In response to the rapidly changing social media landscape in the drinks industry, the Australian drinks Awards has announced changes to the judging criteria for the Best Presence in Social Media Award.

Facebook impressions will now play a role in determining the winner of the Best Presence in Social Media Award. Impact, empathy, communication and persuasion are also all important factors in a brand achieving success on social media and will be added to the consumer survey process.

“Social media is used by 69% of Aussies on a regular basis,” said the drinks association CEO Sandra Przibilla. “On average, we spent 12.5 hours per week on social media last year, a huge increase from just 8.5 hours in 2015. It’s important that the Australian drinks Awards recognises the impact those changes have on our industry’s approach to marketing products.”

Digital advertising in the drinks industry is growing rapidly. In the first half of 2016, media agency digital bookings in alcoholic beverages was up 69% from the first half of 2015. Diageo’s Smirnoff brand’s campaign for its new natural ingredients RTD launched solely on digital and outdoor, while cider brand Rekorderlig launched its RTD cocktail range with a focus on outdoor and digital.

Last year’s winner of the Best Presence in Social Media Award, Canadian Club enjoyed incredible success with its Ugly Sweater Campaign, which produced a 636% increase in social conversations and saw Canadian Club reach record breaking growth during the span of the campaign.

With 95% of social media users on Facebook, it’s becoming a cornerstone for business advertising online. Statistics from Sensis show 90% of large businesses spend their money for online advertising entirely on Facebook ads, while 52% of consumers will trust a brand more if they interact well on social media.  This means that businesses can easily gain or lose customers based off of how they interact online.

An entry fee of $495 plus GST applies to the Best Presence in Social Media Award category.

We look forward to seeing which brands have demonstrated social media dominance at this year’s Australian drinks Awards, at the International Convention Centre Sydney in Darling Harbour on September 7, 2017.

Click here to enter your brand.