About the ECHO™ Awards

Judging Procedures

Judging Process

The Direct Marketing Association International ECHO™ Awards represent the oldest and most prestigious honor in direct response marketing. Supported by the DMA, and governed by a Board of Governors of the ECHO™ Academy of Direct Marketing Arts & Sciences, the ECHO™ is the only international award where judges rigorously assess entries based on strategy, creative execution and results — recognizing the whole picture of a campaign's success.

This focus on balanced judging assessment, combined with top-notch judges and outstanding entries year in and out, has played a major role in the ECHO™ Awards representing so well the best that direct and digital marketing have to offer.

Only an ECHO™ number measures greatness in strategy, creative, and results. From your first "a-ha" down to the judges hunch, it all adds up to business impact that last far beyond any campaign run dates. The Formula is Simple:

30% strategy, 30% creative, 30% results + 10% Mojo — that extra something that takes a campaign from competent to special

Entry Categories

ECHO™ entries are judged by business category. There are fifteen separate categories representing business segments. Categorizing entries by business segment enables entries to be evaluated by judging panels who are experts and leaders in their peer groups in the relevant business. This leads to a more intelligent and insightful evaluation of entries. Click here for the list of Categories of Entry (Business Category Explanations).

How Work is Reviewed

All International ECHO™ Award winners go through three rounds of judging.

Round 1 is a screening round. Through a combination of individual reviews and collaborative discussion, judging panels determine which entries represent an effective balance of strategy, creative execution and results; and which move on to the next round.

In Round 2, all surviving entries are then scored numerically with regard to strategy, creative execution and results. After scores are totaled and re-checked, the top entries advance to the third and final round.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Winners are Chosen

In Round 3, the shortlisted entries are evaluated individually by a minimum of three judges, all of whom are senior-level, most experienced direct response marketers. As in Round 2, entries are scored numerically with regard to strategy, creative execution and results. An entry needs to reach a certain minimum score to quality for a Gold, Silver or Bronze ECHO™. Therefore, it is possible for some categories to have multiple winners at each level, while other categories might have a single Bronze winner, or no winners at all.

All scoring is done anonymously and confidentially.

ECHO™ Personal Connections Award Judging Process

Entries must be relationship marketing campaigns that strengthened personal connections over a period of two or more years. The winner will have married customer insights with direct marketing to create highly personal customer experiences. Relationship marketing programs must span a period of 2 or more years.

Criteria

Building more personal customer connections depends on using customer insights. In Strategy and Creative Execution, entrants will be judged on application of the following principles:

  • Talk to customers like you know them personally
  • Make every message personally relevant
  • Communicate with customers the way they personally prefer (web, text, email, mail, etc.)
  • Learn from every customer connection so the next contact builds on the personal relationship
  • The campaign's Results will show how they grew their business and built stronger customer relationships by using these principles of making more personal direct marketing connections.

Through a combination of individual reviews and collaborative discussion, judging panels determine which entries represent an effective balance of strategy, creative execution and results. Entries are scored numerically with regard to strategy, creative execution and results. An entry needs to reach a certain minimum score to quality for an ECHO™ Award.

Who are the ECHO™ Judges?

They're an elite group of senior-level professionals with years of response marketing experience as well as specific industry experience. All judged are real practioners — marketers, agencies, advertisers, or solution providers. Judges are required to submit an application, which is reviewed by the Judging Committee. The committee verifies qualifications and expertise. After they are verified as experts and leaders in their peer groups, they are assigned categories of their expertise.

Judges also may be nominated by the ECHO™ Board of Governors, ECHO™ Ambassadors, and fellow ECHO™ judges. The Judging Committee will then review and verify qualifications and expertise. ECHO™ judges are fair, impartial, and committed to keeping the ECHOs™ the most meaningful Response Marketing Award. They may not vote for any entry which they have a conflict of interest or any professional or personal affiliation. The Judging Committee monitors the work of each judge for fairness and accuracy. New judges are eligible to judge in round one only.

Screening, (round 1) and Semi-Final (round 2) judges have 3+ years of direct response-based marketing among minimum of 3 different types of media; Experience in all relevant direct marketing strategies including traffic, demand generation, conversation, conversion, retention/loyalty, advocacy, and enhancing customer value.

Final Round Judges have 15+ years of direct response-based marketing among minimum of 3 different types of media; Experience in all relevant direct marketing strategies including traffic, demand generation, conversation, conversion, retention/loyalty, advocacy, and enhancing customer value.

Being an ECHO™ judge isn't just an elite honor. It's also rewarding — and enjoyable.

Click here to see a list of the 2013 ECHO™ jury.

Judge Benefits

The ECHO™ Award is a yearly honor that recognizes and celebrates direct marketing excellence across multiple channels and industries.

As an ECHO™ Judge, you'll reap myriad benefits such as:

  • Notoriety — you'll be recognized as a leader in direct marketing.
  • Exposure — you'll be exposed to a wealth of creative and innovative marketing strategies and techniques that will keep you ahead of the pack.
  • Networking — you'll have opportunities to foster new relationships and alliances.
  • Discount Registration — as an ECHO™ Judge, you'll receive a discounted registration fee for the DMA 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois.

And the list goes on!

We look forward to your joining our team.

Judge Representation

Round 1 judging takes place in Denmark, Australia and New York City. Rounds 2 and 3 judging are in New York. Overall, participating judges came from cities across the United States, as well as from UK, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, France, Brazil, South Africa, Slovenia, India, Ireland, and Malaysia.

For more on the benefits of participating as an ECHO™ judge, experienced direct marketers should contact Jenny Abreu, CMP, MTA, DMA- Director of Awards & Recognition Programs at jabreu@the-dma.org or at 202.861.2496.

ECHO™ Judging and Rules Committee

Chair:

  • Angella Hubbert — Director of Print Production, Russ Reid

Members:

  • Jenny Abreu — Director of Award Programs & Recognition, Direct Marketing Association
  • Eamon Boyle — Managing Director, Data Intelligence, Havas Discovery
  • Carolyn Goodman — President, Creative Director, Goodman Marketing Partners, Inc.
  • Ethan Harlow — Client Support Services, OMNI Solutions Group, Inc.
  • JP LaFors — Chief Operating Officer, Free Agents Marketing
  • Matt Leonard — General Manager, Bergen Aesthetics
  • Lori Savage — Managing Editor, Deliver Magazine, United States Postal Service

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