HOW TO ENTER 

The Rakuten Golden Link Award submissions must be received by 11:59 pm PT, March 18th, 2024. 

Individuals or businesses that meet the eligibility criteria may submit entries online via the Golden Link nomination form on their own behalf or on behalf of third parties meeting the eligibility criteria. 

Entry forms may be submitted for any of the following 16 categories, provided that the entrant will only be considered for awards if he, she, or it meets the eligibility requirements for that category or categories specified: 

• OPM/Agency of the Year 

• Best Agency Partnership 

• Advertiser and Publisher Collaboration 

• Best Rakuten Collaboration 

• Best Multi-Channel Performance 

• Best Influencer Strategy 

• Best Global Strategy 

• Best Use of Data-Driven Marketing 

• Best Cause-Based Campaign 

• Lifetime Achievement Award 

• Advertiser of the Year, Publisher’s Choice *voted on by peers* 

• Publisher of the Year, Advertiser’s Choice *voted on by peers* 

• Affiliate Manager/Team of the Year (Advertiser) 

• Affiliate Manager/Team of the Year (Publisher) 

• Rakuten Advertising Account Team/Manager of the Year (Advertiser) 

• Rakuten Advertising Account Team/Manager of the Year (Publisher) 

In case of dispute as to identity of entrant, entry will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses or the domain associated with the submitted email address. A potential winner may be requested to provide Rakuten Marketing LLC DBA Rakuten Advertising (“Rakuten Advertising”) with proof that such winner is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the winning entry. 

Any other attempted form of entry is prohibited; no automatic, programmed; robotic or similar means of entry are permitted. Rakuten Advertising, its affiliates, partners and promotion and advertising agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, telephone or other communications malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, Website, Internet, or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete or inaccurate capture of entry information (regardless of cause) or failed, incomplete, garbled, jumbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit one’s ability to be considered for a Golden Link Award, including any injury or damage to entrants’ or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in the Golden Link Awards or downloading any materials in related to the Golden Link Awards. Limit one entry per person/business per category. All entries become the sole property of Rakuten Advertising and receipt of entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Rakuten Advertising is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, or misdirected entries, which will be disqualified. Only fully completed entry forms are eligible. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Rakuten Advertising. 

  

ELIGIBILITY 

Participation is open to Rakuten Advertising advertisers, publishers, and agencies with a Rakuten Advertising account in good standing. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Any dispute arising out of or relating to the Golden Link Awards shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the United States. 

  

JUDGING 

Between 3 and 5 finalists will be selected per category by the Golden Link Awards Council of Judges which includes members of the Rakuten Advertising team and representatives from the performance marketing community and other distinguished industry professionals. The Golden Link Awards Council will base their decisions on (1) an entrant’s overall impact to performance-based marketing and (2) the information submitted within the entry. By accepting a Golden Link Award or a Golden Link Award nomination entrants and finalists fully and unconditionally agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges, which will be final and binding in all matters relating to the Golden Link Awards. In the event an insufficient number or quality of entries are received to judge the Golden Link Awards, or any Golden Link Awards category, Rakuten Advertising reserves the right to cancel all or any part of the Golden Link Awards, or not choose a winner in any particular category, in its sole discretion. One (1) winner from each category of finalists will be selected at the Golden Links Award ceremony, for a total of fourteen (14) winners.  

  

PRIZES 

All finalists are solely responsible for any expenses related to attendance of at the Golden Link Awards including but not limited to travel and/or accommodations. Winners will not receive any prize or compensation, other than an award statue. In the event any finalists are unable to attend Golden Link Awards, no substitute prize will be awarded. 

  

NOTIFICATION 

Finalists will be notified by e-mail and/or phone. If any finalist cannot be contacted, or in the event of non-compliance with these Golden Link Award rules and requirements, the finalist’s status will be forfeited, and an alternate finalist will be selected. 

  

CONDITIONS 

All taxes are the sole responsibility of the finalists. Participation in the Golden Link Awards and acceptance of prize constitutes finalists’ and winners’ permission for Rakuten Advertising to use their names, addresses, likenesses, biographical information and any statements regarding the Golden Link Awards for advertising and promotional purposes without notice or additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. Rakuten Advertising reserves the right to use all entries and supporting material for promotional purposes and for future marketing and sales material. By participating, entrants, finalists and winners agree that, except for death or personal injury attributable to our negligence and to the extent permitted at law, Rakuten Advertising, its advertising and promotion agencies and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors, shall not be liable for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including without limitation, property damage, personal injury and/or death which may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Golden Link Awards, or possession, acceptance and/or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Golden Link Awards-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, claims by any third parties and merchandise delivery. Each entrant shall indemnify, Rakuten Advertising against any third-party claims arising from or related to that entrant’s participation in the Golden Link Awards. Rakuten Advertising is not responsible if any prize cannot be awarded due to delays or interruptions due to Acts of God, Acts of War, natural disasters, weather or terrorism. Entrants who do not comply with these rules, or attempt to interfere with the Golden Link Awards selection process in any way shall be disqualified. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitutions or cash redemptions. In the case of unavailability of any prize, Rakuten Advertising reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. There is no purchase required to participate. 

  

ADDITIONAL TERMS 

Rakuten Advertising reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Golden Link Awards should (in its sole discretion) any cause beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the nomination. In such case, Rakuten Advertising will judge the finalists from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Rakuten Advertising. Rakuten Advertising reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant it finds, in its sole discretion, to be tampering with the Golden Link Award nomination process. 

  

DATA PROTECTION 

By entering the Golden Link Awards, all entrants have agreed to allow the details of their entry to be shared with the judges and representatives of Rakuten Advertising. All entrants will be deemed to have consented to the transfer and sharing of their personal and company data supplied with their entry for the purpose of administration and judging the awards and any other purposes to which the entrant has consented. 

  

WINNERS LIST 

The winner's list will be posted to the Rakuten Advertising website on May 31st, 2024.