The Mercurs will be awarded on November 19, 2024. These are the professional awards in the magazine media industry. There are 15 nominations spread over 5 categories.
Magazine Media brand of the year
The Mercur in this category is for magazine media brands that have performed remarkably in recent months in both editorial and commercial areas. The Mercur winner stands head and shoulders above its peers. The magazine brand shows how they translate the needs of their target group. In qualitative and creative content and design, with (technical) innovations in response to the changing dynamics of the market, with a multi-channel approach and with strong commercial performance, both in the readers’ market and the advertisers’ market.
These are magazine brands with independent editorial staff. General or special interest titles, for a large or small target group. New this year is that the three most inspiring, innovative and successful magazine media brands will be nominated and then awarded a Gold, Silver or Bronze Mercur. Nominated:
- Harper’s Bazaar – Hearst Netherlands
- Miljuschka Magazine – Miljuschka Publishing BV
- Football International – PXR
Editorial Team of the Year
This is the award for the most goal-oriented and successful teams. It is checked whether they communicate excellently and support each other to achieve the objectives. An excellent team has that little bit of extra magic that allows it to make a significant impact in the profession, with the target group and of course in its own organization. Naturally, the editorial team can work well together to overcome obstacles and perform at a high level. This prize is awarded to the editors who have excelled in making a positive, creative, qualitative, innovative and business contribution to the magazine media brand. It is also important for the jury how the team works together to achieve the strategic and creative objectives and business expectations. Nominated:
- Response team Bobo, Okki, Wild van Freek, National Geographic Junior – Blink
- ELLE – Hearst Netherlands
- FLOW – Roularta Media Netherlands
Innovation of the Year
In this category, innovations are judged that increase the reach and influence of the magazine brand among the existing or new target group. Consider launches, new products, new use of (social) media, innovative use of data, new revenue models, new insights into the target group, new working methods, improved communication or cultural changes. Strategic, sustainable ideas for the longer term can also be part of this submission. The innovation must have demonstrable value for the readers and/or the publisher. The jury assesses the creative and innovation approach and the commercial performance. These are the nominees:
- Donald Duck (New resident Duckstad) – DGP Media
- Happy Times Magazine (Promotion of sustainability) – Happy Times Magazine BV
- Dragonfly/Margriet/Flair (Astro Oracle Chat GPT/AI) – DPG Media
Partnership of the Year
This category includes successful commercial forms of collaboration between a magazine, media brand or publishing house that have been established with advertisers or brands, which have led to concrete results. This may involve collaboration with an advertiser and/or media agency, between publishers or with multiple magazine brands. For example, it could be branded content developed by the editors on one or more platforms of the magazine brand, including social media. But also specials, developing a publication for another brand, events, promotions and the like. Excellent partnership is achieved when both the objectives of the partner and the magazine brand have been achieved, and when the attractive promotion and/or content touches the heart of the target group. The mutual objectives must be clear, as well as how they were achieved and the results measured. Entries will be judged on strong commercial performance, originality, innovation, quality and impact. Nominated:
- Libelle in collaboration with the Reading and Writing Foundation
- LINDA. in collaboration with HEMA
- Psychology Magazine in collaboration with Milieu Centraal
Contenders Mercur Promiser of the Year
The Mercur Promise of the Year is the prize for up-and-coming talent (up to 29 years old) in the magazine media profession. Talents who qualify for the BeLOFte 2024 are young, (super) talented people who have made a valuable contribution to the development of the magazine media industry in recent months. They distinguish themselves by the high quality of their personal professional skills and/or their original, creative and innovative ideas. And the nice thing is: they can be writers, publishers, photographers, designers, bloggers, vloggers, marketers or (database) technicians. They can work at a publishing house or be a freelancer. This Mercur is awarded in collaboration with the LOF (Lucas-Ooms Fund), which makes an amount of € 2,500 available for the personal development of the winner. These are the contenders:
- Maartje Bregman – Happy Times Magazine – Happy Times Magazine BV
- Marcella Cazzato – The Taste of Italy – DSV Media
- Lotte Verheul – Quote – Hearst Netherlands
Jury for the categories Magazine Media Brand, BeLOFte and Editorial Team
Derk Sauer (chairman), The Moscow Times. Jochem Leegstra, creative director of ANDSTAAT. Nicolette Hulsebos, publisher and editor-in-chief of FONK Magazine. Jaap van Zessen, digital strategist. Jildou van der Bijl, Studio the Editors (formerly editor-in-chief LINDA.).
Jury for the Innovation and Partnership categories
Maiko Valentijn (chairman) is CEO of GroupM; vice-chairman of VIA and board member of NMO. Mariëlle Arts, Studio the Editors (formerly business director LINDA.). Elias Reinheimer, chief creative officer of HAVAS PLAY. Elzemieke Olsthoorn, Chief Marketing Officer at Abovo Maxlead (formerly at DPG Media, Sanoma and Mediahuis). Ilse van Loon, Independent Brand & Marketing professional. Thomas van Vessem, Head of Communications & Events at the Dutch Lottery (formerly manager of Corporate Marketing & Communications at DPG Media).
Mercurs will be presented on November 19 in Amsterdam
The Mercurs have been awarded since 1998. That means this is the 25th edition. The prizes will be awarded on November 19 in the Theater Amsterdam. Would you like to attend this party evening? That’s possible. Cards order here.