How to enter

Application start: 5 April 2023

Early Deadline: 26 May 2023

Late Deadline: 06 June 2023

Final Deadline: 16 June 2023

 

Create an account on our application platform and show us what you got!
This is your chance to compete with other creatives and communication sepcialists in 40 categories.

 

If you need any support creating an account or finding the right categories, feel free to get in touch via team@digital-awards.eu.
For more general information you can also check out our FAQs.

What are the Digital Communication Awards?

Digital communication has become one of the fastest growing sectors. The Quadriga University of Applied Sciences launched the Digital Communication Awards in 2011 as a competition in online communications on both a practical and academic level. An expert jury formed by leading practitioners and academics rate outstanding online projects and campaigns.

What is the application process like? How are the winners selected?

Applications to the DCA are handed in online via the DCA intranet.
After the final application deadline, the jury reviews all submissions online and determines a shortlist of three to five nominees in each category. The shortlisted nominees will then present their projects to the jury during the digital jury meeting in early September. The winners will be announced at the end of September.

Who can apply?

The following are eligible to enter the Digital Communication Awards:

Agencies and companies, associations and NGOs, political parties, institutions and individuals in the field of online communication.

How do I apply?

You can apply online by creating an account on our intranet.

1. Application
For each application, information about the organisation and agency (if applicable) is requested. Submissions will exclusively be digital.

2. General information about the project or campaign

Each submitted entry should contain the following information:

Summary of the project at a maximum length of 400 characters (including spaces) – please note: This summary will be published when being shortlisted.
Time frame of the project
Budget (not a mandatory field, but an important information for the jury – please note: information will not be published)
Number of employees who worked on the project

3. Project Description
A short description of max. 2500 characters (including spaces) must be provided including the following:

Initial situation leading to the project or campaign
Objectives of the project
Strategic considerations
Details of the implementation
Summary and measurement of results achieved
A cover picture representing your project or campaign (maximum 1 MB)

4. Additional Material and Links
Accompanying materials are limited to three documents. Therefore, additional illustrative material should be carefully selected. Examples of possible illustrative documents are planning documents, press releases, images, PowerPoint presentations (no more than 10 slides) and movies. One document equates to one file. In addition, you can specify up to three links to websites, social media platforms, intranet sites, or online videos.

When are the deadlines and what do they mean for the application costs?

The deadlines are the following:

Early Deadline: 26 May 2023

Late Deadline: 06 June 2023

Final Deadline: 16 June 2023

A surcharge of 140 Euro (late deadline) and 190 Euro (final deadline) applies for every project entered.

What language should be used when submitting the applications?

Applications need to be filled out in English. Supporting material can be in original language. It is important for all our jury members to fully understand the projects or campaigns. We recommend to hand in videos in English language or with English subtitles – but again: this isn’t a requirement.

What criteria will be considered by the jury in the selection process?

The jury will evaluate the applications on the following criteria:

Strategy: In assessing the strategic approach, the jury will consider: how the challenges faced by the applicant were answered by research and/or measurement; the quality and variety of tools and tactics chosen to implement the strategy, considering the target audience identified; and, if applicable, the link between the campaign/project and the overall corporate strategy.

Innovation/Creativity: The jury will assess the degree to which the campaign/project is innovative in comparison to comparable industries/regions and directly responds to the identified strategic challenges and strategy. The degree to which latest models in PR & Communications work is reflected in the planning and implementation stages will also be assessed.

Implementation: The jury will evaluate consistency and appropriateness of tactics, tools and channels used for the strategy and target audience of the campaign/project, and will look for a clear identification of milestones and KPIs, as well as a clear link between allocated resources and implementation.

Results & Effectiveness: The jury will look at results and effectiveness form multiple angles. The jury will undertake an overall evaluation considering stated objectives and KPIs (share, share of voice, behavioural change), as well as the degree to which the campaign/project solved the problem set by the strategy. It will also compare allocation of budget and resources with the results, and look for a clear progression along the campaign’s funnel (from awareness to advocacy/behavioural change).