Call for Entries Guidelines and Submission Process
2015 PULSE AWARDS This is our 5th annual Pulse Awards competition in the Pacific Northwest, and we are still the only competition that is focused on honoring results-based marketing programs produced by and/or for Northwest companies that help build and grow business. The 2015 Pulse Awards competition now offers 15 categories to enter and win. Open to both corporations and agencies, the PSAMA Pulse Awards recognizes marketing campaigns and their respective companies/agencies that have come up with Big Ideas and turned them into Big Results. ABOUT PSAMA The Puget Sound chapter of the American Marketing Association (PSAMA) is the premier organization for marketing professionals in Western Washington. We are a member of The American Marketing Association (AMA), one of the largest professional associations for marketers with more than 38,000 members worldwide. PSAMA has more than 70 AMA local chapters in more than 100 countries with 520 members. We are the largest and longeststanding professional marketing association in Washington State. Our mission is to advance the careers of all marketing professionals in the Puget Sound through professional education, events, networking, resources, industry news, and job opportunities. HOW TO ENTER 1. Review and follow the Eligibility section to ensure that your work meets the criteria. 2. Refer to the Category Listing to identify the category(s) in which your work will compete. 3. Prepare your entry(s) by following the Entry Submissions Guidelines outlined then submit your entry to the specific email address that corresponds to your category. 4. Submit entry fees payment for each category entry. Submission of entries acknowledges the right of PSAMA to use them for publication, exhibition and marketing of the Pulse Awards. However, should your entry contain proprietary information that you do not wish to be made public, please note such on the Official Entry Form.
ELIGIBILITY All work entered in the 2015 Pulse Awards competition must have demonstrated success between July 1, 2014 and September 1, 2015. Work must have been created by or for a Washington-based company. The expressed intent of the Pulse Awards competition is to recognize and reward marketing excellence and work that has legitimately been used in the marketplace. Occasionally, an entry is submitted that appears to have been created solely for the purpose of winning an award. This type of work is not accepted. All entries for marketing services must have been delivered for the purpose of raising awareness, credibility, brand value or decision and must have achieved results. Should a question arise relative to the eligibility or legitimacy of any entry, the entrant agrees by their acceptance on the entry form to furnish the necessary documentation for review by the Pulse Awards Committee. Failure to do so can result in disqualification without refund of entry fees. ENTRIES MUST Meet all eligibility and deadline requirements Be entered in the correct category and be correctly identified Include a complete entry submission form Be verified by Pulse Awards committee as paid prior to review by judges Include properly formatted creative support as attachments Conform to defined submission requirements Conform to all copyright laws If a piece of work is being submitted in multiple categories, the entry must be revised to properly address the objectives of each category. Copyright infringement and/or plagiarism (be it intentional or unintentional) will result in the disqualification and, if applicable, removal of awards from any entry deemed in violation. All entry fees will be forfeited.
DEADLINES & FEES Entry Deadline: 12:00 Midnight, September 21 st, 2015 Entry Fee: PSAMA Member - $60 per Entry Non-AMA Member - $85 per Entry (NOTE: We recognize that many campaigns utilize marketing tactics that extend beyond one specialty area. We encourage entry in multiple categories when applicable, but request that each entry be revised to focus on the marketing specialty that will be evaluated. Each category entered must be accompanied by appropriate entry fee.) PAYMENTS Payment must be made online via Eventbrite. Fees are non-refundable. Please submit payment(s) at: http://psama-pulseawards-nominationfee.eventbrite.com EVALUATION CRITERIA Entries for each category are evaluated and scored by a panel of judges against five key criteria: 1. Planning 2. Situational Analysis & Clarity of Objective: Provide an overview of the program/campaign s qualitative and quantitative objectives. Clearly outline the situation and key performance indicators. 3. Match to the Pulse of the Market/Audience 4. Strategy: Elaborate on the program strategy(s) clearly listing the target audience(s) and any audience insights. 5. Results: Tell us how the program delivered against objectives listed in question 1 and the impact (if any) to the overall business objectives. Be sure to outline qualitative and quantitative results. It provides the judges with the context supported by the examples and back-up you provide in your submission. Your examples may be great, but the judges need to hear about how you tied that all together to accomplish your project s goals, objectives, and success overall. All entries will be reviewed by the Pulse Awards judging committee, consisting of category experts and other marketing professionals with intimate knowledge and credibility within that marketing specialty. To ensure objectivity in the judging process, judges will not be allowed to review entries in which they may have a vested interest. It is up to the discretion of the judges whether or not a finalist and winner will be selected for each category.
ENTRY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES All 2015 entries must be submitted in the form of PowerPoint. Please align your slides in the following order to cover these subjects: Executive Summary (1 page) o Campaign title o Details on the agency that created the campaign o The client that the campaign was created for o Dates of campaign o Category that the campaign is being submitted for o Integrated marketing vehicles that the campaign included o Campaign theme o Key Objectives o High level business results Campaign Background (1 page) o Key elements that impacted the marketing and creative strategy Objectives, Strategies and Tactics (1 page) o Specific KPIs should be included Campaign creative attachment (less than or equal to 5 pages) o This should include attachments and/or links to your creative material to support your entry. o If these attachments of photos make the size of the PowerPoint too large, please submit a list of creative Materials to support your entry. o Creative material attachments not to exceed 3 additional files which in totally must be no more than 5 additional, 8.5x11 printed pages. o Videos should be posted on You Tube or Vimeo and attach the links on the slides Business Results (less than or equal to 2 pages) o Be sure results shown are related direct to the objectives and KPIs Other rules: o 2015 Pulse Awards Entry Form o Only results presented in the entry will be considered o Increase readability by using bullet points o Keep each section of your entry within word limitation guidelines o Call out key pieces of information o Remember Less is More It is not guaranteed that all categories will recognize a winner. Only submissions that provide solid results and exemplify the qualities of great marketing will be considered for finalist placement. Finalists will be notified two weeks prior to event on November 6. All Finalists will be recognized at the event, and Winners will be announced at the event.
Documentation List 2015 Pulse Awards Entry Form Power Point Deck do not exceed 10 pages (If necessary) Additional Creative Strategy attachments do not exceed 5 pages (If necessary) A Detailed list of all support attachments Creative Submission DO S & DON TS Please provide a single creative support file to accompany your essay submission. Category winners will be highlighted at the Pulse Awards event so it is required that all files uploaded be print ready. DO submit in accepted formats: JPG, PDF, EPS DO provide a high resolution image when appropriate: 300dpi, >1M, print ready DO provide URL s for website entries. Websites that require password access it is suggested that entrants create a guest user account login for the purpose of AMY Awards judging. DO submit your video creative materials in any major format for viewing by the judges. DO label support for documents that cannot be attached to the original submission DO provide a complete and detailed listing of all support attachments, and be sure they are clearly identified with the campaign submitted for review. DO NOT submit files that will attempt to install a program on the judging computer(s). Executable files cannot be judged and will be disqualified without reimbursement of entry fees.
PULSE AWARD ENTRY CATEGORIES Please submit all entries to pulse@psama.org. Agencies, don t forget to enter work done for self-promotion. 1. Branding B2B Best overall strategy, design and implementation of a new or refreshed brand identity 2. Branding B2C Best overall strategy, design and implementation of a new or refreshed brand identity 3. Integrated Marketing Campaign General Market B2B - Best use of integrated marketing tactics to target a business-to-business audience 4. Integrated Marketing Campaign General Market B2C 5. Integrated Marketing Campaign Multicultural 6. Integrated Marketing Campaign Non-Profit 7. Email & Direct Marketing Campaign Best use of email and direct marketing drive a desired target audience response such as generate leads, generate incremental sales, increase retention/loyalty, or increase referrals/advocacy 8. Web & Interactive Marketing Campaign Best campaign using the Web, Web-based application and/or online marketing tools to increase brand awareness and/or sales activity surrounding a specific product/service 9. Web Design Brand awareness Best website design and functionality that positively impacted brand awareness and purchase intent 10. Web Design Sales Response Best website design and functionality that improved some type of quantifiable response (sales, leads, sign-ups) 11. Social Media Marketing Best use of social media or networking website(s) and/or technologies to generate leads and/or desired audience response for a product or service 12. Mobile Marketing Best use of mobile technologies to generate leads and/or desired audience response for a product or service 13. Integrated PR Campaign Best use of PR tactics to achieve increased market awareness or a direct response from the designated target audience 14. Integrated Advertising Best use of print, broadcast, and digital advertising (creative content and media placement) to reach desired target audience(s) and affect desired audience response. 15. People s Choice The Pulse Awards attendees vote for their Choice from the 5 best submissions determined by judges.
PULSE AWARDS ENTRY FORM Entries must be submitted in Official Entry Form format for consideration. Download the official entry forms from the Pulse Awards website scroll to the bottom of the Nominate Entry Guidelines page to download the forms: http://pulseawards.org/entry-guide/ CONTACT PULSE AWARDS For any questions regarding the entry process please don t hesitate to contact us at pulseawards@psama.org.