BSMB 2020-21: Jury speaks on celebrating exemplary works that cut through pandemic woes

As jury members go through 450+ entries and Social Samosa works on setting a grand virtual stage, SAMMIE BSMB 2020-21 Jury speaks about their expectations, enthusing hope among A&M professionals.

With the way 2020 unfolded, every single campaign that came out deserved applause. This is true not just for the ones that came out during the initial days where chaos ensued in every part of people’s lives but also towards the end when restrictions began to thin and fatigue had started to creep into lives in ways no one could have imagined. A&M professionals braved it all to keep the monies flowing and the industry running. AliveNow Creative Tech Studio - SAMMIE Best Social Media Brands 2020-21 is a celebration of this undying, albeit tested spirit, as is evident in the words of our Jury members.

Anita Kotwani, CEO, Carat India feels social media has become an integral part of the marketing mix today and forums like BSMB help showcase the best work that the industry has produced. “I am looking forward to seeing the best of strategists, creative thinkers & planners present their body of work, created in a year that truly challenged each one to come up with pathbreaking solutions,” she says.

On a similar note, Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, quips, “They say, ‘Celebrate what you want to see more of’. I am happy to be here to celebrate the Best Social Media Campaigns, the best ideas, the best efforts, the best of the best. To see more of all this, I am here to celebrate each one behind it all.”

Highlighting the undaunted spirit of both, the clients and the agencies, Tista Sen, Regional Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson – South Asia, puts forth that the year has been unprecedented to say the very least and the ones who went ahead to break new grounds and challenge the status quo, have to be applauded. “It takes creative inspiration and a certain fearlessness from both the agency and the client together to do this and I am so looking forward to celebrating brave new thinking and implementation in the digital space,” she says.

Speaking about the impact of the pandemic on the industry, Anil Nair, CEO, VMLY&R, expresses. “The pandemic has shown the huge impact social media and connections have played in information dissemination and keeping up with the morale of people. Social media has shown us some of its negatives but has also demonstrated the immense power of doing good as well.”

For participants, he says, “I want all the participants to keep pushing the bar and use the power of creativity for the greater good.” After all, creativity flourishes in chaos — as the Jury had agreed on in an earlier Live Session on lessons from 2020 to take forward in 2021.

The industry found collective hope in how leaders emerged when ships were traversing through troubled waters, structures of support came up as potential anchors. The Jury congratulates professionals on finding a way through the constraints in a year that was easy on none.

Adding to the topic of Jury’s expectations from the nominations, Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group, India and Jury Chair (Media) says, “We expect some path-breaking and innovative work that has been effective and has resulted in engaging with the consumers in a more engaging way than ever before.”

“It has been a challenging year and all digital marketing efforts should be applauded for the effort. I wish each participant all the best and encourage them to keep doing their best always,” he adds.

Further, Preetham Venkky, President, 22feet Tribal Worldwide & CDO, DDB Mudra Group, puts forth, "It's become imperative for us to celebrate our effort, our work & our outcomes. 2020 has been a grim reminder of how we need to celebrate the work we do - celebrate creativity; that brings impact and growth to the brands and businesses we serve. BSMB is the right platform to celebrate the best and most effective work under the broad umbrella of digital marketing.

"Entrants and participants need to focus on highlighting how they’ve used strategy and creativity to bring growth to the brand they’ve assisted in the process. What did you help grow? Growth for the brand will need to be the north star that guides you to success. Great outcomes are a good mix of great strategy and great creative", he adds.

Sharing his view on the evolving medium of social media, Gautam Reghunath, CEO, Dentsu Webchutney says that some of the brightest, most creative young minds in India right now have their creative energies primarily focused on social. "Social media is where the action is and that’s why I’m excited. SAMMIE BSMB aims to be a celebration of this. Of creators, artists, and brands that encourage this creativity and channel it. I’m looking forward to award work that uses creativity to show the nuances and possibilities of social media. As a tool for change."

"For actions. For reactions. And when we finally have our winners, I want us all to look at the work and feel proud of our industry. Feeling that we matter, that what we do is powerful and that a world with creativity is a better world," he adds.

Speaking about the evolving behavior of people on social media, Rohit Ohri, Group Chairman & CEO, FCB India, shares, “The pandemic has brought back the 'social' aspect of social media. People are depending, not only on their friend network but also on the wider community for support and inspiration. I'm keen to see how brands have pivoted to reflect this community-oriented shift in behaviour.

Expressing his thoughts on the role played by SAMMIE, Josy Paul, Chairman & CCO, BBDO says, “BSMB promotes and celebrates the work — and the people — that explore and create new digital brand experiences in the omnichannel world we live in. It’s a guiding light for anyone interested in the present and future of digital marketing.”

Echoing the sentiments of all Jury members, he perhaps concludes it all best by saying, “I would love to see how the participants combine emotional data with big data to build more human brands. We are all born to be creative. It’s the child in all of us. There’s no greater joy than being a 6-year-old again. The awards will come.”