On 1 October 2026, Effie Belgium handed out 23 awards, including two Gold, to honour the year's most effective campaigns. For the first time, a dedicated Business to Business category was introduced, with five projects among the 29 finalists. This matters for Belgian companies active in B2B, a sector long left out of local marketing competitions. The Gold award given to a five-year campaign is also a reminder that effective strategy is built over time.
1. 23 awards and a first B2B category
On 1 October 2026 in Brussels, Effie Belgium handed out 23 Effie Awards, selected from 37 submitted cases and 29 finalists chosen by a 30-member jury chaired by Aurélie Denayer, according to Effie Belgium. Two Gold, six Silver and fifteen Bronze awards were given, and a new Effectiveness Leadership Award went to Bart De Pauw of RMB, according to The Media Leader.
A new feature of this edition was a dedicated Business to Business category, developed with Trustmedia, which brought together five projects among the finalists, according to Effie Belgium. It is the first time Belgian B2B campaigns have had their own space for recognition.
2. Why B2B finally entered the competition
According to Effie Belgium, B2B campaigns are "at least as strategically well designed" as consumer campaigns, and can "justify their effectiveness through data". The organisation also notes that they are often just as creative, yet remained under-represented in Belgian marketing competitions until now.
For a Belgian B2B company, often an SME or an industrial business, this change sends a signal: a campaign's effectiveness is not measured in likes or reach alone. It has to be proven with business indicators such as qualified leads, sales cycle length or customer value.
3. The lesson of the long game
The Gold awarded to Kom op tegen Kanker and agency BBDO for the campaign The Long Game rewards work carried out over five years to stop teenagers from ever starting to smoke, according to The Media Leader. The case will be presented on 21 October at the Effie Effectiveness Forum, hosted by Hogeschool Gent.
The evening's theme, The road to Effectiveness, followed the same thread. Guest speaker Andrew Tindall, author of The Creative Dividend, presented data on how creativity and media reinforce each other to produce lasting results, according to Effie Belgium.
4. What it changes for a Belgian company
A Belgian B2B company can now measure its own campaigns against a local benchmark, rather than comparing itself only to international consumer-goods standards. It can also draw on the cases published by Effie Belgium to structure its own effectiveness indicators.
The message behind the Long Game Gold also applies to smaller budgets: a consistent strategy sustained over several years often outweighs a string of one-off campaigns.
The AI lens, humans first
On marketing effectiveness, AI can quickly cross-reference campaign indicators, compare several creative scenarios, or summarise years of performance data. It does not replace a jury's judgement, nor the decision to commit to a five-year strategy rather than a one-off push: that choice stays human, as does defining what a genuinely effective campaign means for a given company. AI executes. Expertise decides, and keeps watch.
This week
This week, a Belgian B2B company can review its latest campaign with an Effie eye: which business indicator proves its effectiveness, beyond clicks and impressions. It can also browse the cases published by Effie Belgium to compare its own measurement method with its peers'. Finally, it can set a campaign goal spanning several years, not just the current quarter.
Vistalaro Pilot helps B2B companies define real effectiveness indicators, beyond the click, and stay the course over several years. Vistalaro Reach builds Google, LinkedIn and Meta campaigns designed for B2B sales cycles, not just for immediate performance. Vistalaro Studio designs creative work able to carry the same brand idea across several years, as an effective B2B strategy requires.
Can your latest B2B campaign prove its effectiveness with real business figures?
Vistalaro helps you define the right indicators and hold the course over several years.
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