The inaugural Commerce Awards for Publishers (#TheCAPs) took place in September 2018 at Tribeca Grill in New York City.

The awards recognise quality commerce journalism and the publishers that have found the balance between providing quality service journalism to readers, and using commerce content to scale a lucrative new revenue stream.

The winners and nominees of the first Commerce Awards for Publishers

The CAP for Best Technology & Gadget Article (Mashable)

Mashable won the CAP for Best Technology & Gadget Article for their article, “Which tablet to buy for your kid: These are 5 of the best out right now.”

The article helps parents find a kid-friendly tablet, showcasing five options at a range of price points. Each option has an in-depth review and has criteria which readers can easily compare against alternatives in the article.

The article won top marks from judges for being informative, it’s layout and knowledge of the audience.

Other nominees:
Wired – “Watch Samsung Unveil The Galaxy Note 9 Smartphone”
The Verge – “How to pick the graphics card that’s right for you” and “How to pick the Microsoft Surface that’s right for you”

 

Best Evergreen Article (Esquire)

The CAP for Best Evergreen Article went to Esquire for “This is how your jeans should fit right now.”

The article was originally published in July 2017 and was updated in summer for 2018. Inspired by a high search volume for “jeans” focused keywords, the article is formatted to help people answers questions readers have about what pair of jeans to buy.

The article walks through different styles of jean (e.g. straight, skinny) and then offers the perfect pair at different price points to cater for a broad range of budgets.

The article was popular with judges, with its engaging appearance and utility in particular receiving high praise.

Other nominees:
Timeout – “London’s best shops for online flowers”
Huffington Post – “11 Weighted Blankets That Won’t Weigh Down Your Wallet”
Polygon – “Upgrade your Nintendo switch with our favourite accessories”
Self.com – “The 12 Best Meal Kit Delivery Services For Easy Pre-Prepped Dinners and Smoothies”
Tom’s Guide – “Best Smartphones Review”
Apartment Therapy – “Best Places To Buy Art Online”
Esquire – “This Is How Your Jeans Should Fit Right Now”

 

Best Fashion Article (GQ)

The next award was one of the most competitive on the award. Just five points separated the first and third placed entries.

But in the end, GQ emerged as the winner of The CAP for Best Fashion Article.

Jeans it appears were a popular product among judges: The winning article is titled, “The Best Jeans for Men Under $100 Are Available at a Shopping Mall Near You”.

GQ wanted to use their submission to highlight their “Best Stuff” articles, which roundup the best of in various categories, which receive GQ editors’ esteemed seal of approval. They also say that they chose article because it combines a wardrobe staple everyone needs with a price point they’ve found their readers respond to.

That’s exactly the kind of balance that should underpin quality commerce content, so it is great to see the article was rewarded for that by the judges.

Other nominees:
Vogue – “Angelina Jolie’s New Go-To Travel Shoe is Surprisingly Affordable”
Huffington Post – “7 Plus Size Clothing Subscription Boxes For Curvy Women”
GQ – “The Best Crewneck Sweatshirts for Men Deserve Their Wardrobe Essential Status”
New York Magazine – “The Unlikely Tale of an $89 Amazon Coat That’s Taken Over the Upper East Side”
Cosmopolitan – “8 New Ways to Style Bandanas That’ll Impress All Your Friends”

 

Best Digital Native Publisher (Apartment Therapy)

Another close category was Best Digital Native Publisher.

However, once all the scores were collected, Apartment Therapy came out on top.

For these broader awards publishers were asked to submit a variety of articles that showed off the range and quality of their commerce content.

In their submission, Apartment Therapy, placed the commerce content they create as a natural extension of the service they’ve long provided to their readers through content. They also put particular emphasis on specifically curating product recommendations with end reader delight in mind.

In sum they say they’d like their readers to think of Apartment Therapy as their “personal shopper”.

Submitted articles ranged from in-depth product reviews, to recommendations best stores to buy particular items and budget-focused listicles, such as “10 sources for good, cheap rugs on a budget”.

Other nominees:
HuffPost Finds
Vox Media
Apartment Therapy
Refinery29
Fatherly
BuzzFeed

 

Best Flash Event (Polygon – Vox)

The CAP for Best Flash Event was designed to reward timely commerce content. Often the best pieces of commerce content alert readers to a new product launch or time-limited deal, so it made sense to recognise this in an awards program.

The winning piece from Polygon is titled, “The NES Classic is back: where and how to buy the Nintendo mini console” and focused on the restock of the previously popular retro Nintendo NES Classic edition.

Timed for release of the restock, the post links out to multiple merchants, and is designed to offer advice on how to purchase the device online and offline, but also enable Polygon to capture commission on sales referred direct from the post.

Other nominees:
Huffington Post – “Blue Apron Now Has A Whole30 Meal Plan, But Only Through February”
Wired – “Watch Samsung Unveil The New Galaxy Note 9 Smartphone”
The Verge – “LG’s G7 ThinQ is now $599 at B&H for Verge readers”
TODAY Show: Jill’s Steals and Deals

 

Best Dedicated Commerce Brand (The Strategist – New York Magazine)

At a certain stage of commerce maturity, publishers often look to develop an editorial brand dedicated purely to commerce content and product reviews, so we created a category to honour these particular publications.

The winner of the CAP for Best Dedicated Commerce Brand was New York Magazine’s The Strategist.

The Strategist’s submission rooted the brand’s place in New York Magazine’s, “50 year tradition of obsessively telling its readers what’s worth buying.”

In their own words, The Strategist has been able to become a viable business because the editorial team insists on only including products they truly stand behind and through affiliate they can link out to the entire online shopping-sphere.

Warm feedback from judges focused on the fact the articles are “real” and just happen to be selling products as a side effect.

Articles submitted as evidence ranged from skincare to the best beach umbrella to best gifts for moms.

Other nominees:
BestProducts.com
Insider Picks

 

Best Editorial Brand (New York Magazine)

The final award of the night was The CAP for Best Editorial Brand which went to New York Media.

Their winning submission focused on how The Strategist team works across the organization with other editors to incorporate product-focused content into other publications. Across all brands, readers find a shared editorial commitment to expert-driven and useful commerce content, making for a compelling cross-vertical commerce approach.

Feedback from judges focused on overall style of New York Media titles and their “clever” approach to integrating shopping in their stories.

Other nominees:
American Media Inc. / US Weekly
HuffPost Finds
Allure
Vox Media
Tom’s Guide
GQ Recommends
Shop TODAY (NBC TODAY Show)
Mashable

As well as the photos above, you can also view all the photos from the awards in our Facebook album.

We look forward to welcoming you to #TheCAPS in 2019!