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Is the ECHO the "results award?"
No, not exactly. The DMA International ECHO Awards recognize
the total package: brilliant strategy, breakthrough
creative, and phenomenal results. All three matter in
the real world, so all three are considered here. We
judge these criteria individually and as a whole to
determine the best of the best. Some campaigns get awards,
the rest must return to "GO." Because ECHO
is the only award in the industry that considers results
in the judging, many tend to think of it as the "results
award." But that doesn't begin to tell the whole
story. You need more than that to win an ECHO.
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Must I use the official entry form?
Yes — Playing by the rules is crucial to winning
at the game of GLORY. Therefore, we have made getting
and using the official form easier than deciding which
color game piece you want to be. Just click
here and you'll be connected to our Official Entry
Form page. Just download it, fill it out, and mail it
in along with your payment and creative samples.
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What do I do if I'm not sure what category to enter?
Like most board games, there are many fun versions and
variations. But if you can't decide which version of
GLORY you want to play, just read the descriptions of
categories preceding the entry form. The general rule
is to try to match your skills to the category and media
that most narrowly define your industry, product, or
service. If you are having trouble finding your niche
(story of your life?), call us and ask for the ECHO
department at (212) 768-7277, fax us at (212) 719-5106,
or e-mail your questions to echo@the-dma.org.
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Why has "Automotive" been separated from manufacturing
to form a new category?
Over the past several years, the DMA ECHO committee
has noticed a substantial increase in entries representing
automotive products. These campaigns typically have
larger average budgets and somewhat unique response
criteria relative to longer sales cycles and lead management
strategies. Thus, to ensure that these entries are judged
most fairly, and that other entries in the manufacturing
category are not inappropriately compared, a separate
category was created.
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Is my package still eligible if my target audience
was very small?
Absolutely. It doesn't matter how many players you have,
you're in the game. Your entry will be judged on its
overall merit in achieving your strategy and objectives,
regardless of audience size. Indicate your target audience
where prompted, and be sure to provide as much additional
information as you can to demonstrate the unique effectiveness
of your work.
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6.
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Do I have a chance entering a piece that had a low
cost-per-unit, that isn't sexy, yet produced dynamic
results?
Of course! This game is for everyone. Every piece has
a chance at an ECHO depending on its successful execution
of the total package: brilliant strategy, breakthrough
creative, and phenomenal results. And creativity is
judged for the originality, effectiveness, and professionalism
of the copy and graphics, not the price tag. Just because
you're thrifty doesn't mean you're disqualified from
the game.
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7.
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What will happen if my entry is chosen for an ECHO
Award?
You will receive your invitation to the big game in
the mail no later than August 30, 2001 and are welcomed
to participate in the 2001 ECHO Awards Ceremony, October
28, 2001 at the DMA's 84th Annual Conference and Exhibition
in Chicago. Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners will receive
two trophies each, with additional ones available (at
a reasonable cost) from the DMA. In many cases, ECHO
winners get invited to speak at DMA conferences and
have their entries featured in trade publications and
local press. But after you relax and enjoy the fanfare
for a while, it will be time to get back to the drawing
board and start working towards next year's show.
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How are ECHOs judged?
To win, your entry must pass three rounds of brutal
judging. First, DM professionals with at least seven
years of experience in the category you have entered
score your campaign for strategy, creativity, and results.
If your project passes round one, you will need to re-submit
your entry in a portfolio format along with an additional
fee of $150 for round two. In round two (the semi-finals),
five industry professionals scrutinize your entry, and
your cumulative scores from both rounds determine if
you are a finalist for an international ECHO award.
By the time this round is done, only the best entries
will be left. In round three (the finals), an elite
panel of judges, each with fifteen years experience,
will make the final decisions about who gets ECHOs and
who doesn't. Of course, the score each entry receives
also has to exceed a certain minimum benchmark. If no
entries meet this standard, then an ECHO is simply not
awarded.
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Did the deadline change? Can I still enter?
Well, the deadline is April 16, 2001 but if it's past
April 23, 2001, you are out of luck. If it's before
then, start getting your entries together and zip on
over to our Official Entry Form
page for the form you need.
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10.
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Do you have to be a member of DMA to enter the competition?
No, but don't you want to be? This competition is open
to anyone who feels they can win the game. But DMA member
or not, make sure you submit your best work, because
our judges are tough.
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