The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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DADI Awards judge Nicky Applegarth tells us what makes an award-winning digital strategy

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

May 11, 2012 | 4 min read

With the DADI Awards entry deadline (Friday 1 June) now only three weeks away, Nicky Applegarth, commercial director at STEEL, gives us an inkling as to what she'll be looking for when she judges this year's entries.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I would say that my inspiration comes from the people that I work with at STEEL, and my friends and colleagues in this industry. The world of digital is vast and there's always more to learn and discover and it's pretty impossible to do that all on your own! And I love talking to people who are really excited and motivated by what they do; I often leave these conversations with more knowledge or a different perspective, but certainly buoyed up and raring to go.

What is it about digital that excites you so much?

The thing that excites me the most is that there are so many new developments happening every day, and the landscape is constantly changing. Whilst that can seem daunting to many, I think it provides the opportunity to be ahead of the curve and develop some really cutting edge campaigns for clients. And it satisfies my need to remain constantly challenged and stimulated; I can get bored quickly!

For you, what’s the most exciting development in digital?

For me, the most exciting thing is mobile technology. This really does epitomise 'right place, right message, right time' as advertisers now have a platform to talk to consumers that's right in their pocket. 70% of smartphone owners admitted that they would rather give up alcohol than their phone, and one third said that they would rather give up sex than their smartphone! And I think that users' expectations of how content and advertising should be delivered is really challenging brands, especially around the development of apps. Long gone are the days where the consumer will simply accept content and functionality that is given to them by a brand - there are so many platforms for the consumer to have a voice and an opinion that marketing, advertising and development is now in their hands.

Where do you see the digital industry progressing to in 5 years’ time?

Well, if I knew that, I would be making my fortune and planning my real estate purchase in the Bahamas! I think that brands will be forced to think in a much more integrated way. The digital touchpoints that the consumer now has compared to a few years ago has increased, and their social interaction now plays a much more important part in their brand interaction and purchase decision making process. This is very exciting from a planning perspective, and I think that there is considerable opportunity for good cross platform tracking technology to come to the fore. As part of this, I think that attribution modelling is also going to become more important with the requirement for much more flexibility in budgets to enable investment in the channels that are performing the best.

Why did you agree to judge the Dadi awards this year?

I love meeting with people who work in this industry. I find it really interesting to hear their view points on things, and realise that often we are all facing similar challenges. And I am keen to see what other agencies are doing for their clients. Plus I have heard it's great fun!

For you, what makes and award winning digital strategy?

For me, the answer is in the question - 'strategy'. The objectives of the campaign have to come first in the planning process, and the campaign has to deliver against these. Amazing creative that doesn't tick this box will not deliver for a client and is essentially a waste of time and money.

Enter at the DADI Awards Website.

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