By Jennifer Small
For the fourth iteration of Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year Awards, the leader of the judges will be Betsey Chung, a global veteran chief marketing officer, who has held a range of senior marketing and finance roles with global brands including TD Bank Group, BMO, Aviva, and American Express.
What differentiates Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year, says Chung, is that the awards “span the art and science of marketing,” and recognise large and small, from global networks to individual shops across so many key categories – including individual, team and even client awards.
This is a key reason, says Chung, why she has opted to go from being a judge for last year’s awards to chair judge for the 2023 awards. Having qualified as a chartered accountant, Chung began her career as an auditor and tax advisor at KPMG, before moving on to becoming an executive strategy consultant and develop marketing and e-commerce strategies for KPMG clients in the UK and Europe, including Credit Suisse, British Telecom Wireless and Norwich Union.
“I’ve always operated in the intersection between marketing, digital and finance; and what I’ve learned is that during volatile times, storytelling is more important than ever. Storytelling is a source of inspiration, and purpose-driven work that can move people is something that many of us in the marketing industry strive for,” says Chung.
It makes sound commercial sense for agencies to enter, explains Chung, because clients pay attention to agencies who submit, while the judging panel is made up of CMOs from top brands worldwide.
Chung believes that “Campaign’s reputable, objective voice in the industry, which brings accreditation and recognition from a credible third party, is valuable for agencies and networks, especially during unpredictable economic times, where clients and agencies alike are looking for a sustainable, long-term relationships,” she says.
By entering Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year Awards, Chung believes agencies stand to gain more than just an award – it’s about recognition from the wider industry and in markets across the world.
“It’s not often that you get a global panel of CMOs together from the best brands in the world – from Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Europe, Latin and North America, so that is a real differentiator of this awards – getting your work in front of this calibre of judging panel.”
Indeed, marrying creativity and business performance is central to the criteria for these coveted 30 prizes, which include: Brand Experience Agency, Consultancy, Customer Engagement Agency, Digital Innovation Agency, In-House Agency, Media Agency, Performance Agency, and PR Agency. Categories for individuals include the opportunity to be named Campaign’s Global Creative Leader of the Year and recognition for internal diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Inspired by the entries
Being a global chief marketer, and having worked around the world, Chung says she found her experience on last year’s judging panel “very inspiring,” explaining that she “gained a deeper appreciation for cultural nuances” through judging the submissions from across Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Europe, Latin and North America.
“So many of the entries were outstanding, with teams that very clearly knew how to communicate their position and success. That level of communication is so important. The quality of the work across the world was so interesting and inspiring. And, of course, in many cases the agencies submitting do not have English as a first language, which makes it even more admirable to see the high quality of the entries.”
A key factor in Chung’s decision to become chair judge for the awards was the addition of the live ceremony in London, which she sees as “an opportunity to connect in person, just a few days before the Cannes Lions Festival. It’s so convenient for folks to do a stopover in London on the way to Cannes,” she says.
Chung is keen to see submissions from many parts of the world that may have been underrepresented in the previous year, she says: “While we have judges from North America, I didn’t see a lot of submissions from North American networks or agencies last year, so it would be great to see more from this region.”
Chung is also hoping to build a community across the judging panel and the networks and agencies that submit. “I’d like to sustain this amazing brain-trust of great people across the world in this industry,” she says.
Inaugural live awards ceremony for Campaign Global Agency of the Year
For the 2023 awards, winners will be revealed at the awards’ first live ceremony at London’s Carlton Tower Jumeirah on 13 June, ideal timing for a pre-Cannes Lions Festival warm-up en route to the sunny Promenade de la Croisette.
The black-tie event will bring together judges and the world’s top agencies, with a sparkling drinks reception followed by a three-course dinner, before the unveiling of the 2023 winners, with time to network and celebrate.
Entries are now open. Find out more at the Agency of the Year Global Awards website.
See the full list of last year’s winners here: Campaign Global Agency of the Year Awards.
