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 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 several 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 “2017 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.

Creative Images Requirements for 2017

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, 2017 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.

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].

An Independent Judging Experience

Judging Criteria

Smarties entries are judged by an independent global panel of senior brand marketers and agency executives. Judges will evaluate strategy, execution, creativity, and results when scoring the entry’s overall effectiveness. Each section is weighted as follows:

1. Strategy – 20%
2. Creativity – 20%
3. Execution – 20%
4. Business Impact – 40%

Things to Consider when writing your entry

Strategy

Provide an explanation of why you believe your entry satisfies the criteria for the category entered. 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.

• What was your strategic objective? (Increased market share, brand awareness, time engaged with the brand, sales, leads)
• Who was your intended target audience?
• What was your creative and media strategy?
• Context – is the first year of campaign? If not how has your strategy adapted to previous results and new technology?

Execution

Provide an explanation of how the campaign was implemented and its level of success. How did the execution or enabling technology help achieve results?

• How was the mobile component or enabling technology integrated into the overall marketing strategy?
• How creative or sophisticated was the campaign in its use of mobile media?
• What did the mobile channel or enabling technology bring to the overall campaign that other marketing channels missed?
• How was the mobile channel or enabling technology matched to specific markets, demographics relevant to the overall campaign execution?
• What percent of the campaign budget went to mobile?
• How well was mobile technology leveraged?
• What impact did the campaign have on the market?

Creativity

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. Samples of marketing materials and case studies should be provided and must be received at the time of submission to be considered with the application. We strongly encourage submitting a video which must be hosted by a third party.

Creative Samples Guidelines:

• Active URL to landing page or FTP site with links to each creative element of the campaign; or multiple active URLs (separate each URL with a comma). If providing links, please make sure sites are live. Broken links are grounds for disqualification.
• Login information – if applicable (include username & password)
• Additional instructions (for example, “click on the XYZ campaign tab”)
• We strongly recommend that your entry include a short (2-3 minute) case study video, or brief written case (2 pages maximum) study that captures the creative and actual interactive experience.

Creative Video Guidelines:

You cannot upload video directly to the submission form. Creative samples must be accessible via URL or they cannot be viewed or scored by the judges.

Recommended formats:

• Youtube (embedded video or direct link) or video provided by vimeo, Brightcove, or other embedded means.
• Flash video (embedded within a creative URL)
• Quicktime (.mov or m4v)

Business Impact

Each submission must include qualitative and quantitative data to support claims of success.

• Calculate a figure for return on investment (based on sales, profit, etc.)
• Indicate what kind of ROI figure you are sharing
• Did the campaign achieve its objectives and goals?
• What impact did the campaign have on the market, if any?
• How innovative was the campaign?
• What impact did the campaign or enabling technology have on future utilization of mobile in their business?
• How did consumers receive the campaign?

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

JUDGING PROCESS

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 [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.

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.