The Israel Marketing Association, the Association of Advertising Companies and the Israel Center for Management (MiL) announced the start of submission of works for the epic competition for 2023. As every year, the participating companies will be able to submit their effective marketing moves and their results in a framework that includes 21 different categories among them: food products, beverages , communication and media, finance, retail, automobile and transportation, media innovation, companies and digital products and more, alongside the platinum category – which examines long-term marketing achievements that are measured over time (continuous moves between 3-5 years).

Ilan Siegel, chairman of the epic competition and CEO of Pelephone and yes: "I am proud to serve for the first time as the chairman of the prestigious and important competition in the world of Israeli marketing. The field of marketing is becoming more and more challenging in today's changing technological, media and advertising reality. It requires creativity and boldness on the part of the marketing and advertising people who bring their abilities to the fore and have a dramatic impact on the organization and society. This year we promoted dramatic moves that will make it easier to participate in the competition. I invite everyone and call to take part in this year's epic and reveal the outstanding moves of 2022. Something good is happening in the epic competition."

Ilan Siegel, Chairman of the Happy Competition and CEO of Pelephone and yes (Photo: Rami Zarnagar)

The Epic Awards are awarded after a strict judging process based on international benchmarks. The judgment refers to the marketing strategy of the move, the creative execution and their impact on the business results. The jury includes senior marketing men and women, industry professionals and representatives of the academy.

This year, after receiving the conclusions of the special committee that was established for the purpose of improving the competition and after meetings with the senior executives of the economy and the CEOs of the advertising agencies, the competition management together with the chairman of the competition, Mr. Ilan Siegel, CEO of Pelephone and yes, decided on a number of dramatic changes:

1. The submission forms have been changed so that the submission is accessible, short and easy for the marketing and advertising men and women.

2. A 50% discount on the price of submitting a first job in phase A, with the exception of the platinum and non-profit categories.

3. In order to respond to the moves that took place on the seam line between the years 2022-2023, this year it is possible to submit moves that began at the end of 2022 and continued in 2023, until the end of March.

4. This year, too, the judging will be held in two rounds, one in Zoom and the other face-to-face. A chairman will be appointed to each discussion room who will make sure that the discussion is professional. Only after a thorough discussion of each paper will the judges award the scores of the papers.

5. Moves to glorify the advertising companies and their marketing VPs in the media.

6. Changing the format of the winner announcement ceremony.

The process of submitting nominations will end on August 1st, when immediately after that the judging process will begin, consisting as mentioned of two rounds:

In the first round, the works will be examined by a team of over 60 judges, senior marketing men and women, industry professionals and representatives of the Academy, who will score the works according to criteria established by the management of the international competition. In the second round, which will take place in the month of October, the frontal judging stage will be held where the judges will meet and discuss the finalist works. As every year, a special judging team consisting of top CEOs in the economy will rate the moves that made it to the finals in the prestigious Effie Platinum – Sustained Success category. The ceremony to announce the winners of the Effie competition will take place in November 2023.

The Effie Awards is an international competition, held in more than 50 countries, including Israel. The purpose of the competition is to promote and strengthen successful and effective marketing moves and to honor the companies and brands that led these moves. Over the years, the competition has become significant and prestigious among all those involved in marketing and in the marketing and advertising industry in Israel.