• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, July 21, 2015

If you aren't overwhelmed by the number of ad industry awards already screaming for your attention, be prepared for more noise if Berlin School of Creative Leadership Faculty Director Professor David Slocum gets his way. In a piece he wrote forForbes, he makes the case for more, not fewer ad creativity awards and notes that current awards really aren't honoring the right work, given that so much in the industry has changed in recent years. 

In his argument, he writes: "I am convinced that we should see more not fewer categories for recognizing creativity. I believe, specifically, for the realm of brand and marketing communications, that achievements in creative business leadership and organizational change deserve to be recognized. In these areas, dramatically new ideas and executions are arguably at the heart of the transformation of creative businesses today."

Following that line of thinking, he suggests ten new award categories for the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity; Acquisition of the Year, Agency Business Model With Special Award For Fee & Compensation Scheme (no, seriously), an award for Agency Support Functions, Creative Culture Transformation With Special Award for Building a Culture after a Merger, Cross-Agency Collaboration With Special Award for Co-Creation, Marketing Technology Platforms and Systems Awards, Programmatic Agency of the Year, Strategic and Creative Talent Management, Use of Data Analytics in Building Brand Business Intelligence and Value Delivery to the Customer (not Client).

Slocum makes no mention of just how these awards categories would be judged .