The Association of Communication Agencies launches the Direct Impact Czech competition, acting as its sole organiser for the first time.
The Association of Communication Agencies (AKA) has launched the 24th edition of the Direct Impact Czech competition. This year, for the first time, it is being organised solely by the AKA. The award ceremony is scheduled for 17 September 2026.
The national round of the competition recognises the quality and effectiveness of communication solutions in the areas of activation, direct marketing and integrated communication. Agencies and clients can compete for first place in 17 categories – from integrated communication and direct B2B and B2C communication to event and in-store marketing, retail and digital innovation, launch campaigns, brand building and public sector projects. Campaigns with small budgets, innovative concepts and charitable and non-profit projects are also evaluated separately. All categories can be found here.
"Direct Impact Czech is a place where the quality of work with the audience, channel architecture and the ability to translate strategy into a functional solution are demonstrated. We want to highlight well-thought-out and technically high-quality projects regardless of budget size," said Michaela Pišiová, director of the AKA competition and projects.
The winners of the national round can advance to the European Impact Awards Europe competition. "They can measure their strength against colleagues from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy or Ukraine, for example. This transnational context gives Czech projects the opportunity to compete in a wider field," added Petr Šimek, expert guarantor of the competition and director of the Wellen agency.
In recent years, Direct Impact Czech has moved from its original focus on direct and promotional marketing to a broader platform covering integrated communication, digital solutions, retail, experiential projects, and data and personalisation. The competition became part of the AKA portfolio at the end of last year, and this year's edition is the first under the new owner.
"AKA draws on its experience with organising the Effie Awards Czech Republic, including working with juries and transparent evaluation methods. The inclusion of Direct Impact Czech in the association's platform will provide the competition with a stable background and strengthen its credibility," said AKA Executive Director Radana Čechová.
The deadline for applications is 28 April, with a discounted "super early bird" rate available until 15 March. Details are available on AKA's communication channels and on the competition website.
Source: mediaguru.cz
