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1. 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 are true works of art and get awards.
Other campaigns are like sketchings that have
to go back to the drawing board. 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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2. Must
I use the official entry form?
Absolutely– filling out the entry form is
the only way you can enter your masterpiece and
compete for an ECHO. Therefore, we have made getting
and using the official form easier than deciding
which color you should use to paint a sky. 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 sample.
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3.What
do I do if I'm not sure what business category
to enter?
Refrain from throwing your paintbrush and take
a deep breath. If you can't decide which business
category is best for your canvas, 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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4. Can
I enter the same campaign or program into the
competition more than once?
NO. You can only submit a campaign/program once.
For instance, if you enter a campaign/program
whereby you used more than one advertising medium
to promote the product or service (i.e., mail,
DRTV and print) you can either submit the entry
as an integrated campaign --(response results
must be a combination of all the media used) OR
you can submit the entry using only one of the
media (i.e., print only or DRTV only -- results
information must pertain to that medium only).
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5. Is
my package still eligible if my target audience
was very small?
But of course. It doesn't matter how big the audience,
as long as you’re at the show. 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. Do
I have a chance entering a piece that had a low
cost-per-unit, that isn't sexy, yet produced dynamic
results?
Sure. Every masterpiece 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 don't
have a chance.
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7. What
will happen if my entry is chosen for an ECHO
Award?
You will receive your invitation to the showing
via mail in August and are welcomed to participate
in the 2003 ECHO Awards Ceremony, October 12,
2003 at the DMA's 86th Annual Conference and Exhibition
in Orlando, Florida. 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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8. 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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9. Did
the deadline change? Can I still enter?
The deadline is April 15, 2003 but if it's past
April 22, 2003, you are out of luck. If it's before
then, start getting your entries together and
move on over to our Official
Entry Form page for the form you need.
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10.
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 are good enough
to win. But DMA member or not, make sure you submit
your best work, because our judges are tough.
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