Top 10 Tips to Win a Caples Award

Don’t wait to submit your entries for the 34th John Caples International Awards.
Entry deadline: September 26, 2011

To help you prepare, we’ve included a few tips.

Top 10 Tips to Win a Caples Award

10. Don’t display the name of your agency anywhere on the piece. (unless it’s the Agency self-promotion category).
In order to eliminate any prejudice or preconceived notions about any particular agency, the judges should have no clue as to the origination of the entry.

9. Make sure your entry is in the right category.
Seems obvious, sure. But if you’re unsure, just ask us.

8. Ensure you provide an English translation.
Though we have a panel of international judges, English is still the primary language. If you really want to increase your chances of winning, cut out the translations and attach them to your entry in their correlating copy positions.

7. You must have a call-to-action.
If the entry doesn’t clearly have a call-to-action and a specific offer, it should not be entered. A URL at the bottom of the page does not constitute a call-to-action. Please note this does not apply to retention/loyalty, non-mail.

6. State the target audience.
If your target was left-handed calligraphers from Tuscany, it probably has some bearing on your execution.

5. State your insights about the target and how it relates to your creative solution.
This sets up the case for evaluating just how innovative your solution really is.

4. Make your concept understandable.
This is probably one of the most important points on this list. Before you submit, have someone read it who knows nothing about the promotion. If they understand the reasoning behind the creative, so will the judges.

3. Be specific about the role and sequence of each communication for mulitimedia entries.
Let us know what messages were seen, when and by whom in order to achieve your marketing objective.

2. It’s all in the write-up.
The judges need the visuals to fully understand your entry. If you don’t have the actual pieces, send a photo board that accurately represents your entry.

1. Support materials are a must.
Spend time writing up the problem and presenting your creative solution. It’s about creative problem solving. Sell the concept to the judges the way you would to a client. Enlist the help of your partners in strategic planning and account service in crafting the entry write-up.

Once you’ve prepared, visit caples.org to submit your entries.

For more information, contact Eva Chan at +1 646-638-6059 or eva.chan@dmnews.com.