Nov 08

PR and export knowledge applied to Australian interactive media awards

For the second year, Network Communications supplied a judge for the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) Awards.

The AIMIA Awards cover categories such as Best Mobile Advertising and Marketing; Best use of Social Media and Best Word of Mouth, Peer to Peer or Viral.  Network’s category was Best Export Achievement - those Australian organisations earning export dollars for their digital tools and programs.

Network’s judge was Geoff Hoddinott, the PR agency’s Head, Technology and B2B.

According to Hoddinott this was an interesting category, highlighting the considerable revenue that can be generated by local digital marketing and development companies.  Through agency clients such as FedEx, Network has considerable experience in the export sector, and this helped in assessing entrants’ export strategies.

“This was a difficult category for entrants, as it required them to enunciate their export strategies and key export markets rather than simply describe their technologies, and a number of entrants appeared to struggle here,” says Hoddinott.

The AIMIA Awards are not the only awards for which Hoddinott is a finals judge.  He has also been a judge on the Consensus Australian and New Zealand Software Awards for the last four years - the only PR person in this position.

“The two awards schemes are incredibly different in structure and approach.  The AIMIA Awards are judged almost entirely online, with quite a large judging panel, so you have to really take the time to interrogate each entry, testing claims that are not accompanied by supporting proof. 

“With the Consensus Awards, the process is quite different.  Initial judging is done online to come up with the finalists and then all finalists must present their entry to a panel of between five and six judges.  This allows judges to directly question claims or to ask questions that will clarify what may have been poorly expressed during the presentation,” said Hoddinott.

Network Communications believes its involvement in awards such as these keeps it abreast of the major advancements being made in technology and the way it is marketed, bringing benefits to its consultants and clients.