The Marketing Society Awards Entry Kit 2025v2 by The Marketing Society

40th Annual Awards Entry Kit

Celebrating 40 years of Marketing Impact

Recognising the marketing that matters

Showcasing that marketing is the growth engine of business

Rewarding the marketers who drive business results

Celebrating the marketing driving the industry forward

5. About The Marketing Society Awards

7. Key Information (Dates, Prices, How to enter)

9. Category Information

33. Our Judges

35. Top Tips & Winning Case Studies

36. FAQs

38. Contact Information

N.B To skip forward to a section click on the list above

A word from our Chair of Judges, Syl Saller, CBE

This year marks a momentous milestone—the 40th anniversary of The Marketing Society Awards. For four decades, these prestigious awards have set the benchmark for marketing excellence, celebrating the boldest ideas, the most innovative strategies, and the leaders who shape our industry. Every year, I think the awards can’t possibly get better, and yet they consistently exceed expectations, showcasing the very best in global marketing. As we stand at the crossroads of economic uncertainty and rapid change, creativity and commercial impact are more vital than ever. This year’s awards are not just a celebration of past achievements but a call to action for the future. They represent an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate how marketing drives success and shapes society. Whether you’re a client or agency, whether you work in B2B, B2C, or any other sector—these awards are your platform to shine.

What makes The Marketing Society Awards truly special is the calibre of our judging panel. Your entries will be seen by industry luminaries leaders who have set the standard and redefined what’s possible in marketing. This is your chance to showcase your work on a global stage, inspire your peers, and prove why marketing matters more than ever. So, I encourage you to seize this opportunity. Collaborate, reflect on your achievements, and share the stories that have made an impact. Let’s celebrate everything that is great about marketing and honour the visionaries who are shaping the future. I look forward to seeing the brilliance you bring to the table.

Click the image to hear from Syl why awards matter

WHY ENTER THE MARKETING SOCIETY AWARDS

The Marketing Society Awards are one of the longest-running marketing awards and champion the transformative power of marketing to drive business growth and positive societal change. For four decades, our prestigious awards have showcased how strategic marketing excellence delivers measurable impact across businesses, brands, and communities, they prove why marketing matters.

Our Awards recognise outstanding achievements in marketing leadership, creativity, and innovation. They provide compelling evidence of marketing's crucial role in building sustainable growth and creating value. By celebrating and sharing these success stories, we inspire marketers globally while demonstrating to business leaders that marketing is a fundamental driver of business growth and commercial success.

ABOUT OUR AWARDS ADVICE TO 2025 ENTRANTS

Our rigorous judging process evaluates entries based on business results, creative innovation, strategic thinking, marketing leadership and societal impact. This comprehensive assessment, refined over 40 years, has created an authoritative body of work that proves marketing's strategic value far beyond creative execution – it is a vital force in shaping business success and societal progress. Click

“The Awards opened our eyes up to what a genuine, positive impact marketing can have right the way across the globe”

- Mark Brayton, Nationwide, Previous Judge

“Marketing is the growth engine of all business. Marketers are customer advocates, pulling together cultural context, customer context and business context to deliver long-lasting results. Marketing is the key central beating heart to all of that”

- Jessica Myers, Very Group, Judge

“Such a morale boost to be reminded of what an amazing industry we work in, it has been so inspiring”

- Dom Dwight, Taylors of Harrogate, Previous Judge

KEY INFORMATION

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

30 JAN 25

HOW TO ENTER

Review all the categories and select the ones you wish to enter (remember you can enter multiple times)

1. Create an account on our awards submission platform 2. Complete all the core details & save (you can now come back to your entry whenever you wish to work on it) 3. Prepare your case study (There is no set format, it is up to you how you present and tell your story) - Word count is 2000 for the case study + 500 executive summary 4. Make sure you have addressed the core points our judges want to hear about: 5. What were your aims & objectives? What action did you take?

What were the achievements and impact made? Gather any supporting evidence you want to submit 6. Log back into your account, upload your Case study and any supporting documents 7. Check all the core information is correct 8. Click submit & pay online 9. Sit back and relax and wait for the shortlist to be announced! 10.

PRICES

ENTRY TYPE DEADLINE MEMBERS OF THE MARKETING SOCIETY

If you would like to find out more about membership of The Marketing Society and all the benefits it offers, please head over to our Join Us page or scan the QR code below.

Our mission is to unite and uplift marketing leaders to shape our future for the better. We are THE global community that connects marketing leaders so we can unlock the best of each other. We have hubs in England (HQ), Scotland, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore and New York.

As a community, uniting is core to what we do, through our events, our content our network and our professional development programmes. We believe leadership is a mindset, we champion the marketing leader of today and tomorrow.

CATEGORIES CATEGORY INFORMATION

You can choose from four category groups. You can enter the same case studies in multiple categories across the groups and you can also submit multiple case studies from the same brand into the same categories.

GROUP 1: MARKETING CRAFT & EXECUTION

These categories represent how marketing is done and the impact it has, these are the core functions of marketing that you will have used in your work, the categories are:

Brand Communication (Small, Medium, Large)

Creative Strategy

Effective Use of Insight & Data

Marketing Innovation & Technology

Customer Engagement & Loyalty

GROUP 2: BUSINESS AND SOCIAL IMPACT

Creative Use of Media

Best Content & Experience Creation

Global Marketing Excellence

Marketing Transformation

These categories represent what marketing achieves in a broader sense, recognizing the work that affects the whole business or society for good. The Categories are:

Marketing For Positive Change

Not For Profit Marketing

Brand Transformation

Best Scale up Business

Marketing Excellence Legacy Brand

Business to Business Marketing (Small, Medium, Large)

Successful & Effective Partnerships

N.B To skip forward to a section click on the links in the lists above

CATEGORY INFORMATION

GROUP 3: MARKETING LEADERSHIP & TEAMS

These categories represent the people behind the marketing, recognising the teams and individuals that are driving the marketing industry forward. The categories are:

Best Agency Team

Best Brand Team

Future Marketing Leader

GROUP 4: EXCELLENCE SPOTLIGHT

Inspirational Marketing Leader

Outstanding Achievement in Marketing

Campaign of the Year

Most Iconic Marketing Strategy

Judges’ choice, cannot be entered directly: Most Inspirational Story Finance Directors Prize Grand Prix 2025

N.B To skip forward to a section click on the links in the lists above

GROUP 1 - MARKETING CRAFT & EXECUTION

This group celebrates excellence in marketing disciplines and methodologies. It recognizes outstanding examples of how marketing is executed, from innovative uses of technology and data to creative strategy and global adaptation. These categories showcase the fundamental skills, techniques, and approaches that demonstrate the marketing craft at its finest.

BRAND COMMUNICATION - SMALL, MEDIUM & LARGE

This category celebrates exceptional strategic brand storytelling that creates deep audience connections and drives measurable impact. We're looking for outstanding examples of how brands articulate their narrative consistently and compellingly across channels. Show us how you translated brand essence into powerful communications, built cohesive narratives across touchpoints, maintained consistency and drove cut through, adapted messaging for different audiences and balanced creative impact with strategic objectives to dive meaningful business results.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Strategic clarity and creative excellence

Depth of audience understanding

Innovation in communication approach

Quality of message crafting and delivery

Effectiveness of channel strategy

Consistency across touchpoints

Measurable outcomes, including:

Brand metric improvements

Audience engagement levels

Message comprehension

Commercial impact

Share of voice

Brand distinctiveness scores

Eligibility:

Brand Communication Small – Annual Business Revenue of under £5M

Brand Communication Medium – Annual Business Revenue of £5M to £14M

Brand Communication Large – Annual Business Revenue of £15M Plus

This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries and can be single or multi-channel campaigns.

CREATIVE STRATEGY

This category celebrates the strategic thinking that transforms bold ideas into breakthrough brand success. We're seeking game-changing approaches that challenge category conventions and reshape what's possible when insight meets imagination. Show us how you transformed challenges into creative opportunities, broke conventions with strategic thinking, created new pathways where traditional approaches wouldn’t suffice and turned your strategic vision into tangible outcomes and results. This category recognizes that great creative strategy is both an art and a science - combining deep human understanding with bold creative thinking to create transformative business impact.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Quality and originality of strategic thinking

Depth of insight discovery and application

Boldness of strategic approach

Innovation in problem-solving

Creativity in strategic development

Effectiveness of implementation

Measurable impact, including:

Business transformation

Brand perception shifts

Category disruption

Market share gains

Behavioural change

Commercial results

Long-term strategic value

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries

EFFECTIVE USE OF INSIGHT & DATA

This category celebrates sophisticated data-driven marketing that transforms customer understanding into business impact. We're seeking work that demonstrates how smart use of insights and analytics drives strategic decision-making and delivers measurable results, while respecting privacy standards. Show us how you, uncovered compelling insights from data, built innovative first-party data strategies, translated insights into actionable decisions, used data to enhance customer relationships, created smarter, more targeted campaigns, balanced personalization with privacy, proved the value of data-driven marketing. This category recognizes that excellence in data and insights comes from not just collecting information, but turning it into actionable strategies that respect customer privacy while driving business growth.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Quality of insight generation

Innovation in data collection

Strategic application of insights

Approach to Privacy

Sophistication of analysis

Creative use of findings

Measurable outcomes, including:

ROI improvement

Customer engagement uplift

Campaign performance

Targeting effectiveness

Efficiency gains

Business impact

Customer experience enhancement

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries.

MARKETING INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

This category celebrates groundbreaking applications of technology and innovative thinking that reimagine what's possible in marketing. We're seeking work that demonstrates how smart adoption of emerging technologies and innovative approaches creates extraordinary marketing impact. Show us how you identified opportunities for innovation, applied emerging technologies creatively, transformed traditional marketing approaches, created new ways to connect with audiences, developed innovative solutions to challenges, balanced innovation with practicality, proved the value of marketing innovation. This category recognizes that true marketing innovation isn't just about using new technology, but about finding novel ways to solve marketing challenges and create business value

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Innovation in approach and execution

Strategic application of technology

Creative problem-solving

Implementation excellence

Scalability and sustainability

Risk management

Measurable impact, could include:

Business transformation

Customer experience enhancement

Efficiency gains

Performance improvements

Competitive advantage

ROI on innovation

Long-term potential

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B & B2C entries.

Types of innovation might include (but not limited to):

AI and machine learning applications

Marketing automation advances

Customer experience innovation

New channel development

Data usage innovation

Process transformation

Creative technology application

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT & LOYALTY

This category celebrates brands that transform customer relationships from transactions into meaningful, long-term connections We're seeking initiatives that demonstrate how deep customer understanding drives business growth through genuine engagement and loyalty. Show us how you built deeper customer relationships through marketing, turned insights into exceptional experiences, created valuable two-way dialogue with customers, developed programs that drive genuine loyalty, innovated in personalization and recognition, enhanced customer lifetime value, transformed customers into brand advocates. This category recognizes that true loyalty comes from creating genuine connections that benefit both brand and customer, going beyond points and rewards to build lasting relationships.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Depth of customer understanding

Quality of experience design Innovation in engagement approach

Strategic use of loyalty mechanics

Personalization effectiveness

Value creation for customers

Measurable impact, including:

Customer lifetime value growth

Loyalty program performance

Engagement metrics

Advocacy levels

Retention improvements

Share of wallet

Customer satisfaction scores

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries.

CREATIVE USE OF MEDIA

This category celebrates innovative media strategies that push boundaries and create compelling brand experiences across channels. We're seeking work that demonstrates masterful understanding of media selection, creative application, and strategic integration to deliver standout impact. Show us how you innovated in media choice and application, created unexpected media moments, orchestrated channels for maximum impact, turned media constraints into creative opportunities, leveraged emerging platforms and technologies, built seamless cross-media experiences & generated exceptional audience engagement.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Innovation in media usage and combination

Strategic rationale for media choices

Creative exploitation of media characteristics

Smart channel integration and orchestration

Excellence in media planning and execution

Effectiveness of audience engagement

measurable results, such as::

Channel performance metrics

Engagement levels

Media efficiency

Audience response

Brand impact ROI across channels

Innovation metrics

Eligibility: Open to single-channel innovation or multi-channel campaigns from both B2B and B2C brands that show excellence in creative media usage

BEST CONTENT & EXPERIENCE CREATION

This category celebrates the masterful fusion of immersive experiences and compelling content to create powerful brand moments. We’re looking for campaigns that transcend traditional marketing boundaries to forge authentic connections through innovative storytelling and engagement. Show us how you created memorable brand experiences (Physical, digital or hybrid), built genuine audience connections, Sustained engagement beyond the initial experience and transformed your experiences into powerful content narratives.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Clear strategic marketing thinking behind both experience and content

How experiences were designed to generate content opportunities

Smart use of channels and platforms

Audience behaviour insights

Innovation in format and delivery

Impact on brand-audience relationships

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries.

GLOBAL MARKETING EXCELLENCE

This category celebrates sophisticated global marketing that masters the art of balancing worldwide brand consistency with local market authenticity. We're seeking work that demonstrates excellence in adapting global strategies to create culturally relevant and impactful local execution. Show us how you transformed global strategy into local success, maintained brand integrity across markets, created culturally authentic connections, built efficient multi-market approaches, innovated in cross-cultural execution, developed scalable marketing frameworks, captured and shared market learnings.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Strategic global-to-local adaptation

Cultural insight and sensitivity

Brand consistency management

Local market effectiveness

Innovation in execution

Operational efficiency

Measurable impact, including:

Multi-market performance

Local market resonance

Brand consistency metrics

Efficiency of scale

ROI across markets

Cultural connection scores

Market share growth

Who Should Enter:

This category recognises three key areas:

Cross-Cultural Campaigns 1.

Cultural insight application

Multi-market relevance

Audience understanding

Global-to-Local Adaptation 2.

Strategy localisation

Creative adaptation

Message relevance

International Strategy 3.

Market prioritisation

Resource optimisation

Best practice sharing

Global brands executing campaigns across multiple markets

Regional brands expanding into new territories

Local brands adapting international campaigns

Global marketing teams managing multi-market strategies

Local marketing teams executing global campaigns

International agencies managing cross-market work

Global-local marketing partnerships

Eligibility:

Campaign or initiative must have been executed in at least three distinct markets/regions

Must demonstrate both global strategy and local execution

Work must have been active within the last 18 months

Must show clear evidence of cultural adaptation (not just translation)

Must include metrics from multiple markets

Can be B2B or B2C marketing initiatives

MARKETING TRANSFORMATION

This category celebrates organisations that have fundamentally reimagined and rebuilt their marketing capability. We're seeking comprehensive transformation stories that demonstrate how revolutionary changes in operations, technology, and ways of working have created stepchanges in marketing impact. Show us how you revolutionised marketing operations, orchestrated digital transformation, built new marketing capabilities, transformed team culture and skills, enhanced data and technology infrastructure, developed innovative operating models, created sustainable competitive advantage

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

• Scale and ambition of transformation

• Complexity of change managed

• Innovation in approach

• People and culture transformation

• Technology implementation

• Privacy and trust enhancement

• Measurable impact, including:

◦ Efficiency improvements

◦ Effectiveness gains

◦ Speed to market

◦ Cost optimisation

◦ Team capability growth

◦ Customer experience enhancement

◦ ROI on transformation

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries.

GROUP 2 - BUSINESS & SOCIAL IMPACT

This group honours marketing initiatives that drive significant business transformation and positive societal change. It recognizes work that goes beyond traditional marketing metrics to deliver broader organizational impact, from digital transformation and sustainable practices to business growth and brand evolution. These categories celebrate marketing’s power to influence both commercial success and social progress.

MARKETING FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

Marketing has the power to transform society and drive meaningful progress. This category celebrates brands that have embraced marketing strategies & initiatives that harness marketing’s influence to create lasting positive impact on our world. We’re looking for breakthrough campaigns and programs that address crucial challenges facing our society, economy, and environment. Show us how marketing expertise has been used to drive tangible change in areas such as (but not limited to): Environmental sustainability, Climate action, Diversity, equity & inclusion, Social justice, Community empowerment, Economic equality & Mental health & wellbeing.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

The specific challenge or issue being addressed

How marketing strategies and creativity were deployed to drive change

Measurable results and positive impact achieved

Long-term vision for sustained transformation

Eligibility: While your campaign doesn’t need to focus exclusively on social impact, it must demonstrate a genuine commitment to positive change through measurable actions and outcomes. We want to recognize marketers who are going beyond traditional metrics to become true catalysts for progress.

NOT FOR PROFIT MARKETING

This category celebrates exceptional marketing campaigns led by Not-For-Profit organisations, charities, and government bodies that drive meaningful social change. We seek initiatives that transcend traditional fundraising to create lasting impact through innovative storytelling, community engagement, and measurable social outcomes. Entries should showcase how strategic marketing approaches have been used to raise awareness, change perceptions, inspire action, or influence policy for the greater social good.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Strategic creativity in addressing complex social challenges

Innovative use of channels and resources to maximize impact

Clear demonstration of behavioural or attitudinal change

Measurable social impact and community benefit

Effective stakeholder engagement and partnership building

Excellence in campaign execution despite resource constraints

Eligibility: This category is exclusively for registered NFP organisations, Charities and Government Bodies, if your paper does not represent one of those, please enter the Marketing for Positive Change category.

BRAND TRANSFORMATION

This category celebrates organisations that have successfully reinvented or evolved their brand while preserving its authentic core. We’re looking for transformations that go beyond visual updates to demonstrate deep strategic thinking and meaningful business impact. This could include modernising a heritage brand for contemporary relevance, repositioning a brand to capture new market opportunities or expanding into new markets, evolving from B2B to B2C (or vice versa), transforming a single product or entire brand portfolio.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

• Strategic rationale for transformation

• Protection and evolution of core brand values

• Depth and boldness of transformation

• Marketing’s role in driving the change

• Evidence of customer understanding and insight

• Success in stakeholder engagement and buy-in

• Measurable business results, such as:

◦ Market share growth

◦ Customer acquisition/retention

◦ Brand health metrics

◦ Commercial performance

◦ Category leadership

◦ Customer engagement scores

Eligibility: Open to B2B and B2C organisations of all sizes. Entries welcome for both single product evolution and complete brand transformation.

BEST SCALE UP BUSINESS

This category celebrates disruptive businesses at any stage of their funding journey – from early investment through to later rounds, whether emerging from corporate incubators or venture-backed initiatives. It recognizes how marketing has been instrumental in turning innovative ideas into successful market propositions. We want to hear from changemakers and pioneers who are disrupting their markets.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

How you went from initial concept to market entry

How marketing strategies shaped your growth

How you used research and insights to evolve your offering

How you defined achievement

Your funding journey and how marketing supported this

Role of marketing in attracting investment

Evidence of market disruption and growth potential

Eligibility: Open to venture-backed startups, corporate spinouts, incubator graduates, and independently funded disruptive businesses at any stage of their scaling journey.

MARKETING EXCELLENCE LEGACY BRAND

This prestigious award recognizes a brand that has demonstrated exceptional marketing leadership and sustained success over the last four decades. The winning brand will have established a consistent track record of:

Marketing Innovation & Adaptability: Pioneering marketing approaches across changing consumer landscapes Successfully evolving their marketing strategy while maintaining brand essence

Demonstrating marketing agility across different media and technological eras

Measurable Business Impact: Sustained market share growth or leadership position Consistent brand value appreciation Documented revenue/profit growth attributed to marketing initiatives

Brand Resonance & Cultural Impact: Maintaining relevance across multiple generations Creating lasting cultural touchstones through marketing Building and sustaining meaningful consumer relationships

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C brands, please do ensure to pay particular focus to the legacy element of this category. Our judges will need to have oversight of the following:

Historical performance metrics

Marketing strategy evolution and adaptation

Brand value growth trajectory

Consumer sentiment and loyalty metrics

Cultural impact and memorability

Innovation in marketing approaches

BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MARKETING -

SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE

This category celebrates excellence in B2B marketing that transforms complex business challenges into compelling opportunities We're looking for work that demonstrates deep understanding of organisational buying dynamics and delivers measurable commercial impact. Show us how you understood the complex buyer journeys, turned market intelligence into actionable strategy, crafted messaging to resonate across stakeholder levels, built lasting relationships, innovated in engagement approaches and measured and proved marketing's business impact. This category recognises that B2B marketing requires distinct expertise in navigating organisational complexity while delivering clear business results.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

Strategic use of insights and market intelligence

Understanding of organisational buying behaviour

Innovation in B2B marketing approaches

Quality of stakeholder engagement strategy

Integration with sales and business objectives

Effectiveness of relationship building

Measurable outcomes, including:

Pipeline impact

Lead quality metrics

Sales cycle influence

Customer relationship value

Market share growth

Return on investment

Revenue contribution

SUCCESSFUL & EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS

Eligibility:

B2B Marketing Small: An annual revenue of £5m or under or a campaign spend of under £100K

B2B Marketing Medium – An Annual Revenue of £5M - £14M or a campaign spend of £101K-£400K

B2B Marketing Large – An Annual Revenue of £15 million + or a campaign spend of £500K+

In today's interconnected business landscape, strategic partnerships have become a cornerstone of exceptional marketing success. This category celebrates groundbreaking collaborations that have redefined what's possible when organisations join forces with purpose and vision. Exceptional partnerships can unlock unprecedented growth, access new markets, and create value in ways impossible to achieve alone. Through this category, we recognise those who have mastered the art and science of collaborative success, setting new standards for partnership excellence in marketing.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

• Transformative partnerships that have delivered measurable business impact for all parties involved

• Innovative approaches to partnership strategy and execution

• Evidence of sustainable, long-term value creation

• Creative solutions to partnership challenges Clear demonstration of mutual benefit and shared success

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B & B2C entries. There are no eligibility dates for when the partnership was started but it must have been active in the last 12 months.

GROUP 3 - MARKETING LEADERSHIP & TEAMS

This group recognises the people and teams who drive marketing excellence. It celebrates both emerging and established leaders who inspire through their vision and achievement, alongside high-performing teams that demonstrate exceptional collaboration and results. These categories acknowledge that great marketing is delivered by great people working together.

BEST AGENCY TEAM

This award celebrates agencies that forge exceptional partnerships with their clients to deliver outstanding business results through the following areas:

Strategic Partnership - Deep understanding of their client's business challenges and objectives Evidence of becoming a trusted strategic advisor beyond the traditional agency role Clear examples of proactive thinking that pushed boundaries and created new opportunities

Collaborative Excellence - Seamless integration with the client's team and processes Strong working relationships at multiple levels of both organisations Ability to challenge constructively while maintaining trust and respect

Measurable Impact - Concrete evidence of helping clients achieve or exceed their business goals

Quantifiable results that showcase the value of the partnership Long-term strategic value beyond individual campaigns or projects.

Judges will be looking for compelling evidence of how the agency has become an indispensable extension of their client's team, driving meaningful business transformation through creative thinking, strategic insight, and exceptional execution.

BEST BRAND TEAM

This award celebrates in-house marketing teams that have demonstrated exceptional collective excellence and strategic innovation. We're looking for teams that have delivered outstanding commercial impact through masterful execution of integrated marketing strategies, tackled significant business challenges with bold, creative solutions, pushed beyond conventional approaches to break new ground in their category, fostered exceptional cross-functional collaboration and team synergy, elevated marketing's strategic role in driving business transformation.

The winning team will showcase clear evidence of:

Measurable business outcomes tied to marketing initiatives

Creative problem-solving and calculated risk-taking

Strong team dynamics and effective stakeholder management

Marketing's direct contribution to company-wide objectives

Innovation in strategy, execution, or both

FUTURE MARKETING LEADER

The Future Leader of the Year Award celebrates exceptional emerging talent in marketing who are poised to shape the future of our industry. This award honours tomorrow's marketing leaders, many previous winners have gone on to become influential CMOs and industry pioneers. As our industry continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, identifying and nurturing the next generation of marketing leaders is crucial. This award not only recognizes individual excellence but also helps shape the future of marketing leadership through professional development and networking opportunities.

We seek candidates who exemplify:

Proven leadership abilities demonstrated through successful project execution

Strategic thinking and commercial acumen Innovation and creative problem-solving

Deep understanding of marketing principles and emerging trends

Ability to inspire and mobilise teams

Track record of delivering measurable business impact

Candidates should have led at least one significant marketing initiative with demonstrable results, show potential for stepping up into senior leadership roles, demonstrate a clear vision for the future of marketing & display exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.

The winner will receive:

Recognition as one of marketing's most promising rising stars

A guaranteed place (valued at £9,500) to our exclusive Marketing Leaders Program, delivered in partnership with Accenture Song

The opportunity to participate in next year’s Future Leader Judging panel

The opportunity to participate in an Under the Spotlight event alongside the Inspirational Marketing Leader winner

Entry process:

Each nominee must complete the submission process either in writing or via video 1. The submission must include an endorsement from your CMO or equivalent 2.

You will need to answer four questions providing examples & evidence 3.

Shortlisted nominees will be invited to take part in a Q&A with our judging panel in April 4.

You will need to be available to join the Marketing Leaders Program which takes place between AprilSeptember 2025 (3 Modules of 2.5 days including overnight stay) 5.

INSPIRATIONAL MARKETING LEADER

The marketing industry’s most prestigious individual honour, celebrating exceptional leaders who transform not just their organizations, but the entire marketing landscape. This award recognizes visionaries who combine commercial success with lasting societal impact, setting new standards for what marketing leadership can achieve. Nominees will be assessed by a panel of industry leaders, and they will evaluate the nominees on People Impact, Business Impact, Industry Impact & Cultural Impact.

The award has been running for over 10 years, our previous winners are;

2024: To be announced at our Annual Dinner on 26 November 2024

2023: Christina Diezhandino

2022: Julia Goldin

2021: Aline Santos

2020: Sara Bennison

2019: Mitch Oliver

2018: Mark Evans

2017: Barnaby Dawe

2016: Alistair Macrow

2015: Syl Saller

2014: Peter Duffy

2013: Sarah Warby

ENTRY PROCESS

There are two ways to enter, self nomination or nomination by a peer.

Self Nominations:

Each nominee needs to submit a short entry which MUST follow the format laid out in the below Criteria. Each question must be answered.

Nomination by a peer:

We will be going out to the industry and asking them to nominate someone that inspires them as a marketing leader, The Marketing Society will then contact all nominees and ask them to complete the short entry form. Once all nominations have been submitted, they will be reviewed by a panel of judges made up of senior industry leaders, previous winners and industry experts, they will discuss each nominee and agree a shortlist. Each of the shortlisted nominees will be invited to a meet and greet with our CEO and Partners

After the meet and greets a smaller panel of judges will reconvene to discuss the shortlist in more detail reviewing the information in the nomination form and that gathered from the mee & greet and other research carried out by The Marketing Society they will decide the winner.

INSPIRATIONAL MARKETING LEADER

CRITERIA

Please note you must answer each question within 300 words. PEOPLE IMPACT - How do you lead and inspire those around you to succeed?

How do you ensure people around you want to come with you on the journey you have set? And how do you make them successful? Share an example of how you have inspired your direct team and/or people in the wider business.

BUSINESS IMPACT - What business achievements are you most proud of in the last 12 months?

How have you made a significant and measurable impact on business growth? What were the results?

Share a project you have led recently that demonstrated outstanding results. Provide evidence to back up achievements.

INDUSTRY IMPACT - How do you elevate the marketing function?

How do you champion the Marketing function and marketers to demonstrate their importance to the business? Share a recent example of a program/initiative you led that demonstrates your commitment to making marketing matter more in business and/or gives back to the next generation of marketers.

CULTURAL IMPACT - What do you believe is Marketing’s role in creating a long-lasting positive impact on society?

Share a recent initiative that has driven positive change and transformed the broader business through social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and/or ethical practices while achieving remarkable business success.

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN MARKETING

This is a special award to celebrate our 40th year, this category will recognise an individual who has made exceptional contributions to advancing the marketing industry through visionary leadership, innovative thinking, and demonstrable impact over the past four decades. When considering our winner we will be looking at leaders who have been advocates in the following areas :

Industry Innovation & Transformation

Pioneered new marketing approaches or methodologies that became industry standards, led significant technological adoptions that transformed marketing practices, developed frameworks or models that advanced marketing theory and practice, demonstrated ability to anticipate and adapt to major industry shifts.

Business Impact & Results

Has a track record of delivering exceptional marketing results, created lasting value through brand building & demonstrated ability to connect marketing to business outcomes.

Industry Influence & Thought Leadership

Has published their own work or has been a continued respected voice of the industry, has been an influential leader in the industry for example CMO of fortune 500 companies or has played a role in major industry associations, is a champion of mentorship and development to encourage and support the future leaders of the industry.

Digital Evolution & Adaptation

Is recognised for their digital transformation leadership, has played a role in innovation of emerging platforms, is a proven data-driven marketing leader

Ethics & Sustainability

A leader who is known for responsible marketing practices, has had a significant impact of championing diversity and inclusion within the industry.

Eligibility:

• Minimum 25 years of Senior marketing leadership experience

• Held a C-Level or equivalent position in recognised organisations

• No major ethical violations or controversies

• Active in the industry within the last 5 years (Including NED roles)

GROUP 4 - EXCELLENCE SPOTLIGHT

This elite group of awards represents the pinnacle of marketing achievement. These special recognition awards celebrate work that transcends category boundaries to set new standards of excellence. Winners in these categories demonstrate exceptional innovation, effectiveness, and inspiration that advances the marketing profession.

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR 2024

This prestigious category celebrates marketing excellence at its pinnacle – the campaign that not only captured attention but redefined industry standards. We're looking for work that transcended traditional marketing boundaries to create lasting impact and cultural resonance. Your submission should cover the whole journey from Strategic Development, Creative Process, Campaign Execution and the results and impact generated.

The winning campaign will demonstrate:

Exceptional creativity that sparked widespread conversation and engagement

Strategic brilliance backed by robust consumer insights

Innovative approach to addressing business challenges

Masterful execution across channels

Measurable business impact and cultural influence

Eligibility: Campaigns can be long running or new, but they must have been active in the market during the period of 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024.

MOST ICONIC MARKETING STRATEGY

This special category for our 40th year represents the pinnacle of marketing excellence, celebrating strategies that have transcended their time to become foundational pillars of marketing practice. This category recognizes work that hasn't just succeeded in its moment but has fundamentally reshaped how we think about and practice marketing. This category examines four decades of marketing evolution, from 1984 to 2024 – a period that witnessed the transition from traditional media dominance through the digital revolution to today's complex omnichannel landscape. During this time, we've seen the rise of the internet, social media, mobile technology, and artificial intelligence, each wave creating new possibilities for connecting with consumers.

Why this matters

The marketing industry often focuses on the new and novel but understanding our discipline's defining work is crucial for building on proven foundations of excellence, understanding the evolution of consumer engagement, identifying timeless principles of effective marketing, learning from strategies that have demonstrated lasting impact, Connecting current practice to historical success & creating a body of knowledge for the profession.

Our judges will be looking for evidence of:

Paradigm-shifting approaches that created new marketing possibilities

Sustainable competitive advantages that reshaped category dynamics

Cultural resonance that transcended commercial objectives

Innovative methods that became industry standards

Measurable influence on subsequent marketing practice

Enduring relevance despite changing consumer behaviours

Creation of distinctive brand assets that retain power over time

Eligibility Criteria:

Marketing strategies that have been active over the last four decades.

Must demonstrate sustained impact beyond initial campaign period

Open to both individual campaigns and long-term strategic platforms

Must have documented results and cultural impact metrics

Can be submitted by agencies, brands, or collaboratively

MOST INSPIRATIONAL STORY

This is a special award category that will recognise exceptional entries that demonstrate truly inspirational impact. The winning entry will go beyond commercial success to demonstrate how brands can lead by example, making decisions driven by purpose rather than profit alone. It will showcase how marketing can inspire positive change, unite communities, and elevate our industry's role in society. Our judges seek stories that not only celebrate exceptional marketing achievement but also light the way forward for others to follow – stories that remind us of marketing's power to shape a better tomorrow and the impact we can have.

Judging Criteria

While traditional business metrics are valuable, this category specifically celebrates work that transcends commercial success to create meaningful societal impact. Our judges will evaluate entries based on their power to inspire positive change and serve as beacons for the industry's potential.

Key evaluation questions will include:

Does the story evoke hope and optimism for the future?

Does it demonstrate marketing's ability to drive meaningful societal change?

Does it set new standards for ethical business practices and responsible marketing?

Does it challenge conventional thinking and push creative boundaries?

Does it showcase marketing's potential to be a force for good?

Does it make us proud to be marketing professionals?

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries. If you would like your paper to be considered for this category please ensure you check the Most Inspirational Story box at checkout but please ensure you have taken into account the above considerations in your paper. Our panel of judges will also be able to select papers from the Marketing Craft & Execution and Business & Social Impact category groups to put forward for this award.

Please note: This category is a judges choice award and can not be entered directly, our judges will select papers from groups 1 & 2 that they believe should be considered. Papers selected for the Finance Directors Prize will be passed to our Finance Directors panel for judging.

FINANCE DIRECTORS PRIZE

The Finance Directors Prize recognises outstanding marketing initiatives that demonstrate exceptional return on marketing investment. This category celebrates campaigns that achieve remarkable business impact through strategic and innovative use of marketing budgets. Our panel of Finance Directors will evaluate entries based on:

Budget Efficiency & Challenge

Scale and complexity of objectives relative to available resources

Demonstration of resourceful budget allocation

Innovation in overcoming financial constraints

Strategic Investment & Creativity

Innovative approaches to budget deployment

Creative solutions that maximised marketing spend

Strategic allocation across channels and initiatives

Risk Management & Decision-Making

Calculated risks taken to drive results

Clear rationale for investment decisions

Mitigation strategies employed

Financial Impact & ROI

Quantifiable business outcomes

Revenue generation and cost efficiencies

Long-term financial benefits

Performance Against Objectives

Achievement of financial targets

Marketing metrics that influenced business success

Evidence of sustainable business growth

When preparing your entry, please include comprehensive business results and financial metrics. You may mark confidential information as "Judges Only" within your submission. Strong entries will clearly demonstrate the link between marketing investment and business performance.

Eligibility: This category is open to both B2B and B2C entries. If you would like your paper to be considered for this category please ensure you check the Finance Directors Prize box at checkout, please ensure you have taken into account the above considerations in your paper. Our panel of judges will also be able to select papers from the Marketing Craft & Execution and Business & Social Impact category groups to put forward for this award.

GRAND PRIX 2025

The Ultimate Recognition in Marketing Excellence: The GRAND PRIX represents the pinnacle of marketing achievement a singular honour bestowed upon work that transcends excellence to achieve true greatness. This category can not be entered directly the shortlist will be compromised from the Marketing Craft & Execution and Business & Social Impact category winners. This extraordinary accolade celebrates marketing that doesn't just raise the bar—it completely redefines it.

The winning entry will:

Demonstrate marketing brilliance that stands head and shoulders above its peers

Embody the transformative power of strategic thinking and creative execution

Showcase work that every marketing professional wishes bore their signature

Set a new standard for what marketing can achieve in driving business growth

This is more than just an award it's a beacon that illuminates the path for the next generation of marketers and a testament to our industry's ability to transform businesses, inspire audiences, and shape the future of commerce. Selected through rigorous deliberation by our distinguished panel of judges, the GRAND PRIX winner represents the absolute best of what our industry can achieve work so compelling that it will be referenced, studied, and admired for years to come.

Meet

TOP TIPS

“Clarity. Make it clear what made your work unique and what results it delivered. Results are everything. There's no point talking about a nice idea unless you can show it had real impact” - Rebecca Hirst, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, EY UK

“Instant impact Imagine you’re the judge, what story can you tell that will have us mesmerised from the moment we start to read your entry and desperate to hear the end of the story?”

- Jessica Myers, CCO, The Very Group

“Be clear about the consumer insight and data that led to the campaign. How has your brand shown that it understands its audience? How has your team engaged with that audience? And, as a result, grown brand love and delivered tangible outcomes for the business?”

- Sarah Barron, CMO, Domino’s

“I have seen many awards where the content of the submissions were not addressing the questions asked in the award entry, and where there was no data to support the claims. Answer the question you are asked, and back it up with facts. It's that simple!”

- Simonetta Rigo, Group CMO, Evelyn Partners

WINNING CASE STUDIES

Members of The Marketing Society can access our full catalogue of previous winning entries by logging in to your online account. Here are three winners from our 2024 Awards:

Winner: Grand Prix & Brand Evolution

2024

Just One Word

Winner: Most Inspirational Story & B2B 2024

50 Shades of Ginger

Winner: Creative Strategy 2024

The Bravery Behind The Brows

FAQs

What is your confidentiality policy for Award entries?

All material will remain confidential to the judges who sign a confidentiality agreement. Winning and highly commended cases will be published in The Marketing Society and on our partner’s website Warc.com and are included in our annual Transformation Report. Entrants have the right to mark financial info or sensitive parts of their entry as ‘Not for publication’. This will, in all cases, be respected by the organisers.

Is there a set format we should follow?

No, we do not provide entry templates to follow. We urge you to read all of the criteria points for your category and ensure you have addressed them all. Judges will want to see tangible results so back up everything you are saying with the numbers and facts of what you achieved.

Do you accept entries via email?

No, All entries must be submitted via the online portal

What format can I submit my entry in?

Please submit your entry in PDF format, and JPEG for supporting images, with links to videos.

Can I attach supporting documents and if so, how many?

Yes, you may include supporting documents for our judges to review, this can be in the form of images and videos.

What is the maximum file size for each entry?

There is no maximum file size.

Are there any eligibility dates?

No, we do not have eligibility dates on our award, we want to see all work that showcases marketing excellence, as long as you can answer all the criteria points we would love to see your entry.

How will my entry be credited if we are shortlisted/win?

The details you enter into the portal are the details we will use on any promotional material and indeed for engraving trophies should you win, so it is imperative that you include the correct information on your submission. Including listing everyone who needs to be credited and ensuring the entry title is how you will want it to be referred to. For example, if you call your entry ‘The Marketing Society Awards entry 2025’ this is what will be published.

Do I need to be a member of The Marketing Society to enter the Awards?

No. Please leave the membership number field blank on the entry form if you are not a member. Members of the Society do receive a discount on their entries, if you are interested in finding out more about membership please contact Kate our Business Development and Growth Manager.

YOUR NEXT STEPS TO ENTER

REGISTER ON OUR AWARDS PLATFORM

Here you can set up your account to start your entry Find out more information

Start your entry process

LOOK OUT FOR MORE INFORMATION

We will be keeping our Global Awards website up to date regularly, find out more information there including up coming webinars, new judges and confirmed partners