On a night that featured fancy gowns, flashy statuettes, circus performers, and even a Brazilian flag, Oracle’s tenth annual Markie awards event lived up to its reputation as the “Oscars of Marketing.”
Master of ceremonies and self-described “Phantom of the Hip-Hopera” Adrian Chang, dressed in gold lamé tails and flanked by performers from Cirque du Soleil, announced winners in 19 categories that recognize creative and effective marketing campaigns from around the world.
General Manager and SVP of Marketing Cloud Kevin Akeroyd, who helped kick off the proceedings, acknowledged the milestone anniversary of the Markies by underscoring how the ceremony has grown over its decade-long run. “Not only has it grown from 100 people to the MGM Grand in ten years,” Akeroyd said, at the Las Vegas ceremony, “It used to just be about email landing pages, now it’s about every digital channel.”
The night’s first honoree, Eaton, was a case in point. Winner of the award for Most Creative Marketing Campaign, the diversified global manufacturer was recognized for a Where’s Waldo-inspired campaign that asked IT professionals to search across Facebook ads, social media, and the web to find a cartoon duck. The winning results? “Where’s That Duck” was played more than 73,000 times and generated more than $3 million in pipeline for the company.
The Wine.com.br team members brought international flair to the Markies, unfurling a Brazilian flag when they were announced as the winners of the Content is King category. The web-based wine merchant won for a content campaign that spanned its web store, social media properties, and email campaigns. This omnichannel approach delivered a 40% increase in site visits and $1m in sales via social alone. (You can read more about Wine.com.br in this article by Sasha Banks-Louie.)
These two companies epitomized what it was to take home a Markie in 2016. Here’s a complete list of winners:
- Most Creative Marketing Campaign: Eaton
- Best Use of Audience Data: Dell
- Best Digital Marketing Ecosystem: Lenovo
- Best Email Marketing Campaign: Jetstar
- Best International Campaign: Tomtom
- Best Mobile Experience: Zalora
- Best Social Campaign: Family Share Network / Deseret Digital
- Content is King: Wine.com.br
- Best Customer Retention or Loyalty Program: Cetera Financial Group
- Best Use of Data Analytics and Insights: Thomson Reuters (Mark Monitor)
- Best Integrated Consumer Marketing Program: AGA
- Rapid Transformation: BT Global Services
- Best Sales and Marketing Alignment: Sierra
- Best Testing and Optimization of the Customer Experience: YOTEL
- Best Lead Management Program: Juniper
- Best Emerging Company Marketing Program: Mobovida
- Modern Marketing Leader of the Year: Blake Cahill, Royal Phillips
- Best Web or Commerce Experience: SunPower
- People’s Choice Markie Award—Best Video: Cisco Systems