Effie has recommended that individuals encourage members of their team and client partners to apply to be an Effie judge.

According to the awards, judging helps team members better understand the Effie experience from a judge's point of view — particularly what made the stronger entries stand out and what caused the weaker entries to score lower.

"Further to that, it's also a great opportunity to network with industry peers and gain valuable insights into the industry and the work that delivers on effectiveness," says the awards.

By the time an Effie entry has reached the winners' circle, it has survived at least two rounds of evaluation from a jury of senior industry executives, which is focused on identifying the industry's most effective work, according to the awards.

The judging procedure is conducted in two rounds to select the most effective cases of the year. In each round, a jury of senior industry professionals from a variety of marketing disciplines evaluate entries based on proof that commercial communication was key to the success of the campaign.

The Effie Awards South Africa will furthermore select one case to be judged the Grand Effie or overall winner. The winner of this award is either the top-scoring case or is selected by a panel of judges from the top tier of gold-winning cases.

The Grand Effie winner case not only demonstrates its capability to be effective but also displays a revolutionary breakthrough within the industry. The representatives that will adjudicate the first round differs from that of the second. 

Round one agency representative judges are typically senior / director level, while final round judges are drawn from the C-suite. On the client side, senior management are typically invited to adjudicate round one, while final round judges are the top-level marketing executives within the company.

Following round two, the Grand Effie winner will be judged by a grand jury of senior industry professionals also drawn from the C-suite.

The key dates for the 2021 Effie Awards South Africa judging process are as follows:
  • Judges induction: Thursday, 29 July 
  • Round 1: Thursday, 12 August
  • Round 2: Thursday, 2 September
  • Grand Effie judging: Monday, 11 October
Agency and client representatives interested in participating are invited to apply online via the Effie South Africa website.

Applications to participate in the jury open on Wednesday, 14 April and will close at midday on Friday, 4 June. 

For more information, visit www.effieawards.co.za. You can also follow the Effie Awards South Africa on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram