Behind the Scenes of Marketing Awards: A Judge’s Perspective

After a few years of judging for the illustrious The Drum Marketing Awards, SYZYGY Business Director Lindsey Wiltse reflects on the experience of judging for awards, what makes an award stand out, and why awards are so crucial for marketers to continue elevating themselves and others in the industry.

As marketers, we put our heart and soul into the projects we deliver for our clients.  

So much work happens behind the scenes, from creative problem-solving to strategic analysis to deep diving into data. That’s why submitting your work for awards consideration can be so fun – it’s a chance to step back and recognize the immense effort that goes into what we do. Plus, let’s be honest, it’s a nice ego boost.  

Don’t get me wrong – it’s hugely rewarding when your clients are happy with your work. However, it’s also hugely gratifying to have the chance to tell the story of a project you’ve seen through from start to finish to a panel of your peers who deeply understand the complexities and challenges you faced. 

For that reason, I also love being a judge for awards.  

For the last few seasons, I’ve had the privilege and honor of going behind the scenes for The Drum Awards, experiencing the excitement of the review process, and learning about the incredibly innovative work being developed for clients, both large and small, across the industry today. 

Let’s remember how much media and marketing touch.  

From picking up your phone in the morning for a quick doom scroll before you get up, to putting on a podcast in the car on the way to work, to seeing out-of-home campaigns in action while you drive – real people are putting together these concepts working in omni-channel teams, across time zones and specialties, to bring these ideas to life. When you think about it, it’s quite amazing.  

Working with the Drum Awards 

The first time I had the opportunity to work with The Drum, I was equally thrilled and anxious. After all, was my opinion valuable in the grand scheme of things? However, I soon realized that while imposter syndrome is normal, in this instance, sinking into the work was the best thing I could have done. It turns out that my over 10 years of experience in the industry has provided me with a strong point of view. So, with my judging hat on, I carved aside time to pour over every entry I was assigned, sometimes revisiting them on nights and weekends, and each time being left completely amazed by the caliber of work. 

The Drum Awards works very transparently. First, a panel of judges independently assesses and scores entries in their field. Ultimately, we look for clear evidence of planning, a problem being solved, details of execution, and proof of positive results.  

After this, the panel meets in person to discuss every entry, sharing our varied perspectives. This is one of the most exciting parts. Here, we each bring our own background and experience to the table. Sometimes, the panel is in alignment. Other times, we go back and forth, come to a solution, circle back, push and pull. However, ultimately, we reach a consensus on the top-tier entries.  

In each session, we award a Grand Prix award—or the best of the best—to the truly spectacular campaigns. While I can’t divulge the secret sauce of how judging occurs, I will say that the magic happens when we collate feedback and discuss our perspectives. 

Why are awards good for the marketing industry? 

Judging for The Drum Awards has impacted my perspective and the way I look at my career.  

It’s so easy to get myopic, focusing solely on the clients on our roster rather than our field at large. While we might keep on top of industry news and updates, changing our behavior and aligning our ways of working towards constant industry changes is challenging and often neglected. However, a theme between the various outstanding entries we reviewed was evidence of innovation. It was clear how each entry was elevating their clients and challenging assumptions of what was possible. 

Now, for the good stuff. Advice! 

As someone who’s read over 100 award entries, I can provide a few tips for anyone looking to submit for any marketing award (not just the Drum). 

• Be very clear in your storytelling and narrative – judges don’t know your work or your client’s problems, so make sure to spell it out. 
• Explain the problem that you’re solving – outline the issue and what would determine success. Set the bar for how the work performs right off the bat rather than making judges work to figure it out. 
• Showcase your planning! It’s interesting to understand the challenges you overcame or how you brought in an integrated solution. This often elevates an entry. 
• If you can, bring charts, graphs, testimonials, and supplements. While not required, these help to visualize the impact of your campaign results.  
• Submit to the right category! It’s so unfortunate when an entry must lose on a technicality, especially when that technicality is that it simply doesn’t fit within the category for which it has been entered.  

Good work deserves recognition. For this reason, awards are massively important. However, I believe, most importantly, they function as a point of inspiration. They’re a wonderful way to remain excited about the work that we’re doing and serve as a reminder of why we all joined this industry in the first place. So, let’s keep reading, writing, and challenging each other.  

See you next time!