Heart for awards

Anyway: four shortlists for three clients in 2023 and the first national recognition - we just won a Best Of Activation (BOA) award for BelOrta - prove that those doubts were unfounded. We are actively working on it, even more than in previous years. And why this shift? Well, new brooms sweep clean. The glimmer in the slightly teary eyes of the team when we heard that we actually won this time (last year, we only made it to the shortlists) reassures me that we are more on track than ever. Both in vision and approach.

An award means recognition. Proof of quality. Depending on the competition in which you are candidating, it can be creativity, effectiveness, cleverness or innovativeness. It is an appreciation for the agency, the client, the idea or the campaign. But also - and most importantly - for our people. Awards not only stroke the egos of creatives and creative directors, but those of the entire team. And rightly so. Cartel Agency is a brand. Cartel Agency is an agency. Moreover, Cartel Agency is a group of young (as well as some older) talent that goes all-in for clients every day.

To squeeze everything out every day takes passion . And in that, every shortlist or award, no matter what color or size, plays a role. It's an extrinsic motivator that enhances intrinsic motivation - that's what we recruit for. According to studies, this creates greater concentration, more flexibility in the exploration of cognitive paths (read: creativity), a greater sense of self-competence and pride. And last but not least: for more pleasure in performing our work.

Submitting a case is like exposing yourself a little. Industry peers and advertisers who don’t know you personally judge your work—sometimes objectively, just as often subjectively. That’s simply the nature of what we do. Gut feel is something our work often aims for. And getting rejected on that front? We’ll admit, it stings. But it’s not about us—it’s about the work. It’s nothing personal; it’s business. Our work has to be original. It has to engage and evoke emotions (gut feel, remember?). It needs to influence behavior. Our creativity (and therefore our work) must solve problems or sell products and services. That’s the challenge our clients present to us. If we succeed, our client is happy. And if that’s the case, the jury can’t help but see it too.

Creativity is the gamechanger for winning an award or not. Creativity creates effectiveness. Just look at the list of Effie or Eurobest winners. There is a correlation between winning in competitions that judge creativity and winning awards that crown effectiveness. And it's not because it's creative profiles that judge effective campaigns (be sure to read James Hurman's book The Case for Creativity if you want to learn more about this).

Creative campaigns are impactful in the short term and even more impactful in the long term. Do the math on that ROI. Data analysis from Kantar and Warc, based on 450 cases, shows that creative work is 4 times more profitable. In fact, work that sticks and resonates in the heart or head (or wherever) continues to drive demand, brand love and behavior change.

So yes, we are fully committed to creativity in our work. It is and will remain the core of our work. Also in 2024, we will go for shortlists and awards. That will make my colleagues happier and therefore, according to science, more efficient. But, potential award winning material - as I call it in growth conversations with my team - is especially good for our customers. That's called winning twice. So we may invest more time in that.

The promise I do make (and I don't just do that internally) is that we will continue to do this our way. No client work will be favored because it would be good for our own fame or success. At Cartel Agency, achieving the best results for clients will always be paramount. Our creativity that tangibly and transparently leads to the well-known Cartel Agency effectiveness will win over juries.

To conclude, this warm call. As plans for 2024 are forged: provide room for creativity. Convince your CEOs and CFOs of the importance of branding. Dare! Do this even in an uncertain economic context. Do this even more. Make a business case. Provide a measurement plan. Share data and insights with your partners. Work together with your agency. Together to better work. Together toward more ROI. And together toward more awards. Hopefully we'll see each other on some stage.