Ireland’s social media kings and queens will be crowned on May 30th, at the country’s annual Social Media Awards. And this year the winners will have the added honour of being recognised by two of the largest names in corporate social networking, YouTube and HubSpot.
The two companies have been announced as category sponsors for this year’s awards, joining the main sponsor Bord Gáis Energy. YouTube is sponsoring the Best Video/Video Campaign (Non-Broadcast) category and HubSpot is sponsoring the Inbound Marketing/Content Marketing Campaign category.
HubSport’s move to sponsor the Inbound Marketing category comes just four months after the company open its offices in Dublin.
YouTube and HubSpot are perhaps the most prominent companies to have sponsored categories in the awards’ three year history. But along with the sponsors some of Ireland’s most recognisable brands and companies are among the nominees.
Over 200 companies submitted 400 applications to this year’s awards, with Universal Pictures Ireland, Cow and Gate, Dublin Zoo, Warner Music Ireland, Hailo Dublin, Vodafone Ireland, O2 Ireland, and The Carphone Warehouse among the finalists.
Speaking about the range of companies shortlisted this year, the founder of the Irish Social Media Awards, Damien Mulley, said: “It is great to see well known and respected brands reaching the finalist list alongside smaller companies and organisations who are working so hard to market themselves online. All entries received were highly professional, creative and extremely results driven.”
Eoin O’ Suilleabháin, Bord Gáis Energy’s Digital and Social Media Manager echoed Mulley’s sentiments, saying that the quality and competition of this year’s nominees were higher than last year’s.
2FM presenter Rick O’Shea will return on present the evening’s events, which will take place in the Clyde Court Hotel on Thursday, 30th May.
This year’s shortlist is;
Best Integrated Social Media Campaign – sponsored by NCI Digital Marketing Certificate
- O2 Ireland / #BringOnTheGreen
- Universal Pictures Ireland / Les Misérables
- RTÉ Twotube
- Meteor / Free Data
- Universal Pictures Ireland / The Hardy Bucks Movie
- Batchelors Peas Farmers Campaign
- Electric Ireland / #PoweringKindness
- Bord Na Móna / Growise
Inbound Marketing/Content Marketing Campaign – Sponsored by HubSpot
- ReSell Middle East
- DoneDeal & Web Content Partners – Content Marketing Campaign
- Renault Carculator
- Batchelors Peas Farmer of the Year
- Sage eBooks Campaign 2012
Best Social Media Only Campaign (not linked to any other media)
- The National Lottery / Peggy’s Pad
- Prowlster / Your One-Stop-Read-and-Shop
- Irish Autism Action / Tweetathon
- My Funky Baby
- Vodafone Ireland / Hidden Christmas Characters
- DAA / Dubliners@DublinAirport
- Goodall’s Modern Irish Cookbook
- Marks & Spencer Easter Egg Competition
Agency of the Year
- Hunter Communications
- Ogilvy/WHPR
- H+A
- Brand Social
- Eighty Twenty
- Radical
- Refresh
Best Use of Social Media by State Body
- Irish Rail
- Irish Defence Forces
- IT Sligo
- University College Cork
- Road Safety Authority of Ireland
- National Gallery of Ireland
- RTÉ Morning Ireland
- LookWest.ie
- RTÉ Bród Club
Customer Care using Social Media (Integrated)
- Blacknight
- Electric Ireland
- GoBus.ie
- Hailo Dublin
- Meteor Mobile
- O2 Ireland
- Road Safety Authority
- Tesco Mobile Ireland
- The Carphone Warehouse
- Vodafone Ireland
Best Video/Video Campaign (Non-Broadcast) – Sponsored by YouTube
- Amnesty Ireland / Healthcare Guaranteed
- Batchelors Peas Farmers Campaign
- The Tactics Board
- Vodafone Ireland / 100,000 Facebook Likes
- Irish Autism Action / Different Not Less
- How to Make a Hipster Christmas Jumper
- DublinTown.ie
- Horseware / Rugs for Life
- Glanbia / Avonmore Peak Fresh
Best Online PR Campaign
- Bord Na Móna / #ShortStoryLongNight
- Cork City Culture Night
- Horseware / Rugs for Life
- Funky Christmas Jumpers
- Arnotts – #arnottShoeGarden
Best Use of Social Media for a Sponsorship Campaign
- 3 Mobile Football
- Aviva Stadium
- Electric Ireland / Team Olympics Ireland
- Vodafone Dublin GAA Hill 16
- DAA / Dubliners@DublinAirport
- Meteor Choice Music Prize
- AllAboutBusiness.ie / Dragon’s Den
- Eircom GAA Football Championship
- o2 – Bring on the Green
Most Innovative Use of Social Media – sponsored by Sabr Media
- Arnotts – #arnottShoeGarden
- RTÉ Bród Club
- Electric Ireland
- Irish Autism Action
- Dublin Airport Authority
- Irish Heart Foundation
- Aviva Stadium
- AA Ireland
- Tour America
Social Media Effectiveness – Conversions, Metrics etc.
- 3 Mobile Football
- Batchelors Peas Farmers Campaign
- Lyons Tea Christmas Hamper Competition
- RTÉ 2fm
- RTÉ Morning Ireland
- RTÉ Republic of Telly
- Winterval, Waterford’s Christmas Festival
Best Mobile App (Marketing)
- Asthma Coach
- Bulmers deCider app
- Permanent TSB
- Pigsback App
- HAILO
- DoneDeal App iTunes
- AA Ireland
- International Rugby Board laws of Rugby
Best Mobile App (Events)
Best Blog of a Business – sponsored by .ME Registry
- AA Ireland
- Gaumina
- RaboDirect
- Hunter Communications
- Brown Sugar Hair and Beauty
- Irish National Stud
- Bonkers.ie
- Blacknight
Best Business Twitter account – Marketing, Sales
- @dublintown
- @Warnermusicirl
- @spinsouthwest
- @blacknight
- @RaboDirectIE
- @DublinAirport
- @wearecanteen
- @spin1038
Best Business Twitter account – Support, CRM
- @askpermanenttsb
- @tescomobileire
- @SMEcommunity_ie
- @O2IRL
- @irishrail
- @aaroadwatch
- @eircom
- @vodafoneireland
- @HailoDublin
Twitter Business Campaign
- Arnotts – #arnottShoeGarden
- Bord Na Mona Fuels / @LongNightIn
- iPhones4Autism.ie / @iPhones4Autism
- ISPCC Childline / @ISPCCChildline
- Kronos Incorporated / @KronosInc
- Laya Healthcare / @LayaHealthcare
- Sligo Stats / @SligoStats
- Vodafone Ireland / @vodafoneireland
Integrated Facebook Campaign: Page, App, Ads
- Jameson Ireland
- Mid-West Spin Bifida Association
- HSE Quit
- Apta Club Ireland
- o2 Ireland
- Cow and Gate Ireland
- Funky Christmas Jumpers
- Warner Music Ireland
- Hailo Dublin
- Tour America
Facebook Page for a Business (Owner Managed)
- Funky Christmas Jumpers
- Cork Independent
- Vodafone Ireland
- Music Scene
- Galway Advertiser
- SPIN South West
- Barnacles
- DoneDeal.ie
- Republic of Telly
- Hailo Dublin
- Sam MacCauley Chemists
- Kates Kitchen
Facebook Page for a Non-Profit/Organisation – Sponsored by The Irish League of Credit Unions
- Irish Wildlife Trust
- Look West
- Irish Autism Action
- IT Sligo
- Dublin Zoo
- Dublin Marathon
- IT Blanchardstown
- Focus Ireland
- Waterford Gathering
Facebook Page for a Business (Non Campaign) – sponsored by MailMaker.co