Senior talent joins Effies Jury Panel

• Client marketers and agency leaders join panel
• Increase in number of key Asian marketers
• 80 entries submitted

Singapore - Some of the region's biggest client marketers and agency leaders have been appointed to The Academy of Judges for the sixth Effie Singapore Awards.

The panel of judges, totaling 70, will be led by chief judge Frederique Covington (pictured), regional executive planning director of Bates 141.

For the first time ever, the Effies will involve more senior agency leaders as well as creative directors in the judging of entries. There is also a significant increase in the number of key Asian marketers from leading MNCs and regional companies while various disciplines of marketing are represented in the panel.

"Greater senior leadership involvement from agency and client, as well as the diversity in perspective across all marketing disciplines, mean higher quality judging at the Effies," Covington said.

"As opposed to just judging, ranking and scoring entries, we will also be analyzing what is relevant and of impact year after year. All around us, people are talking about how to respond to the changes that are taking place. This year, our Effies grows beyond a judging contest, into an industry event that celebrates best practices, and truly reflects the changes taking place in the market."

Despite the recession, 80 entries were still submitted, only a slight drop compared with 95 last year.

There are also many new participants to this year's awards, including entries from Singapore-based creative boutique 10AM, as well as non-traditional agencies The Catalyst Group and Upbrand Buzz. The added requirement of submitting a four-minute video has also contributed to the increase in entry quality.

This year, the Effies have received more than a two-fold increase in the number of cases for government work while Telco cases have also gone up almost three-fold from last year. Financial services cases are on the decline, in line with the current banking situation, while Beauty products and services are steady.

Judging of the Singapore Effies will take place on 17 April at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore with finalists to be announced the following week.