PreParing your entry – entry form: mobilenewsawards.co.uk

Judging Process

IntroDUCtIonan entry should start with a basic overview of what you are submitting and introduce the judges to your organisation/product/service. assume that the judges actually know little, or next to nothing, about your product, service or company. this overview should be on a single a4 sheet and no more than about 500 words.

A4 BoXeD fILethe main part of your entry will comprise of your supporting documentation. this will contain all the detail, samples, and presentation about your product and organisation. it can include annual reports, ring binders, photographs, flip charts, and customer testimonials. you can submit as much material that fits into a single a4 box file for each category you are entering.

KeeP It SImPLedont spend a fortune on an exotic container. We have been sent entries in lavish lacquered cabinets

and customised aluminium flight cases. Which was a pity, as the entry was simply repacked into a box file. the judges are not impressed by the glitz. don’t worry if you haven’t got a huge production budget for your entry. you won’t need it.

CrIterIAif we could offer you one piece of advice (which we can) it is to ‘stick to tHe criteria’. Many grand entries are actually unsuccessful because they failed to answer the criteria requested.

referenCeSthird-party endorsements from customers and partners are a vital part of the entry. We recommend you include as many customer/partner testimonials and audited and verified kPi’s as you can. anything marked “confidential” will only be seen by the judges. We won’t use the data in any awards promotional material.

InCLUDe A SImdevices submitted for an award should be fully

charged and have a live siM where appropriate (eg phones, tablets, mi-fi’s). it’s hard to judge a lump of inert plastic. We promise we won’t use the siM to call india.

AnD ... ACtIon!Videos are welcome, especially to demonstrate something that requires visual cues such as an ad campaign. you don’t need to match a James cameron movie. a 45-second youtube video is more effective than a 10-minute factory/call

centre tour with dissolves, montages, and cutaways Judges regard expensive productions as an attempt to paper over the cracks in a story. keep it simple. you’re not shooting “gravity ii”.

one entry for ALLWe only require one physical entry. Please don’t supply multiple copies of entries or many box files. Judges only need to see one submission. entries superfluous to our needs will be discarded.

15-mInUte rULeJudging takes place over two seven-hour days. there is usually around 100 entries to process. so there is a limited amount of time to process the information in each entry. an entry will be examined by every judge in the category group and discussed between them. as a rough guide, we recommend your entry doesn’t take longer than 15 minutes to read and understand.

InDePenDentJudges are all mobile industry professionals who have no current commercial relationship with Mobile news. they have no interest in who our sponsors and advertisers are. We appoint a new set of judges every year. so if your entry didn’t win last year we can assure you a new set of eyes and ears will be appraising it in 2014. We’ve had more than 200 judges since the Mobile news awards started in

1995. to date no-one has ever managed to get a single judge to say the results were ‘fixed’.

KeePInG SCoreJudges award marks to their first, second, third and fourth choices in each category. four points are allocated for each first place. three points for second place. two points for third place. one point for fourth place. the entry which receives the highest number

of points is deemed to be the winner. if there is a tie, a count-back system works out which entry received the most first place votes.

tWo-DAy ProCeSSJudging is over two days in a central london venue. a different judging panel is appointed for each day and categories are apportioned to judges with specialist expertise in their particular area.

“Having previously entered I can now appreciate the professionalism and hard work that goes into making these awards so special”.Charlo Carabott

“It was fascinating to be involved in the judging process which was completely fair with all entries looked at in depth by the judging panel”.roy Abbott

“The small companies stood out as having understood the criteria”tim Stone

“A tougher day than I had expected. The scope and quality was huge”mark rogers

“I urge all companies, large and small to enter. If you can send a clear presentation and focus your answers against the criteria you stand a very good chance”ed elliot-Square

“The process was fair and considered. I would encourage more companies to enter each year”tanny Jeffrey

“There were many excellent entries and a couple of ones from companies I expected more from.”Ian Kilpatrick

“A real mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly. I would encourage more companies to enter as you just never know”.Duncan edward

“The team at Mobile News maintained an impartial view getting the judges steer discussions on each nomination.Adam Cathcart

2013 Judges’ Comments

www.mobilenewsawards.co.uk – tel: 0207 278 0795

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