SLIM Effie Awards returns, highlighting effectiveness and results

By Divya Thotawatte

Celebrating and inspiring the advertising industry of Sri Lanka, the 11th edition of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) Effie Awards is to be held this year with a new focus – the effectiveness of campaigns, said organisers recently. 

Speaking at a briefing, the organisers announced the SLIM Effie Awards 2019 to marcom agencies, corporates and industry professionals present while emphasising that the focus this year would be on results and the effectiveness of the campaigns to meet the originally-stated objectives of those campaigns without merely judging on creativity and execution. The entry deadlines are categorised into three – early bird on 28 June, extended deadline on 5 July and final deadline on 22 July. 

SLIM President Suranjith Swaris said, “SLIM as a national body of marketing in Sri Lanka continues to work towards promoting marketing excellence and elevating the standards of the Sri Lanka marketer with the ultimate vision of leading the nation towards economic prosperity. We conduct several national level events to fulfil this objective apart from providing our education. SLIM Effie Awards is a world-renowned award program offering SLIM franchise with Effie USA. It’s a truly global award for the marketers who are in the advertising industry,” 

According to Swaris, effectiveness is one of the prime traits of good advertising and the Effie Awards is much-awaited by the advertising industry of the country to show their effectiveness. By franchise of the Global Effie Awards, SLIM has been able to raise the standard of marketing communication and it has resulted in accord-ability of marketers and agencies, he said. Effie Awards is to celebrate the impact of great work, great ideas, and great campaigns, which comes through the right execution of creativity and innovation to sell the product at last.

Effie Awards Project Chairperson Gayan Perera explaining the guidelines and the entry categories for the competition said: “The final deadline will be on 22 July and we will start judging in August, while the final event, which is the awards ceremony, will be held by early September. Eligibility criteria will be from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. Any marketing effort which was implemented and which impacted during this period is qualified for the competition.” 

In collaboration with Effie Global, new submission categories have been implemented, Perera said. Brands for Profit and Not for Profit sectors under Environment Goods, Disease Awareness and Educational Advertising, Data Driven and Media Content Partnership sectors under Media Effies and, Influencers and Youth Segment under Specialty audiences are some newly-implemented categories this year. 

Effie Awards 2019 Head of Jury and Industry Expert Irfan Ahmed explained to participants what makes a good entry for the competition while stressing on the fact that the evaluation would be based on good content and creativity as well as the results of the campaign, since effectiveness was one of the core traits of a good campaign. 

“It is important that the Effies Awards evolve each year and many improvements have been made to the judging process and criteria following discussion with industry professionals and previous jury members. I must commend SLIM for striving over the last 10 years to ensure the Effies remain the premier marketing effectiveness award,” Ahmed noted.

Launched in 1968 by the New York American Marketing Association, the Effie Awards now encompasses all forms of effective marketing communications in addition to the companies and individuals creating insights towards effective work.

Pix by Chamila Karunarathne