New planning awards key to boosting sector profile

by Steve Barrett Media Week 16-Jan-07

Last week I talked about the need to promote commercial media as an attractive career for graduates to move into and the benefits for everyone of raising the profile of our sector.

One of the next links in that chain is rewarding best practice and identifying work at the cutting edge of media buying and planning.

This function is performed very well by the annual funfest that is the Media Week Awards (taking place on Thursday, 25 October this year). But vital though this event is as a focal point for the industry and a chance to celebrate excellence and get together as a community, by definition it tends to reward those in the higher echelons of the sector.

This was why Media Week teamed up with GCap, IPC, Clear Channel and AOL to instigate a set of planning awards that recognise the work carried out in the media planning engine rooms across radio, magazines, outdoor and digital - often by young staff on the first rung of the career ladder.

These awards recognise the individual planners and buyers rather than agency heads.

GCap has supported the Radio Planning Awards since 2003 and this year is the fifth in the series. Agencies have until 30 March to get entries in at www.gcapawards.com.

This is the first year of the Outdoor Planning Awards and Clear Channel is offering the chance to win £1,000 prizes in each of four categories: multimedia, multiple formats, continuity and innovation, plus trips for two to New York for the overall winning planner and £30,000 of outdoor advertising space on offer for the overall winning client. Find out more at www.clearchannel.co.uk/planningawards - the entry deadline of 31 January is fast approaching.

IPC has partnered with Media Week for another new set of awards. The deadline for entries to the Magazine Planning Awards is 1 February and potential entrants can find out more at www.ipcadvertising.com/planningawards. The third iteration of the Digital Planning Awards, in association with AOL, kicks off later this year.

All four sets of awards represent another important part in the process of establishing and reinforcing the credibility of commercial media as a profession: I urge you all to consider entering your best work.

- Steve Barrett is editor of Media Week, steve.barrett@haymarket.com.