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.
Submit your entries nowKey Dates
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Early Deadline: Oct 27, 2023$499 per entry
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Regular Deadline: Dec 15, 2023$599 per entry
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Last Chance Deadline: Feb 02, 2024$729 per entry
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Categories
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Best First-to-Market Strategy
Awarding the most impactful first-to-market placement that best gained brand recognition and competitive advantage.
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Best High Impact Creative
Awarding the best high-impact video and/or static creative that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.
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Best Creator Partnership
Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through a creator/influencer partnership.
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Best Audio Activation
Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through an audio-based media activation.
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Best Digital Out-of-Home Campaign
Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through digital out-of-home (DOOH) placements.
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Best Multi-Channel Experience
Awarding the strategy that has most effectively and efficiently achieved campaign goals using multiple channels.
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Best Traditional Media Campaign
Awarding the brand integration that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through traditional media placements.
Last Winner:Hearts & Science + HBO Max - Superintelligence -
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.
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Best CSR Initiative
Awarding the CSR initiative that has been most successful in demonstrating a positive environmental or social impact.
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Best E-commerce Strategy
Awarding the e-commerce strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.
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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.
Last Winner:InMarket & Frisch’s Big Boy -
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.
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Media Plan of the Year
Awarding the media plan that has most effectively and efficiently achieved campaign goals.
Last Winner:Hearts & Science + HBO Max - The Undoing
Judges
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Venkata BhonagiriGROUP DIRECTOR, STRATEGY & ANALYTICSMINDSHARE USA
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Bryan FeilsASSOCIATE MEDIA DIRECTORSPACE150
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Rachel QuinlanMEDIA DIRECTORFALLON
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Michelle RainbowVP, MEDIA & CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENTRESPONSE MEDIA
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Bess BrowningMEDIA DIRECTORECHOPOINT MEDIA
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Dean FerenacSVP, CONSUMER ENGAGEMENTQUAD
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Katie KotsbakVP, STRATEGY AND MEDIAGOOD APPLE
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Claire RussellHEAD OF MEDIAFITZCO
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Marieke BerendsCLIENT SERVICE DIRECTORWAVEMAKER
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Jeff LinDIRECTOR, MEDIA & GROWTHSWEETGREEN
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Dave KerseyCHIEF MEDIA OFFICERGSD&M
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Alice OvadiaVP, MEDIA STRATEGYTRUTH ADVERTISING
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Noah PorterPERFORMANCE MEDIA LEADJOHNSON & JOHNSON
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Melissa WisehartGLOBAL HEAD OF MEDIAMEDIA.MONKS
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Brian EasterCO-FOUNDERNEBO AGENCY
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Jeanne JenningsSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP DIRECTOR, MEDIAMCCANN HEALTH ENGAGEMENT, AN IPG HEALTH COMPANY
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.
Partnership opportunities
Interested in partnering with Digiday on your next campaign? Learn more about how you can integrate your brand into every aspect of the Digiday Media Buying & Planning Awards by submitting your information.