Business Desk: Recently, the widely acclaimed Digital Marketing Award — an initiative of Bangladesh Brand Forum, presented by Meghna Group of Industries (MGI) and powered by Walton Refrigerator — celebrated its 9th remarkable year and once again honored the very best of Bangladesh`s digital marketing landscape, recognizing 89 outstanding campaigns across 26 distinct categories. The grand award gala, the country`s definitive benchmark for digital marketing excellence, was held at Le Méridien Dhaka on Saturday, June 20, 2026, bringing together the brightest minds and most innovative professionals in the field of digital marketing.

Campaigns active on digital platforms between November 1, 2024, and March 25, 2026, were eligible for nomination, and the competitive spirit reached new heights with a staggering 1,072 nominations from 66 organizations submitted for consideration. The rigorous selection process was conducted through a meticulously designed two-level jury evaluation, ensuring that only the most exceptional campaigns emerged victorious. It began with an extensive shortlisting phase, where 8 jury panels comprising 113 esteemed jurors carefully evaluated and narrowed down the entries. The shortlisted campaigns then advanced to the highly competitive Grand Jury round, where 8 grand jury sessions consisting of 110 distinguished category experts conducted a thorough review to determine the very best of the best.

The awardees were recognized across multiple ranks. This year, 63 campaigns earned the Bronze Award, 20 campaigns secured the Silver Award, and 6 campaigns claimed the coveted Gold Award. Notably, there were no Grand Prix recipients in this edition — a reflection of the jury’s unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of excellence. The glittering gala drew an overwhelming response, with more than 500 digital marketing and business professionals in attendance.

Delivering the opening remarks, Shariful Islam, Founder & Managing Director, Bangladesh Brand Forum, said, “Every year, the Digital Marketing Award reminds us how far our industry has come — and how much further it can go. Marketing today is no longer simply about telling stories; it is about real-time engagement, hyper-personalisation, and data-driven decision-making. The campaigns we celebrate tonight are proof that Bangladeshi marketers can stand alongside the very best in the world. This award is not only a recognition of excellence; it is a challenge to all of us to keep innovating, keep experimenting, and keep redefining what digital marketing can achieve in Bangladesh.”

Since its inception, the Digital Marketing Award has consistently encouraged industry professionals to rethink traditional marketing approaches, experiment with new digital tools, and harness the power of technology to create more engaging, impactful, and result-driven campaigns. This year’s winners once again demonstrated how digital marketing can shape consumer behaviour, accelerate business growth, and redefine brand-consumer relationships in an increasingly competitive and digital-first world.

The 9th edition of the Digital Marketing Award was followed by the 12th Digital Summit. Initiated in 2014 by Bangladesh Brand Forum, the Digital Summit has grown into the apex knowledge-sharing platform for the country’s digital marketers, communication professionals, and business leaders.

Guided by the theme “Rethinking Digital – Strategy, Story & Science,” this year’s summit examined how organisations can navigate a landscape reshaped by artificial intelligence, shifting consumer expectations, platform disruption, and the growing convergence of creativity and technology. The event featured a carefully curated agenda comprising 3 Keynote Sessions, 3 Panel Discussions, 3 Insight Sessions, 2 Case Studies, and an Expert Deep Dive.

The keynote stage welcomed reputed speakers including Tanveer Faruq, Chief Executive Officer, Kazi Media Ltd.; Drabir Alam, Chief Operating Officer & Director, X – Integrated Marketing Agency; and Saleh Ghanayem, Head METAP (Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Pakistan), Emerging Market Partnership, TikTok.

Across the day, discussions explored the growing influence of artificial intelligence throughout the customer journey, the shift from attention-driven marketing to intelligence-driven engagement, the rise of new discovery ecosystems, the creator economy, and the increasing importance of integrating data, creativity, and technology — all pointing to how brands can stay relevant and build stronger, more meaningful consumer connections in an era of rapid digital transformation.

An initiative of Bangladesh Brand Forum, the 9th Digital Marketing Award and 12th Digital Summit were presented by Meghna Group of Industries (MGI); Powered by Walton Refrigerator; Strategic Partner – Aleph Group, Inc., BBF CMO Club, International Advertising Association Bangladesh (IAAB), Asia Marketing Federation (AMF); Knowledge Partner – Marketing Society of Bangladesh (MSB); Hospitality Partner – Le Méridien Dhaka; Official Carrier Partner – Turkish Airlines; PR Partner – Backpage PR.