TV PLANNING AWARDS – TOP TIPS

Having had a good look at the Judging Criteria, you may be asking yourself “What else should I think about as I write my TV Planning Awards entry?” Well, here are a few ideas to give your entry that extra shine.

 

1) Answer the brief

You should clearly state what your objectives were and how they were met.   This apparently simple requirement still eludes many previous entries!  Sometimes, we’re given lots of results, but they bear no relation to the initial objectives stated.

2) Explain key decisions

Full explanations of why and how key decisions were made in the planning of the campaign will help judges to understand how conclusions were reached.  If you’ve used some research, tell us which one you used. It goes a long way to answering the question “Why TV”. 

3) Get the client on board

Get client approval at the earliest possible stage. Utilise your client’s knowledge and ability to provide help and information on certain aspects, such as calculating and validating payback. And a client endorsement will add weight to your argument and marks for your entry. We know some areas of your paper are ‘for judges’ eyes only’, but please state this clearly in your paper.

4) Multi-faceted?

If you have a good campaign, feel free to enter it into more than one category if appropriate (it’s free after all), but bear in mind you may benefit from a little redrafting to address the specific category.  You will however only be short-listed in one category. (See T&C’s)

If you wish to enter our Small Budget category, you must include the budget figure for the campaign at a maximum of £500K. Any entry above this figure will be disregarded by the judges.

5) Results are vital

Don’t forget to tell us how effective the campaign was. Show the hard evidence that the campaign worked. Demonstrate return on investment, impact on the brand and growth of market share. Previous entries have lost significant marks because they lacked the evidence to support the results.

6) Tell us a story!

Make it a good read with the idea as hero.  Don’t exceed the word count; the judges have a lot of entries to read and won’t thank you for it. Stick to a well-written, clear, and concise entry that is easy to read. Always make sure you have your word count on the front sheet of your entry, so the judges know what to expect.

7) Do some research

Check out the brand films from previous TV Planning Awards, read our case studies from winning entries and listen to our podcast to hear directly from the winners.

8) Proof-read your entry

Consistent mistakes will undermine the quality of your paper.  Pure planning genius will make us ignore repeated spelling and punctuation nightmares, but why run that risk?  Get someone else to read it.

9) Use visuals

Images will enhance the paper, aid understanding and make it more interesting and engaging for the reader.  Make sure your charts are not too small and are readable. It would also be advisable to include your TV plan/laydown across all media so we can really see the wonderful work you’ve done. Remember, short listers and judges read a lot of papers, so some images and charts make a nice break for weary eyes.

And of course, as these are the “TV” planning awards, include high quality AV of your ads, sponsorships etc. They are shown to the judges so it’s important that we have the right ones and they help to bring the story to life!  

10) Don’t ignore the deadline

Give yourself plenty of time. An entry written in a hurry two days before the deadline probably won’t be as good as one written with the benefit of time.