Deadline for C + A awards submissions nearly here

This Friday, Feb. 1, is your last day to send strategy Cause + Action Awards case studies regarding brands that are making a difference with socially responsible actions.

Case studies for strategy‘s Cause + Action Awards should include an overview of the brand’s social strategy, detailing its most recent efforts (with a focus on the last calendar year), and providing objectives and results. The cases should be structured in four sections: inspiration, execution, marketing efforts and results.

The following issues (where applicable) must be addressed:

• Brand DNA – How well does the brand’s social strategy mesh with its positioning? Is there a simple, strong and relevant connection?

• Uniqueness – Does the brand have a program that is distinct and identifiable as its own social strategy space? Does the program give new definition/meaning to the brand?

• Awareness – How has the brand successfully created awareness of the social strategy efforts among partners, customers and consumers? How has the brand generated widespread buzz for its initiatives, reaching beyond existing customers to the general public?

• Legs – Does the social strategy have growth potential? Is there scope for expanding the program via more grassroots efforts and/or global partnerships? Is the brand’s social positioning flexible? Does the program have an umbrella framework that would allow for efforts in new areas? Does it encourage consumers to augment the program in their own way? How have outsiders taken the brand’s social strategy efforts and made them their own?

• Overall – How much effort has been directed to developing the brand’s social strategy? Has the brand exceeded others in its category in terms of the scope and scale of your program? How successful has your program been in achieving change? Please supply ‘before and after’ results to support. Has there been a positive impact on ROI attributable to social strategy efforts?

PLEASE NOTE: ALL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE CASE STUDY COULD BE PUBLISHED. CLEARLY INDICATE IF THERE IS INFORMATION FOR THE JUDGES’ EYES ONLY.

Judging: The judging panel will be composed of marketers, brand experts and university professors with special expertise in this area. Cases will be judged simply, on a scale from 1 to 10.

Images: Please include no more than four high-resolution images (min. 300 dpi; 4 inches x 6 inches) that highlight the brand’s social strategy.

Send to: Natalia Williams/Mary Maddever, Strategy, natalia@strategy.brunico.com/mary@strategy.brunico.com – 416 408 2300.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2008 @ 5pm.