Best Integrated Advertising Campaigns to Be Named by Web Marketing Association

SIMSBURY, Conn., Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Web Marketing Association judges will select the best integrated advertising campaigns in 86 industries as part of their 10th annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. Companies or agencies wishing to nominate their work for consideration may do so at http://www.IACAward.org before the deadline of January 31, 2012.

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"Integrated advertising campaigns are those that use multiple ad formats to get their message across to the consumer," said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. "Many marketers consider it essential to use multiple ways to reach and engage consumers including social media, on page advertising, video, or mobile applications. The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to show the world your expertise in this emerging field. It's also a great marketing opportunity for the winners to promote their work to senior management, customers and prospects."

The 2012 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are open to all organizations and individuals (advertising and interactive agencies, corporate marketing departments, etc.) involved in the process of developing Internet advertising. Entries may be submitted online at http://www.iacaward.org.  The deadline for entry is January 31, 2012 and will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.

Organic, Inc. won Best of Show Integrated campaign in the 2011 IAC Awards for U By Kotex*.

Other top winners in 2011 include:

In addition to integrated ad campaigns, awards will be presented within each of the industry categories and advertising formats such as:

Mobile Apps
Email message campaign
Web sites (including microsites and landing pages)
Online ads (including banner, pop-up or interstitial)
Online applications
Rich media ads
Online Video
Online newsletter campaign
the client did not choose

Best of show award for each format will be selected from among the industry winners. Ads eligible for entry in the competition must have run during the period from January 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012 (except for the Ads the client did not choose format which do not have to have run.) 

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2012, and winners will be notified by e-mail one week prior to the general announcement of winners in March, 2012. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as J. Walter Thompson, Blattner Brunner, Ogilvy Interactive, Comedy Central, National Cable & Telecom Association, Sun Microsystems, Refinery, Euro RSCG, New York Post Interactive, EPB Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink.

The 2012 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by Burst Media, BGT Partners, PR Newswire, ExactTarget, EContent Magazine, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, MycroBurst, Search Engine Strategies, We Build Pages, Webmaster Radio and Website Magazine. The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.

Industries represented in the 2012 IAC Awards include the following: advertising, advocacy, airline, application service provider, arts, associations, auction, automobile, b2b, bank, beverage, biotechnology, broadcasting, brokerage, catalog, computer hardware, computer retailer, computer software, construction, consulting, consumer goods, credit union, design, directory or search engine, diversified business, education, email, employment, energy, entertainment, environmental, events, e-zine, faith-based, family, financial services, food industry, game site, general interest, government, health care, home building, hotel and lodging, information services, institutional services, insurance, interactive services, international business, internet service provider, intranet, investor relations, investment, legal, leisure, magazine, marketing, manufacturing, media, medical, military, movie, music, mutual fund, news, newspaper, non-profit, other, pharmaceuticals, portal, professional services, public relations, publishing, radio, real estate, regional, restaurant, retail, school, shopping, small business, social network, sports, telecommunication, toy & hobby, transportation, travel and university.

"We believe that winning an industry specific award is more valuable to the participant.  It allows the participants to be judges against their peers, just like in the marketplace," said Rice.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is an organization working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, Internet marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to Web sites. The Web Marketing Association's two annual award programs, the WebAward Competition and the Internet Advertising Competition Awards, have been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world since 1997.

SOURCE Web Marketing Association