Inside the jury room with the president and VP of The Drum Awards for Marketing Americas

“One consistent theme that came up is people are so passionate about their choices,” mentioned Sood. “It shone bright. You had a good group of people in the room who felt very strongly and put it to good debate – as they should.”

Murphy added, “I actually am surprised that it’s already five. I don’t even know where the day went. The debate at the end of the day actually changed some opinions. That’s what I love about it.”

The judges praised the extent of dedication entrants dropped at the desk, however had been shocked through something: the relative absence of synthetic intelligence.

“For everything we hear about AI, I actually did not see AI as much as I thought I would,” mentioned Murphy. “There were a few categories that used it, but a lot of it was just purebred creativity.”

But that’s to not say the entries had been predictable. One of the most powerful issues to emerge was once the desire for judges to confront their very own subconscious biases.

“I find that people, including me, are really apt to say, ‘Oh, well, they had a big budget,’” mentioned Murphy. “But maybe it was still really well done. We pride ourselves on overcoming challenges, so we get really emotionally invested in brands that make something out of nothing… but that can be a disservice to big-budget work that is executed beautifully.”

Sood agreed. “We were just chatting about how I think both of us loved [redacted] campaign – big brand, big budgets – but the creativity is really what stands out. You have to be able to separate the two biases.”

Both famous that the most productive entries effectively balanced creativity with transparent technique and actual effects.

“It’s very clear based on the 13 Grand Prix finalists that came through – the creativity is there, and they’re overcoming a particular kind of challenge,” mentioned Sood.

So what must entrants do higher subsequent yr?

“Regardless of your budget, your size, or what part of the country or world you’re from – just go for it,” mentioned Sood. “Some of the most impressive entries came from teams with just $25,000, which they invested in a single campaign. That’s huge risk-taking. You’ve got to applaud it.”

Murphy emphasised construction and readability. “I would say be concise and thorough. It’s a hard balance to strike, but I read some entries that were too long and some that were incomplete. Some didn’t take me through their process or didn’t list the KPIs. Have an eye toward thoroughness – but be concise.”

A key pass over for plenty of? Business effects.

“A lot of them didn’t state the business results very clearly,” mentioned Sood. “In these kinds of judging competitions, you really have to link it to your impact.”

Murphy added, “It’s hard to have clear metrics against a brand campaign, and I think that’s why fewer companies are doing them. But brand work is important. We need to get crisper on brand campaign KPIs.”

Another notable shift was once the strategic use of earned media.

“There seems to be a lot more work that may start with paid media but is designed to stimulate earned. It’s a good strategy. It works very well for certain brands,” mentioned Murphy.

In quick, if you happen to’re getting into subsequent yr, the recommendation is inconspicuous: be daring, be transparent, and don’t underestimate the ability of creativity – whether or not you’re subsidized through thousands and thousands or only some thousand.

As Sood summed it up: “It was a great day. Got to know one another, got to know some fellow judges. Everybody was really invested.”

Winners of The Drum Awards for Marketing Americas can be introduced on June 12 on the Edison Hotel in New York.