Warc launches $10,000 prize for social strategy

Global competition to find best use of 'earned media' to drive business results; Pete Blackshaw, Global Head of Digital and Social Media at Nestlé, to chair judging panel

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | September 16, 2013

Warc, the marketing intelligence service, has launched the Warc Prize for Social Strategy, a global competition to find the best examples of social ideas that drive business results.

The prize will look for examples of marketing or communications strategies that inspire social effects (conversation, sharing, participation or advocacy) and also a measurable business impact. It is free to enter, and open to clients and agencies in any discipline.

Warc is offering a prize fund of $10,000. There will be a $5,000 Grand Prix for the world's best social strategy case study, plus five $1,000 Special Awards (see below). There will also be Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for the highest-scoring cases.

Pete Blackshaw, Global Head of Digital and Social Media at Nestlé, will chair a judging panel of senior client-side marketers and strategy experts from around the world.

“This is an exciting project to be involved with. Proving the link between social ideas, in all forms, and business results is one of the biggest challenges we face as marketers,” said Blackshaw. “I'll be looking out for ideas that have social baked in from the start, and deliver meaningful results for the brands behind them.”

“The prize is broader than a social media competition,” added David Tiltman, Content Development Director at Warc. “Its focus is social ideas – strategies to get people talking, participating or recommending – and the results they achieve. The prize is channel-neutral – it is just as relevant to campaigns that start in TV or public relations ideas as it is to specific social media strategies.”

Winning entries to the prize will be featured in 'Seriously Social 2014', Warc's annual report on effectiveness trends in social marketing. “The Warc Prize for Social Strategy fills a crucial gap in industry knowledge,” added Blackshaw. “It will move the industry forward by pulling together best practices from all over the world.”

Further details, including the entry kit and tips on writing a great strategy case study, can be found on the Prize website, www.warc.com/socialprize

The five $1,000 Special Awards are:

• The Long-Term Idea Award for the best example of a social strategy that has delivered sustained success for a brand
• The Analytics Award for the paper with the smartest use of data to demonstrate effectiveness
• The Channel Strategy Award for the smartest use of media channels to deliver an effective social strategy
• The Low-Budget Award for the best example of a brand achieving business results on a marketing or communications budget under $1 million
• The Social Business Award for the best example of 'upstream' social strategy, or a business model built around a social idea

The deadline for entries is December 5, 2013, and the winner will be announced in March 2014.

Warc runs two other successful case study competitions. The Warc Prize for Innovation is a global competition that rewards examples of innovative thinking in communications. The Warc Prize for Asian Strategy recognises great strategic thinking in Asian marketing.

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