Manny Awards

For the Voting process:
Submit the name, title, and e-mail address of the agency representatives who will be voting (see the note below as to whom is eligible to vote) for the creative Manny Awards to Maria.Fontanazza@medadnews.com  

Voting and selection process for the Manny Awards

Voting for the Manny Awards has long been lauded for its democratic approach. More than 200 eligible agency executives are invited to participate, along with Med Ad News staff. Two voting ballots are allowed to be submitted from each participating healthcare communications agency, containing up to 3 selections per award category. The primary ballot is typically submitted by each agency’s lead creative director, with a second entry submitted by a combination of an agency’s chairman, president, and CEO. Each vote submitted as part of the first round of voting counts as one equal vote. Votes from agency executives for their own agency or an affiliated agency are discounted. All responses remain confidential.

A voting ballot is made available via Med Ad News’ Manny Awards Voting Website for carefully selected awards categories including:

  • Best Professional Campaign
  • Best Consumer Campaign
  • Best Medical Device Campaign
  • Best Philanthropic Campaign
  • Best Agency Campaign
  • Best Nonbranded Campaign
  • Best Managed Markets Campaign
  • Best Social Media Campaign
  • Best Rare Disease Campaign
  • Most Creative Agency
  • and more!

In addition, voters are invited to submit nominations for Industry Person of the Year and Best Launch Campaign of the Year.

A second level of voting conducted by a carefully vetted jury of industry experts will be conducted. Finalists in each category, determined by the initial online voting process, will be reviewed in detail by our judging panel. Each finalist campaign will be assigned a MedAdvocate, an unbiased representative asked to present the outstanding components of that finalist campaign and to inspire a dialogue surrounding that submission.

This process will be repeated for each creative category finalist. Following the panel’s discussion, our MedAdvocate Jury will be asked to cast their blind ballots to ultimately determine our winning entries.

Industry Person of the Year and Best Launch Campaign of the Year are reviewed and determined by Med Ad News staff based on agency nominations. Remaining categories, including Agency of the Year winners and finalists in Categories I, II, III and the Agency on the Rise, Heart Award and Innovation Award are decided by Med Ad News staff based on profile submissions and subsequent research and review.

The Manny Award Winners will remain sealed, to be announced at the ceremony held April 25th, 2024.

FAQ

Q: Do you have categories designated for branded pharmaceuticals exclusively?

A: Yes, we do. Some of our Manny Award categories are limited to branded products, while some others are for unbranded only. Others may be open to both, but each will be clearly defined on the updated submission forms.

Q: Do I need to submit three separate image sizes for each image?

A: To be appropriately represented across the voting site, the printed awards program, and the Med Ad News Healthcare Communications Agency issue, we require the three image sizes for creative assets as noted on the forms. Please designate at least one submitted creative asset for consideration to be included in your magazine profile.

Q: Can my agency leadership participate in the voting process if we did not submit for any awards this year?

A: YES! We strongly encourage agency participation in the voting process from all the highly qualified creative and executive teams serving the healthcare communications market. Our awards program is only as strong as its judging, so your voice is critical to the process.

Q: Why 3 selections per category?

A: By allowing 3 selections per voting category, our potential sample size of votes increases to 600 per category, ensuring a fair and balanced result.

Q: How much weight does peer voting have on results of creative categories?

A: ~200 eligible voters from healthcare communications agencies are invited to participate in the voting process compared to 4 staff voters. At full participation, peer voting accounts for >98% of the votes. 

Q: Can I win a Manny if I am not an award sponsor or advertiser in your publication?

A: Yes! Yes! Yes! Voting is conducted on a blind basis to eliminate potential bias for/against agencies for any and all reasons, including marketing spend. The Manny Awards are designed to recognize excellence in healthcare communications, via our creative categories and those that recognize agency performance. The Med Ad News team is happy to set aside some time to review the correlation between self-promotion and agency performance, but it is performance that results in award recognition.

Q: Can I assign voting responsibilities to more than two voters in my agency?

A: We will only tally two votes per agency per category. Many agencies do assign different category responsibility to different voters and that is acceptable. However, if we receive votes from more than two voters per agency per category, the extra votes will be removed from consideration.

Q: Can I serve on the MedAdvocate Jury? What exactly is a MedAdvocate?

A: The Med Ad News staff, with input from jury members, work together to assemble a balanced team of judges. In 2016, we began with some of the creative forces behind our recent “Most Creative Agency” recipients, as well as others who have been recognized as leaders in the industry. The dialogue generated at the live jury event will provide opportunity to carefully review each perspective surrounding the finalists’ campaigns. While some jury members may be invited in consecutive years, the goal is to rotate from the incredibly diverse pool of qualified candidates.

A: A MedAdvocate is the assigned champion for a finalist’s campaign. We rely on these spokespeople to initiate a dialogue among the jury and point out key aspects of the creative submission for discussion.

Q: Can I invite my clients to the awards ceremony?

A: Absolutely! Many of our award categories focus on the healthcare communication agency’s role in the campaign, which often creates more of an “agency event” the evening of the Manny Awards. However, clients are welcome to attend and encouraged to participate in the evening’s activities!

Q: Why PierSixty/Lighthouse as a venue?

A: The Manny Awards were moved from the Sheraton to Pier Sixty venues in 2012 to accommodate the growing crowd while improving sightlines. Those who attended prior to the new venue may remember seating 12 rows deep. More importantly, the venue offers a truly spectacular menu, stunning sunset waterfront views and better reflects the culture of our industry.

Q: What are the current Covid19 requirements to attend?

A: Our event and venues follow current NYC guidelines. There are currently no restrictions, but we urge you to check once again prior to the event.

Q: Why are Manny statues so heavy?

A: They are crafted from material yet to be identified on the periodic table of elements. Some say it comes directly from the meteor responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs and is intended to represent a continually evolving marketplace of pharmaceutical marketing. Several other theories are currently being investigated, but what it is a widely accepted historical fact is that it was Professor Plum, with the Manny Award, in the library.

Q: What if I have additional questions?

A: Please contact maria.fontanazza@medadnews.com with additional questions surrounding the Manny Awards submission and voting process. We look forward to your participation!