Categories

The Marketer of the Year steering group strive to make entry and judging as transparent and simple as possible for each of the categories in this competition. This year they have worked to expand on the guidelines and release judging criteria prior to the judging day – in order to give agencies more of an insight into the entry, finals day and judging process. Each category now has a defined set of guidelines and judging criteria.

For ALL categories:

  • Simple entry process – no complex preparation needed – just turn up for the live finals day with your creative and analytical brains switched on!
  • Read the entry guidelines and judging criteria for your category so you know what the judges are looking for
  • Do your best on the day then come along to the awards ceremony to see the results announced alongside the Communications and Sales awards.

Aspiring Marketer

Someone who is not currently in a marketing role but wishes to make that move into marketing in the future.

Aspiring Marketer – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

New Marketer of the Year (0-3 years)

For marketers with up to 3 years’ experience. This category will test your understanding of the basic requirements of the marketing planning process as well its implementation. A clear understanding of the tactical and operational processes will form part of how you will be judged on the day.

New Marketer of the Year (0-3 years) – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Marketer of the Year (4 years plus)

You should have more than 4 years’ experience within a marketing function. You will have strategic responsibility as well as having a thorough knowledge of the operational and tactical elements of the role. You will be able to demonstrate excellent marketing competencies and be able to steer your product strategy in the future.

Marketer of the Year (4 years plus) – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Market Access Lead of the Year

To enter this category you will need to demonstrate a good understanding of best practice in market access across one or more  of the following areas and be able to link the requirements at global level:

  • Identify and create a value proposition
  • Demonstrate value via marketing and communications
  • Pricing and Access Strategy

To be able to deliver the required commercial outcome you will be bringing together all of the above.

Market Access Lead of the Year – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Omnichannel/Digital Marketer of the Year

This category will test your omnichannel/digital marketing experience & allow you to demonstrate your skill in the core domain of omnichannel orchestration – “Developing and executing omnichannel strategy and tactical execution”. Excellence in this category will require an understanding of communicating impactful content through the optimal channel and frequency based on stakeholder preference aligned to brand strategy.

Omnichannel/Digital Marketer of the Year – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

If you have any questions about the categories above, please email: Luci.Sargood@pharmatimes.com and she will arrange a time to talk you through the process in more detail.

Don’t forget you can enter a single category, giving you the chance to put yourself at the very top of your game in pharmaceutical marketing excellence.

We look forward to receiving your entries and nominations soon.

Omnichannel/Digital Marketer of the Year

Entry Guidelines and Judging Criteria

OVERVIEW:
This category will test your omnichannel/digital marketing experience & allow you to demonstrate your skill in the core domain of omnichannel orchestration – “Developing and executing omnichannel strategy and tactical execution”. Excellence in this category will require an understanding of communicating impactful content through the optimal channel and frequency based on stakeholder preference aligned to brand strategy. Entrants will be judged on three component:

  1. Their ability to shape a strong omnichannel strategy & utilise appropriate channel communication to the environment
  2. Their ability to leverage a tactical plan which will execute that brand strategy, and apply measures to maintain course
  3. Their capability to tell a strong and coherent story in their final presentation.

SUITABILITY:
For experienced marketers, omnichannel/digital leads (Typically over 2-3 years’ experience)
Omnichannel engagement manager/lead, Content and strategy manager/lead, Multichannel marketing manager, Customer Experience manager/lead Brand Manager, Senior Brand Manager, Brand Lead & Marketing Manager

FORMAT:

  • Finalists will be invited to take part in a category-specific case-study challenge developed by an independent expert panel.
  • Finalists will be presented with the challenge on arrival at the finals day – and given a set period of time for preparation (usually 1-1.5 hours) – before delivering their response to a judging panel of senior omnichannel, marketing and industry leaders.

JUDGING CRITERIA:
Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the following points for this category:

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Finalists should demonstrate an understanding of the case study and the challenges faced
  • Understanding of omnichannel integrated campaigns and process
    Demonstrate a robust omnichannel integrated campaign process whilst presenting your outputs to the panel
  • Planning
    Deliver a robust strategy & cross functional omnichannel plan, with clear objectives, timings, and measures
  • Draw appropriate conclusions
    Effectively draw conclusions from a balance of fact and reasonable assumptions
  • Customers and Personas
    Identify target customers and present a rationale for targeting this/these segment/s and personas
  • Consent
    Demonstrate your ability to gain consent and or use paid for channels to communicate to stakeholders
  • Performance management

Clearly demonstrate how you will measure success using appropriate data sets, how you will ensure campaigns are implemented on time and how you will ensure continuous optimisation

  • Financial
    Consider the financial implications for your recommendations and
  • Vision
    Provide a long-term vision of how to manage the issues raised in the case study

Market Access Lead of the Year

Entry Guidelines and Judging Criteria

OVERVIEW:
This category will test your understanding of the basic requirements of the role as a Local or Regional Market Access Lead. A clear understanding of the local and regional market access environment and how you can positively influence prescribing behaviour through influencing key NHS stakeholders and processes will be judged and assessed on the day.

SUITABILITY:
For any local or regional Market Access Leads or highly experienced & performing Key Account Managers aspiring to this position.

FORMAT:

  • Finalists will be invited to take part in category-specific case-study challenges developed by an independent expert panel as well as NHS knowledge tests.
  • Finalists will presented with the challenge on arrival at the finals day – and given a set period of time for preparation (usually 1 hour) – before delivering their response to a judging panel of senior marketing and industry leaders.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the following points for this category:

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Finalists should demonstrate an understanding of the case study and the challenges faced
  • Understanding of the local and regional NHS and market access processes
    Evidence a wide and varied understanding of the changing NHS environment and key NHS market access processes and how to positively influence them
  • Strategic Account Planning
    Demonstrate your ability to successfully account plan to deliver the objectives and benefits for your company, the NHS and patient
  • Networking
    Exhibit highly sophisticated and competent networking skills across a complex local and regional NHS market access environment
  • Demonstrate high level selling skills across all sales channels
    Demonstrate the emotional intelligence to effectively operate, sell and gain consensus across all levels of clinical and commercially focused NHS customers using the appropriate sales channel to meet the needs of the customer

Marketer of the Year (4 years plus)

Entry Guidelines and Judging Criteria

OVERVIEW:
This category will test your marketing experience & allow you to demonstrate your skill in the core domain of an experienced pharmaceutical marketer – “Developing and executing brand strategy”.    Excellence in this category will require an understanding of the processes involved in developing a country specific brand strategy, and experience in building a tactical execution which delivers against that strategy. Candidates will be judged on three components;

  1. Their ability to shape a strong strategy & derive a brand positioning appropriate to the environment
  2. Their ability to leverage a tactical plan which will execute that brand strategy, and apply measures to maintain course
  3. Their capability to tell a strong and coherent story in their final presentation.

SUITABILITY:
For experienced marketers (Typically over 4 years’ experience)
Brand Manager, Senior Brand Manager, Brand Lead, Marketing Manager

FORMAT:

  • Finalists will be invited to take part in a category-specific case-study challenge developed by an independent expert panel.
  • Finalists will be presented with the challenge on arrival at the finals day – and given a set period of time for preparation (usually 1 hour) – before delivering their response to a judging panel of senior marketing and industry leaders.

JUDGING CRITERIA:
Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the following points for this category:

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Finalists should demonstrate an understanding of the case study and the challenges faced
  • Understanding of the sales and marketing process
    Demonstrate a robust sales and marketing process whilst presenting your outputs to the panel
  • Planning
    Deliver a robust strategy & marketing plan, with clear objectives, timings and measures
  • Draw appropriate conclusions
    Effectively draw conclusions from a balance of fact and reasonable assumptions
  • Customers
    Identify target customers and present a rationale for targeting this/these segment/s
  • Patient flow
    Demonstrate your ability to identify and stratify patient flow, taking into account patient numbers and any other specifics of the case study
  • Financial
    Consider the financial implications for your recommendations
  • Vision
    Provide a long term vision of how to manage the issues raised in the case study

New Marketer of the Year (0-3 years)

Entry Guidelines and Judging Criteria

OVERVIEW:
This category is designed to challenge the new marketer’s understanding of the core aspects of marketing strategy and implementation.  Your understanding of marketing planning from strategy development to tactical implementation will be tested on the day.

SUITABILITY:
Suitable for new marketers with less than 3 years marketing experience, this is designed for candidates in their first marketing role.

FORMAT:

  • Finalists will be invited to take part in category-specific case-study challenges developed by an independent expert panel.
  • Finalists will presented with the challenge on arrival at the finals day – and given a set period of time for preparation (usually 1 hour) – before delivering their response to a judging panel of senior marketing and industry leaders.

JUDGING CRITERIA:
Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  As well as understanding the case study and challenges, new marketer finalists will be expected to demonstrate the following core marketing skills:

  • Ability to assimilate market information
  • Developing a situational analysis
  • Ability to define the core strategic challenge
  • Knowledge and application of marketing planning approaches
  • Developing tactical solutions and implementation plans
  • Demonstrate ability to identify and deploy different marketing channels
  • Understanding and application of segmentation
  • Approaches to tracking and monitoring implementation

Aspiring Marketer of the Year

Entry Guidelines and Judging Criteria

Overview:
This category will test your understanding of the basic requirements of a marketing role.  An understanding of the tactical and operational marketing processes that are required to perform the role will form part of how you will be judged on the day.

Suitability:
Individuals hoping to progress towards a marketing role in the near future

Format:

  • Finalists will be invited to take part in a case-study challenge developed by an independent expert panel relevant to your category
  • Finalists will be presented with the case study on arrival at the finals day – and given a set period of time for preparation (usually 1 hour),  before delivering their response to a judging panel of senior marketing and industry leaders.

Judging Criteria:
Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the following points for this category:

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge and your task:
    Finalists should demonstrate an understanding of the case study and what you have been asked to do
  • Understanding of the sales and marketing process
    Demonstrate a sales and marketing process whilst presenting your outputs to the panel
  • Patient flow
    Demonstrate your ability to identify and stratify patient flow, taking into account patient numbers and any other specifics of the case study
  • Customers
    Identify target customers and present a rationale for targeting this/these segment/s
  • Draw appropriate conclusions
    Effectively draw conclusions from a balance of fact and reasonable assumptions
  • Planning
    Demonstrate an understanding of what promotional activities may be required for the brand challenge outlined in the case study.