Digiday Media Buying & Planning Awards

Agencies have grappled with updates to the traditional business model brought forth by the pandemic while remaining focused on demonstrating their value to brand clients eager to bring efforts in-house.

The Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards will recognize the output of these agencies as they navigate the path forward.

To access everything you’ll need to join the ranks of our past winners including our entry kit, expert tips on crafting a winning entry and past coverage of this program, click here.

Entries have closed. Sign up below to receive the shortlist announcement.

Key Dates

  • Entries closed: Feb 02, 2024
  • Announcements coming

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Categories

  • Best First-to-Market Strategy

    Awarding the most impactful first-to-market placement that best gained brand recognition and competitive advantage.

  • Best High Impact Creative

    Awarding the best high-impact video and/or static creative that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best Creator Partnership

    Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through a creator/influencer partnership.

  • Best Audio Activation

    Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through an audio-based media activation.

  • Best Digital Out-of-Home Campaign

    Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through digital out-of-home (DOOH) placements.

  • Best Multi-Channel Experience

    Awarding the strategy that has most effectively and efficiently achieved campaign goals using multiple channels.

  • Best Traditional Media Campaign

    Awarding the brand integration that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through traditional media placements.

  • Best Digital Media Campaign

    Awarding the brand integration that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through digital media placements.

    Last Winner:
    Cramer-Krasselt
  • Best use of Emerging Media

    Awarding the brand integration into emerging media that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best CSR Initiative

    Awarding the CSR initiative that has been most successful in demonstrating a positive environmental or social impact.

  • Best E-commerce Strategy

    Awarding the e-commerce strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best use of Technology

    Awarding the strategy that, through the use of technology, most successfully achieved campaign goals.

    Last Winner:
    Nielsen & OpenAP
  • Best use of Data

    Awarding the strategy that, through the use of data, most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best Media Agency Pivot

    Awarding the strategy that, following changes due to external factors, was able to successfully achieve campaign goals.

    Last Winner:
    CitizenNet
  • Media Agency of the Year

    Awarding the media agency that has best displayed industry excellence through outstanding performance and innovative work.

  • Media Plan of the Year

    Awarding the media plan that has most effectively and efficiently achieved campaign goals.

Judges

  • Venkata Bhonagiri
    GROUP DIRECTOR, STRATEGY & ANALYTICS
    MINDSHARE USA
  • Bryan Feils
    ASSOCIATE MEDIA DIRECTOR
    SPACE150
  • Rachel Quinlan
    MEDIA DIRECTOR
    FALLON
  • Michelle Rainbow
    VP, MEDIA & CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT
    RESPONSE MEDIA
  • Bess Browning
    MEDIA DIRECTOR
    ECHOPOINT MEDIA
  • Dean Ferenac
    SVP, CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT
    QUAD
  • Katie Kotsbak
    VP, STRATEGY AND MEDIA
    GOOD APPLE
  • Claire Russell
    HEAD OF MEDIA
    FITZCO
  • Marieke Berends
    CLIENT SERVICE DIRECTOR
    WAVEMAKER
  • Jeff Lin
    DIRECTOR, MEDIA & GROWTH
    SWEETGREEN
  • Dave Kersey
    CHIEF MEDIA OFFICER
    GSD&M
  • Alice Ovadia
    VP, MEDIA STRATEGY
    TRUTH ADVERTISING
  • Noah Porter
    PERFORMANCE MEDIA LEAD
    JOHNSON & JOHNSON
  • Melissa Wisehart
    GLOBAL HEAD OF MEDIA
    MEDIA.MONKS
  • Brian Easter
    CO-FOUNDER
    NEBO AGENCY
  • Jeanne Jennings
    SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP DIRECTOR, MEDIA
    MCCANN HEALTH ENGAGEMENT, AN IPG HEALTH COMPANY

Past Winners

  • Aveeno
  • Havas Media
  • Universal Mccann
  • Zenith
  • Nielsen

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for companies or campaigns that can clearly demonstrate success over the past 12 months. Judges are seeking companies or campaigns that have seized challenges and created opportunities and will evaluate entries based on the following criteria: Innovation, Creativity, Consumer Value, Results and Overall.

Judges will require evidence to substantiate all entries. This can include details of financial performance, specific KPIs, creative evidence in the form of a sizzle reel, campaign images, or links to the final project or related sites. The judges will also consider the structure, presentation and clarity of each entry.

Judging Process

Judges will score each entry prompt and consider any supporting materials submitted. After each judge submits their score for the above criteria, the scores of each criteria will then be averaged and then combined to determine an overall score for each entry. The highest scoring entries will appear on the shortlist and winner lists.

Confidentiality

All material will remain confidential to the judges. Only the 'Credits' section of an entry will be made public via the shortlist/winners announcement. If you win a particular category, our team may summarize the entry for shortlist/winner announcements and winners guides.