Category Descriptions
CANADA'S TOP DIGITAL COMPANIES - Presented by Deloitte
Awarded to ground-breaking Canadian companies that have leveraged digital technologies to push the envelope and deliver profits. Eligible companies must have taken in a minimum of $2 million in revenues in the past year.
CANADA'S MOST PROMISING NEW DIGITAL COMPANIES
This category recognizes Canada’s top emerging digital companies that have shown they have what it takes to launch their businesses to the next level. Companies listed in this category will have built a great team, product and client base propelling them to the top of their field.
CANADA'S TOP DIGITAL EXECUTIVES
Always staying on top of the trends and even creating a few of their own, the Digital Executives listed in this category will have demonstrated the ability to shift their strategies with the ever-changing, ever-expanding digital landscape at light speed. These executives are leaders in the creation and execution of a market-winning strategy, driving their businesses to the digital forefront of their respective industry in 2011.
CANADA'S TOP DIGITAL PRODUCERS
Producers are the glue which bind a production together. Visionaries, planners, and executors, producers guide a project to completion from beginning to end. The Digital Producers listed in this category will be individuals who have delivered outstanding new digital initiatives in the last 12 months.
CANADA'S TOP DIGITAL DESIGN TEAMS
Visual design plays a fundamental role in how people interact with digital properties. Recognizing this, the digital design teams listed in this category will have effectively combined usability with a strong visual aesthetic to help users navigate their digital experience. The top Canadian Digital Design Teams category recognizes the groups of talented Canadians who worked together to evolve the standards of design in the digital medium.
CANADA'S TOP DEVELOPMENT TEAMS
Good coding is the most basic building block of any digital property. This category will recognize the top Canadian development teams that have demonstrated excellence in cutting-edge programming in any language, towards any digital initiative.
CANADA'S TOP SOCIAL MEDIA MAVENS
This category recognizes Canadian social medialites that exhibit innovation in creating and connecting online communities. The top Canadian social media mavens will have demonstrated leadership in the field, skillfully using social tools to bring in likes, check-ins, tweets, and more to deliver an unparalleled level of community engagement.
MOST INNOVATIVE DIGITAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES
This category recognizes the top Canadian media-related technologies that have had a significant impact on the media landscape in the last year and have demonstrated an innovative use of the digital medium. Entrants can be software- or hardware-based to be considered for this category. The technology must have been created by developers working in Canada at the time of its development and launch.
As marketers and brands become sophisticated creators and publishers of original entertainment experiences, there is a corresponding rise in the number and quality of branded entertainment initiatives. These projects will have demonstrated the outstanding creation of content that uniquely positions a brand within the context of a multiplatform entertainment experience.
These projects will have effectively leveraged the digital medium for communicating, advocating and marketing to communities about social causes. Methods of outreach can include all forms of digital media, including websites, mobile, and social technologies.
These projects will have demonstrated excellence in the creation, delivery and execution of online advertising campaigns. This category includes but is not limited to video, gaming, websites, banners, pop-ups, microsites, email, and rich media. Entries will be judged according to level of user engagement, awareness, and use of medium.
These projects will have made powerful use of social media for the promotion and exposure of business, arts or community organizations. Entries to this category will have exhibited an innovative and effective approach to building and engaging communities.
BEST IN LOCATION-BASED SERVICES***
Canada's foremost mobile websites and applications that obtain a geographical location to provide enhanced services and experiences. These services may include navigation and mapping (your nearest restaurant or gas station), weather services, traffic updates, mobile commerce (location-based advertising) or highlight points of interest (health, work or personal).
The brands, agencies and campaigns that have demonstrated innovation and exceptional execution in mobile marketing. Entries will be judged according to their potential to influence consumer perception and purchasing habits, effective use of the mobile medium, and the extent to which the mobile campaign complements the broader marketing effort.
BEST IN MOBILE APPLICATIONS***
Outstanding mobile applications demonstrating exceptional functionality, innovation, audience reach and frequency, as well as excellence in the use of the mobile medium.
BEST IN TABLET APPLICATIONS***
Tablet-based applications that have set the standard for excellence in this new medium and worked to define and expand the users' understanding of the capabilities of the tablet device. Tablet applications will also be evaluated based on exceptional functionality and innovation, audience reach and frequency, and, if applicable, the effectiveness of the adaptation of an existing product for use on a tablet.
Excellence in the interactive enhancement of a television property across digital platforms for audiences 13 and younger. Eligible projects could include games, websites and/or mobile applications associated with a television program.
BEST IN CROSS-PLATFORM: ENTERTAINMENT
Excellence in the interactive enhancement of a television sitcom, comedy or other genre of scripted entertainment across digital platforms. Eligible projects could include games, websites and/or mobile applications associated with a television program.
BEST IN CROSS-PLATFORM: FACTUAL
.Excellence in the interactive enhancement of a television reality & lifestyle program, documentary, current affairs program or other genre of non-fiction programming across digital platforms. Eligible projects could include games, websites and/or mobile applications associated with a television program.
BEST WEB SERIES: REALITY & LIFESTYLE
Excellence in the development of a reality & lifestyle production viewed exclusively by internet audiences. Entries will have had no prior transmission on television or theatrical release prior to launch.
Excellence in the development of a comedy production viewed exclusively by internet audiences. Entries will have had no prior transmission on television or theatrical release prior to launch.
Excellence in the development of a dramatic production viewed exclusively by internet audiences. Entries will have had no prior transmission on television or theatrical release prior to launch.
Excellence in the development of a documentary production viewed exclusively by internet audiences. Entries will have had no prior transmission on television or theatrical release prior to launch.
Innovative games created by Canadian developers specifically for the web. Entries may include games with either single or multiplayer experiences, demonstrating originality and excellence in game design, with the potential to engage gamers globally in a unique online experience.
Innovative games created by Canadian developers specifically for mobile devices. Entries may include games with either single or multiplayer experiences, demonstrating originality and excellence in game design as well as unique and effective use of the mobile medium.
BEST IN TABLET-BASED GAMING***
Innovative games created by Canadian developers specifically for tablet devices. Entries may include games with either single or multiplayer experiences, demonstrating originality and excellence in game design as well as unique and effective use of the tablet medium.
BEST IN DIGITAL NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS PUBLISHING
Digital publications that deliver rich, timely and compelling news and current affairs content to their audiences. Based on initiatives launched between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 (editorial or video-based), entries will be judged on quality of content, strength of user experience, originality, and overall market potential in the competitive digital news and current affairs sector.
BEST IN TABLET-BASED PUBLISHING
Tablet-based digital publications that most effectively leverage the medium to deliver rich, timely and compelling stories in any genre. Based on initiatives launched between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 (editorial or video-based), entries will be judged on quality of content, strength of user experience, originality and overall market potential in the emerging tablet-based publication sector.
BEST IN DIGITAL LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT PUBLISHING
Digital publications that deliver rich, timely and compelling lifestyle & entertainment content to their audiences. Based on initiatives launched between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 (editorial or video-based), entries will be judged on quality of content, strength of user experience, originality, and overall market potential in the competitive lifestyle & entertainment sector.
sAn online video portal that distributes video content via the internet or mobile technology. Videos can be any length and any genre, and may include music videos, movies, news clips, videos, and full-length TV shows. Portals will be judged according to value of content for the audience, brand distinction, functionality and enhanced features such as social networking tools.
This category recognizes the top Canadian learning products that best use the digital medium to improve a learner's skill or knowledge in any subject area while offering a high-quality user experience that is as innovative as it is effective.
This category will recognize the top Canadian online properties that best use the digital medium to define what it means to be Canadian. The top Canadian projects in this category will offer an innovative exploration of our country's history, life in Canada today, or a glimpse of where we may be headed in the future.
***Please provide a maximum 2-minute video demonstration with your entry into any category that requires use of a mobile or tablet device by the judging committee.
