Digiday Media Buying & Planning Awards

The Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards recognize companies, campaigns and technology that have been most successful in the modern media landscape. Over the years, these awards have honored industry-leading work from Aveeno, Havas, Zenith, Nielsen and more.

To access everything you’ll need to join the ranks of our past winners including our entry kit, expert tips on crafting a winning entry and past coverage of this program, click here.

Submit your entries now

Key Dates

  • Early Deadline: Oct 25, 2024
    $499 per entry
  • Regular Deadline: Dec 13, 2024
    $599 per entry
  • Last Chance Deadline: Feb 07, 2025
    $729 per entry
All deadlines end at 11:59PM PST

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Categories

  • Strategy Executive of the Year

    Awarding the media strategy lead who has most successfully guided the strategic vision of campaigns, driving innovative approaches to meet business objectives and market challenges.

  • Planning Executive of the Year

    Awarding the media planning lead who has most successfully led campaign planning efforts, balancing strategic objectives with market insights to deliver innovative and high-performing media plans.

  • B2B Media Campaign of the Year

    Awarding the campaign that has most successfully achieved business goals within the B2B sector by leveraging targeted media strategies, delivering high-quality leads and driving measurable outcomes.

  • Best Use of Media Mix Modeling

    Awarding the campaign that most successfully uses aggregated data to measure and plot out the most effective multi-channel campaign delivering significant ROI.

  • Best Use of AI

    Awarding the most effective use of AI to buy or plan media by an agency or agency client’s brand.

  • Best Use of Technology

    Awarding the use of technology that has most significantly impacted campaign performance.

  • Best Emerging Technology Campaign

    Awarding the use of emerging tech, including but not limited to, AR, VR or the Metaverse that most successfully achieved set goals.

  • Best Use of Data

    Awarding the strategy that, through the use of data, most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best First-to-Market Strategy

    Awarding the most impactful first-to-market product offering that best gained brand recognition and a competitive advantage.

  • Best Social Commerce Strategy

    Awarding the strategy that most successfully drove sales through social media platforms.

  • Best Omnichannel Campaign

    Awarding the campaign that most seamlessly integrated multiple channels to deliver a cohesive and immersive experience.

  • Best Out-of-Home Campaign

    Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through out-of-home placements.

  • Best Connected/Streaming TV Campaign

    Awarding the campaign that most effectively leveraged connected/streaming TV platforms to achieve campaign goals.

  • Best E-Commerce Strategy

    Awarding the e-commerce strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best Retail Media Strategy

    Awarding the retail media strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best CSR Initiative

    Awarding the CSR initiative that has been most successful in promoting an environmental or social cause.

  • Best Creative

    Awarding the best high-impact video and/or static creative that has most successfully achieved campaign goals.

  • Best Influencer Partnership

    Awarding the strategy that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through a creator/influencer partnership.

  • Media Campaign of the Year

    Awarding the campaign that has most successfully achieved campaign goals through the use of traditional and/or digital media placements.

  • Best Agency Partnership

    Awarding the agency partnership that most successfully and consistently achieved set goals.

  • Most Innovative Independent Media Agency

    Awarding the independent media agency that has best displayed industry excellence through outstanding performance and innovative work.

  • Most Innovative Media Agency

    Awarding the media agency that has best displayed industry excellence through outstanding performance and innovative work.

  • Media Plan of the Year

    Awarding the best overall media plan that has most effectively and efficiently achieved campaign goals.

Judges

  • Venkata Bhonagiri
    SENIOR PARTNER, GROUP DIRECTOR, DATA STRATEGY & ANALYTICS
    MINDSHARE
  • Katie Kotsbak
    VP OF STRATEGY & MEDIA
    GOOD APPLE
  • Justin Garvin
    SVP, MEDIA STRATEGY
    RISE
  • Lauren Redman
    VP, MEDIA SERVICES
    THINK SHIFT
  • Sarah Morris
    DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY & INVESTMENT
    PPK
  • Kristi Tropp
    SVP, MANAGING DIRECTOR
    INVOLVED MEDIA
  • Lauren McCracken
    EVP, HEAD OF BRAND EXPERIENCE
    PUBLICIS COLLECTIVE
  • Harry Inglis
    HEAD OF ACTIVATION
    MEDIA BY MOTHER
  • Rachel Quinlan
    MEDIA DIRECTOR
    FALLON
  • Michelle Rainbow
    VP, MEDIA & CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT
    RESPONSE MEDIA
  • Bess Browning
    MEDIA DIRECTOR
    ECHOPOINT MEDIA
  • Joey Chowaiki
    COO/CO-FOUNDER
    OPEN INFLUENCE
  • Jan Harling
    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
    VIRTUS ASIA CONSULTING
  • Alexandra Kennedy
    EVP OF COMMERCIAL STRATEGY
    MY CODE
  • Brittany Hunley
    SVP, CONNECTIONS PLANNING DIRECTOR
    EP+CO

Past Winners

  • Aveeno
  • Havas Media
  • Universal Mccann
  • Zenith
  • Nielsen

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for companies or campaigns that can clearly demonstrate success over the past 12 months. Judges are seeking companies or campaigns that have seized challenges and created opportunities and will evaluate entries based on the following criteria: Innovation, Creativity, Consumer Value, Results and Overall.

Judges will require evidence to substantiate all entries. This can include details of financial performance, specific KPIs, creative evidence in the form of a sizzle reel, campaign images, or links to the final project or related sites. The judges will also consider the structure, presentation and clarity of each entry.

Judging Process

Judges will score each entry prompt and consider any supporting materials submitted. After each judge submits their score for the above criteria, the scores of each criteria will then be averaged and then combined to determine an overall score for each entry. The highest scoring entries will appear on the shortlist and winner lists.

Confidentiality

All material will remain confidential to the judges. Only the 'Credits' section of an entry will be made public via the shortlist/winners announcement. If you win a particular category, our team may summarize the entry for shortlist/winner announcements and winners guides.