SINGAPORE: Warc today launches the 2012 Warc Prize for Asian Strategy, a cash prize for the case study demonstrating the most insightful marketing strategy in the region.

For its second year, the Prize fund has been raised to $7,000. Alongside the $5,000 reward for the strongest entry overall, a further prize of $2,000 will go to the best low-budget campaign.

Once again, the Prize is free to enter, and is open to brand owners and agencies in any discipline. Entrants must submit a case study showing how strategic thinking made a difference to a brand.

Charles Wigley, chairman of BBH Asia, will chair the judging panel, which is made up of senior client-side marketers and strategy experts from around the world.

He said: "I think the Warc Prize for Asian Strategy is exciting and important for two reasons. Firstly, and obviously, because it's about the work being done in the most vibrant and commercially promising region in the world - a region that will make or break many brands.

"Secondly, because it has the potential to introduce us to radically fresh thinking; approaches that borrow less from the West's traditional strategic toolkit and more from a deep understanding of Asian cultures and what works here."

The deadline for entries is 1 June 2012, and the winner will be announced in September. Further details can be found at www.warc.com/asiaprize.

The new $2,000 award for low-budget work will go the highest-scoring case study whose media and production budget totalled less than $1 million.

"Last year we had a lot of low-budget campaigns entered for the Prize," said David Tiltman, Warc's International Editor.

"However, sometimes these campaigns were overshadowed in the final judging by impressive big-budget work. Several of last year's judges suggested that it would be worthwhile giving special recognition to strategies that can make a real difference on a low budget."

Case studies entered for the Prize will appear on Warc's global platform of marketing best practice, building a body of knowledge that will inspire Asian marketers and raise standards across the industry.

They will be promoted in front of Warc's audience of brand owners, agency executives, media owners and academics, and the winner will be published in Admap, the leading global magazine on new ideas and new thinking in brand communications.

Overall, 135 entries were submitted to the 2011 Warc Prize for Asian Strategy. Some 25 went on to be shortlisted, and a paper on I Lohas, Coca-Cola's Japanese bottled water brand, was ultimately named as the winner.

To find out more about the Prize, visit http://www.warc.com/asiaprize. For any other prize-related queries, email warcprizeasia@warc.com.

Data sourced from Warc