Is there an ECHO in Here?

Industry awards should and can matter. Here’s why…

As a marketing agency, we enter our work into awards shows when we believe that our agency (and our people) deserve outside recognition for our accomplishments. Whether it’s for one particularly creative idea, a brilliant marketing strategy, or the performance of a marketing campaign, we all like it when others acknowledge our brilliance and hand over that coveted trophy.

After we win, we bask in the press coverage, emails from colleagues and friends, and the satisfaction of knowing “We won!” And, let’s not forget bragging rights.

Agencies and clients alike line their bookshelves with hardware, and more than one winner I’ve known has been seen polishing the trophy when they think no one is looking.

As a Creative Director, I get invited to enter our work into lots of industry awards shows — and we do choose to enter many of them. From the Addy Awards (sponsored by the American Advertising Federation) to the Davey Awards (Honoring creative excellence from smaller agencies and companies worldwide), our agency enters 6 or 7 different shows a year. But there’s only one award that we truly covet… and I mean really, really covet.

And that’s the ECHO Award, from the Direct Marketing Association.

The ECHO represents what, in my mind, is what marketing is all about: 30% brilliant strategy, 30% breakthrough creative, 30% superlative results, and 10% of that little thing we call “Mojo.”

The ECHO judging process is rigorous. There are 3 rounds and in each round, a minimum of 3 judges review the entry. At each round of judging, the scores for the entry are tabulated and only those with the highest scores make it through to the next round. After the 3rd round, entries with the highest scores are awarded Gold, then Silver, then Bronze Awards. And then, from among the Gold winners, the ECHO Board of Governors determines the “best of the best” by reviewing and awarding the Diamond ECHO and USPS Gold Mailbox Award.

Since these are International Awards, judging takes place around the globe, and by experienced marketers who have “been there” and “done that” across a host of industries. So when an entry stands out as a winner, you know there’s very something special about it.

I’ve been an ECHO Judge and I can promise that it’s a well thought-out process that leverages the talents of many of the best marketing minds in the industry. I started as a 1st round judge over 15 years ago, and slowly worked my way up the food chain.

I’m proud to say I now serve on the Echo Board of Governors and delight in the meeting where we evaluate all of the about-to-be-awarded Gold winners to determine the Diamond and USPS Gold Mailbox ECHO awards. The debate is lively and I’m always fascinated how entries are evaluated by others during this judging process. I can promise you that no stone is left unturned as entries are dissected and analyzed to identify the “best of the best.”

In October, when ECHO winners are announced at the annual conference of the DMA, I’m always thrilled if our work is part of the winner’s circle. Because I know that means that those long strategic planning sessions, rounds and rounds of creative revisions, and the time-consuming process of setting up and tracking results — all spent to help a client drive their business forward — has now been recognized as exceptional work by our industry and our peers.

The 2012 ECHO Call For Entries is now open. If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll consider submitting your work. The awards show will be held in Las Vegas this year and,as we all know, there’s nothing like leaving Vegas a winner.