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The International Customer Publishing Awards will replace APA's formerly separate Effectiveness Awards and Creative Awards.

For the first time, the APA is inviting entries from abroad following high demand from international organisations, over the last three years, to have the chance to be judged against the UK.

This means that non-APA members from both home and abroad will be eligible for entry, from international customer publishers through to digital agencies and in-house teams.

The new awards will showcase effective and creative editorial content for brands and will include dedicated digital categories recognising the significant rise of digital activity within the industry.

An audit by the APA earlier this year revealed that over 15% of the work produced by customer publishers in the UK is now online.

New digital categories include best digital solution of the year (B2B/internal), best digital communication of the year (consumer), best digital solution of the year (charity, not for profit, public sector), and best use of video.

Best catalogue, best brochure and best annual have also been introduced following a consultation of APA membership.

Businesses can . A panel of international judges including media planners and impartial client-side marketing directors will be tasked with judging the entries and selecting the winners.

Julia Hutchison, chief operating officer of APA, said: "The customer publishing industry is now worth almost £1bn.

"It has been built on the production of engaging editorialised content for brands across different media -- whether through traditional magazines or more recently online via a blog or video stream.

"The buoyancy of the industry, the rise of digital and the increased interest from international organisations all led to the birth of these new awards, combined with the fact we believe every editorialised content provider should be eligible for entry to continue to raise the bar of customer publishing."

The inaugural awards will take place at London's Old Billingsgate on November 25.

Emily Fovargue, head of customer publishing at Royal Mail and overall sponsor of the International Customer Publishing Awards, said: "I applaud the APA for continuing to innovate in the current climate and having the desire and commitment to further its growth. 

"An international award scheme that celebrates the discipline will inevitably serve to increase the spotlight on this important medium and lead to more awareness of its effectiveness and creativity as a communications tool in the marketers' armoury."

The International Customer Publishing Awards categories:

Best automotive title
Best finance title
Best travel and leisure title
Best membership title (consumer)
Best membership title (not for profit, charities and associations)
Best public sector/government title
Best business to business title
Best consumer publication (retail)
Best consumer publication (non-retail)
Best catalogue
Best international title
Launch of the year
Best use of typography
Best use of photography
Best use of illustration
Best brochure
Best annual
Specialist communication
Best digital solution of the year (B2B/internal)
Best digital communication of the year (consumer)
Best digital solution of the year (charity, not for profit, public sector)
Best integrated marketing solution of the year
Best use of video
Editor of the year
Grand Prix