Sandra Alvarez and Jay Reid judge Global Effies 2021

It has been a privilege to judge the Global Effie Awards in the past, so I was delighted to see my Core Strategy colleague, Jay Reid, getting called up to be a fellow judge in this year's Global Effies.

As we embark on the judging process, I asked Jay a few questions about his expectations. 

Sandra:
What are you most looking forward to as a judge in the Global Effie Awards?

Jay:
There have been a lot of really interesting developments on the marketing theory front in recent years. Recent works from the likes of Orlando Woods, Karen Nelson-Field, and of course Binet & Field have highlighted a real crisis we as an industry are facing; the decline of creative effectiveness.

But they’ve also given us a roadmap of sorts to navigate ourselves out of this crisis. I’m excited to see how agencies and brands across the globe are applying these new learnings and insights to their own work.

Sandra:
Thinking about my previous experience as a judge, I find the wide range of effectiveness really interesting. It is no longer one rigid definition as effectiveness is also an expansive, creative concept. As a Strategist, what stands out for you?

Jay:
I think the Effies puts creativity in its proper context; a means to achieve greater effectiveness. Creativity researchers have a lovely definition of creativity that I always come back to, that creativity must be both "novel and appropriate." I think that’s something we as an industry sometimes forget.

It is not enough to be creative for creativity's sake, but we must focus our creativity on solving a particular problem or achieving a particular end. That to me is true creativity, and I certainly find that aspect more interesting.

Sandra:
Lastly, what learnings do you hope to take back?

Jay:As I mentioned, I’m definitely most excited about seeing how our peers around the world are applying the latest in marketing theory to their own work. There will definitely be a lot of practical takeaways in that sense.

But I’m also looking forward to coming back (virtually) with a clear sense of “OK, this is the bar for the best work in the world. That’s what we need to be aiming for.” 

For more information, see Effie.org