016
Extended Deadline – June 30, 2016

All materials, documentation and payment must be received in the MMA office in New York no later than the dates listed above.

Please refer to the APAC for region & country deadline dates.

Entrants should submit their entry(ies) according to our deadline to allow sufficient amount of time for entries to be thoroughly reviewed and processed. This will also allow the Smarties staff to provide relevant feedback when necessary.

Miscellaneous

• The Smarties Awards is a competition owned by the Mobile Marketing Association, a global organization headquartered in New York City.
• Each entrant accepts full responsibility for the quality of entries and discharges the MMA from any responsibility in respect of third parties.
• All entrants will strictly observe the entry rules. Completion and signature/sending of the entries payment form will imply full acceptance by each entrant of the entry rules. Non-compliance with any of the entry rules will result in automatic disqualification of the entry.
• The decisions of the MMA in all matters relating to the Smarties Awards shall be final and binding.