Warc launches 2016 prize for Social Strategy focussing on marketing that is ‘social by design’

Warc, the marketing intelligence service, has launched the Warc Prize for Social Strategy 2016, a global competition to find the best examples of social ideas that drive business results.

The Prize, now in its third year, looks for examples of social media marketing with a measurable business impact. It is free to enter, and open to clients and agencies in any discipline.

Warc is offering a Prize fund of US$10,000. There will be a $5,000 Grand Prix for the world’s best social strategy case study, plus five $1,000 Special Awards (see below). There will also be Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for the highest-scoring cases.

The competition asks entrants to show why their strategy is ‘social by design’. “We’ve updated the Prize to reflect the fast-changing landscape of social media,” said David Tiltman, Head of Content at Warc. “We are still looking for the best ideas that drive ‘earned media’ – but at the same time we want to recognise other uses of social media: social-driven content programmes, for example, or social strategies that focus on key moments in a consumer’s path to purchase.”

The 2015 competition received more than 80 entries from around the world, with the $5,000 Grand Prix won by a case study from Campbell Ewald on behalf of the US Navy. The ‘Project Architeuthis’ initiative recruited cryptologists via an alternate-reality puzzle-solving game on social media, and saw the Navy beat its recruitment targets.

“Prize entries represent the best in social marketing from around the world,” continued Tiltman. “In both previous years the winners have come from all over the world, underlining the global impact of social media on marketing communications.”

Further details on the Prize, including the entry kit and tips on writing a great strategy case study, can be found on the Prize website.

The five $1,000 Special Awards on offer are:

. The Social Content Award for strategic use of socially-driven content.

. The Customer Journey Award for social strategy built around understanding of the path-to-purchase.

. The Long-Term Idea Award for social strategy that has delivered sustained success for a brand.

. The Analytics Award for use of data to demonstrate effectiveness.

. The Low Budget Award for social strategy built on a budget of under £500,000.

The deadline for entries is 14 April 2015, and the winner will be announced in the summer.

Warc runs three other successful case study competitions. The Warc Prize for Innovation is a global competition that rewards examples of innovative thinking in communications. The Warc Prize for Connection Strategy looks for new thinking in channel planning. The Warc Prize for Asian Strategy recognises great strategic thinking in Asian marketing.