Commercial Communications Council Awards
The Commercial Communications Council (Comms Council) is the industry association representing the interests of marketing communications agencies in New Zealand. It has 91 member agencies with a combined turnover of approximately NZD1 billion, which collectively represents 95 percent of the agency billings. Members cover creative, media, digital and marketing communication disciplines.
Project in depth
Commercial Communications Council Awards
The Challenge
The four award programmes target different areas of the advertising industry.
Submissions need to be made via a secure portal in either electronic media or written format, depending on each Awards programme’s requirements. Every entry must be carefully checked to ensure it meets the guidelines before it is allocated to a judge who is familiar with that speciality and has no conflicts.
The programmes run to extremely tight timeframes, with judges coming together to review large numbers of entries over a two or three stage judging process. They are organised in strict confidentiality, with the winners being a tightly guarded secret.
2020 presented a new challenge for the Beacons and Effies, with judges unable to meet in-person, due to a Covid-19 lockdown.
The Solution
Attention to detail is key to ensuring the submissions meet the appropriate Award guidelines. If there is a problem with an entry, the TCC team contacts the entrant, explains what needs amending and gives them the option to resubmit.
Only key people have access to information about the finalists and winners to prevent details leaking before the correct dates. All judges must sign NDAs which TCC co-ordinates prior to judging.
Checks throughout the process means nothing gets missed and every deadline is met. If a change in in plan is called for at the last minute, as it did when Covid19 prompted a lockdown just at the time when judging was meant to take place, the TCC team took control. In-person judging sessions were quickly moved online, all written submissions were distributed electronically and judges entered grades directly into the system under password.
The Outcome
Knowing that TCC delivers a consistent level of friendly service and a smooth process, keeps The Comms Council coming back. They can relax, knowing their Awards are in good hands, deadlines are met, confidentiality is maintained and entrants and judges will have a great experience from start to finish.
TCC has streamlined both the online and in-person processes using bespoke awards management software, specifically tailored for each awards programme.
The Comms Council’s access to the portal means they have ready access to comprehensive tracking and reporting in real time.
Delivering that extra level of service to entrants, judges and the client has always been TCC’s point of difference. Whether someone is a new entrant or a return winner, TCC ensures that everyone has the same great experience.
