CELEBRATING INNOVATION AND IMPACT IN MARKETING TECHNOLOGY


The pace of innovation in marketing technology continues to reshape the way brands connect with consumers, optimise performance, and uphold responsibility in an increasingly complex digital landscape. 

Our Technology and Innovation categories spotlight the groundbreaking tools, platforms, and advancements driving this transformation - not just within isolated campaigns, but across the broader marketing ecosystem.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ENTERING YOUR TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION PROJECTS?



GAIN CREDIBILITY WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS

Being shortlisted or winning in these categories signals to clients, partners, and peers that your technology and company are the ones to choose.



SHOWCASE MEANINGFUL INNOVATION

If your innovation is transforming how marketing is planned, executed, or measured, this is your opportunity to spotlight it. Inspire progress and take part in the future of tech innovation.



REACH A NEW AUDIENCE

With winners and the shortlist being shared across PMW platforms, entering increased exposure, and helps gain new talent, customers and clients.


CATEGORIES AND CRITERIA


Ad Tech Innovation

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that has enhanced the quality and/or efficiency of automated media buying and selling in advertising. Eligible innovations may include advancements in programmatic advertising, real-time bidding (RTB), demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), identity resolution and ad exchanges.

The Data & Insights Award

This category recognises a tool, platforms, or innovation that has improved data collection, analytics, or measurement in advertising. Eligible innovations may include advancements in data management platforms (DMPs), data clean rooms, marketing mix modelling (MMM), customer data platforms (CDPs), conversion rate optimization (CRO), customer journey automation, personalization, chatbots, and analytics solutions.

The AI Innovation Award

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that uses predictive or generative AI to significantly enhance performance marketing, across any category or discipline.

The Retail Media Innovation Award

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that has improved the effectiveness of retail media in advertising. Eligible innovations may include retail media networks and measurement platforms,  in-store digital signage and interactive displays.

The Responsible Marketing Award

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that has improved the marketing industry from an ethical perspective, in terms of privacy, sustainability, compliance or brand safety.  Eligible innovations may include advancements in ad fraud prevention, first party data solutions, sustainability, brand safety, consent management platforms, regulation compliance, and identity resolution.


ELIGIBILITY

Entries should highlight work carried out between 1 June 2024 to 30 May 2025. Agencies and brands may submit entries on behalf of themselves or others and may enter any number of times. Please note that we have the right to publish your ‘executive summary’ piece in full should you be shortlisted. In the full submission, entrants may mark certain sensitive parts of their entry ‘not for publication’, provided such restrictions are not used unreasonably. 




ALL CATEGORIES


Sectors

New Consumer Product Launch

This category recognises new consumer product launches within the sector.


B2B

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective customer conversions and/or actions across the B2B marketing sector.  

Finance and Insurance

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective customer conversions and/or actions across the finance and insurance sector.  

Wellness, Healthcare and Beauty

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective customer conversions and/or actions across the wellness, healthcare and beauty sector.

Fashion

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective customer conversions and/or actions across the fashion sector.  

Food, Drink & Alcoholic Beverages

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective customer conversions and/or actions across the food, drink and alcoholic beverages sector.

Hospitality & Travel

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective  customer conversions and/or actions across the hospitality and travel sector.  

Automotive

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective  customer conversions and/or actions across the  automotive sector.

Charity

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective customer conversions and/or actions across the charity  sector.  

Retail

This category recognises campaigns that drive effective  customer conversions and/or actions across the retail sector.  

Strategy

E-Commerce

This category recognises a campaign that has met a brand  or client’s marketing objectives by delivering a successful retail, e-commerce or mobile commerce strategy.  

Growth Marketing

Influencer Marketing

This category celebrates the value and growing power of  influencer marketing in performance marketing.  

Integrated

This category recognises a campaign that has met a brand  or client’s objectives by delivering a marketing strategy  across multiple channels.  

Lead Generation

This category recognises a campaign that has met a brand  or client’s marketing objectives by delivering a successful  high-quality leads strategy.  

Email, Mobile and App Marketing

This category recognises a campaign that has met a client or brand’s marketing objectives by delivering an email, mobile or mobile app marketing strategy that has convincingly hit  measurements and/or app optimisation targets.  

Paid Search

This category recognises a campaign that has met a brand  or client’s marketing objectives by delivering a successful  bidding strategy.  

Paid Social

This category recognises a campaign that has met a brand  or client’s marketing objectives by delivering a successful  paid social media strategy.  

Partner and Affiliate Marketing

This category recognises a campaign that successfully  delivers new audiences, leads, revenue or brand  awareness.  

SEO

This category celebrates SEO best practice.  

Judges will look for entries that demonstrate an effective  and creative SEO strategy and implementation for long or  short term goals. Entries must clearly describe the SEO  objectives, approach, tactics and results for the company or  client.

Technology

Ad Tech Innovation

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that has enhanced the quality and/or efficiency of automated media buying and selling in advertising. Eligible innovations may include advancements in programmatic advertising, real-time bidding (RTB), demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), identity resolution and ad exchanges.

Please note: Entries may come from technology vendors, brands, or agencies and should focus on an innovation, tool, or platform with versatile applications rather than a specific campaign.

Data and Insights (Analytics)

This category recognises a tool, platforms, or innovation that has improved data collection, analytics, or measurement in advertising. Eligible innovations may include advancements in data management platforms (DMPs), data clean rooms, marketing mix modelling (MMM), customer data platforms (CDPs), conversion rate optimization (CRO), customer journey automation, personalization, chatbots, and analytics solutions.
Please note: Entries may come from technology vendors, brands, or agencies and should focus on an innovation, tool, or platform with versatile applications rather than a specific campaign.

AI Innovation

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that uses predictive or generative AI to significantly enhance performance marketing, across any category or discipline.
Please note: Entries may come from technology vendors, brands, or agencies and should focus on an innovation, tool, or platform with versatile applications rather than a specific campaign.

Retail Media Innovation

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that has improved the effectiveness of retail media in advertising. Eligible innovations may include retail media networks and measurement platforms,  in-store digital signage and interactive displays.
Please note: Entries may come from technology vendors, brands, or agencies and should focus on an innovation, tool, or platform with versatile applications rather than a specific campaign.

Responsible Marketing

This category recognises a tool, platform, or innovation that has improved the marketing industry from an ethical perspective, in terms of privacy, sustainability, compliance or brand safety.  Eligible innovations may include advancements in ad fraud prevention, first party data solutions, sustainability, brand safety, consent management platforms, regulation compliance, and identity resolution.
Please note: Entries may come from technology vendors, brands, or agencies and should focus on an innovation, tool, or platform with versatile applications rather than a specific campaign.

People, Agencies & Teams

PM Agency of the Year

This award celebrates the very best performance  marketing agency who has evidence of financial success,  client retention and acquisition, collective creativity and a  deep understanding of marketing technologies, business  and talent base and who has produced outstanding results  for their clients.  

Independent PM Agency of the Year

This award celebrates the very best independent performance marketing agency who has evidence of financial success, client retention and acquisition, collective creativity and a  deep understanding of marketing technologies, business  and talent base and who has produced outstanding results  for their clients.  

Team of the Year

This category will focus on a team in a business or  agency deploying fresh approaches to targeting relevant  audiences, customer conversion and retention.  

Teams will be judged on specific campaign performances  or a body of work. Entries should demonstrate conversions  achieved or customer actions delivered which have  had a measurable impact on their brand or customers’  businesses. Entries are welcome from brands, agencies or  tech providers.

Marketer of the Year

This award will celebrate the talented individuals that  are leading the charge and creating great performance  marketing campaigns, using smart technology and  techniques, that delight and engage customers and drive  effective conversions for measurable business growth.  

Entries are welcome from brands, agencies and tech partners.

GRAND PRIX

This award is chosen by the judges from all of the winning  campaigns, who in their opinion stands out above the rest. This category cannot be entered directly.

Global Categories

Best International Performance Marketing Campaign

This award will reward any work that involves performance marketing outside of the UK, including PPC, SEM, affiliate, e-commerce, paid social and app marketing.

International Marketer of the Year

This award will celebrate the talented individuals that are leading the charge and creating great performance  marketing campaigns, using smart technology and techniques, that delight and engage customers and drive  effective conversions for measurable business growth.  

International Agency of the Year

This award celebrates the very best performance  marketing agency with a presence across more than two countries who has evidence of financial success across  these markets, client retention and acquisition, collective  creativity and a deep understanding of marketing  technologies, business and talent base and who has  produced outstanding results for their clients.