How To Win An Effie – Roxana Memetea

Romanita Oprea Creativity

EFFIE is the most significant award in our industry because it honors the one truly important achievement in advertising: Results. It is the award presented annually by the New York American Marketing Association in recognition of the year’s most effective advertising campaigns – campaigns that have delivered superior results in meeting or exceeding the objectives they were designed to achieve. EFFIE is a national award spread internationally and it has been organized since 1968.

But what are the keys to winning an EFFIE? Some of the specialists in the market answered for AdHugger.net. Today, Roxana Memetea, Managing Partner at DDB Romania & Tribal Worldwide Romania.

AdHugger.net: What are the most important to do’s when being part of the Effie Jury?

  • Enjoy the entire experience, because it’s a priviledge to judge the best campaigns on the market
  • Due to the new format that includes debates, to infuse yourself with knowledge and to share as much possible experience and energy with other juries, great proffesionals from Romanian market
  • Prepare solid arguments for your feedback, stay positive and keep a constructive attitude
  • Open your mind and to be prepared to let some of your previous beliefs go and to discover new ones
  • Not to be judgemental, try to see all the angles and be opened to feeling some positive, constructive professional jealousy
  • Be ready to learn and to pass the knowledge
  • Expand your network with new friends.

AdHugger.net: How has your experience helped you?

During these years, the entire experience gave me a boost of motivation and inspiration that I tried to further infuse to my team and clients. Reading all the cases makes you realize how important the overall relationship with the clients is and that it translates into a common, long term construction both in terms of marketing and communication strategy. We all know that it is not easy to find the right balance between creativity and results, but in Effie case studies you realize the direct connection between creativity and efficiency. I think the entire experience managed to make me feel more aware about the necessity to push the team to think long term and to track the results of their actions all the time

AdHugger.net: What are the main Dont’s?

  • don’t be critic all the time
  • don’t be superficial…there is a huge amount of work and effort in the back of every case study, take the time, pay the right amount of attention, have the understanding needed to make a good decision
  • don’t block yourselves in your beliefs
  • don’t judge the case only through your personal professional experiences
  • don’t add your personal, background info to cases, judge based on the facts presented in the case
  • don’t be subjective

AdHugger.net: How should one prepare for the judging days?

It’s important to be aware of the responsibility of being a jury in one the most important festivals on the market and prepare to be opened for a great professional experience. I would also advise to be relaxed and rested, because it’s a huge amount of new information that you have to deal with under the pressure of time for 2 full days. And the most important one: prepare your mind set to be in good balance in order to make the best professional decision.