JudgmentDay.pdfThe MM&M Awards judging panel for 2010 is in place and poised to descend on the Hotel Warwick in New York City on July 12 for a hard day’s work, reviewing and scoring your submissions.
Assembling such an esteemed and relevant blend of industry knowledge, talent, leadership, experience and expertise in the same place at the same time is no mean feat. On the face of it, you might think that every single one of them probably has something “more important” to do — especially now, especially in this climate of doing more with less, of stretching budgets to the limit, of meeting head on the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry and its marketing allies.
But MM&M Awards judges are made of stern stuff. They know there is nothing more important on July 12 than helping to champion the best work in the industry, in recognizing the crucial role that healthcare communications plays in achieving favorable health outcomes by helping patients to live longer and to lead better lives.
And for healthcare marketers, there is no greater accolade than winning an MM&M Award. Every submission is judged, not by us, but by this independent panel of seasoned industry experts. It’s not enough for entries to just look good, either. They must also be effective. That’s why, as well as a strong team of creatives and agency leaders, we have also recruited numerous marketing executives from the client side. This way we can be sure we will recognize the most deserving work.
Who are they to judge?
This year we have our usual blend of seasoned judges and new recruits. On the client side, we welcome for the first time Thomas Treusdell, director of product marketing at Siemens; Jessica Wong, group manager, e-marketing at Genentech; Christine Coyne, product director at Endo Pharmaceuticals; and Marc Monseau, director, corporate media relations at Johnson & Johnson. And we greet a number of returning sophomore judges such as Merck’s Sumana Rajagopal, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Whit Rawlinson and Purdue’s Peter Justason, alongside perennial panelists like Pfizer’s Joe Shields and Forest’s Jennifer Rinaldo.
Numerous agency leaders and creative directors are again represented, while we also made a point to draw on some of the contemporary trailblazers in the digital and media fields, such as HealthiNation CEO Raj Amin and distinguished members of the twitterati, like Ignite Health’s Fabio Gratton, InTouch Solutions’ Wendy Blackburn and MCS Healthcare PR’s Sarah Morgan.
This year we have introduced more digital categories, with breakouts for branded and unbranded websites, patient CRM programs and social media. We are also accepting websites as integral parts of the “Corporate Marketing” and “Agency Self-Promotion” categories.
As usual, the identities of all the winners will be withheld until the spectacular gala dinner in the fall. Not even the judges will know who won until the ceremony. The suspense and elation of claiming gold in front of several hundred peers is second to none. Not to mention the celebration that follows. All you have to do is enter.
From the May 01, 2010 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
