The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry organized the “Consumer Connect Awards 2014” on December 06, 2014 at The Bengal Chamber premises, Kolkata. Last held in 2006, Consumer Connect Awards was revived this Year by The Bengal Chamber in association with The Advertising Club Kolkata, e4m group, The Telegraph and Mani Group.
The Consumer Connect Awards is all about communication that connects with the consumer. Probably the only kind of its Awards in the world, the communication is researched across the country through leading Research Agency GfK Mode, and the shortlisted work is brought to a National level Jury – to whom the shortlisted brand owners present their case studies.
Contemporary advertising has realigned itself to match the ways consumers look at products. The failure or success of any marketing campaign can be best judged by the degree to which it drives consumers' relation with a product. This is the core idea behind the conception of the 'Consumer Connect Awards‘. The Consumer Connect Awards judge the whole communication value chain … the marketing problem, opportunity, consumer insights, strategy arrived at, creative idea, its expression, media used and most importantly, the impact of the communication on the consumer.
Research Agency GfK Mode boosts the entire judging process with its special research model that computes the Consumer Connect Score for each entry. Qualifying campaigns were invited by BCC&I and E4M to present their case before the jury at Kolkata on December 06, 2014.
Key Judges who helped us arrive at a final decision at Kolkata were:
>> Ram Ray (Chairman of the Jury) – Chairman, Response India
>> Mohit Hira – Senior VP & Head of Digital Practise, JWT India
>> Kiran Khalap – Co Founder, Chlorophyll Brand Consultancy
>> Amitava Sinha – COO, Rediffusion Y&R
>> Manu Seth – Chief Marketing Officer, HTC India
>> Ajay Kakkar – Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Group Financial Services
The Judging Process:
All entries entered were considered by GfK Mode, who
>> Took these entries to thousands of consumers across the country, online and offline.
>> Consumers rated the entries on likeability, emotional connect and how it affects their buying behaviour.
GfK Mode then combined these ratings into a Consumer Resonance and Impact Score (CRIS) and helped in computing the Consumer Connect Score for each entry

The winners in the different categories were:
* Consumer Products – National (Canon EOS)
* Consumer Products – Kolkata (ABP One – Client : Cadbury India)
* Consumer Durables – National (TVS Tyres)
* Consumer Services – National (Bharti Life Insurance)
* Media Services – Kolkata (Zee Bangla)
* Public Service – National (Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance)
* National Agency of the Year – Rediffussion Y&R
* Kolkata Agency of the Year – ABP One
* Campaign of the Year – Bharti Life Insurance (Rusi B Gimi Trophy)
Besides, a Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on Mr. Ram Ray, Chairman, Response India, for his phenomenal contribution to Advertising. The Award was conferred on Mr. Ray by Mr. Ambarish Dasgupta (President Designate, The Bengal Chamber) and Mr. P Roy (Director General).
The Awards Event was attended by over 250 senior Advertising, Media and Marketing industry professionals and highly influential senior decision makers of brands and decision makers from some of the most renowned advertising and creative brands and agencies. This event became a unique get together of the most influential names in the Advertising, Media and Marketing industry from across the country, with about 20 of the leading brands being present on that day at Kolkata to present their case studies to the Jury.