{"id":32747,"date":"2026-04-15T09:45:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T23:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/?p=32747"},"modified":"2026-04-15T12:17:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T02:17:25","slug":"effies-playbook-ai-prompts-free-research-and-how-to-use-the-next-8-weeks-wisely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/news\/effies-playbook-ai-prompts-free-research-and-how-to-use-the-next-8-weeks-wisely\/","title":{"rendered":"Effie playbook: AI prompts, free research, and how to use the next 6 weeks wisely"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019re planning to enter the Australian Effie Awards, our recent How to Enter & Win<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>webinar showed what separates a decent entry from one that actually wins.<\/p>\n

Effie judges, past winners from Westpac, Droga5 and 303, and effectiveness experts broke down how winning cases are built, from shaping the story to proving commercial impact.<\/p>\n

Below are the sharpest takeaways. Enough to get you moving, but\u00a0not enough to skip the recording.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\twatch the recording<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/form>\n\n\t\t\t[\/et_pb_code][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

AI won\u2019t write your case, but it will buy you time<\/h3>\n

Aaron Boekestein, Director, Ads Partnerships, Google ANZ, reframed the role of AI in the Effie process.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a cyclic play in proving value in effectiveness,\u201d he said. \u201cAI should bring effectiveness and efficiency together, freeing up time to focus on strategy and storytelling, not spreadsheets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Used properly, tools like Gemini can synthesise data, test logic and surface gaps early. Boekestein estimates it can reduce the initial workload by up to 60\u201370%.<\/p>\n

But the boundary is clear. While AI can sharpen the story, it cannot supply the proof (or truth).<\/p>\n

23 mins in, Aaron shares the exact Gemini prompts used to fast-track entry writing. His slide on how much time the platform can save you when writing an Effie is below.<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Use research to close the gaps<\/h3>\n

Free research credits from Ideally are available again this year to strengthen one of the weakest parts of most Effie cases: the evidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cUse consumers to help with the paper\u2019s narrative. Most use cases have been to fill in missing data points on how the work has \u2018worked\u2019 against a category context\u201d said George Robertson, Ideally\u2019s Global Agency Lead.<\/p>\n

The research can benchmark your work against the category, validate its distinctiveness, comprehension, appeal, and look at marketing science drivers to strengthen claims about commercial impact. It can also look at usage, attitudes, opinions and behaviours.<\/p>\n

The process is simple. Start with a hypothesis. Ideally runs the research, overnight, with a nationally representative sample. The output is submission-ready data.<\/p>\n

The proof point is in the Effie. The consumer is an integral part of the narrative of the Gold winners.<\/p>\n

Credits are limited and most useful in the early stages.\u00a0Watch George\u2019s full session at 17 mins to see how to structure your hypothesis and how research credits can help you. Contact effies@goideally.com to kick things off and claim your credits.<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

The best Effie papers have teeth<\/h3>\n

Anna Jackson, Head of Brand at Westpac, pointed to one of the biggest issues holding entries back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best Effie papers have teeth. Make that bold claim. What\u2019s the strong point of view you want to prove?\u201d<\/p>\n

Too many cases, she said, fall into the same \u201cboring\u201d trap.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou advertised and sales went up. So what? What\u2019s missing is causality. What actually drove the result, why it mattered, and what the industry can learn from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The strongest entries take a position, build a case around it and prove it with evidence. That requires pressure-testing early.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat data is available to support it? You\u2019ll know pretty quickly if it\u2019s a hill worth climbing.\u201d<\/p>\n

That same rigour needs to extend beyond marketing. \u201cGet the CFO on board. Commercial validity is a must,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

The reality of time\u00a0<\/h3>\n

With around six weeks until entries close (9 weeks when this was first published<\/em>), Jodi Elston, Chief Strategy Officer at 303, laid out a simple framework to use your remaining entry time wisely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree weeks on the data, three on the story, three on approvals*. And the data side\u2019s never truly finished,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The mistake, she said, is thinking the work starts when the form opens. Strong cases are built earlier, through how teams track and interrogate performance.<\/p>\n

Her advice is straightforward. Start with the data. Bring stakeholders in early. Build the story, don\u2019t retrofit it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully you\u2019ve started. If not, get cracking.\u201d<\/p>\n

*adjust according to fit remaining 6-week timeframe\/final entry deadline of June 1.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Effectiveness is proven<\/h3>\n

For Kit Lansdale, Head of Effectiveness at Droga5, the process is about understanding the work, not packaging it.<\/p>\n

\u201cEffectiveness isn\u2019t a one-off. How can we improve it, strengthen it, build on the work?\u201d<\/p>\n

That means being honest about the results.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t make up results. If the data doesn\u2019t hold, judges will know.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Effies endure for a reason<\/h3>\n

Chair of Judging Colin Wilson-Brown said the Effies remain a benchmark because they prove what works.<\/p>\n

With entries now open, the challenge is simple. Show not just what you made, but what it moved.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s not effective, it\u2019s not marketing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Download the entry kit and explore the new categories\u00a0here<\/a>. On-time entries close May 4.<\/b><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re planning to enter the Australian Effie Awards, our recent How to Enter & Win\u00a0webinar showed what separates a decent entry from one that actually wins. Effie judges, past winners from Westpac, Droga5 and 303, and effectiveness experts broke down how winning cases are built, from shaping the story to proving commercial impact. Below […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":32748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"If you\u2019re planning to enter the Australian Effie Awards, last week\u2019s\u00a0How to Enter & Win<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>webinar showed what separates a decent entry from one that actually wins.\r\n\r\nEffie judges, past winners from Westpac, Droga5 and 303, and effectiveness experts broke down how winning cases are built, from shaping the story to proving commercial impact.\r\n\r\nBelow are the sharpest takeaways. Enough to get you moving, but\u00a0not enough to skip the recording.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nINSERT RECORDING BUTTON WITH EDD\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

AI won\u2019t write your case, but it will buy you time<\/h3>\r\nAaron Boekestein, Director, Ads Partnerships, Google ANZ, reframed the role of AI in the Effie process.\r\n\r\n\u201cThere\u2019s a cyclic play in proving value in effectiveness,\u201d he said. \u201cAI should bring effectiveness and efficiency together, freeing up time to focus on strategy and storytelling, not spreadsheets.\u201d\r\n\r\nUsed properly, tools like Gemini can synthesise data, test logic and surface gaps early. Boekestein estimates it can reduce the initial workload by up to 60\u201370%.\r\n\r\nBut the boundary is clear. While AI can sharpen the story, it cannot supply the proof (or truth).\r\n\r\n23 mins in, Aaron shares the exact Gemini prompts used to fast-track entry writing. His slide on how much time the platform can save you when writing an Effie is below.<\/b>\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Use research to close the gaps<\/h3>\r\nFree research credits from Ideally are available again this year to strengthen one of the weakest parts of most Effie cases: the evidence.\r\n\r\n\u201cUse consumers to help with the paper\u2019s narrative. Most use cases have been to fill in missing data points on how the work has \u2018worked\u2019 against a category context\u201d said George Robertson, Ideally\u2019s Global Agency Lead.\r\n\r\nThe research can benchmark your work against the category, validate its distinctiveness, comprehension, appeal, and look at marketing science drivers to strengthen claims about commercial impact. It can also look at usage, attitudes, opinions and behaviours.\r\n\r\nThe process is simple. Start with a hypothesis. Ideally runs the research, overnight, with a nationally representative sample. The output is submission-ready data.\r\n\r\nThe proof point is in the Effie. The consumer is an integral part of the narrative of the Gold winners.\r\n\r\nCredits are limited and most useful in the early stages.\u00a0Watch George\u2019s full session at 17 mins to see how to structure your hypothesis and how research credits can help you. Contact effies@goideally.com to kick things off and claim your credits.<\/b>\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

The best Effie papers have teeth<\/h3>\r\nAnna Jackson, Head of Brand at Westpac, pointed to one of the biggest issues holding entries back.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe best Effie papers have teeth. Make that bold claim. What\u2019s the strong point of view you want to prove?\u201d\r\n\r\nToo many cases, she said, fall into the same \u201cboring\u201d trap.\r\n\r\n\u201cYou advertised and sales went up. So what? What\u2019s missing is causality. What actually drove the result, why it mattered, and what the industry can learn from that.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe strongest entries take a position, build a case around it and prove it with evidence. That requires pressure-testing early.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhat data is available to support it? You\u2019ll know pretty quickly if it\u2019s a hill worth climbing.\u201d\r\n\r\nThat same rigour needs to extend beyond marketing. \u201cGet the CFO on board. Commercial validity is a must,\u201d she said.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

The 9-week reality<\/h3>\r\nWith around nine weeks until entries close, Jodi Elston, Chief Strategy Officer at 303, laid out a simple framework to use your remaining entry time wisely.\r\n\r\n\u201cThree weeks on the data, three on the story, three on approvals. And the data side\u2019s never truly finished,\u201d she said.\r\n\r\nThe mistake, she said, is thinking the work starts when the form opens. Strong cases are built earlier, through how teams track and interrogate performance.\r\n\r\nHer advice is straightforward. Start with the data. Bring stakeholders in early. Build the story, don\u2019t retrofit it.\r\n\r\n\u201cHopefully you\u2019ve started. If not, get cracking.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

Effectiveness is proven<\/h3>\r\nFor Kit Lansdale, Head of Effectiveness at Droga5, the process is about understanding the work, not packaging it.\r\n\r\n\u201cEffectiveness isn\u2019t a one-off. How can we improve it, strengthen it, build on the work?\u201d\r\n\r\nThat means being honest about the results.\r\n\r\n\u201cYou can\u2019t make up results. If the data doesn\u2019t hold, judges will know.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

The Effies endure for a reason<\/h3>\r\nChair of Judging Colin Wilson-Brown said the Effies remain a benchmark because they prove what works.\r\n\r\nWith entries now open, the challenge is simple. Show not just what you made, but what it moved.\r\n\r\n\u201cIf it\u2019s not effective, it\u2019s not marketing,\u201d he said.\r\n\r\n***\r\n\r\nDownload the entry kit and explore the new categories\u00a0here<\/a>. On-time entries close May 4.<\/b>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-32747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-medimage"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32747"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32792,"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32747\/revisions\/32792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advertisingcouncil.org.au\/effies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}