In a market so well provided with awards competitions, it is not unreasonable to wonder why more than 50 marketers and communications specialists reaching the finals of the 2014 PharmaTimes Marketer and Communications Team of the Year competitions is newsworthy.
Some of this year’s finalists suggest it is because they represent 33 different pharmaceutical companies and healthcare communications agencies from across the industry, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Aurora, Bayer, DJM Digital/PAN, Eisai, Frontera, GCI Health, Just:: Health, Lilly, Litmus, Lundbeck, medDigital, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, Servier, Shire, Synergy Vision and more.
Others because they have been judged by marketing and communications experts within the industry; while many more say it’s because they have pitted their skills against their peers and been judged to be at the top of their game.
But what really sets them apart from other marketing and communications competition hopefuls is that this process judges them on their ability to produce high-quality marketing and communications materials in real-life challenges that emulate the market and healthcare environment.
Showcase skills against peers
As previous winner Nick Rodger, co-chair of the executive steering committee and strategic solutions director for Bedrock Healthcare Communications, explains: “Other competitions are based on projects, programmes or products. PharmaTimes Marketer and Communications Team of the Year competitions are based on people. People who are put into stressful situations to see how they perform. They are expected to showcase their skills against their peers; that is the unique essence of the competition. Their prize for all this is the satisfaction of participating, the possibility of winning, and feedback from industry experts/judges.”
Daniel McCormick, sales and marketing manager for Merck Serono, co-chair of the competition steering group, and himself a previous winner, agrees: “This competition remains the only one where individuals’ skills, expertise and thinking are assessed and benchmarked against other companies within the industry. It is a real test within a secure, safe environment where individuals can really shine and show what they are capable of.”
Over the years, the PharmaTimes Marketer and Communications Team of the Year competition has been instrumental in recognising the top marketers and communications specialists of tomorrow. This year’s winners will be announced at an awards dinner on November 27 at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London. A limited number of tickets are still available.
For those attending the awards dinner representatives from the sponsor companies will also be available for networking opportunities. These companies include Ashfield, Binley’s, CHASE, Dark Horse Agency, Oberoi Consulting, PI Partnership, Redbow Consulting, Star and STEM Marketing.
For tickets, visit www.pharmatimes.com/Competitions/Marketer/Attend.aspx and for further details contact: Aimee Williams at aimee@pharmatimes.com or tel: +44 (0)20 7240 6999.
