Grupo Gallegos takes only GOLDS at HispanicAd.com 2008 HAPE Awards.

The third annual HispanicAd.com Account Planning Excelencia (HAPE) awards were presented to 6 winners in four categories and two recognitions. HispanicAd.com CEO Gene Bryan, creator of the awards, handed out the honors during the luncheon at the 25rd semi-annual conference of The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles.

The HispanicAd.com Account Planning Excelencia (HAPE) awards were designed to identify and reward the best account planning in the industry.

Account planning seeks to understand the motivation behind consumer behavior and reveals closely held attitudes, beliefs, and feelings about brands, self, family and lifestyle. Insight and consumer perspective combined with innovative concepts, strategic analytical thinking, and instinctive curiosity guide planners in developing the platform for brilliant creative execution. The account planning profession plays a key role in an interdisciplinary approach to serving clients and delivering demonstrated business value.

Judged on insight, creativity and effectiveness, the case study entries summarized a business challenge and described the skillful solution that changed or guided the course of communications development. A distinguished panel of judges representing advertising agencies within the Hispanic and general market evaluated the entries in four categories.

The judges for the competiion were the President of the Jury Rocio Fernandez, Executive Director of Strategic Planning for Dieste Harmel & Partners; Gustavo Laria, Sr Copywriter of La Comunidad; Tracy Lowett, WW Strategic Planning Director for BBDO; Ken Muench, Account Planner for Grupo Gallegos; Andrew Speyer, Head of Planning at Zubi; Jorge Ulla, Chief Ideation Office from d exposito & partners and Jenn Urich from seedexperience.

This year three of the four categories were redefined:

1) Best strategic thinking for the introduction or repositioning of a product or service in the Hispanic market.

New product/service introductions, as well as existing ones for the general market, that are newly introduced in the Hispanic market would compete in this category. Also, cases related to mature brands that are changing their positioning to reach a new/different target than in the past communication efforts will be included in this category.

2) Best strategic thinking in the creative development for a product or service.

Any strategic thinking for an established product or service for the Hispanic market (not introductory/no repositioning) would compete in this category. Here are the cases for brand that keep the same positioning and are building a relationship with the same consumers even if it is based in a different insight and a different creative concept.

3) Best strategic thinking in the development of an integrated communications plan.

The cases that are called to compete in this category are the ones for brands with a multiplatform communication strategy- that means, the execution of the strategy ran in two or more forms of communication: advertising, promotions, digital, experiential, public relations, etc…. This award is for cases that demonstrate the capacity of the strategic thinking to inspire and develop big ideas that can live in different communication forms and beyond the advertising as well as the exploration of multiple consumer apertures and points of contact and engagement with the brand.

4) Pro Bono

This category maintained the same parameters as last year.

“Congratulations to all of the winners and entrants,” said Jose Lopez-Varela, chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) and executive group account director of Lopez Negrete Communications. “Account planning is a critical part of our business and the strategic, creative thinking employed by these professionals is exemplary. Our partnership with HispanicAd.com provides the opportunity to recognize excellence in our industry and challenge our members to continually improve for the benefit of our clients and our consumers. We look forward to a continuation of our long-standing relationship with HispanicAd.com to inspire our members to achieve greatness.”

Next year, jury head Fernandez hopes more people will enter the competition and take the challenge to Hispanic marketing professionals seriously. “We need to take a step ahead to abandon our silo as Hispanic marketers and embrace a higher level of competency to contend with general market agencies on a strategic level. I want the professionals in our industry to embrace the standards of quality and strategy that general market agencies employ and showcase our work that is on that level and beyond. There shouldn’t be different standards between our work and the work of a general market agency. Hispanic creative can compete and win in Cannes. The strategy should be equally as competitive.”

The winners of the third annual HAPE Awards Competition are:

GOLD

California Milk Processor Board – Grupo Gallegos – Best strategic thinking for the introduction or repositioning of a product or service in the Hispanic market.
Energizer – Grupo Gallegos – Best strategic thinking in the development of an integrated communications plan.

SILVER

Pine Sol – Dieste Harmel & Partners -Best strategic thinking for the introduction or repositioning of a product or service in the Hispanic market.
Eclipse – The Bravo Group – Best strategic thinking in the creative development for a product or service.
Honda Accord – Concept Cafe – Best strategic thinking in the creative development for a product or service.

BRONZE

Toyota Tundra – Conill – Best strategic thinking in the development of an integrated communications plan.

HONORABLE MENTION

T-Mobile USA – Conill – Best strategic thinking in the creative development for a product or service.

Recognition for Best use of Research in the Strategic Process went to T-Mobile Sidekick at Conill and the recognition of Young Planner (under 28) went to Jeff beck of C.O.D.