The Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS) and the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) have agreed to coordinate and fund the industry's premier showcase event, the Research Effectiveness Awards (REAs).

The call for entries will open next month, on 1 July 2009, and all research projects conducted since the closing date for the last REAs (in June 2007) will be eligible. Entries close on 31 January 2010 and the awards will be announced at a gala dinner event in Sydney next May.

A new award category to recognise innovation will be introduced as part of the 2010 REAs. The Innovation Award will be selected from all entries to the three existing categories: the Award for Commercial Effectiveness, the Communications Strategy Effectiveness Award, and the Award for Social Impact. Instead of there being finalists in each award category, up to three Gold Awards will be granted in each category with one Platinum Award going to the winner of each of the categories. Finalists will not be announced prior to the presentation of the awards.

The judging panel will be finalised next month. In the past, the winning REAs have been determined in two rounds of judging. This time, a single judging panel will consider all entries to the awards in February 2010. A judges' meeting will be held next March to decide both the finalists and the winners in each category.  

Most importantly, the judging criteria has been revised to emphasise that ‘research effectiveness' is defined as the application of the research by the client, whilst also requiring that the research supplier shows how they substantially contributed to that effectiveness.
The REAs were first introduced in 2006 and due to their success, held again in 2007, although it was originally intended that they would be only bi-annual or triennial awards.
AMSRS national president Peter Harris says the 2010 REAs will again give research professionals the chance to flag their successes, to demonstrate their contribution and to showcase the diversity of things they do.

He points to the the bi-annual Advertising Effectiveness Awards, which were introduced back in 1991 and have been a real winner for the advertising industry.

‘My hope is that the third Research Effectiveness Awards can do the same thing for our industry. I am looking forward to hearing examples of research that persuaded a reluctant client to run with a campaign idea, provided directional guidance for a total strategy re-think, or assisted with a new line extension, a service initiative or a different way of looking at customer satisfaction.'

AMSRO president Ian Thomas says the 2010 REAS have the potential to bring to the media's and business community's attention the industry's capacity to provide evidence for decision making.

‘The Research Effectiveness Awards are the pinnacle for both research agencies and their clients. They'll gain an enhanced profile along with some substantial performance measures they can deliver to their own market research managers, marketers, CEOs and boards.'
Kreab Gavin Anderson has been appointed to oversee marketing and publicity for the REAs. The call for entries will be online at www.amsrs.com.au at the end of June.

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