We recently heard from Anthony Quinn, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Lodestar Marketing, the winner of the Best Finance or Fintech Campaign category at the Global Performance Marketing Awards in 2025, to learn about how companies bottle stardust and what it means to receive global recognition.
Madaline Dunn: Tell me about your award wins and the campaign that secured gold.
Anthony Quinn: We were delighted to secure Gold for Best Finance & Fintech Campaign and Silver for Best Affiliate Program Launch. Both awards recognised our work with DirectAsia, a travel and motor insurance specialist serving customers in Singapore.
Following a program takeover, we identified several immediate opportunities to optimise performance and strengthen program management. Through a collaborative team effort, we delivered a 170% increase in revenue within just six months and doubled the affiliate channel's contribution to total online sales within 12 months.
MD: When it came to the submission itself, what approach did you take and what did you prioritise?
AQ: Our approach was to keep the submission focused on telling a clear and compelling story. We wanted to demonstrate our objectives, challenges, strategy and results in a concise and transparent way.
Award entries have strict word limits, so every section needed to be purposeful and directly relevant. We prioritised clarity, measurable outcomes and evidence of impact, ensuring the judges could quickly understand both the challenge and the results we achieved.
MD: What did it mean to you and the team to win gold in this category?
AQ: We had come close several times in previous years, so winning Gold for the first time was incredibly rewarding. More than anything, it validated the hard work, dedication and expertise the team has invested over the past four to five years.
We are a relatively small agency, but one with deep expertise and a strong reputation across the APAC region. Unlike many larger agencies, we don't have extensive global footprints or significant marketing budgets, which made the recognition even more meaningful. To be recognised at one of the industry's leading awards was a moment of immense pride for the entire team.
MD: What was the reaction internally, and how did you celebrate the win?
AQ: As soon as we collected the award on stage, we sent a message to the team. Most of our colleagues are based in Thailand and were six hours ahead, but we still received some enthusiastic responses despite it being the middle of the night!
The immediate excitement came from being able to share the news across our social channels, particularly LinkedIn. We saved the main celebration for our Christmas party, where we reflected on the team's achievements throughout 2025. Winning Gold at the Global Performance Marketing Awards was undoubtedly one of the highlights.
MD: What kind of impact did the win have on the business? Did it change how your work is perceived or open up new opportunities?
AQ: The awards had a positive impact on both our brand visibility and new business opportunities. Being able to reference independent industry recognition in client conversations and presentations added an additional layer of credibility, particularly within the finance and fintech sector.
The timing was also ideal, as PI Live followed shortly afterwards. We had some fantastic conversations with brands, networks and partners who recognised us from the awards and wanted to learn more about our approach and how we could work together. The recognition undoubtedly helped open doors and strengthen our market positioning.
MD: What advice or top tips would you give to a team working on their entry or looking to submit for the first time?
AQ: Be clear from the outset and focus on the points that genuinely demonstrate success. Your executive summary is particularly important because judges review a large number of entries, so it needs to capture attention quickly and communicate the value of your submission.
Ensure your objectives are SMART, and that your results clearly demonstrate how those objectives were achieved. Where possible, highlight one or two distinctive achievements, innovations or challenges overcome. Strong data is important, but what really makes an entry stand out is demonstrating substantial impact and a compelling story.
MD: What’s ahead for the team?
AQ: Our mission remains the same: to play a leading role in growing affiliate and partnership marketing across the APAC region.
Over the past year, we have expanded our capabilities into Japan, India and China, allowing us to support clients across an even broader range of markets. As demand for partnership marketing continues to grow, we plan to further expand our team and strengthen our regional expertise.
You'll certainly see us at PI Live, which remains one of the most important events in our calendar. And, of course, we hope we'll be back at the Global Performance Marketing Awards again in the future.
If you’d like to get your hard work in the spotlight at the 2026 GPMAs, the final deadline is 23rd July 2026. Download the Entry Kit here for your chance to be crowned a GPMA gold winner in 2026.
