CIM 2002 Marketing Awards get underway

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is offering Northern Ireland businesses the opportunity to gain wide recognition for their marketing efforts through the CIM Northern Ireland Marketing Awards 2002.

Now in its fourth year, and with Invest Northern Ireland as the major sponsor, the awards competition is designed to pay tribute to the marketing efforts of local companies. These companies promote creativity and innovation in the application of their marketing and are helping to promote Northern Ireland as a centre of marketing excellence.

Speaking at the launch event, Ruth Brown, Chair of the Regional Awards Organising committee for the Chartered Institute of Marketing said: "To reap the rewards that successful marketing can bring, organisations must be ready and willing to integrate new concepts and technologies into their core marketing activities. The CIM recognises that tremendous work is being done by Northern Ireland businesses in completing in a fast-moving global marketplace. We want to pay tribute to their efforts and showcase them as examples of marketing best practice."

This year's competition is open to any Northern Ireland-based organisation and the categories have been carefully chosen so that all industries can be represented. This year, an extra category has been added, the New Business Marketing Award. It is hoped this award will enable young businesses, that have grown from start-up and who have achieved outstanding commercial success through the application of marketing in less than three years, to enter the awards.

In another change this year, companies will not be able to enter directly for the overall Marketing Excellence Award. The winner of this award will be drawn from a list of companies shortlisted in the other eight categories and will be awarded to the company, who in the judges' opinion, displays the best overall marketing in all areas of their organisation.

The awards will be celebrated during a gala dinner at the Ramada Hotel on Thursday October 17. The closing date for entries is 12 noon on Friday June14.

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