Categories

The Communications Awards 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
  • Read the judges tips to get the inside knowledge
  • Do your best on the day then come along to the awards ceremony to see the results announced alongside the Marketer and Sales awards.

The NHS Challenge

If your agency has a strong experience of dealing with the challenges of working within the UK healthcare sector – then this challenge is for you. Agencies will have the opportunity to display their knowledge of the UK environment and infrastructure, competing against their peers on the live finals day and attending the prestigious ceremony alongside the Marketer and Sales awards.
NHS Challenge – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

The International Challenge

This challenge is the perfect option if you or your agency has strong experience in dealing with International challenges within the pharma space. We are confident that this challenge will act as a great team-building exercise all the while receiving feedback to improve on your skills. Not to mention the chance of winning a pharma at the end!
The International Challenge – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

The Charity Challenge

This challenge gives team the opportunity to make a difference for the better, teams will respond directly to a brief set by the partnered charity to show of their creative and innovative skills. This year we are partnering with Encephalitis Society, their mission is to build better futures by driving research, accelerating research and saving lives.
The Charity Challenge – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Aspiring Communications Manager of the Year

An excellent option for those looking for a stepping stone into becoming a future communications manager – this category is judged with a supportive and nurturing approach to help you learn and grow, so don’t be scared to enter yourself!
Aspiring Communications Manager of the Year – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Communications Manager of the Year

If you work as communications manager or perhaps you’re a senior freelancer, this category is the perfect choice for you. You will be given the chance to benchmark your skills against your peers, test your strategic, tactical and leadership ability, and be rewarded for your contribution to the industry at our awards ceremony!
Communications Manager of the Year – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Medical Affairs Communications Manager of the Year

If you are an experienced Medical Affairs Communicator, working within agency or Pharma / Biotech, this new category is for you. You will have the opportunity to demonstrate and test your skills and benchmark yourself against your professional colleagues, hopefully being rewarded for your contribution to the industry at our awards ceremony!
Medical Affairs Communications Manager of the Year – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Medical Affairs Communications Team of the Year

Whether an in-house team, agency team or a combined team bringing the skills from both client and agency; this category is for you. The opportunity to demonstrate your skills and professionalism and benchmark yourself against the industry. And of course, the potential opportunity for the corporate glory of being recognised in the final awards.
Medical Affairs Communications Team of the Year – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Medical Writer (For healthcare professionals) and Medical Writer (For patients)

If you work as an experienced medical writer either in industry, within agency or freelance, this category is the perfect choice for you.
Medical Writer (For healthcare professionals) and Medical Writer (For patients) – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Digital Communications Team

The Digital Communications Team Challenge is suitable for agency or pharma digital communications teams who have the knowledge and skills to respond to a brand digital communications brief.
Digital Communications Team – Entry guidelines and judging criteria

Digital Communications Team

There are many awards recognizing the success of outputs from Digital Communication Teams, but this competition is unique in providing the opportunity to pitch your team’s skills directly against your peers. Responding to a realistic digital communications brief, your team will be able to demonstrate their strategic acumen and tactical planning knowledge. Judged by experienced professionals who commission and evaluate equivalent work, the feedback received will provide valuable insights for team development as well as the opportunity to challenge to become competition champions.

Guidelines

The Digital Communications Team Challenge is suitable for agency or pharma digital communications teams who have the knowledge and skills to respond to a brand digital communications brief. Teams will need to be able to demonstrate an understanding of the communication challenges within the brief and respond with a strategic and tactical programme outline. The challenge will see them competing against their peers on the live finals day.

Teams entering will be able to demonstrate their skills through their response to the fictitious but realistic digital communications brief.  At the same time the experience and the feedback they will receive on their performance, will help in developing their individual skills and team working through what is a challenging, yet friendly process.

Overview:

  • This challenge is the perfect option for digital communications teams experienced in developing and implementing digital communication strategies
  • The brief has been developed by a team of senior marketing and communications specialists from both agency & pharma, to ensure that it looks and feels like a genuine pharma digital communications challenge
  • Teams entering will be able to demonstrate their skills through their response to this brief.  At the same time the experience and the feedback they will receive on their performance will help in developing their individual skills and team working through what is a challenging, yet friendly process. There’s always the chance your team could be the one leaving with the coveted award!

Suitability:

  • The Digital Communications Challenge is suitable for digital communications teams experienced developing and implementing digital communication strategies

Format:

  • Teams will respond directly to a brief devised by the executive steering committee to challenge their environment understanding as well as their strategic and tactical thinking
  • The judging panel for this category is comprised of senior level, pharma marketing and communications professionals who are experienced in commissioning or delivering digital communication programmes within health
  • Both the disease area and treatments are fictional to ensure that no agency can bring an advantage due to experience in the area, giving an even playing field
  • This means that your proposals are based solely on the knowledge of your craft and your innovative thinking
  • Teams can be up to 5 individuals, so ensuring you have the right mix of skills and knowledge within the team to deliver a response within the competitions’ time constraints, is an important consideration. No specific preparation is needed beforehand

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in::Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
Teams should demonstrate a clear understanding of the brief / case study and the unique challenges faced when dealing with digital campaignsUnderstanding of the pharma / healthcare environment
Teams should demonstrate their familiarity with developing and implementing digital communications campaigns within the regulated pharmaceutical marketing environment. They should show an understanding of the issues, obstacles and opportunities – and clearly show how their plan to address these.Prioritising and identifying key insights
Demonstrate your team’s ability to identify the key insights within the digital communications brief – show how you would prioritise their importance and ensure they are addressed in your proposed planDeveloping workable digital strategies and a tactical overview
Teams must exhibit strategic and tactical thinking within their response to the brief – showing clearly their chosen digital strategies – and how they can be effectively delivered and evaluated against measurable objectivesDemonstrating a good blend of innovation, creativity, and respect for compliance
Demonstrate your innovative approach and creative thinking where appropriate – don’t be afraid to think outside the box – but your team must show they understand any risks, how to mitigate them and that they are keeping the core compliance and regulatory issues at the forefront of their plans

Medical Writer (For healthcare professionals) and Medical Writer (For patients)

As a medical writer you know how important your work is for the delivery of successful communications, but how often do you get the opportunity for personal award recognition for your work, or to benchmark yourself against your peers. Well, the new Medical Writer of the Year Award allows you to challenge yourself in a confidential environment, whilst also having the opportunity to pitch yourself against your peers across the sector. Responding to a medical writing brief (choice of ‘For Patients’ or ‘For Healthcare Professional’) in a timed environment, your response will be judged by editorial heads and target audiences to provide confidential professional critique and to identify our category winners. Whether you participate as a learning experience, or to be crowned Medical Writer of the Year 2023, this unique competition is one not to be missed.

Guidelines

If you work as an experienced medical writer either in industry, within agency or freelance, this category is the perfect choice for you. You will be given the chance to challenge yourself, benchmark your skills against your peers, learn from the experience and confidential feedback, and hopefully be rewarded for your contribution to the industry at our awards ceremony!

Overview:

  • These new categories will recognise excellence in medical writing for either healthcare professionals or patients (choose your audience on entering the competition)
  • The challenge has been developed by a team of senior editorial, medical and communications specialists, to ensure that it looks and feels like a genuine medical writing brief

Suitability:

  • You should be an experienced medical writer who is used to responding to writing briefs for your chosen audience, in the scientific or healthcare communications environments
  • Although you may work as part of an editorial team, you are experienced in producing the first response to writing briefs and are able to take clinical information and create compelling copy for your audience

Format:

  • The challenge will invite you to respond to an appropriate medical writing brief in a controlled and timed virtual environment
  • Both the disease area and treatments are fictional to ensure that no individual can bring an advantage due to experience in the area, giving an even playing field
  • This means that your responses are based solely on the knowledge of your craft

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in:

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Finalists should demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the brief / case study. They should be able to identify the messages for their audience and be able to generate compelling copy to respond to the brief’s requirements
  • Prioritising and identifying key messages
    Demonstrate your ability to identify the key data / messages and prioritise these within your copy
  • Appropriate audience tone and language
    Copy will be assessed on its appropriateness for the chosen audience in terms of tone, level of detail and language
  • Demonstrating a good blend of accurate and engaging copy whilst maintaining respect for compliance
    Whilst encouraging engaging copy, this will need to show it has been developed in general compliance with European Codes of Practice and regulatory requirements

Medical Affairs Communications Team of the Year

Whether an in-house team, agency team or a combined team bringing the skills from both client and agency; this category is for you. The opportunity to demonstrate your skills and professionalism and benchmark yourself against the industry. And of course, the potential opportunity for the corporate glory of being recognised in the final awards.

Overview:

  • This challenge is the perfect option for Medical Affairs Communications Teams experienced in developing and delivering scientific communications programmes
  • Teams will have the opportunity to demonstrate their scientific understanding and communications skills competing against their peers on the live finals day
  • The scientific case scenario and challenge has been developed by Medical Affairs Communicators from both agency & Pharma, to ensure that it looks and feels genuine
  • Teams entering will be able to demonstrate their skills through their response to the scientific communications challenge.  At the same time, the experience and the feedback they will receive on their performance will help in developing their individual skills and team working through what is a challenging, yet friendly process. There’s always the chance your team could be the one leaving with the coveted award!

Suitability:

This category is suitable for teams experienced in developing and delivering scientific communications within Pharma / Biotech

Format:

  • Teams will respond directly to the scientific case study devised by Medical Affairs specialists to challenge their scientific understanding and communications skills
  • The judging panel for this category is comprised of senior level, Pharma / Biotech scientific communications professionals
  • The data and medical scenario are fictional to ensure that no team has an advantage due to experience in the area, giving an even playing field
  • This means that your responses are based solely on skills, knowledge and teamwork
  • Teams can be up to 5 individuals, so ensuring you have the right mix of skills and knowledge within the team to deliver a response within the competitions’ time constraints, is an important consideration. No specific preparation is needed beforehand

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in:

  • Comprehending the science and the challenge
    Finalists should demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the case study and the scientific communication challenges.
    They should be able to propose an appropriate plan to deliver the scientific communications they identify as key
  • Leadership
    Finalists in this category should demonstrate their leadership and guidance skills – showing how they would utilise the resources at their disposal to deliver their plan
  • Audience understanding
    Demonstrate a deep understanding of the audiences for their communications, showing how your chosen communications strategy uses your knowledge and experience and why you think it will deliver the best outcomes
  • Prioritising and identifying key insights
    Demonstrate your ability to define and identify the key scientific and strategic insights– and show how you would prioritise their importance in your communications
  • Developing workable scientific communications
    Finalists must exhibit sound thinking within their response to the brief – showing clearly their chosen communications strategies – and how they can be implemented in a real world situation
  • Demonstrating a good blend of scientific understanding, communication skills and respect for compliance
    Demonstrate your ability to effectively communicate data and scientific information through a targeted and impactful approach, whilst always showing you understand the risks, how to mitigate them and that you are keeping the core compliance issues at the forefront of your plans

Medical Affairs Communications Manager of the Year

If you are an experienced Medical Affairs Communicator, working within agency or Pharma / Biotech, this new category is for you. You will have the opportunity to demonstrate and test your skills and benchmark yourself against your professional colleagues, hopefully being rewarded for your contribution to the industry at our awards ceremony!

Overview:

  • This new category will recognise excellence in communications, allowing individuals to demonstrate their competencies and skills in strategic and implementation planning and leadership

Suitability:

  • You should be an experienced Medical Affairs Communicator with over 5 years’ communications experience – highly skilled in your discipline
  • For senior grade agency and in-house individuals who are experienced in developing the strategy and managing the delivery of scientific communications
  • Senior freelancers who specialise in the area, may also wish to consider entering this category

Format:

  • The challenge will be to utilise a realistic, but fictional, scientific case study and communications scenario, developed by Medical Affairs specialists. You will be tasked with presenting a strategy, with a degree of implementational planning, to address the associated communication challenges.

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in:

  • Comprehending the science and the challenge
    Finalists should demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the case study and the scientific communication challenges.
    They should be able to propose an appropriate plan to deliver the scientific communications they identify as key
  • Leadership
    Finalists in this category should demonstrate their leadership and guidance skills – showing how they would utilise the resources at their disposal to deliver their plan
  • Audience understanding
    Demonstrate a deep understanding of the audiences for their communications, showing how your chosen communications strategy uses your knowledge and experience and why you think it will deliver the best outcomes
  • Prioritising and identifying key insights
    Demonstrate your ability to define and identify the key scientific and strategic insights– and show how you would prioritise their importance in your communications
  • Developing workable scientific communications
    Finalists must exhibit sound thinking within their response to the brief – showing clearly their chosen communications strategies – and how they can be implemented in a real world situation
  • Demonstrating a good blend of scientific understanding, communication skills and respect for compliance
    Demonstrate your ability to effectively communicate data and scientific information through a targeted and impactful approach, whilst always showing you understand the risks, how to mitigate them and that you are keeping the core compliance issues at the forefront of your plans

Communications Manager of the Year

If you work as an experienced communications manager or a senior freelancer, this category is the perfect choice for you. You will be given the chance to benchmark your skills against your peers, test your strategic, tactical and leadership ability, and hopefully be rewarded for your contribution to the industry at our awards ceremony!

Overview:

  • This new category will recognise excellence in communications planning, allowing individuals to demonstrate their competencies and skills in strategic planning and leadership

Suitability:

  • You should be an experienced communications manager with over 5 years’ communications experience – highly skilled in strategic planning and leadership
  • For senior grade agency and in-house individuals who are experienced in strategic and tactical programme development and leading/guiding implementation teams
  • Finalists are likely to be senior staff who are contributing to or responsible for agency business development pursuits, or in-house equivalent
  • Senior freelancers may also wish to consider entering this category

Format:

  • The challenge will be similar to the team challenges in terms of complexity, but the required response will be tailored for an individual to complete within the timescale

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in:

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Finalists should demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the brief / case study.
    They should be able to identify the key challenges faced – and be able to respond appropriately with suitable strategic and tactical plans
  • Leadership
    Finalists in this category should demonstrate their leadership and guidance skills – showing how they would utilise the resources at their disposal to deliver their strategic plan
  • Assessing the market environment
    Demonstrate a deep understanding of healthcare systems, showing how your chosen strategy utilises your knowledge and experience and why you think it will deliver the best outcomes based on the brief
  • Prioritising and identifying key insights
    Demonstrate your ability to define and identify the key strategic insights in a communications brief – and show how you would prioritise their importance in a communications campaign
  • Developing workable communications strategies and a tactical overview
    Finalists must exhibit strong strategic and tactical thinking within their response to the brief – showing clearly their chosen communications strategies – and how they can be delivered in a real world situation
  • Demonstrating a good blend of innovation, creativity and respect for compliance
    Demonstrate your innovative and creative thinking around your strategic plan, but always showing you understand the risks, how to mitigate them and that you are keeping the core compliance issues at the forefront of your plans

Aspiring Communications Manager

An excellent opportunity for individuals looking towards their next step to become a communications manager to test their skills on this year’s challenge – this category is judged with a supportive and nurturing approach to help you learn and grow, so don’t be scared to step into the limelight!

Overview:

  • This category is specifically tailored to those candidates looking to develop their communications career further
  • The judges are looking for the communications leaders of the future – individuals who have a solid grounding in the discipline – but are keen to learn and develop their skills for the future
  • This challenge will enable participants to step out of their comfort zone, push themselves - and learn from the best in the business
  • Delivered with a supportive and nurturing approach, designed to both challenge and build confidence in an individual’s abilities – this category is perfect for individuals looking towards their next career step

Suitability:

  • Suitable for those with 3–5 years communications experience, likely Account Manager or senior account manager in agency or equivalent in-house, who are eager to move up into strategic planning and leadership
  • Competitors should have a basic knowledge of healthcare communications developed by working as part of a team to execute communications strategies
  • They should have a good understanding of a range of tactical approaches in the communications mix
  • Competitors may have managed several projects which contribute to a joined-up strategy, from inception to completion, and will understand how to set and evaluate metrics
  • This category is suitable for in-house staff working directly with industry – or individuals working within communications agencies

Format:

  • Finalists will compete in a real-life challenge, tailored to their experience and judged by senior marketing and healthcare communications specialists

Judging Criteria:

  • Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in:
  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Finalists should demonstrate an understanding of the brief / case study and the challenges faced – and be able to respond appropriately
  • Assessing the market environment
    Evidence of a generic understanding of healthcare systems and  the various challenges and opportunities for pharma brand communications
  • Prioritising and identifying key insights
    Demonstrate your ability to identify the key insights in a communications brief – and show how you would prioritise their importance in a communications campaign
  • Developing workable communications strategies and a tactical overviewWithin their response to the brief, individuals will need to exhibit some strategic and tactical thinking appropriate for their experience – showing clearly how their communication proposals can be delivered in a real world situation
  • Demonstrating a good blend of innovation, creativity and respect for compliance
    Demonstrate your innovative and creative thinking where appropriate – don’t be afraid to think outside the box – but always show you understand the risks, how to mitigate them and that you are keeping the core compliance issues at the forefront of your plans

The Charity Challenge

The health charity sector is an essential stakeholder in patients receiving the best healthcare and associated education.  Each year we partner with a chosen charity to give them the opportunity to set a competition brief for in-house teams or agencies to respond with their ideas. With the charity’s representatives as the judging panel, they then benefit from the fresh and varied ideas presented. For the teams who enter, their time also has the potential to help the charity do more for the patients they support, whilst also maintaining the competitive spirit of the team challenges!

  • Same format as the other team events, but responding to the charity’s brief
  • Teams can be up to 5 individuals, ensuring you have the right mix of skills and knowledge within the team is an advantage and consideration should be given to what these might be for a charity brief.

This challenge gives teams the opportunity to make a difference for the better, teams will respond directly to a brief set by the partnered charity to show off their creative and innovative skills.  Each team can enter with the knowledge that their efforts will be fed back into the greater development of the charity.

The Encephalitis Society is the global authority on encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and the only non-profit in the world providing direct support and information to people affected by all types of encephalitis, raising awareness about the condition, and furthering our understanding of encephalitis through promoting and collaborating on research.

The International Challenge

The International Challenge is suitable for agency or pharma communications teams who have a knowledge of the international healthcare environment are experienced in developing and implementing international brand communications programmes and understand the inherent communication challenges. The challenge will see them competing against their peers on the live finals day and attending the prestigious ceremony alongside the Marketer and Sales awards.

Teams entering will be able to demonstrate their skills through their response to an international communications brief.  At the same time the experience and the feedback they will receive on their performance, will help in developing their individual skills and team working through what is a challenging, yet friendly process.

Overview:

  • This challenge is the perfect option for communications teams experienced in developing  international pharma campaigns
  • Teams will have the opportunity to display their knowledge of developing international pharmaceutical communications campaigns environment and infrastructure, competing against their peers on the live finals day and attending the prestigious ceremony alongside the Marketer and Sales awards
  • The brief has been developed by a team of senior marketing and communications specialists from both agency & pharma, to ensure that it looks and feels like a genuine pharma challenge
  • Teams entering will be able to demonstrate their skills through their response to an international communications brief.  At the same time the experience and the feedback they will receive on their performance will help in developing their individual skills and team working through what is a challenging, yet friendly process. There’s always the chance your team could be the one leaving with the coveted pharma award!

Suitability:

The International Challenge is suitable for communications teams experienced in developing  international pharma brand campaigns

Format:

  • Teams will respond directly to a brief devised by the executive steering committee to challenge their international marketing knowledge as well as their strategic and tactical thinking
  • The judging panel for this category is comprised of senior level, pharma marketing and communications professionals
  • Both the disease area and treatments are fictional to ensure that no agency can bring an advantage due to experience in the area, giving an even playing field
  • This means that your proposals are based solely on the knowledge of your craft and your innovative thinking
  • Teams can be up to 5 individuals, so ensuring you have the right mix of skills and knowledge within the team to deliver a response within the competitions’ time constraints, is an important consideration. No specific preparation is needed beforehand

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in::

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Teams should demonstrate a clear understanding of the brief / case study and the unique challenges faced when dealing with international campaigns
  • Understanding of the international environment and national variations
    Teams should demonstrate their familiarity with developing and implementing communications campaigns for an international audience. They should show an understanding of the issues, obstacles and opportunities – and clearly show how their plan addresses these. Teams should demonstrate a strong understanding of how international programmes would work globally but be deliverable locally
  • Prioritising and identifying key insights
    Demonstrate your team’s ability to identify the key insights within  the communications brief – show how you would prioritise their importance and ensure they are addressed in your proposed plan
  • Developing workable communications strategies and a tactical overview
    Teams must exhibit strategic and tactical thinking within their response to the brief – showing clearly their chosen communications strategies – and how they can be effectively delivered and evaluated against measurable objectives
  • Demonstrating a good blend of innovation, creativity, and respect for compliance
    Demonstrate your innovative approach and creative thinking where appropriate – don’t be afraid to think outside the box – but your team must show they understand any risks, how to mitigate them and that they are keeping the core compliance and regulatory issues at the forefront of their plans

The NHS Challenge

If your agency or in-house team has  expertise in addressing the communication challenges in launching and marketing pharmaceuticals  within the UK  – then this award is for you. Agencies will have the opportunity to display their working knowledge of the UK healthcare system and market access environment , competing against their peers on the live finals day and attending the prestigious ceremony alongside the Marketer and Sales awards.

Teams entering will be able to demonstrate their skills through their response to an international communications brief.  At the same time, the experience and the feedback they will receive on their performance, will help in developing their individual skills and team working through what is a challenging, yet friendly process.

Overview:

  • If your agency or in-house team has expertise in addressing the communications challenges in launching and marketing pharmaceuticals  within the UK  – then this challenge is for you
  • Agencies will have the opportunity to display their working knowledge of the UK healthcare system and market access environment, competing against their peers on the live finals day and attending the prestigious ceremony alongside the Marketer and Sales awards
  • The brief has been developed by a team of marketing and communication specialists from both agency & pharma, to ensure that it looks and feels like a genuine pharma challenge

Suitability:

  • The NHS Challenge is suitable for communications teams who have experience in addressing the communications challenges in launching and marketing pharmaceuticals within the UK.

Format:

  • Teams will respond directly to a brief devised by the executive steering committee to challenge their market knowledge as well as their strategic and tactical thinking
  • The judging panel for this category is comprised of senior level, pharma marketing and communications professionals
  • Both the disease area and treatments are fictional to ensure that no agency can bring an advantage due to experience in the area, giving an even playing field
  • This means that your proposals are based solely on the knowledge of your craft and your innovative thinking
  • Teams can be up to 5 individuals, so ensuring you have the right mix of skills and knowledge within the team to deliver a response within the competitions’ time constraints, is an important consideration
  • No specific preparation is needed beforehand

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in:

  • Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
    Teams should demonstrate a clear understanding of the brief / case study and the unique challenges faced when dealing with the NHS
  • Understanding of the national and regional environment
    Teams should demonstrate their familiarity with developing and implementing pharmaceutical communications campaigns within the UK. They should show an understanding of the issues, obstacles and opportunities – and clearly show how they plan to address these
  • Prioritising and identifying key insights
    Demonstrate your team’s ability to identify the key insights within the communications brief – show how you would prioritise their importance and ensure they are addressed in your proposed plan
  • Developing workable communications strategies and a tactical overview
    Teams must exhibit strategic and tactical thinking within their response to the brief – showing clearly their chosen communications strategies – and how they can be effectively delivered and evaluated against measurable objectives
  • Demonstrating a good blend of innovation, creativity, and respect for compliance
    Demonstrate your innovative approach and creative thinking where appropriate – don’t be afraid to think outside the box – but your team must show they understand any risks, how to mitigate them and that they are keeping the core compliance and regulatory issues at the forefront of their plans