The submission deadline for this year’s Brands of the Year program has been extended. Companies that wish to nominate themselves (or agencies that would like to submit a client) for the annual competition now have until this Friday, July 17, to do so.

This year, strategy is recognizing the companies that are persevering during the current crisis – having built a sturdy foundation on which to weather the current storm and climb to the top of their category.

To qualify for the 2020 competition, entrant brands must have deployed a marketing strategy, transformation, or repositioning with legs.

The first signs of a Brand of the Year’s foundational shift could have begun several years ago, continuing into the current year (and beyond). It’s often a slow build across different aspects of brand-building, from digital transformations and omnichannel strategies to CSR initiatives and loyalty programs. But it can also be a brand that saw a meteoric rise to become a category disruptor over the last 12 to 24 months.

Recognizing that impact is not always immediate, 2020 should be considered the pinnacle year for the company’s long-term strategy. Positive results, from heightened brand metrics to an elevated market share, should be evident.

If you work for, or with, a brand that has seen impressive transformational and operational success, you can nominate them for the title in a 500-word case that details how it meets the criteria above.

Submissions can be made here before July 17 and questions can be sent to Jennifer Horn.

Brands of the Year will be chosen by the editorial team as part of the annual program, which are then profiled in an end-of-year print issue of strategy. 

Read more about last year’s Brands of the Year here.

Featured image of Loblaw Companies’ 2019 Brand of the Year trophy that was given out at the Strategy Awards gala last year.