How to Apply

1. New Users, create an account by clicking on the 'Register' button on the right hand side of the page. 
2. Returning Users, login to the system with your email and password created.
3. Create and continue to save your application as DRAFT until it is complete. Application deadline is July 15th, 2022.
4. Submit your application as FINAL.
5. After submitting your application, you will be required to pay for the award(s) that you applied for. It is $100.00 + HST per submission, payable by credit card.

The EFC Marketing Awards are applicable for 2021 and 2022 marketing programs developed and executed in Canada (it can also have started prior to these dates and/or be ongoing with campaign results required).

This Award recognizes the best overall digital marketing initiative or campaign. This award is only for digital initiatives conducted in 2021/2022.
For campaigns with multiple platforms, please enter in the Integrated Marketing Award category. Application deadline is July 15th, 2022

If you have used digital technologies, tactics, applications, and platforms to market your products and/or services, tell us about these online marketing initiatives and how they helped you to reach your current and prospective customers more effectively than ever before.

Your Digital Marketing application may showcase one or a few amazing initiative(s), or a comprehensive set of applications and tactics employed across multiple platforms and on a variety of digital technologies.

Please include a brief summary with your submission: Please provide a one-page summary that outlines the strategy and discusses the marketing effort (maximum 1000 words).

Required Additional Evaluation Criteria for Inclusion with your submission:

• Concept: What was your Big Idea, and was it a great one?
• Campaign Background & Summary, Strategy and Objectives.
• Creativity and Imagination: Is it new, innovative and creative? What special features does it have? Do you lead your industry and others with this?
• Execution: Demonstrate the elements that describes a digital approach that is practical, economical, and easy to use? Is it versatile, dynamic, easy to modify, and adaptable? Is it integrated, consistent, and well targeted? Is there a sound plan/calendar? Can it keep pace with market change?
• Message: Are your messages attractive, topical, clear, uncluttered, and focused on the intended audience?
• Effectiveness: Provide results aligned to objectives. Did it help you increase sales or market share?

See 2021 Digital Innovation Award Recipients

Click here for Marketing Awards Tips

The award is for customer events. Recipients are selected by demonstrating how to produce a successful event. Submissions are judged on the merits and outcomes of the events itself; with focus on the event details and post event objectives attainment and measurement. Application deadline is July 15th, 2022.

With COVID-19, many EFC members pivoted and conducted virtual events. Recipients are selected by demonstrating how to produce a successful event. Submissions are judged on the merits and outcomes of the events itself; with focus on the event details and post event objectives attainment and measurement.

Please include a brief Summary with your submission: Please provide a one-page summary that outlines the strategy and discusses the marketing effort (maximum 1000 words).

Required Additional Evaluation Criteria for Inclusion with your submission

• Concept: What was your Big Idea, and was it a great one?
• Campaign Background & Summary, Strategy and Objectives.
• Creativity and Imagination: Is it new, innovative and creative? Demonstrate uniqueness and innovation for the event concept.
• Execution: Demonstrate the elements the event was comprised of (exhibits/table-tops, workshops, meals, etc.) Who did you use to help make the event successful (i.e. partners, such as distributors, manufacturers, associations, media, etc.) Did you involve the channel – and how? (i.e. lunch & learns prior to a main event that were used to promote the main event). Demonstrate any in-house development of the event. What did you use to attract attendees? (giveaways, discounts, celebrity appearance, contests, etc.)
• Message: Are your messages attractive, topical, clear, uncluttered, and focused on the intended audience? Did the event have a specific theme (Mardi Gras, Olympics, etc.)
• Effectiveness: Provide results aligned to objectives. Include on-line statistics. How well and how fast did you meet or surpass your objective(s)? How did your customers and your market respond to it? Did it improve your brand visibility, and gain you publicity and recognition? Did it help you increase sales or market share? Do you lead your industry and others with this? Were there any learning opportunities (i.e. workshops, education sessions, etc. Was there an opportunity to get any accreditation points (i.e. LEED certification, etc.) Provide examples or guidelines to demonstrate a successful event. Bonus marks: support for a charity or not-for-profit component, and for using Canadian content for learning opportunities.

See 2021 Event & Trade Show Award Recipients

Click here for Marketing Awards Tips

This Award recognizes the best overall Integrated Marketing campaign. This award is only for initiatives conducted in 2021/2022.

The EFC Integrated Marketing Award was established to recognize excellence in the bringing together of numerous marketing tools to build brand, increase sales, create awareness or increase engagement with a core audience. If you and your team have been successful in integrating a campaign that delivered you great results, we hope you will enter it now into the Integrated Marketing Campaign. Winning an EFC Marketing Award will give you the opportunity to increase you and your company's profile by achieving valuable recognition as a leading industry marketer. The award should have three or more aspects such as digital, print, direct marketing etc. For Digital only campaigns, please enter the Digital Innovation Award. Application deadline is July 15th, 2022.

Submissions must detail an Integrated Marketing Campaign that achieved the program objectives by using comprehensive marketing strategies. Integrated marketing programs can focus on products, services or brand enhancements.

Evaluation of the submissions will be based on whether the campaign met its objectives and whether best practices were demonstrated. 

Please include a brief summary with your submission: Please provide a one-page summary that outlines the strategy and discusses the marketing effort (maximum 1000 words).

Required Additional Evaluation Criteria for Inclusion with your submission

• Concept: What was your Big Idea, and was it a great one?
• Campaign Background & Summary, Strategy and Objectives. The Integrated Marketing Award will recognize those who use a combination of at least three disciplines (e.g. Advertising, Digital, Point of Sale, Event, Direct Engagement, Direct Marketing, Social Media, Community Engagement, Experiential and Innovative Media) coordinated around a unified creative idea, to drive significant results. An Integrated marketing campaign is a multi–disciplinary, concerted effort using the strengths of various mediums and shows the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Executive Summary: Background of campaign, trends, target markets, duration. Objectives: Goals, core message, targets. Strategy: For example- SWOT analysis, Media/Social Media/PR plan, timelines and milestones (include measurement if possible).
• Creativity and Imagination: Is it new, innovative and creative? Demonstrate uniqueness and innovation such as how the USPs (Unique Selling propositions) were translated into creative positioning and execution. Outline the creative elements of the campaign.
• Execution: Provide the action plan, e.g. positioning, product, distribution, communications, promotion. Outline tactics such as Digital, Sales promotion, Advertising, social, public relations, email and direct marketing, SEO strategy. Include supporting materials: Provide program and marketing materials, e.g. photos, print, video, merchandising, web, marketing kit.
• Message: Are your messages attractive, topical, clear, uncluttered, and focused on the intended audience? Please provide details and examples.
• Effectiveness: Provide results aligned to objectives. How well and how fast did you meet or surpass your objective(s)? How did your customers and your market respond to it? Did it improve your brand visibility, and gain you publicity and recognition? Did it help you increase sales or market share? Do you lead your industry and others with this? Include CRM tools, analytics used to measure the program’s effectiveness, impact and success e.g. lead tracking systems, sales reviews, variables. Tracking targets against actual results. Overall success: Success criteria (tangible/intangible) and explanation of success.

See 2021 Integrated Marketing Award Recipients

Click here for Marketing Awards Tips

This Award recognizes the best overall in Social & Sustainability. This award is only for initiatives conducted in 2020/2021. Application deadline is July 15th, 2022.

Submit for any charity or not-for-profit your organization supported or how sustainability has been improved/ impacted at your organization. This award recognizes exemplary success in innovation contributing to the community and environment. The award will recognize the organization that best demonstrates leadership, commitment to action, and social and environment impact from across its business. The judges will seek a high performing organization that has evidenced its influence on surrounding communities, promoted teamwork toward sustainable, long-term impacts and encouraged active employee participation beyond mere financial contributions. This award will be measured against three pillars of Corporate Social & Sustainability: People, Planet, Profit. This can be a program with a charity or a sustainability program on organization environmental improvements.

Evaluation of the submissions will be based on whether the campaign met its objectives and whether best practices were demonstrated.

Please include a brief summary with your submission: Please provide a one-page summary that outlines the strategy and discusses the marketing effort (maximum 1000 words).

Required Additional Evaluation Criteria for Inclusion with your submission

• Concept: What was your Big Idea, and was it a great one?
• Campaign Background & Summary, Strategy and Objectives. People: The Social - The social or economic impact to communities/beneficiaries. Is there a local/regional or national impact? Describe the employee engagement/volunteerism component- level of opportunity and participation for all levels of employees. Planet: Environment - sustainability occurs when processes, systems and activities reduce the environmental impact of an organization’s facilities, product or operations. Outline your strategy to manage your resources in an environmentally conscious manner. Profit: Economics - Define strategies that promote the utilization of socio-economic resources to their best advantage and benefits to the business.
• Creativity and Imagination: Is it new, innovative and creative? What special features does it have? Do you lead your industry and others with this?
• Execution: Describe how your specific program was executed and if other partners involved such as a charity (e.g.- Habitat for Humanity/hospital etc.) or association/government etc.
• Message: Are your messages attractive, topical, clear, uncluttered, and focused on the intended audience? Did the event have a specific theme?
• Effectiveness: How well and how fast did you meet or surpass your objective(s)? How did your customers and your market respond to it? Did it improve your brand visibility, and gain you publicity and recognition? Did it help you increase sales or market share? Tracking targets against actual results. Overall success: Success criteria (tangible/intangible) and explanation of success.
• If applicable, charity supported and funds raised/volunteer activity.

See 2021 Social & Sustainability Award Recipients

Click here for Marketing Awards Tips

2021 individual acceptance award videos

14 Tips Writing a Better EFC Marketing Award Entry

1. Give yourself enough time - start early
2. Read the questions carefully
3. Stay on point
4. Don't skip questions
5. Follow the instructions to the letter
6. Draft your responses offline
7. Tell a story
8. Get your staff and co-workers involved
9. Quantify results - "Show, don't tell", give facts and figures
10. Include the icing to set your submission apart
11. Read your submission aloud
12. Aim for perfection
13. Get your agency involved
14. Ask for clarification - contact Daniela Demarco @ ddemarco@electrofed.com