Wonder

Research Outline

Prepared for Greg R. | Delivered December 31, 2020

Advertising Awards & Substance Abuse Treatment Programs Markets

Goals

Identify recent and past trends within the last 2 years in the advertising awards industry, as well as changes in this market over the past 5-10 years, that are focused on the types of ad agencies and individuals that enter for such awards, changes in award categories, and advertising methods for the awards. This information will be used to better understand the direction this industry is heading. 

Based on the background of this research regarding Evoke Wellness, research will also be conducted to detail the market size for substance abuse treatment programs in Massachusetts and nearby cities/states that have the highest rates of private health insurance (not Medicare/Medicaid) and would likely bring in the most leads for a substance abuse program in Massachusetts. This information will be used to build a digital marketing strategy geared towards the cities and populations near Massachusetts that would offer the greatest success in marketing a substance abuse treatment program. 

Early Findings

Advertising Awards MarketDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, some advertising awards organizations such as the American Advertising Awards have modified the rules and requirements for entry in order to accommodate remote judging. 
Some advertising awards organizations have changed their names in recent years as a means to stand out to agencies better. The All Media Contest, for example, recently changed its name to the TRENDY awards to better convey its message of reaching nonprofit awards and communications organizations.
Burger King has consistently been one of the most-awarded organizations for advertising via The One Show awards for the past three years (2018-2020). Winners of awards from The One Show typically have between 20-30 entries, but in 2020 these numbers skyrocketed to 50-60 entries, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Larger and more established advertising agencies tend to opt for some of the more well-known awards, including The Clios, The Webby Awards, James Beard Awards, and Digiday Content Marketing Awards. These award programs cost considerably more to enter and are held higher in terms of qualifications and winning standards.
Advertising agencies that are just starting out and looking to gain a foothold in the market will typically apply for the ADDY Awards, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and the Effie Awards, as these options present the opportunity to become established more quickly upon winning.

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs MarketAccording to the 2018 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) — the most recently published study of this type — there are a total of 275 private, non-profit substance abuse treatment facilities in the state of Massachusetts. This accounts for 66.4% of all facilities in the state. 
Of all substance abuse treatment facilities in Massachusetts, 68.4% offer outpatient care, 32.1% provide residential, non-hospital services, and 8.9% include hospital inpatient care. 
A majority of the substance abuse treatment facilities are located in Boston, MA. Others can be found in Worcester and Hampden County, as well as a few other scattered throughout the state.
Notable cities and states near Massachusetts that could bring in potential clients for a substance abuse treatment center in MA include Hartford, CT, Cambridge, MA, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and New York. 