Are the Media Abbies relevant?

At a time and age when marketers are increasingly speaking about the “big integrated idea”, which cuts across media platforms, do the Media Abbies reflect this trend in any way?

Charlie Crowe, chief executive officer of the Festival of Media, an international award show that started in 2009 and is slowly gaining the reputation of being a benchmark in the global media industry, believes not enough is being done on that front.

Crowe told Business Standard the categorisation of the Media Abbies on the lines of television, cinema, newspapers and outdoor was becoming irrelevant in an age of convergence. “Marketers are looking for the big idea that has to reflect in some way,” he said.

While the Media Abbies at the Goafest does have a category called the 'best use of mixed media', and has segments such as 'youth marketing', 'best use of branded content' and 'best use of never before media', Crowe believes there is room for more. He cites the example of categorisation at the Festival of Media.

“We have categories such as 'branding bravery' or 'best utility award' or best earned media'. In all, we have 16 categories where we attempt to celebrate creativity in the media domain,” he said.

Two categories from the international festival have been introduced in this year’s Media Abbies, they are 'best communication strategy' and 'best contribution to a campaign by a media owner'. Winners make it to the final round of judging at the Festival of Media in Montreux, Switzerland, this May.

While three entries from India, that of Creativeland Asia’s work for Hippo baked snacks, where twitter has been used to track inventory, Mediacom’s work for Volkswagen Polo and Skoda have been shortlisted for best communication strategy, there is no in the 'best contribution to a campaign by a media owner'. Crowe says media owners are simply not doing enough to contribute to a campaign meaningfully. “I find that missing in India,” he said.

A total of 46 awards, including two in the category of best communication strategy by the Festival of Media were given out today. But only two agencies — Group M’s Maxus and Creativeland Asia  — walked away with two golds each. Mudra Max, Omnicom’s OMD, Grey’s Mediacom and Lodestar Universal walked away with one gold each. The total number of silvers were higher than the golds given out at 25, while the bronze awards were 11 in all.

So, are media agencies actually losing interest in the Media Abbies or judging standards indeed high at the fest?

Shashi Sinha, chairman of the Advertising Governing Council (AGC), the nine-member committee set up to oversee the Goafest 2011 said judging was done professionally. “The best agency has won,” he said.

But media agency heads privately admit that the Media Abbies don’t affect them as much as the Creative Abbies do to the creative agencies. “My increments and promotions are not dependent on what I win here,” said a media agency head on condition of anonymity. “It’s a bigger fight on the creative side."

A total of nine media agencies won awards here this year, including Isobar, Lodestar, Madison Media, Maxus, MEC, Mediacom, Mindshare, Mudra Max and OMD. But the growing interest of creative agencies in the Media

Abbies can be gauged from the presence of Creativeland Asia and McCann Worldgroup in the winner’s list. Media agencies would have to watch out next year.