Best Websites in 96 Industries Announced By Web Marketing Association

HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 16th annual WebAward Competition for Web site development. More than 2,000 entries from 42 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.

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A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org.

"Each year, website development continues to evolve, constantly making the Internet a very competitive place to do business," said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. "As companies and other organizations engage audiences online, websites have evolved into a critical business tool. Each year the WebAwards receives amazing entries from around the world that show impressive creativity and functionality.   Winning a WebAward is a great way to demonstrate the effectiveness of your Web development efforts. We congratulate all of our winners for developing websites that deliver for their audiences. "

Best of Show

The 2012 Best of Show WebAward is presented to UrbanDaddy for their exceptional work on "UrbanDaddy + Herradura Mixology Battle Royale" website.  The site was also recognized as Best Marketing Website. 

UrbanDaddy, a luxury lifestyle company for the digital world, custom created a multi-faceted brand awareness program for Brown Forman's Herradura Tequila. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness and engage UrbanDaddy's affluent, educated, and lifestyle-focused members with the Herradura tequila brand and products. A microsite boasting interactive flash video dovetailed into a highly engaging sizzle reel backed by one ultimate goal: user voting and engagement. The experience was driven by viewers interacting with integrated icons that appear at certain milestones throughout the video. There were multiple layers to the experience: the main video, individual mixologist interviews, bespoke cocktail recipes and a voting interface, all tying into the big theme of the UrbanDaddy & Herradura Mixology Battle Royale between Los Angeles and San Francisco mixologists - where only one winner will come out on top, and whose fate is left in the hands of UrbanDaddy's cocktail and tequila enthusiasts.

Top Agency

Biggs|Gilmore was named Top Agency at the 2012 WebAward Competition, taking home 39 WebAwards. This is the third time Biggs|Gilmore has won the Top Agency WebAward.. The Top Agency Award is given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms.  The firm also has been named Top Agency in the Web Marketing Association's Internet Advertising Competition for three straight years (2009, 2010 and 2011). Founded in 1973, Biggs|Gilmore is a digital agency with a core expertise in integration of offline and online marketing strategies. It was recognized in the 2011 WebAwards with Best Food Industry Website, Best Social Network Website, 13 Outstanding Website WebAwards and 12 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.

19 agencies or companies were also recognized as Outstanding Website Developer for winning six or more WebAwards in 2012. They include:

Competition format

The competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.

The WebAward competition format allows Web sites to compete head to head with other sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry award.  Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards.  Each site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points.  The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries receive a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that score higher than their industry average and below 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence. 

The 2012 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: ExactTarget, Burst Media, PR Newswire, BGT Partners, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, EContent Magazine, Webmaster Radio and Website Magazine.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is 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 Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association's annual WebAward, Internet Advertising Competition and MobileWebAward award programs  have been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 16th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

SOURCE Web Marketing Association