Secret of a successful digital campaign: Think like a journalist

4 Jul 2013

European research firm Best Marketing International constantly monitors digital award shows across the globe keeping over 100 festivals and competitions under the radar. Now when 50% of 2013 is over, its time for interim report.

Here is the list of Top 10 digital campaigns that have won the biggest number of Grand Prix or Gold awards in digital categories:

1. Dumb Ways To Die - 19 awards (2 Asia-Pacific AdFest, 6 Cyber Cannes, 2 Clio Awards, 3 Webby Awards, 2 D&Ad, 3 AME Awards, 1 New York Festivals)
o Advertiser: Metro Trains
o Agency: McCann Melbourne
o Country: Australia
o Case study: Dumb Ways to Die

2. Clouds Over Cuba - 7 awards (2 Webby, 3 Cannes, 1 Andy, 1 One Show Interactive)
o Advertiser: The JFK Presidential Library & Museum
o Agency: The Martin Agency Richmond
o Country: USA
o Case study: Clouds Over Cuba

3. Bodyform: The Truth - 6 awards (1 Cyber Lions, 4 Revolution Awards, 1 The Digitals)
o Advertiser: SCA (Bodyform)
o Agencies: Rubber Republic, Carat
o Country: UK
o Case study: Bodyform: The Truth

4. Hashtag Killer - 5 awards (3 Webby, 1 Andy, 1 New York Festivals)
o Advertiser: Water Is Life
o Agency: DDB New York
o Country: USA
o Case study: Hashtag Killer

5. Beauty Inside (Toshiba+Intel) - 5 awards (3 Cannes, 1 Clio, 1 Webby)
o Advertiser: Intel + Toshiba
o Agency: Pereira & O'Dell
o Country: USA
o Case study: Beauty Inside (Toshiba+Intel)

6. Driving Dogs - 5 awards (3 Axis Awards, 1 Clio, 1 New York Festivals)
o Advertiser: Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
o Agency: Draftfcb
o Client: New Zealand
o Case study: Driving Dogs

7. Coca Cola: Million Reasons to Believe in Thailand - 5 awards (3 Festival of Media Asia Awards, 1 Cannes, 1 Marketing Events Awards)
o Advertiser: Coca Cola
o Agency: Inititative Bangkok
o Country: Thailand
o Case study: Coca Cola: Million Reasons to Believe in Thailand

8. Oreo Daily Twist - 5 awards (1 Clio, 1 Cannes, 1 Effie NA, 1 Andy, 1 Facebook Studio Award)
o Advertiser: Mondelez International (Kraft Foods)
o Agency: Draftfcb. 360i
o Country: USA
o Case study: Oreo Daily Twist

9. Our food. Your questions. - 4 awards (1 Cannes, 3 Webby)
o Advertiser: McDonald's Canada
o Agency: Tribal DDB Toronto
o Country: Canada
o Case study: Our food. Your questions

10. You're Not You When You're Hungry, Snickers UK - 4 awards (1 Golden Award of Montreux, 2 New York Festivals, 1 D&Ad)
o Advertiser: MasterFoods
o Agency: AMV BBDO
o Country: UK
o Case study: You're Not You When You're Hungry, Snickers UK

What do all these campaigns have in common? Hando Sinisalu, CEO of Best Marketing comments:

Social campaigns tend to score higher - probably because of the good nature of such campaigns.

Five out of Top 10 are social/pro bono campaigns (Dumb Ways to Die, Clouds over Cuba, Driving Dogs, Hashtag Killer, Coke Thailand).

Transparency and honesty work well in the era of social media. Brands can hide nothing and it pays off to face the challenge and be open with your customers (McDonald´s Canada, Bodyform).

User generated content - either in the form of home videos or comments on website - help to boost the reach of the campaigns.

Social media is a valuable source of consumer insights, several campaigns actually reflect and expand the content people have posted on social media (Bodyform, Hashtag Killer, McDonald´s).

And finally: Think like a journalist. The most awarded digital campaigns are actually PR campaigns by their nature. Brands should work like media organisations, create content and understand what kind of content is attractive to the audience (Oreo, McDonald´s, Driving Dogs, Beauty Inside).

"There is no better proof to the statement that "content is king" than top 10 list of most awarded digital campaigns," adds Sinisalu.

Hando Sinisalu will present and analyse excellent digital campaigns from across the globe during "The Best of Global Digital Marketing Show" on 15 August in Johannesburg.