Yahoo! announces Big Idea Chair 2011 awards

With over 280 entries as against 183 last year, and three new award categories, the second year of Yahoo! Big Idea Chair aims to be bigger and better.

With the objective of recognising creative excellence in digital advertising, Yahoo! India is organising the second edition of the Big Idea Chair Awards. The Awards ceremony will be held on 19 October, 2011, in New Delhi.

Big Idea Chair is a global initiative by Yahoo!, which aims to not only recognise innovative work by the digital community, but also acknowledge the creative inputs and integrated strategies (digital solutions and innovations) that together help in achieving marketing excellence online.

The initiative rewards contributions by clients, agency strategists, media gurus and individuals who have creatively leveraged the digital advertising platform.

There are nine award categories as against six last year. These are: Best Use of Display Advertising, Best Online Video Advertising, Best Use of Social Media, Best Use of Technology, Digital 360 degree Award, Yahoo! Big Idea Chair Award, Best Use of Mobile Advertising, Best Use of Search, and Best Use of Regional Language.

The entries will be judged on creativity, interactivity and in the context of brand objectives, by a panel comprising 10 eminent jury members including seasoned marketers, senior professionals and veteran practitioners from the industry.

The panel members are Sameer Suneja, managing director, Perfetti van Melle, Bishwajeet Samal, head, marketing communication, Volkswagen India, L K Gupta, chief marketing officer, LG Electronics, Agnello Dias, chairman and co-founder, TapRoot India, Karthi Marshan, head, marketing, Kotak Mahindra Group, Alok Bharadwaj, senior vice-president, Canon India, Graham Kelly, executive creative director, Ogilvy One, Karl Gomes, co-founder, Agency Digi, Arun Tadanki, managing director, Yahoo! India, and Nitin Mathur, senior director marketing, Yahoo! India.

The winners of last year's Big Idea Chair Awards were: Bates141 and Mindshare for the Big Idea Chair, Creativeland Asia for Best Digital Brand Solution and Best Engagement Idea, Interface Business Solutions for Best Rich Media Ad, and Tribal DDB and Mindshare for Best Mobile Solution.

According to Tadanki, "Digital advertising offers huge scope for innovation and provides an opportunity for brand marketers to unleash cutting edge ideas. These awards will further encourage brands and agencies to paint the digital canvas with unbridled creativity and take digital advertising to the next level. We at Yahoo! are committed to grow the digital ecosystem with the help of our partners, to showcase the power of digital, and to help brands foster an online relationship with its consumers."