Rewarding work in English & Indian Languages
Entries Closed
Final Showdown: August 29, 2019
The Westin, Sector - 29, Gurugram
About
Welcome to the 3rd edition of Digipub Awards 2019, India’s top honours for web publishers.
The event was created by afaqs! to reward inspiring initiatives by websites in India across a range of effort: from great content to brand partnership to audience engagement and design.
The Awards are reserved for traditional websites – that is, sites that depend on content and advertising/sponsorship/subscription/public contribution for their continued existence. (They are not open to corporate, brand or ecommerce websites)
The number of categories in which websites can enter has been streamlined based on response.
Additionally, Digipub Awards will identify ‘Website of the Year’ in four categories. Plus there is a new category: News App of the Year.
As has been the case since the first edition, aspirants can compete under either ‘English’ or ‘Indian Languages’ in their chosen category.
Categories
Advertising
Best Native Advertising
Creative use of native advertising to further a brand's communications objectives
Judging criteria
- Content should be engaging
- Persuasive
- Sit comfortably in the site
- Should not be misleading
Participants could enter up to 3 pieces of work for each client per entry.
Best Brand Partnership
Pact between a publisher and a brand to promote a product or service
Judging criteria
- The pact must have a specific objective
- Should have endured for some time
- Must be unique in some way
Participants could enter up to 3 pieces of work for each client per entry.
Innovation
Best Innovation in Publishing
The innovation could relate to content, advertising, audience generation - or just about any initiative on the site. But it has to be original, make people sit up and say 'wow'.
Judging criteria
- Should be a specific initiative with a clear purpose
- Looks at an opportunity in a unique way
- Ideally, not tried before in India
- Inspiring to others in the business
Best audience engagement on site
Meaningful efforts to engage visitors in one or a variety of ways and keep them on the website.
Judging criteria
- While time spent and frequency of return visits are good indicators of engagement, the entry must also share innovative initiatives taken
- Apart from absolute numbers, the jury will also consider the nature of the site (eg whether news or specialized or entertainment)
Content
Best Article/Video Feature
The coverage of an important issue in an insightful way.
Judging criteria
The issue must be of significance
- Stories be online-first (not have appeared earlier in print/TV)
- Could be in text or video
Participants should submit a single entry for this category.
Best Article/Video Series
Sustained coverage of an important issue in a logical, systematic, and insightful way.
Judging criteria
The issue must be of significance
- Stories be online-first (not have appeared earlier in print/TV)
- Could be in text or video
- Should consist of up to three articles/clips
Participants could enter up to 3 pieces of work per entry
Note: Multiple video links or article links but not both together. This means that either all 3 video links or all 3 story links.
Best Interview (video)
An interview that brings out the interviewee’s point of view in a funny, insightful or revealing manner.
Judging criteria
- The interaction must be engrossing
- Not only must the answers be compelling, the questions should be perceptive as well
Participants need to submit only one interview per entry
Best Use of Video
The strategic use of video in a way as to attract and keep an audience on the website.
Judging criteria
Visual story telling in an absorbing way
- Consistently, not one-off
- Draws visitors, keeps them longer, makes them return
More than specific videos, the participant should highlight the role that videos play on the site, and how. Use of PDF to explain recommended.
Best Podcast
A podcast, whatever the subject or format, that keeps listeners riveted.
Judging criteria
- The podcast must take full advantage of the medium
- Be original, compelling
Participants need to submit only one podcast per entry
Social Media
Best Use of Social Media
Best use of social media to promote content on the website
Judging criteria
Help distribute content
- Create interest in site and draw in new people
- Help in bringing back existing users
- Create buzz around the site
Use of PDF to explain recommended.
Participants could enter up to 3 pieces of work for each client per entry.
Design
Best Interactive Story
Using the best possibilities of interactivity that the web offers to tell a great story.
Judging criteria
The story should stand out
- Should use interactivity that the web offers
- To draw readers into the subject
Participants need to submit only one article per entry
Best user experience
Where the site is aesthetically appealing and yet functionally efficient.
Judging criteria
- Objective-driven design
- Communicates clearly
- High visual quality
- Helps visitors find content
- Must work across both desktop and mobile devices
Best use of newsletter
The use of a daily or weekly e-mailer to inform opt-in subscribers what’s new on the site.
Judging criteria
- The mailer must effectively convey what new content is on the site
- And tempt the recipient to visit it
Participants may submit up to three mailers per entry
Website of the Year
Website of the Year (General News and Features)
Website of the Year (Lifestyle/Infotainment/Sports/Entertainment)
Website of the Year
(Lifestyle/Infotainment
/Sports/Entertainment)
Website of the Year (Business)
Website of the Year (Emerging)(less than 3 years old as on May 31, 2019)
Outstanding overall experience for a site which persuades the target audience to come again and again and spend time.
Judging criteria
- It should score high on the parameters of content, design, functionality, navigation, interactivity
- It should inspire trust among users and, if possible, loyalty
- It must be unique in some way
- Must work across both desktop and mobile devices
Important: For Website of the Year awards, entrants must submit basic information about traffic numbers, growth or anything else that could help the jury make up its mind.
App of the Year
News App of the Year
Outstanding overall experience for a news app which compels the target audience to keep the app and use it repeatedly.
Judging criteria
- It should score high on the parameters of content, design, functionality, navigation, interactivity
- It should inspire trust among users and, if possible, loyalty
- It must be unique in some way
RULES, REGULATIONS & PROCESS
Eligibility
The Digipub Awards are open only to publishing websites that depend on content and advertising/sponsorship for their business model. Advertising/sponsorship/subscription/public contribution must be its primary source of revenue.
(The awards are not open to other types such as corporate sites and ecommerce sites)
Digipub Awards are not open to ad agencies or marketers.
Entrants can only be websites operating in India. International sites that want to participate must have a significant Indian presence with reporters/editors based here.
ENTRY GUIDELINES
The entries must relate to work between June 01, 2018-May 31, 2019.
Entries will be closed on July 19, 2019.
All regional entries will have to translate their work into English. For videos use subtitles.
Note : Limited passes will be given to participants with 1 being minimum and 6 being maximum depending on the number of entries submitted. Additional passes can be purchased separately.
JUDGING CRITERIA
The Digipub Awards aim to recognise and celebrate exciting initiatives in the world of Indian web publishing.
The jury is given specific criteria as the basis for judging in each category.
JUDGING PROCESS
- Each entry will be judged by between 3-5 jurors.
- Jurors will rate entries on a scale of 1-10 where 1 is poor and 10 is exceptional.
- An applicant may enter either under English or Indian Languages in each category.
- An entry must score a minimum of 6/10 to qualify for Gold and 5/10 to take Silver. There is no Bronze.
