How To Win An Effie – Cristiana Belodan (11.22)

After last year’s successful series “How To Win An Effie“, we decided it’s time to continue it this year as well, bringing you even more info on how to prepare for the most famous international competition celebrating efficiency.

We started this process with Hortensia Nastase, Vice-President Creative Services MullenLowe Romania, and we continue it with Cristiana Belodan, Senior Consultant & Business Director 11.22| Consultancy & Creative Services, member of the Effie 2019’s Jury.

AdHugger.net: What are the most important to dos when being part of the Effie Jury?

Be curious. Ask questions, especially if it’s your first time in the Fine League of Effie jurors.

Be constructive. Build on the positive aspects of each case. Negativism is a slippery road and can blind you from judging in all fairness.

Be objective. Leave prejudices aside and judge what is written in the case, not what you may know from beer-talks with your industry fellows.

AdHugger.net: How has your professional experience and judging in other festivals’ experience helped you?

The Effie Awards, globally known for honoring marketing effectiveness, is one of the top notch experience one can have as a juror. It is a privilege to meet so many smart people under one roof. Such a rare opportunity to gain market knowledge on so different categories. And a live demo of what successful brand communication truly means.

It was, once again, a great learning experience. And quite a feast in terms of insightful debates and memorable cases

AdHugger.net: What are the main Dont’s?

Don’t be late. We are all loosing precious time if any one of us is late. In the Effie regulations training as well as in the judging process it is compulsory to have majority of participants. All in for the Effie, on time!

Don’t jump to hasty decisions. Question and re-analyze your own judgment until you reached the essence of each case.

Don’t be a hater and let other people talk. It will be a major personal loss for yourself, at the end of the day, to have listened only to your own opinions from a room full of smart industry professionals. You get more value out of cases if you use positive lenses to analyze all the content objectively. You get enriched by constructive debates.

AdHugger.net: How should one prepare for the judging days?

Come open minded but trust no one, like in Game of Thrones. Train your brain muscle to read between the lines. And put on your ”thinking hat” to live the Effie experience as a celebration moment of our industry, not as a marathon contest throughout the cases and the long judging days.

AdHugger.net: What piece of advice would you give to somebody judging for the first time at the Effies?

Enjoy Effie responsibly! The fact that you are part of a jury counting more than 100 senior industry executives is as a recognition of your value and expertise.

But it is also a personal commitment. And a mission that needs your full time energy and only your best judgment.

AdHugger.net: What would you say that are the main ingredients of winning an EFFIE trophy?

Facilitating the understanding of a case for someone who has 10 minutes to go through an X months period of development and another X months of time on air for a campaign he may see for the first time…well this is an art that requires clarity, less drama and more courage to present the context and the real need for that campaign to exist.

However, all of the above may mean little if you don’t have great results to do the talk in the name of your campaign.

AdHugger.net: How important is the way you write your study case?

Crucial! A well written case is like a bonus life in Minecraft, an extra chance for your Effie entry to reach the winner’s circle.

AdHugger.net: Have you seen good campaigns that failed to win due to a bad case study writing? Why?

I have seen more often the lack of solid results that fail to generate an efficient, award winning campaign. In this case, regardless of how well the case is written, you will never be able to make the stage with a beautiful story without ”happy end results” for the brand.