Internet Advertising Competition Awards Entry Deadline Today

Today, January 31st, is the deadline to enter the Web Marketing Association's 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards. If you are like most people, you waited until the last minute to enter - well that last minute it here!

The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. Awards will be presented within each of the 86 industry categories and advertising formats such as online ad (including banner, pop-up or interstitial), rich media online ad, email message, online newsletter campaign, microsite/landing page and integrated ad campaign and ads the client did not choose. Best of show award for each medium will be selected from among the industry winners. We will also present the Top Agency Award to the organization who wins the most awards in 2008.

PhizzPop Design Challenge

Congratulations to the winnners of the regional PhizzPop Design Challenge competitions! These winners brought some serious smackdown in Round 1 and are chomping at the bit for the next design problem.

San Francisco - AKQA
New York - CreateThe Group
Chicago - Clarity Consulting
Austin - Thirteen23
Los Angeles - Cynergy Systems
Boston - Outsight Interactive

Microsoft revealed the design problem for the finale of the PhizzPop Design Challenge. Each team will be building an application to solve this problem over the next month in preparation for final delivery on March 10th at SXSW interactive conference in Austin, Texas.

The design problem, called "Citizenship in the 21st Century," is a challenge to create an engagement spanning multiple platforms including Mobile, Web, Desktop, Media Center, Portable, and Kiosk that harnesses the power of social media and other Web 2.0 philosophies to help people get engaged and help them collect and evaluate information about relevant issues (be they social, political etc.). Online identity, privacy, authority of online sources, and self-regulating community are all issues that will need to be addressed by the challenge. Pulling directly from the Problem Statement: “We devote so much design energy to creating an iPod, or a BMW, why not do the same for our democracy?” Look forward to more updates on the progress of the teams and check out their bios & information at http://designchallenge.phizzpop.com/finale.aspx .

Each of these winning agency teams of 2-3 people will go onto South by Southwest Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas, March 7 - 11. They will have approximately 90 days to complete their solutions to be showcased on Monday, March 10th in Austin.

IAC Awards down to the wire

Time is running out if you want to participate in this year's Internet Advertising Competition Awards. The deadline for entry is Thursday, January 31st. The IAC Awards highlight the best in online advertising and you can't win if you don't enter.

To enter your best work, go to www.iacaward.org before it is too late.

How do we reach our target market?

Shara Rutberg of Fortune Small Business needed and expert to help a business owner connect with customers through search engine optimization and other web strategies. She looked to William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association.

Read the full article here.

Keeping Up with the Web Marketing Association

If you are interested in keeping up to date with the Internet Advertising Competition and the WebAwards call for entry and winners announcement as well as receive our monthly newsletter Interactive Briefing, you need to be on our mailing list. Click here to subscribe.

If you are on our mailing list, but are not getting our emails, please white list our email address, or add it to your addressbook: news@webmarketingassociation.org and our mailing IP address 71.16.87.242.

As per our privacy policy, we will never sell your name or use it except for its intended purpose.

Landing Page Design: What's Working

Recently the Web Marketing Association and MarketingShepa held a Teleconference on landing page design that was extremely well attended.

In the teleconference we:

• Discussed five types of Landing Page Tests that work best for increasing conversion rates
• Examined real creative samples and their results
• Covered examples of increased conversions for PPC dynamic search, registration forms, creative elements, SEO landings, and mobile email
• Revealed biggest tips on measuring landing pages

If you're interested in giving your conversions up to a 48% lift, increasing your average shopping cart, and making your job easier with proven guidelines on what really works, you can download the slides here and then listen to the Landing page design seminar recording here.

Please note: This presentation was based on new data from the report, "MarketingSherpa Landing Page Handbook (2008 edition)". If you are serious about creating better landing pages and improving conversions, then this report is a must read.

The Internet Advertising Competition Awards also has a category for microsites and landing pages. This is a great way to have other experts judge the effectiveness of your work and get recognized for your achievement.

How do you avoid the meatball sundae?

How do you avoid the meatball sundae?
Wednesday, January 23 at 2:00PM EST

Speaker: Seth Godin, Entrepreneur, Agent of Change and Author of Meatball Sundae

In this brand new presentation, bestselling author Seth Godin outlines 14 trends that are changing businesses forever. He talks about how the new marketing landscape represents nothing short of an industrial revolution, and highlights the organizations and brands and products that are taking this new world by storm. By the end of an hour, Godin will have you looking at the world you live in very differently... the new rules create new winners (and losers) and there's no time to waste.

Register here>>

Presented by Search Engine Strategies and ClickZ Network.

Web Marketing Association and MarketingSherpa Host Landing Page Teleseminar

"Landing Page Design: What's Working"
Tuesday, January 15
2:00 - 3:00 pm EST
Register now -it's free - at WMA MarketingSherpa Teleconference Invite page

Learn proven ways that you can raise your landing page conversion rates. Based on information from the new MarketingSherpa Landing Page Handbook (2008 edition), this teleseminar will:

• Discuss five types of Landing Page Tests that work best for increasing conversion rates
• Examine real creative samples and their results
• Cover examples of increased conversions for PPC dynamic search, registration forms, creative elements, SEO landings, and mobile email
• Reveal biggest tips on measuring landing pages
• Justify budgeting for analytics and testing

If you’re interested in giving your conversions up to a 48% lift, increasing your average shopping cart, and making your job easier with proven guidelines on what really works, sign up for this free teleseminar at WMA MarketingSherpa Teleconference Invite page

You'll receive a comprehensive set of speaker handouts/presentation slides and teleseminar access information by e-mail on the morning of the program. Gather around a speaker phone and train your staff!

Please join us on January 15th for this informative session!

Technology For Marketing & Advertising 2008 Conference

Technology For Marketing & Advertising 2008
Earls Court 2, London
12-13 February 2008

The UK's only dedicated event delivering data, digital and CRM solutions for marketing, media and advertising professionals.
40 Free Seminars in 4 themed Theatres
• Database Marketing & Marketing Analytics Theatre
• CRM & Customer Experience Theatre
• Digital: Email, Mobile & Web 2.0 Theatre
• Digital: Online Advertising & Affiliate Marketing Theatre

For more information go to http://www.t-f-m.co.uk/

WebAwards Featured in Website Magazine

We just received our November 2007 issue of Website Magazine: The Magazine for Website Success. In the issue on page 9 is an article entitled “Bravo! Boost your recognition amongst your competitors by winning Web awards" by Mike Phillips.

The article features the Web Marketing Association’s WebAwards. It reports our scoring report is “a nice way to see how your site measures up, even if you don’t win.”

William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association is also quoted, saying “By far the most overwhelming reason to participate is for the marketing benefits – for both you as an individual, the site itself and the company. Winning the award creates a newsworthy event in and of itself”.

Create Magazine Promotes Internet Advertising competition

Create Magazine provides creative professionals with an insider's perspective on the people, news, trends and events that influence the local advertising and creative production industries. Articles and features, written by local creative leaders and influencers, keep Create readers well-informed about the changing climate of business and competition.

It ran an article Internet Advertising Competition Awards 2008 Call for Entries is Now Open in its creative new section.

Thanks for the help in spreading the word about the Web Marketing Association's IAC Awards.

WebAward Judges Certificates

The judges of the 2007 WebAward Competition for Website Development once again did an outstanding job at reviewing more than 2,500 web sites on seven criteria and helping to set the highest standards of excellence on the Internet. These Internet Professionals are leaders within their industries and take the time out of their busy schedules to participate in this worthwhile event. The Web Marketing Association and all of the WebAward participants thank you for your efforts.

For those who qualified, a Certificate of Appreciation is being sent to the address we have on record. You should be receiving them within the next week.

Search Engine Strategies in Chicago

If you are not at the Search Engine Strategies Conference in Chicago this week, you are missing out on a great educational and networking event. The Hilton Chicago is a wonderful location for the conference and by all reports the sessions have been outstanding.

The Web Marketing Association has a booth in the Exhibit Hall. Stop by if you are attending to say hello, grab a free chocolate from the Creative Chocolate Printing Company and enter to win a new Apple iTouch. We are booth 424, on the back wall, you can't miss us - We are the ones talking about the Internet Advertising Competition and the WebAwards with the iPod cranked!

PPC Summit

PPC Summit
Marriott Dallas/Addison Quorum by the Galleria, Dallas, TX
February 4 - 5, 2008

Make More Money with Pay Per Click (PPC). Find out how the experts run campaigns on Google Adwords, Yahoo! Search Marketing, Microsoft adCenter (MSN), and all the smaller Pay Per Click Engines! PPC Summits are designed as How To workshops that teach you how to better manage your PPC campaigns. The focus is solidly on advertiser education: how to spend less money, more effectively, with better results.

Use code WMA10 and receive a 10% off the Pay-Per-Click workshops. Also coming to Boston, Vancouver, London, San Francisco and LA. For more info go to www.ppcsummit.com.

Internet Advertising Competition Call for judges

As always, one of the main reasons the IAC Awards have been the high quality of our volunteer judges. As in past years, we need to recruit some new judges to replace our existing judges that are not available this year. If you are a senior Internet advertising professional and would like to be considered as a judge for the 2008 IAC Awards, please complete the judges nomination form.

If you were an IAC Judge in the past, you will receive an email to activate yourself for this year. Please do not re-nominate yourself.

Best Email Advertising of 2008 to Be Named by Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association judges will select the best email advertising of 2008 in 86 industries as part of their sixth annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. Companies or agencies wishing to nominate their work for consideration may do so at www.IACAward.org before the deadline of January 31, 2008.

“Email marketing is the workhorse of online marketing for many companies trying to maintain an ongoing relationship with customers and prospects,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The creative used in an email marketing campaign has gone from text only to highly personalized ads targeting highly segmented lists. Each email advertisement and campaign will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium. The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to find out who is doing an outstanding job creating email advertising. It’s also a great marketing opportunity for the winners to promote to senior management, customers and prospects their outstanding work”.

The 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards will accept entries from 86 industries, including airline, biotech, B2B, consumer goods, education, health care, financial services, professional services, technology and travel just to name a few. Entries judged to be outstanding will receive an IAC Award. The entry receiving the highest score in each industry will be recognized as the best email advertisement for that industry.

“We believe that winning an industry specific award is more valuable to the participant. It allows the participants to be judges against their peers, just like in the marketplace,” said Rice.

The 2007 Best of Show winner for Email Message was IQ Interactive for "Explorer" Video Newsletter. The entry was also recognized as the Best Travel Email Message. Other Top Email Advertisements for 2007 included:

Goodyear Garage January Enthusiast Email Best Automobile Email message submitted by Hitchcock Fleming & Associates

Money Laundering International Conference and Exhibition Best B2B Email message submitted by Creative Direct Marketing Group

Landor Associates Best Consulting Email message submitted by Landor Associates

NMFN News Brief Best Financial Services Email message submitted by TMX Communications

SeaBear Wild Salmon Best Food Industry Email message submitted by Tellus, LLC

U.S. Department of State - "Today I will help a local government" Best Government Email message submitted by JWT Employment Communications

The Rittenhouse - Email Message Best Hotel and Lodging Email message submitted by TIG Global

MetLife Quarterly Service e-Mail Best Insurance Email message campaign Steven Paraboschi

TMX Holiday Cheers Email 2006 Best Interactive Services Email message submitted by TMX Communications

Hispanic Email Best Marketing Email message submitted by CRN International, Inc. Hispanic Email

TAMIFLU Email Best Pharmaceuticals Email message submitted by TMX Communications

Coast Sweetest Day HTML Email Best Restaurant Email message submitted by Mark Roller, Coast Restaurant

Donald Haack Diamonds - Holiday Treasures Best Retail Email message submitted by CC Communications, Inc.

I've been everywhere - eDM Best Telecommunication Email message submitted by The white agency

The 2007 Best of Show winner for Email Message Campaign was NASCAR.com/Datran Media for NASCAR.com Revs Up Fans with Email Marketing. The newsletter was also recognized as the Best Real Estate Email Message. Other best email ad campaigns included:

Driven to Succeed: Mercedes & Aeroplan Best Automobile Email message submitted by ThinData, Inc.

BankAtlantic Upromise Email Offer Best Bank Email message campaign submitted by BankAtlantic Marketing Department

Divide and Conquer Best Consumer Goods Email message campaign submitted by Mark Roller, Ascedia. Inc & Kohler Co.

Key Sector Marketing Campaign Best Employment Email message campaign submitted by AndersElite

Georgia.org Email Newsletters Best Government Email message campaign submitted by Spunlogic

Bariatric Edge Email Best Health Care Email message campaign submitted by Bridge Worldwide

MetLife Quarterly Service e-Mail Best Insurance Email message campaign submitted by Steven Paraboschi

TAMIFLU Email Campaign Best Pharmaceuticals Email message campaign submitted by TMX Communications

Perfect Home Email Campaign Best Retail Email message campaign submitted by nurun | ant farm interactive

SeaBear Wild Salmon Best Small Business Email message campaign submitted by Tellus, LLC

Miami, FL - Festival Season Campaign Best Travel Email message campaign submitted by USDM.net

The 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are open to all organizations and individuals (advertising and interactive agencies, corporate marketing departments, etc.) involved in the process of developing Internet advertising. Entries may be submitted online at www.iacaward.org. The deadline for entry is January 31, 2008 and will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.

In addition to email advertisements and campaigns, Awards will be presented within each of the industry categories and advertising formats such as:
Online ad (including banner, pop-up or interstitial)
Online ad campaign
Rich media online ad
Rich Media ad campaign
Email message
Email campaign
Online newsletter campaign
Microsite/Landing page
Integrated ad campaign
Ads the client did not choose

Best of show award for each format will be selected from among the industry winners. Ads eligible for entry in the competition must have run during the period from January 1, 2007 through January 31, 2008 (except for the Ads the client did not choose format which do not have to have run.)

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2008, and winners will be notified by e-mail one week prior to the general announcement of winners in March, 2008. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, National Cable & Telecom Association, Refinery, Euro RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink.

The 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: BGT Partners, Burst Media, PRWeb, Misukanis & Odden, SimpleFeed, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, NewsUSA, eComXpo, MediaPost’s OMMA conference, TopRank Online Marketing, Creative Chocolate Printing Company, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio, Rovion, AllBusiness.com and eMarketer. The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is an organization working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of advertising, marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to Web sites. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 11th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier industry-based site recognition program for online advertisers, Web developers and marketers worldwide.

Entering the Internet Advertising Competition Awards is easy

The first thing you’ll notice when to visit the IAC Awards website www.iacaward.org is the new design. Special thanks to David Clarke and his team of expert Web developers and designers at BGT Partners, Florida’s Oldest and Most Award Winning Interactive Agency, for the wonderful design work on the new site. It has been a pleasure to work with them to create and implement the new site and supporting marketing materials. And particular credit goes to Vanessa Gelman at BGT Partners for running point on the project and making sure everything went smoothly.

Entering the IAC Awards is easy. Simply go to the new IAC Awards website at www.iacaward.org and select “Submit an Entry”. If you have a nominator account from last year, you can simply log in. If you did not create a free nominator account, providing some basic contact information is all you need to do. Once in, you can start submitting your entries.

One thing to remember is you can not use your WebAward username and password on the IAC Award site. You’ll need to have a separate account to submit your IAC Entries. If you need your password to an existing account, just enter your email address and click on the “Email password to me” button.

Sites are back up

Apparently, our ISP Web.com decided to decommission the server which hosted the Web Marketing Association database and thought that an email message sent three years ago about the possibility was sufficient notice. Without the database, both WebAward.org and IACAward.org websites were down.

Thanks to the hard work and dogged determination of our head programmer, Chip Lowell. Web.com finally agreed to move the data from the old server to the new. The sites are back up and we apologize for any inconveniences you may experienced.

Awards sites are down

Due to an problem at our ISP Web.com, the database that drives our WebAward and IAC Award websites is currently down. We are working with Web.com to get the site up and running as soon as possible.

Articles from November Interactive Briefing

Power of Two - IQ Interactive shows us that UPS Whiteboard is a great example of how the combination of the web and traditional advertising is dramatically more powerful and effective than traditional alone

Outstanding Drive – THINK, Inc. drives the Windstream Truck Tour microsite to win the Outstanding Website award at the 2007 WebAwards.