Why measurement wins awards

It's always a pleasure to serve as a judge on the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards. The 2026 edition is yet another fine collection of international styles in brand film, and I can't wait to see who the winners are.

The experience of judging Cannes, and many more film competitions, has shown me the difference that measurement makes in the final rankings. Yet 70% of entries offer little or no engagement analytics, so they fall behind. Measurement is the easy win that most entries don't take.

Turning Data Into Awards
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To understand why, you need to know the judging process. Judges always follow these steps, whether they realise it or not:

1. Narrow the field. Which entries can be set aside straight away? The entrant might have misunderstood the category, or there might be a handful of strong entries that set themselves apart creatively.  
2. Discuss the ones left standing. Re-watch them and re-read the entry material. If it's a live judging discussion, encourage dissenting views.
3. Decide the final rankings. When I'm judging, there's a test I apply. If I'm at the awards presentation as the winner announcement is made, will I feel proud of the decision?
 
When you enter a competition, you need to think hard about stages 2 and 3 because that's where the action is. Every element in your entry must give judges a strong reason to single your project out for promotion. It could mean the difference between a bronze and a gold. What makes the difference?

If your film makes it to stage 2, well done - you've won the judges' hearts. In stage 3, you need to win their minds. Deciding the final ranking for a handful of great films can be fiendishly difficult, so judges are looking for a distinguishing factor. That's where measurement kicks in. When most entries don't report audience engagement, those that do will automatically rise  at least one place. Without exaggeration, audience metrics are the easiest way to win bigger. If you want confirmation, just ask any of the awards organisers.

Maybe the reason why only 30% of entries don't include measurement is that most agencies think it is difficult. Today, this just won't do. It is easier than ever to generate valid analytics from any film project. Moving Image and similar specialists can do the research and produce the data, and so can many marketers. There is literally no excuse.
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If this sounds harsh, I'm afraid that's how it is. Judges have to make a decision, based only on what has been entered. It's a brutal process, but it lets the best work rise to the top.
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For every producer, proving a project landed well shouldn't be an afterthought. It should be baked into every award-winning campaign from the start. It's the reason you won the pitch.