General Rules
Entries must consist of marketing and advertising materials first used between March 1, 2009 and February 28, 2010.
 
Entries must be received by 6:00 pm EST on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 to qualify for the $300 per entry fee.  Extended deadline is Tuesday, April 13, at $375 per entry fee.
 
Entrant must be a national or international CTAM member. If someone other than the official CTAM member is compiling the entry, please list them as the secondary contact, including name, phone and email, in Step 5 on the entry form.
 
An entry may be submitted in one category only.
 
Agencies, clients, partners, networks and affiliates should communicate regarding who is entering work to ensure that duplicate entries are not submitted. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.
 
You may pull one element from a campaign and re-enter it separately in the same category under the appropriate medium. Do not submit elements of a campaign again in other categories, as they will be eliminated from judging.
 

Completing Entry Form
Fill out all seven steps on the online entry form according to the instructions.
 
Each entry title must be unique. If you’re submitting multiple entries, do not use the same title twice. Do not enclose the title with quotation marks. Limit the entry title to 35 characters (so it will fit on your statue).
 
When you hit “Continue” at the bottom of the first page of the form, you will be directed to the Marketing Summary. Fill in each section as described. There is a 100 word limit per section.
 
WARNING!
Draft your Marketing Summary in a separate Word document first to preserve your work. On rare occasions, entry form content has been lost due to working on one entry for an extended time, or other computer-related glitches. In most cases, you can cut and paste copy from Word into the form to save time. 
 
You may save your Summary for further editing by clicking “Save for Later,” or you may make payment. In either case, your entry form will be available for editing later.
 
 

Submitting Your Entry
A.   Submitting Campaign Media
 
Reminder: Campaign is defined as marketing communications or promotions unified by a common theme or goal, containing a minimum of two, but not more than five different media.

  · Submit only one example of each medium
  · Each medium must be submitted in digital format
  · Photographs of three-dimensional materials (such as kits, premiums, and magazines) are acceptable.
  · Submit a written translation in a Word document for Non-English entries.
  · Video files should not include bars, tones or slates. If the total run time of the media exceeds five minutes, submit an edited segment no longer than two minutes total.
  · See 3C. for uploading instructions.

B.   Submitting Single Media
 
  · Submit a minimum of one or maximum of three thematically tied examples.
 
Exception: If the media are part of a set that can’t be separated to get full impact of the marketing, such as a series of postcards that build on one another, you may submit the full set as a unit.
 
   · All single media must be entered in digital format (see 3C), with the exception of kits, premiums, and other three-dimensional mailed materials. (see 3D).
   · Submit a written translation in a Word document for Non-English entries.
   · Video files should not include bars, tones or slates. If the total run time of the media exceeds five minutes, submit an edited segment no longer than two minutes total.
   · See 3C. for uploading instructions.
 
C.    Preparing Your Media for Uploading
 
One file upload is permitted per entry. For entries with multiple media (campaigns),
please use ZIP, RAR, or SITX files to pack media into a single upload.
 
Total upload size must not exceed 100MB.
 
Label media files with a two-word or 20 character abbreviation of the entry title, and the type of media. For example:
 
   Easy Street TV Spot
   Easy Street Direct Mail
   Easy Street OOH
 
Types of files accepted:
 
Video: AVI, WMV, WMA, ASF, MPEG, QT, MOV, Real, FLV, MP4
Audio: WMA, MP3, WAV
Images (including banner ads): JPG, GIF, SWF, EPS, PSD, PNG
Print Materials: EPS, PS, PDF, DOC, DOCX
Web Sites: URL, links embedded in a Word Document or HTML page
 
Uploading Your Media
 
The “My Entries” page lists each entry you have saved. You may edit your entry, delete it (before payment), print it, upload your media or materials, and make payment from this page. 
 
When you’re ready to submit your media, click “Upload.” Use “Select” to navigate to the file on your computer, and “Upload File” to send it.  If you need to start over, click “Clear.”
 
A progress meter will show you how your upload is coming along. You can cancel your upload at any time during the process.
 

Make a mistake, or leave out a file? To change, re-load, or add a file, return to “My Entries,” click “Upload,” and repeat the process.

To review, download, or delete your upload, click “Manage Uploads.” A window will pop up with a list of all the files you have uploaded and the tools to manage them.

 
 
D.   Preparing and Shipping Exceptions (Kits, Premiums and Other Three-Dimensional Single Media)
 
   · Submit two copies of each.  (For extremely large bulky items – submit one)
   · Pieces measuring more than 24” X 36”, and weighing more than 15 pounds, regardless of media, will not be accepted. In this case, upload a digital photo (See 3C).
   · Submit all relevant pieces, such as the packaging, letter and brochure, where applicable.
   · Submit a written translation in a word document for Non-English entries.
   · Make sure boxes are no larger than 40” X 40” X 40”. CTAM has no loading dock.
   · Include one printed copy of your entry form.
   · Send to:
   CTAM
   Attn:  Mark Awards
   201 N. Union St
   Ste. 440
   Alexandria, VA 22314
   703.549.4200
 

Making Your Payment
Entry fees are $300 (late entries are $375) regardless of division or category or medium.
 
The simplest method of payment is by credit card on line, at the time you submit each entry.
 
If you must pay by check, make it payable to “CTAM”. Print a copy of your entry form and attach to check before mailing. Multiple entries may be paid for with the same check, but printed copies of all entry forms must be attached to the check. Do not send checks without documentation.
 
CTAM
Attn:  Mark Awards
201 N. Union St
Ste. 440
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.549.4200
 

What happens after the entry is submitted?
All entries become the property of CTAM and may be displayed at the CTAM Summit, on markawards.com and/or placed in the Cable Center archives. Entries will not be returned under any circumstance. By entering the Mark Awards competition, you agree to these rules and guidelines.
 
If your entry is a finalist, the primary contact will be notified by email mid-August and asked to fill out an entry credit form, listing all those to be credited for the entry.
 
The winners will be announced during the CTAM Summit in New Orleans which takes place October 18-20.
 

Questions
Contact Denise Motlagh
Director of Awards and Recognition
703.837.6557 or 703.549.4200
denise@ctam.com