With another promising edition of the IAB MIXX Awards just around the corner, the four jury presidents are already looking ahead. Which categories are they most interested in? What are they hoping to see in the entries? What will they be paying particular attention to during the judging process? Laurence Waegemans (Bauer Media Outdoor Belgium) is the last of the jury presidents to share her perspective.
Laurence is no stranger to the IAB MIXX Awards. In recent years, she has already served on the jury three times and did not hesitate for a second when asked to chair it this year.
“As Belgians, we tend to look first at what is happening in the Netherlands, France or the UK. The MIXX Awards show us of the wealth of talent and the great work being produced right here in Belgium.”
For Laurence, the event provides an opportunity to showcase Belgian expertise and learn from others.
“This is more important than ever because the digital landscape has changed dramatically. Its scope continues to grow. Hopefully, we will see this reflected in this year’s entries.”
Digital Channel Awards
Best Search Campaign
Awards the most effective campaign leveraging search as a primary channel, including paid search (SEA), organic search (SEO), or a combination of both.
Best Social and Influencer Campaign
Awards the most effective campaign leveraging social media platforms and/or influencer marketing to drive measurable results.
Best Digital Broadcast Campaign (OOH, TV & Audio)
Awards the most effective use of digital broadcast channels to deliver scaled reach through formats such as Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH), Connected TV (CTV) or Digital Audio.
Best Retail Media Campaign
Awards the most effective campaign leveraging retail media networks or commerce platform advertising to influence purchase behaviour.
Best Owned Ecosystem Campaign
Awards the most effective campaign leveraging owned digital assets such as websites, apps, CRM, email, messaging platforms or other first-party environments.
Looking Forward to Retail Media and GEO
Although there are fewer categories than in the previous edition, the Digital Channel Awards remain broad in scope, covering paid search, influencer marketing, podcast advertising and owned media, among others. Almost any digital campaign can find its place here.
“I naturally have the strongest affinity with the Best Digital Broadcast Campaign category, but I’m also very curious to see the retail media campaigns. Although we’ve been talking about retail media for years, they remain underrepresented in awards competitions.”
Laurence is equally interested in the Best Owned Ecosystem Campaign category.
“Of course, campaigns through external channels are important. Ultimately, though, everything starts with your own website and communications, especially given how dependent everyone has become on Meta and similar platforms.”
In her role as Head of National Sales at Bauer Media Outdoor Belgium, Laurence is particularly interested in the progress that brands have made in transitioning from SEO to GEO. “If you want to be found today, you need to convince both search engines and LLMs.”
Channel Choice Comes First
For the judging process, Laurence will be joined by a diverse jury comprising: Charlie Coppe (Dentsu), Alexandre Devleeschouwer (DPG Media), Geoffrey Haesaert (Brussels Airport), and Barbara Van Caubergh (RMB).
Two key questions will guide their deliberations: “Why did a brand and its partners choose one channel over another? And do the numbers prove that it was the right decision?”
Choosing the right channel can enable smaller players to compete with much larger ones. “The tighter the budget, the less room there is for error. However, it is often in these circumstances that the greatest creativity emerges.”
Of course, the execution also plays a major role, alongside the concept and media buying.
A Breath of Fresh Air
“The question is not whether a particular campaign could win an award,” says Laurence. “It’s about whether you’re proud of what you’ve created and want to share it with the industry as a source of inspiration. Any award that follows is simply the icing on the cake.”
“You can feel the fresh sense of energy brought by the relaunch of IAB Belgium, both to the market and to the organisation of the event. There is a clear vision again, and I like the strong ambition to put Belgium on the international map.”
“In any case, I can’t wait to dive into the huge number of entries we have received. Bring them on!”