IAA sets up India's first ever leadership awards

IAA states that the award intends to honour individuals in the fields of marketing, advertising and media, who have made enormous professional contributions and delivered business success to their companies.

The International Advertising Association's (IAA) India chapter has established the IAA Leadership awards, an annual event to honour individuals in the fields of marketing, advertising and media, who have made enormous professional contributions and delivered business success to their companies.

The first awards ceremony will be held in February, 2013 in Mumbai. Manish Tewari, minister of state for information and broadcasting, will be the chief guest.

IAA has roped in marketing research company A C Nielsen to execute the nomination and voting process, while Ernst & Young has been appointed to audit and validate the process.

According to IAA, the winners will be decided in a two-stage selection process; the first stage will include nominations and shortlisting by seasoned marketing, media and advertising professionals; and the second stage will be the final selection of winners by a voting process involving senior industry peers.

The IAA Leadership Awards intends to celebrate an individual's innovative thinking and performance excellence that lead to outstanding success of the product/brand. The award also indirectly seeks to acknowledge the fact that the disciplines of marketing, advertising and media have to come together for the brand's success, by simultaneously honouring all three functional disciplines.

Srinivasan Swamy, president, International Advertising Association, says, "The IAA Leadership Awards salutes the brilliance of top professionals whose contribution makes our industry what it is. These annual awards, over time, will be seen as the most coveted recognition an industry practitioner will receive for all his hard work and leadership qualities that brought about success to the product/brand."

The IAA expects more than 500 senior marketing, advertising and media professionals from all over the country to attend the function.

The IAA is currently associated with more than 4,000 individual members in about 70 countries.