Best Websites for Advertising to Be Named by Web Marketing Association

SIMSBURY, Conn., Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Web Marketing Association judges will select the best websites used as advertising 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 www.IACAward.org before the deadline of January 31, 2012.

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"Websites are an effective advertising tool to build brand awareness and engage consumers on a global scale," said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. "The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to show the world your expertise you ability to develop a website as an advertising vehicle. It's also a great marketing opportunity for the winners to promote their work to senior management, customers and prospects."

The IAC Awards were developed to evaluate and recognize innovation and excellence in online advertising which includes a category for Websites. The Web Marketing Association's WebAward Competition for Website Development will focus on the entire Web site, with particular emphasis on the creativity and functionality of the overall interactive experience.  Websites entered into the Website category of the IAC Awards will be judged based on their advertising merit.  A site can be entered in both the IAC Awards and the WebAward Competition.

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.

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

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

"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.

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.)

Rockfish won Best of Show for Websites for their work on America's Health Rankings

Other top winners in the Website category in 2011 include:

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.

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2011, and winners will be notified by e-mail one week prior to the general announcement of winners in March, 2011. 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.

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