Digital Media Publishing workshop, awards

These awards recognise and promote best practices in digital media publishing, in the following categories:

• Best digital transformation from traditional media platform
  
• Best content offering (youth, women, men, business, niche interest)
  
• Best application development (iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, web, other)
  
• Best use of interactive content (podcasts, videos, map applications/skins, CD ROM, newsletters etc.)

Judges

• Nikki Cockcroft chairperson of DMMA
  
• Joanne Scholtz Former MD of Group M
  
• Michelle Sturman editor Marketing Mix
  
• Jason Xenopoulos CEO of Native
  
• Adrian Hewlett Immediate past chairperson of DMMA
  
• Raymond Buckle co-chairman, MMA SA

The first stage of the judging process was based on very careful assessment of quantitative data mostly supplied by the DMMA. The resultant shortlist will be assessed by judges against more qualitative criteria and weightings. They will comment on specific components of the winning entries, which they regard as astute, innovative and demonstrating content and creative excellence.

Criteria

The entries were from 2010 and were live for a minimum of three months. The measurements were both hard and soft (figures vs expert opinion).

Hard:
a) Nielsen Netratings traffic statistics or similar audited or industry standard figures (important to measure apples with apples) [comScore, Alexa, etc]
b) Number of newsletter subscribers (and where possible the "open-rate") and retention rate, number of application downloads, Twitter followers, Facebook Fans, Mobile site stats, etc.
c) Number of platforms utilized (i.e. Web, Mobile, iPad, other electronic readers, eBooks, eZines, Mobi-Zines, Applications, etc) - to show breadth of accessibility.
d) Page Download speeds
e) Industry recognition: awards (finalists, runner-ups and winners), PR value (positive mentions)

Soft:
a) Design and layout
b) Usability of interactive content, accessibility, integration (giving the user choices in terms of heavy/large content)
c) Reader feedback
d) Reader interactivity

To register, go to www.marketingmix.co.za or email Marianne Nzioki, az.oc.smetsys@nennairam.