Please read carefully the rules of entry
Please ensure you have read the rules of entry before submitting your entries. Click here for the rules.
The Judging Process
The judging process has been designed to allow every entry in most of the categories to be marked by all the judges, with each one being presented in exactly the same way and for the same amount of time. The exceptions to this are the John O'Hara and New Media awards.
The judges will take the following five criteria into account for all 11 award categories:
- Originality
- Structure
- Art direction
- Copywriting
- Target audience appeal
In addition, some awards will be judged against additional criteria, which are as follows
- Advertising Campaign and Marketing Campaign – Individual item effectiveness, overall campaign effectiveness
- Direct Mail – Innovation, delivery impact/first impression, engagement
- Detail Aid – Logic of story
- International – Globality
- Practice marketing – Innovation
- New Media – First impression, irresistibility, usability
- PR - clarity of key messages in a selection of relevant media
Each entry will be considered individually by all the judges against each criterion stated above in order to reach a final decision. There will be a TOP PRIZE for the company and agency submitting the winning entry in each category plus two HIGHLY COMMENDED certificates for the runners-up in each category, again for both company and agency.
The judging panel
The VMA prides itself in ensuring that a representative sample of technical and creative judges are selected to judge the entries. There is a greater emphasis on creatives.
Judges are not permitted to judge any entries where they have had any input whatsoever.
Award Categories
NEW CATEGORY - PR Award - Sponsored by Splash Marketing and Communications
This new award is for the company/veterinary practice that has delivered the most innovative PR initiative in 2011. This can be a single ‘one-off’ published piece, or a sustained campaign over a given period to support a product/initiative in the veterinary/animal health industry. It will include published material via any journal, magazine, newspaper, TV, radio or other electronic medium in the UK in 2011.
The material must be genuine editorial - campaigns which include a paid format (e.g. advertorial or sponsored series) as part of the programme can be entered for the award, however any ‘paid for’ elements will not be judged or form part of the scoring.
The initiative should have highlighted an issue of genuine usefulness to vets and/or vet practices, using original concept(s).
The award will be given to the PR agency, consultant, or client directly (i.e. in-house) who can best demonstrate the above criteria using press cuttings, and supported by original material if relevant.
All the entry criteria can be viewed on here (downloadable PDF).
Veterinary Media Advertising Award - Sponsored by GfK Kynetec
Entries for this award should have appeared only in a veterinary publication in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Farm Media Advertising Award - Sponsored by Farmers Weekly
Entries for this award should have been targeted direct to the farmer and appeared in a specialist journal or newspaper in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Consumer Media Award - Sponsored by OnSwitch
Entries for this award should have been targeted direct to the consumer and appeared in a journal, newspaper or a broadcast environment in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Advertising Campaign Award - Sponsored by Veterinary Record and In Practice
This award is intended for companies who have prepared a series of advertisements that can only be fully appreciated when viewed as a whole. Entries for this award should have appeared in one or more of the three categories detailed above in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Direct Mail Award - Sponsored by Vetfile
Eligible entries for this award are Direct Mail campaigns targeted at veterinary surgeons, farmers, or pet owners in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Marketing Campaign Award - Sponsored by Veterinary Business Development
This award is intended for companies who have prepared a complete marketing communications programme, including a selection of promotional support material such as advertising, mailing, product literature, press material, packaging, photography, video films and so forth, to support their marketing objectives. Clearly, material submitted under any one of the advertising or mailing categories above would be eligible if presented as a comprehensive campaign package in addition to the individual sections. The campaign must have been executed in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Detail Aid Award - Sponsored by Market Probe Europe
Entries for this award should have been used by company sales representatives within veterinary practices in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011. Entries into this award will not be displayed at the awards ceremony, in order to protect confidentiality.
International Marketing Campaign Award - Sponsored by Mo Gannon & Associates
This award provides an opportunity for marketing agencies to highlight their achievements in developing a marketing communications platform which has been used internationally. Criteria as per the Marketing Campaign Award except that the campaign must have been executed in at least one other country outside the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
New Media Award - Sponsored by N2 Visual Communications
This award recognises excellence in marketing communications using electronic media. This may be in the form of e-marketing, website development, e-mail, etc. The campaign must have been executed or materials available in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Point of Sale Award - Sponsored by Dunlop’s Veterinary Supplies
This award is intended for promotional materials used within the premises where products for animals are sold, dispensed or prescribed for the purposes of supporting the product through branding, merchandising, education etc. Examples would include items such as leaflets, posters, dispensers, panels etc. The campaign must have been executed or materials available in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Practice Marketing Award - Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim
This is a category for veterinary practices only. It will be awarded to the practice (companion or production animal) that demonstrates the most initiative and/or innovation in the marketing of its products and/or services to end users. Eligible entries for this award are: display advertising; direct mail or electronic media (e-marketing, website, etc which has been targeted at end users of the practice’s products or services, for example, the general public or farmers. The material must have appeared in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2011.
Veterinary Readership Award - Sponsored by Veterinary Times
This award is for the vets’ ‘favourite advertisement’, which has appeared in a veterinary journal during 2010. Veterinary surgeons will be contacted at the beginning of 2012 to elicit their opinion. All responses will be analysed and a winner will be announced at the awards luncheon.
Rules of Entry (please read carefully)
- Entries not submitted in accordance with the rules will not be judged.
- Entries for the 2011 Awards must have been used for promotional purposes during 2011.
Entry boards and supporting JPEGs
- A printout or copy of the fully completed form must be firmly attached to the back of EACH individual entry board.
- Entries for the media awards must be mounted on BLACK BOARD and with a minimum 2-INCH BORDER at original size (i.e. as it appeared in the press). Magazine tear-sheets will not be accepted.
- Each entry must be on one board, this includes campaign entries. Boards can be up to A1 in size. Unfortunately we are not able to return entries.
- Entries for the Point of Sale award should be submitted as a printed digital representation mounted on BLACK BOARD and with a minimum 2-INCH BORDER.
- So that Marketing Campaign Award entries are represented in full, it is permissible to reduce the size of some elements and use photographs where appropriate.
- Every entry should ALSO be submitted electronically as a high quality 300dpi jpeg file (approximately 1Mb in size) for displaying electronically at the award ceremony. The boards submitted for judging will NOT be displayed at the ceremony, due to space restrictions. Please submit JPEG files to joannedean@vetsonline.com of each display board (or equivalent digitally created layouts). Entries submitted by e-mail must be clearly marked with the category, client and agency.
New Media Award submissions
- No boards to be submitted for this campaign - all entries should be viewable online and the relevant URL submitted as an email - details below.
- All submissions in this category should be sent to joannedean@vetsonline.com by 27th January 2012.
- The submission e-mail should contain key details and a description of the campaign (target audience, media used etc).
- The submission e-mail should contain an active link to the campaign.
Payment
There is a nominal fee for each entry submitted of £65 (plus VAT). This fee covers the costs of administration of these awards and the judging expenses. Cheques should be made payable to “The Veterinary Marketing Association” and accompany each completed entry form. VAT receipts will be issued.
To pay by BACS, please use the following details: a/c number 22953388; sort code 60-04-23. Entries without payment will not be accepted. Please send remittances to secretary@vma.org.uk
AN ENTRY WILL BE REFUSED IF IT HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE IN BREACH OF THE NOAH CODE OF PRACTICE AT THE TIME OF JUDGING, OR IT IS SUBJECT TO A COMPLAINT THAT IS SUBSEQUENTLY UPHELD.
While every care is taken of material entered, neither the Veterinary Marketing Association nor Veterinary Business Development can be held liable for loss or damage to entries. Entries to the awards should be sent to: Joanne Dean, Veterinary Business Development, Olympus House, Werrington Centre, Peterborough PE4 6NA. Tel: 01733 325522; Fax: 01733 325512.
Entries must arrive during office hours (9am-5pm). Deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday, 3rd February 2012. The VMA reserves the right to refuse entries received after this date.