For the fifth year in a row, we’ve examined hundreds of submissions to select the most impressive campaigns for our Email Marketing Awards. The competition has gotten more intense each year, with many great campaigns that might have been winners in the past falling just short in this year’s judging.

As always, results carry the day in this competition. The first thing our judges consider are the campaign’s performance metrics, and this performance is given the most weight in the final scoring. But they also assign scores based on campaign strategy and tactics -- was there advanced segmentation at work? Personalization? Use of dynamic content? Social media integration? And email creative also gets a look, especially when creative decisions are supported by testing and optimization.

Based on this process, we’ve selected 23 campaigns as Gold, Silver or Honorable Mention award winners. Browse the list below, and click the links to read a description of why each campaign won and see samples of the creative used.

We hope you find inspiration for your own campaigns, and generate results worth sharing in next year’s competition.

#1. Best Email Newsletter

Gold B2B
Royal & SunAlliance Canada
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Royal&SunAlliance.pdf

Gold Consumer
Indiana Office of Tourism Development
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
IndianaTourismOfficeBestEmailNewsletterGoldB2C.pdf

Silver B2B
Click Rain
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
ClickRain-BestEmailNewsletterSilverB2B.pdf

Silver Consumer
The Orange County Register -- OC Moms
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
OrangeCountyRegisterBestEmailNewsletterSilverConsumer.pdf

#2. Best Promotional Message -- Direct Sale or Lead Gen Offer

Gold B2B
Follet Software -- TitlePeek Trial Email Campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Follet-BestPromoGoldB2B.pdf

Gold Consumer
NW Natural -- Smart Energy Challenge
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
NWSmartEnergy-BestPromoGoldB2C.pdf

Silver B2B
Landry & Kling -- 7 Things Hotels Don’t Want You To Know
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
LandryKlingBestPromo-DirectSalesSilverB2B.pdf

Silver Consumer
CPAP.com -- New Mirage SoftGel Nasal Mask Introduction
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
BestPromoSilverB2C-CPAP.pdf

Honorable Mention Consumer
Ace Hardware -- Email Coupon Campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Ace-BestPromoB2CHM.pdf

Honorable Mention Nonprofit
World Wildlife Foundation Deutschland -- "His Home is Our Climate" fundraising campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Rabbit-BestPromohonorablemention.pdf

#3. Best Opt-In or List Growth Campaign

Gold B2B
Huttig Building Products -- List Growth Campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Huttig-BestOpt-inGold%20B2B.pdf

Gold Consumer
Dell -- Alienware Launch
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
DellAlienwareBestOpt-inGoldB2C.pdf

Silver Consumer
Coca-Cola -- My Coke Rewards Community Invite Email
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Coca-Cola-BestOpt-inSilverB2C.pdf

#4. Best Single Welcome Letter to New Subscribers

Gold B2B
Covad -- Customer Welcome Email
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
CovadBestWelcomeB2BGold.pdf

Gold Consumer
ATP World Tour -- Fan Credential Welcome
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
ATP-BestWelcomeB2CGold.pdf

Silver Consumer
ALCO -- Rewards Program Welcome
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Alco-BestWelcomeB2CSilver.pdf

#5. Best Triggered Email or Autoresponder Series

Gold Consumer
Alaska Airlines -- Shopping Cart Abandon Program
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
WhatCountsBestTriggeredGoldB2C.pdf

Silver B2B
VNR.de -- Subscriber Reactivation Campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
VNR-BestTriggeresEmailGoldB2B.pdf

Silver Consumer
Vanderbilt LASIK -- Welcome Trigger
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
LASIKBestTriggeredSilverB2C.pdf

Honorable Mention Consumer
Dortmund Airport -- "Database Eraser" Reactivation Campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Rabbit-BestTriggeredEmailHMB2C.pdf

#6. Best Dynamic Content or Personalized Email

Gold B2B
VerticalResponse -- Social Media Webinar Series Campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
VerticalResponse-Social_Media_Webinar_Series.pdf

Gold Consumer
Microsoft -- Enhanced Hotmail and Messenger Launch
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
Microsoft-BestDynamicContentGoldB2C.pdf

Silver Consumer
Electrolux Major Appliance -- Electrolux/Frigidaire Spring Savings Campaign
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/emailawards2010/Creative
ElectroluxSpringSavings.pdf