In conversation with our DMA judge and council member: Scarlett

1. Please introduce yourself

Hello! I’m Scarlett, a Copywriter at ActionRocket. I’m one of those strange people who run for fun, and I probably know the words to every Taylor Swift song – oh, and I love pizza.

2. What inspired you to apply to be a DMA judge?

Part of my role here at ActionRocket involves writing award entries, so I was really excited about the opportunity to switch perspectives and understand what actually makes an entry stand out. It’s also obviously a renowned awards in the big wide marketing world, so I was keen to get involved, meet new people in the industry, and get inspired by the creativity going on out there!

3. What have you contributed to or worked on that you're most proud of?

I’ve worked on a lot of projects during my (nearly) two years at ActionRocket, but one recently won us our first award, so I’ve got to go with that! The TurboTax Tax Tracker was a personalised, dashboard-style email that gave customers weekly updates on their tax filing progress. It required a huge amount of collaboration to combine 15 touchpoints into one email. The end result had 30 dynamic modules and over one million possible permutations, winning us Best Use of Dynamic Email Content at the OMMA Awards. I got to attend the awards in NYC, so all in all, a project to be proud of!

4. You recently judged the 2025 DMA Awards in the Launch category. What were your key takeaways from the experience, and what advice would you give to brands looking to enter in the future?

Data is a huge part of the DMA judging process. You’re reviewing some amazing work, and the stats help when you need to get critical. It’s not just about big, groundbreaking numbers; it’s about proving the impact of your campaign through its ability to meet your objectives. 

• The entry submission is just as important as the campaign itself, and a chance to showcase your flair for storytelling. Set the scene, outline your challenge, objectives, strategy, and results, all step by step. Cut the fluff, keep things crystal clear, and assume whoever is reading has never heard of your brand, because chances are they haven’t!

• When it comes to results, numbers are important, but so is visual evidence. Showing photos, videos, and other marketing materials really helps the judges to visualise and get to know your campaign.