PM Soc’s Digital Media Awards to highlight pioneering work
pharmafile | July 7, 2009 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â digi, pm societyÂ
UK pharma companies and agencies are being invited to submit entries to the industry's first-ever digital media awards, which aim to recognise marketing excellence in emerging technologies.
The PM Society Digital Media Awards are to be held in October, and will award excellence across 13 separate categories.
Entries are invited from in-house pharma teams as well as digital media and technology specialists, and advertising, PR and med ed agencies.
The 13 awards will recognise outstanding digital work for its clinical benefit, education, promotion or use of technology.
There is also a special award to honour a digital media pioneer – an opportunity to nominate an individual that has led the way in digital media in 2008/9.
The winners will be announced at a black tie awards ceremony in London on the evening of 1 October.
The Digital Media Awards is a new event for the PM Society, which already hosts the sector's Advertising Awards. The event acknowledges pharma's increasing engagement with new media forms, which has recently seen the industry explore online video channels and social media initiatives.
International examples include Sanofi-Aventis' online TV channel and Boehringer Ingelheim's use of micro-blogging site Twitter, but UK-specific examples remain relatively few and far between, and less celebrated.
Rachel Farrow, PM Society joint vice chair and responsible for organising the new awards, said the awards will demonstrate how far-reaching the digital world now is within pharmaceutical marketing.
"It is one of the key channels for message delivery, networking, education and promotion, and works alone as well as within more traditional campaigns," she said.
Categories
The award categories include online education and CME, emerging technologies, e-detailing, patient support programmes and e-learning.
Web solutions, social media, mobile technologies, webcasts and software solutions will all be eligible for entry.
Some are quite specific, such as the best rep-led digital selling tool, which may be tablet e-details or other laptop presentations.
More general awards include one for best corporate or product website, but not everything has to be online to qualify.
There is an award for the campaign which best incorporates digital elements into a more traditional programme. And there is also an award for the best offline project aimed at doctors, nurses and pharmacists, which could include CD-ROMs, exhibition kiosks or DVDs.
"What has surprised us has been the number of agencies interested in participating that have not traditionally been known for their digital work," said Farrow.
In-house pharma communications teams and third party agencies will be able to enter the awards, which will be judged by industry experts. To review the full list of categories, eligibility criteria, the judging process, visit: www.digitalawards.pmsociety.org.uk
Once registered, candidates will be able to enter work online from 10 July. The closing date for entries is 14 August 2009.
Related stories:
PM Society launches Digital Media Awards
June 09, 2009
Sanofi launches web TV channel
May 22, 2009
Frustration over pharma's digital marketing impasse
April 09, 2009
Sanofi-Aventis joins YouTube revolution
February 18, 2009
Boehringer Ingelheim takes the lead on Twitter
Comms manager John Pugh talks about his company's foray into social networking
April 09, 2009
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