Best Websites for Advertising to be Named by Web Marketing Association

Boston, MA, November 09, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Web Marketing Association judges will select the best websites used as advertising in 86 industries as part of their 14th annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. Companies or agencies wishing to nominate their work for consideration may do so at www.IACAward.org before the deadline of January 29, 2016.

“Websites are an effective advertising tool to build brand awareness and engage consumers on a global scale,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to show the world your expertise you ability to develop a website as an advertising vehicle. It’s also a great marketing opportunity for the winners to promote their work to senior management, customers and prospects.”

The IAC Awards were developed to evaluate and recognize innovation and excellence in online advertising which includes a category for Websites. The Web Marketing Association’s WebAward Competition for Website Development will focus on the entire Web site, with particular emphasis on the creativity and functionality of the overall interactive experience. Websites entered into the Website category of the IAC Awards will be judged based on their advertising merit. A site can be entered in both the IAC Awards and the WebAward Competition.

The 2016 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are open to all organizations and individuals (advertising and interactive agencies, corporate marketing departments, etc.) involved in the process of developing Internet advertising. Entries may be submitted online at http://www.iacaward.org. The deadline for entry is January 29, 2016 and will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.

In addition to Websites, awards will be presented within each of the industry categories and advertising formats such as:

Social Media
Mobile Apps and websites
Online ads (including banner, pop-up or interstitial)
Rich media ads
Email message campaign
Online newsletter campaign
Online applications
Integrated ad campaign
Online Video

“We believe that winning an industry specific award is more valuable to the participant. It allows the participants to be judges against their peers, just like in the marketplace,” said Rice.

The 2015 Best of Show for Websites was given to SapientNitro for their work on The Blight Authority: Changing Blight to Bright.

Other past Best of Show winners in the Website category include:
2014 Human. for Hudson Yards New York
2013 McCann Digital for Donate with Style
2012 Saatchi & Saatchi LA for The Camry Effect
2011 Rockfish for America's Health Rankings
2010 Biggs|Gilmore for FrootLoops.com
2009 Verizon, NFL Network, Communifx for Verizon and NFL Network Online Demo

Interactive agencies that win multiple awards will also be in the running for Top Agency Award. In a change from prior years, each entrant will be awarded points based on the level of award for each award received. A Best of Show will be worth 5 points, Best of Industry 3 points and each Outstanding award 1 point. The agency with the most points will be awarded the Top Agency Award.

In an effort to recognize those organizations that demonstrate exceptional development skills across multiple entries, agencies that win more the 6 awards will also be recognized with an Outstanding Advertising Developer award from the Web Marketing Association. In 2015, nine agencies won this honor.

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2016, and winners will be notified by e-mail in March, 2016. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as Arc Worldwide, BGT Partners, Brunner Digital, Campbell-Ewald, CNN News Group, Deep Interactive Asia, Digitas, EuroRSCG 4D, Google, IBM Interactive, imc2, JWT, LeapFrog Interactive, Mass Transmit, McCann Worldgroup, Razorfish, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Tectis GmbH, TMP Worldwide, Universal McCann Interactive and Wunderman / Y&R.

The 2016 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by Small Army Creative Services, PR.com, VerticalResponse, EContent Magazine, ad:tech conferences, Clickz Live, Webmaster Radio and Website Magazine.

A complete list of past winners can be found at the IAC Award Website.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is an organization working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, Internet marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to Web sites. The Web Marketing Association’s annual award programs, the WebAward Competition, MobileWebAwards and the Internet Advertising Competition Awards, have been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world since 1997.