Author: Mark

SPARK Media is celebrating the life of long-time colleague and close friend Andy Stanton who tragically suffered a fatal heart attack earlier this month.

The Johannesburg celebration of Andy’s life will take place this Thursday the 16^th August. Please join the team at Baron on Main in Bryanston from 4pm to share your memories of Andy with his friends and colleagues.

Gill Randall Joint CEO of SPARK Media says: “For so many of us, the world we live in lost some of its sparkle when the booming voice of the great Scotsman, Andy Stanton was silenced forever. His beautiful heart stopped beating, doing what he loved, playing a round of golf, surrounded by friends.

Andy was one the gentlest giants who had an infinite capacity to care about his fellow man and show kindness with every human interaction. He lived his life as an example to us all; with love, passion and a deep sense of humility. He has left a legacy in so many places including the newspaper and advertising industry, the soccer fraternity and the golfing world.

Dear Andy, on behalf of the SPARK Media family, we want you to know that you were cherished and adored by so many of us and our team will feel your loss forever.”

SPARK Media DNA

Established in 2015, SPARK Media, a division of CTP Ltd, are experts in retail and location based marketing solutions. The company owns and represents a myriad of print and digital products that deliver locally relevant, effective audiences for advertising clients. SPARK Media are Strategic Partners in Audience Research and Knowledge and offer ‘Insights that Ignite’.

 

The Advertising and Media Association of South Africa (AMASA) has announced that entries for the 2018 AMASA AWARDS are now open and that an exciting new award, the AMASA AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARD, has been added to the programme.

The annual AMASA AWARDS celebrate excellence in media strategy, media planning and the creative and innovative use of the media mix. A panel of expert judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate sound insights, creative thinking, innovative strategy, impeccable implementation, and outstanding and measurable results.

Media practitioners nationwide are invited to submit entries showcasing their best campaigns implemented between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018. These will be judged in a number of different categories and will compete for the renowned Roger Garlick [u2] Grand Prix, which is presented for the best work overall.The newly introduced AMASA AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARD will be presented to the agency that achieves the greatest number of points for both shortlisted work and awards achieved.

The top awards in the 2018 AMASA AWARDS programme are: 

• NEW: AMASA AGENCY OF THE YEAR: This award recognises the most awarded agency in the awards programme and includes a motivation to a senior panel of experts[u3] .
• ROGER GARLICK AWARD: This award is presented for the best overall campaign of the year.

The other categories in the programme are: 

1. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: FMCG
2. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: TRANSPORT
3. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: B2B
4. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: FINANCIAL
5. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: PUBLIC SERVICES
6. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: TRAVEL, ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE
7. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: RETAIL (INCLUDING E-COMMERCE & QSR)
8. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: MEDIA
9. BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: OTHER CONSUMER GOODS (INCLUDING DURABLES & TELCO)
10. BEST BRANDED CONTENT CAMPAIGN
11. BEST EXPERIENTIAL/EVENT CAMPAIGN
12. BEST ONLINE CAMPAIGN
13. BEST SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
14. BEST USE OF MOBILE
15. BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY/DATA
16. BEST SPONSORSHIP
17. BEST CONTRIBUTION BY A MEDIA OWNER
18. BEST TACTICAL USE OF MEDIA
19. BEST TRADE MARKETING
20. BEST PRO BONO CAMPAIGN
21. BEST USE OF A SMALL BUDGET ( UNDER R150K)
22. IGNITION AWARD FOR STUDENTS (STUDENTS ONLY)

How to enter:

1. Visit the AMASA AWARDS[u4] page on the AMASA website.
2. Download the AMASA AWARDS 2018 entry form from the website and complete your entry.
3. Obtain a letter of consent from the clients whose campaign/s you are entering for consideration.
4. Gather all supporting documentation. If this includes a link to a video hosted online, ensure that the URL (web page address) is included on your entry form.
5. e-Mail your entry form and supporting documentation, including your letter of consent and proof of payment, to AMASA.Awards2018@gmail.com.
6. Entry forms and supporting material will only be accepted in digital format, and only via the e-mail address provided.

 For any further information about the AMASA AWARDS entry process, please email: AMASA.Awards2018@gmail.com

Special notes:  

A maximum of five supporting documents are permitted per entry. This excludes the entry form but includes photographs, videos and .pdf documents submitted in support of the entry.

Entrants are welcome to enter the same campaign into various categories if they would like to do so. They are also encouraged to submit a video supporting their entry, but this is not a requirement.

Campaigns entered should be authentic and signed off by the relevant client.

Entries should indicate how the campaign delivered on the quantifiable goals set in the media plan and how it generated sound commercial results.

 Costs:

The cost for a general entry is R1,700 and the cost for an Ignition entry is R800 EXCLUDING VAT. All entries must be accompanied by proof of payment. AMASA’s banking details are given on the entry form.

The Awards Ceremony:

The awards will be made at the prestigious AMASA Awards Ceremony Gala:

Date:        10 October 2018
Time:        19:00 for 19:15
Venue:      The Hilton, Sandton
Tickets:     R750 per person or R700 per person for a table of 10

Ticket sales open 15 August 2018. The price includes a three-course plated dinner, a bottle or wine per table and entertainment.

Category details: 

Best Integrated Campaign 

Campaigns entered for consideration in this category must demonstrate the use of two or more types of media (e.g. screens, digital, outdoor etc.). They will be judged on how well the chosen media types are integrated and entries must demonstrate how successfully the different media types complement and build on one another to communicate the brand’s overall message.

Judges will be looking out for evidence of media-neutral planning, in which the best insights and thinking have resulted in the use of a media mix that demonstrates creativity, consistency of brand message and achievement of the client’s objectives. Entrants should please specify any third-party contributions on the relevant campaign.

Best Integrated Campaign: FMCG

This category encompasses all fast-moving consumer goods, including beer, wine, spirits, liqueurs, cocktails, tea, coffee, still and carbonated drinks, juices, mineral waters, chocolates, sweets, chewing and bubble gum, potato crisps, nuts, milk, yoghurt, ice cream, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, margarine and spreads, cakes, biscuits, desserts, sugar, jam, honey, peanut butter, bread, flour, baking ingredients, breakfast cereals, meats, fish, seafood, soups, delicatessen products, fruits and vegetables, rice, pasta, sauces, oils, spices, herbs, pre-cooked and prepared meals, baby foods and baby milk, detergents, cleaning products, air fresheners, insecticides, foil and other food packaging, light bulbs, batteries, paint, varnish and wood protectors adhesives, tools, garden tools, pet food and pet care products, soap, shower and bath products, deodorants and body sprays, skin and nail care products, oral hygiene products, toilet paper, tissues, nappies, shaving products, insect repellents, diet products, adhesive plasters, skin remedies, condoms, pregnancy tests, contact lenses, vitamins, alternative therapies and medicines, and virility drugs.

Best Integrated Campaign: Transport

This category encompasses all vehicles and related products, including cars, jeeps and four-wheel drives, pick-up trucks, vans, lorries, motorbikes, tyres, auto products and services, spare parts, accessories such as in-car hi-fi, petrol stations, petrol, oil, breakdown and servicing companies, car dealerships, and car finance and leasing

Best Integrated Campaign: Other Consumer Goods (including durables & telco)

This category encompasses all consumer durables, including consumer electronics. It includes house and garden furniture, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, freezers, cookers, microwaves, kitchen utensils, appliances and crockery, glassware, bed and table linen, baths, showers and toilets, wall and floor coverings, televisions, cameras, video cameras, film, hi-fi equipment, personal stereos, CD players and MP3 players, DVD and Blu-ray players, personal phone equipment such as mobile phones and smartphones, tablet computers, musical instruments, sports equipment, bicycles, boats and caravans, toys, board games, computer games, game consoles, home computers, clothing, footwear and accessories, sportswear, handbags, belts, luggage, jewellery, watches, sunglasses, and spectacles.

Best Integrated Campaign: Financial

This category encompasses all providers of financial and related services, as well as all providers of property, building and infrastructure services and products. These include banks, building societies, credit cards, current and savings accounts, mortgages and loans, investment companies, health and building insurance, car insurance, pension and retirement plans, real estate investment, building development, and road construction.

Best Integrated Campaign: Public Services

This category encompasses consumer telecommunication services, internet service providers, cable and satellite providers, TV providers, directories, postal services, electricity, gas, power and water utilities, private education institutions, private healthcare providers and clinics, providers of optical services, providers of medical and dental services, prescription drugs, hearing aids, hospital aids, hospital and dental equipment, psychiatrists, sex therapists, plastic surgeons etc.

Best Integrated Campaign: Travel, Entertainment and Leisure

This category encompasses all transport, travel and tourism service providers and related products, including airlines, train and bus companies, cruise lines, travel agencies, tourist boards, hotels, resorts, city and bus company promotion, car hire, travel passes, leisure and theme parks, gyms, health and diet clubs, sporting events, music festivals, orchestras, exhibitions and shows, nightclubs, bars, museums, art galleries, cinemas and theatres, golf and country clubs, the National Lottery, and gambling.

Best Integrated Campaign: Retail (includes e-commerce & QSR)

This category encompasses all retailers, including e-commerce and QSR providers. These include home shopping networks, restaurants, fast-food outlets, department and specialist stores, supermarkets, DIY stores, pharmacies, opticians, hairdressers, beauty salons, laundry service outlets, estate agents, photo-processors, video and DVD rental stores, mail-order companies, online shopping sites, and auctioneers.

Best Integrated Campaign: Media

This category encompasses newspapers, magazines and supplements, books, records, CDs, cassettes, DVDs and Blu-ray discs, TV and radio stations, networks and programming, and movies.

Best Integrated Campaign: B2B

This category encompasses business phone and computer equipment, office furniture and stationery, accountancy, conference and events services, business postal services, courier services, employment agencies, and agriculture and manufacturing equipment.

Best Branded Content Campaign

This category focuses on content creation and is open to all brands, agencies and production organisations that are dealing with brands in order to devise, create and distribute branded content. The work involved may have been executed for broadcast or for distribution in the online video market. It may also have been delivered via publications or through apps. It could be ‘native’[u5] or exist as independent scalable content.

The judges will be looking for innovative content that aligns with the brand’s strategy and values, and which addresses a clearly-defined marketing challenge. The way in which that content is leveraged – whether through licensing and rights selling or through engagement in social media (as evidenced by shares, likes or other engagement metrics) – will be an important consideration in judging. This category is all about ‘owned’ media.

Best Experiential/Event Campaign

This category recognises brands that deliver experiential campaigns for consumers via events, stunt advertising, guerrilla marketing, projections, and roadshows or through sponsorship of an existing events property. The experiential campaign must be fundamentally physical in its core, but should include virtual elements.

Best Online Campaign

This category recognises campaigns that demonstrate an understanding of the digital landscape and have been integrated into it. It covers all forms of digital media, including the web, mobile media, apps, blogs, IPTV, and gaming and search. Its reach extends into affiliate marketing and campaigns should demonstrate great examples of interaction using digital media’s unique properties. Judges will be looking for campaigns that have successfully made use of digital media in a creative and innovative way, and which have been executed with a high level of quality in order to promote the brand and its message to target audiences.

Best Social Media Strategy

This category rewards innovation in social media strategy. The winning campaign should be able to demonstrate great results through the use of social media. It may have been delivered via a social media platform or via an online initiative using existing or new social networks. It could also be a campaign in which an initial idea, experience or message has been actively distributed and/or adapted by a participating key audience to positive brand effect using social channels. Entries will be judged on the creative use of social platforms and a sound understanding of online consumer behaviour, and should all be backed up by substantive metrics that prove campaign success. Judges will be looking for examples of fantastic consumer-driven campaigns, community building, targeting, engagement, and conversational marketing strategies.

Best Use of Mobile

This category recognises the innovative use of mobile channels to reach and engage consumers. Any form of mobile media will be considered, including mobile apps, .mobi sites, mobile content or any form of mobile advertising, provided it shows how the advertiser has used mobile in a creative and engaging way to obtain great results based on clear objectives.

Best Use of Technology

This award will be made to the campaign that is seen to exploit new technology to its full potential in the marketing environment. The winning campaign should be able to demonstrate a good brand/technology fit and show innovation in the use of the new technology to reach an audience or multiple audiences. This category is open to any existing media channel or any new one created by the use of the technology. Judges will be focussing on the innovative nature of the technology and how it has been applied to meet a specific marketing challenge.

Best Sponsorship

This category focuses on campaigns that promote a brand’s value and position by going beyond traditional advertising channels and by using generated content. They may include, for example, the seamless integration of a product into a television programme or advertiser-funded programming (AFP). The judges will be looking for campaigns that use sponsorship as the primary element in the communications strategy and will focus on the part of the campaign owned by the agency that contributed most to the success of the sponsorship.

Best Contribution by a Media Owner

This category recognises the efforts made by media owners, when partnering with advertiser clients, to connect directly with target audiences. Judges will be looking at partner behaviour, innovative strategies, and the creative application of ideas. Entries will be judged on the level of creative thinking involved, the depth of consumer insight, and the level of success for the client. The winning campaign could be based on a multi-platform strategy or could be a single execution. The entrant must be the media owner.

Ignition Award

The Ignition Award is aimed at current students, and rewards the best example of work submitted from media and advertising students.

Best use of a Small Budget (<150k)

This category recognises the most creative and far-reaching campaigns executed on a shoe-string budget. The judges will looking for ingenuity when it comes to getting clients the most bang for their buck!

Best Pro BonoCampaign

This category honours outstanding campaigns developed on a pro bono basis and focusing on causes as varied as environmental protection, wildlife conservation, child abuse and road safety. The judges will be looking for campaigns that have not only raised money which have also publicised important issues.

Best Trade Marketing Campaign

Primarily for media owners, the Best Trade Marketing Campaign category seeks to celebrate the exceptionally creative trade campaigns that typically target media agencies and clients directly. Entrants will have to be clear about what the objectives of the campaign were and about how they achieved what they set out to do. Judges will be looking for originality, innovation and a clear understanding of how the execution linked back to the organisation’s media offering.

Best Tactical Use of Media

This category recognises the tactical use of one media channel only. The judges will be looking at the entrant’s ability to use innovative thinking in order to make one particular media channel stick out and deliver results for the client.

Media Agency of the Year

All entering companies will score points based on the number of campaigns shortlisted, the number of highly commended awards received, the number of gold awards received, and the points received for winning the Grand Prix. Once all scores have been tallied, a shortlist will be generated, after which each company will need to present to an expert jury, which will decide the final Agency of the Year winner.

 

Combining South Africa’s inherent love of soccer with a literal once in a lifetime opportunity – to train with international giants Chelsea Football Club, Shield has tailored a unique sponsorship property and been shortlisted for both Newcomer of the Year, and Campaign of the Year at this year’s Sports Sponsorship Awards. Gareth Marshall, Senior Brand Manager of Shield South Africa says: “At the beginning of this campaign we had to take a hard look at the brand to dissect where we’ve been and where we want to be,” says Gareth. “We wanted to really have singular focus, and through our unique South African insights we saw soccer and specifically skills development as the ideal vehicle to connect with the South African consumer.”

Shield’s Sbonis’iDiski campaign allows anyone, irrespective of skill or stature, the ability to potentially train under a world class programme developed and monitored by Chelsea Football Club and Shield in South Africa. Players have learned invaluable skills from the world’s best development coaches including football skills development, match strategy, diet and nutrition and even media liaison training.

After a national training and selection processes, the top three players got to experience the home of Chelsea Football at their world class training facility based in Cobham, UK.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated for Newcomer and Campaign of the Year in our first year back in the sponsorship arena, but more importantly, we wanted to make a real difference in someone’s life and I’m very pleased we’ve done that, with more great things on the cards for year two of this campaign,” says Gareth.

Shield partner agencies involved in the Sbonis’ iDiski campaign are Joe Public Ignite, Chaos Theory, Gorilla and Edelman.

Despite some cyclical challenges that could impact commodity prices, the investment case for agriculture in Africa remains strong. This was one of the main messages to emerge from the 12^th Agribusiness Africa Conference hosted by Caxton Magazine’s Farmer’s Weekly at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg recently.

In her opening address Farmer’s Weekly editor, Denene Erasmus said they were pleased by the high number of international delegates at the conference as many of the solutions needed to grow agriculture in South Africa and the rest of Africa can only be made possible through international partnerships.

The countries represented amongst the more than 250 delegates that attended this year’s conference included Lesotho, Botswana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Sudan, Angola, Namibia, Tunisia, Italy, Finland, India, Germany, the US, Argentina, Israel, the Netherlands, Australia and France.

Anton Botes, General Manager at Caxton magazines adds: “Each of our brand owned and hosted events are carefully thought out to ensure that there is a suitable fit for each of our products, which in turn provides great value to our readers and advertisers. The Agribusiness Africa conference was one such event that also gave Farmer’s Weekly great exposure to both a local and international stage.”

Africa is the second most unequal continent in the world after Latin America, Erasmus said. “While Africa’s first challenge might be to improve economic growth, the second and perhaps greater challenge, given high levels of income inequality, will be to make sure that growth is equitable, and that there is wide distribution of wealth that will reduce poverty and create jobs.”

Referring to this year’s conference theme ‘Partnerships for equitable trade’, Erasmus said it was crucial that as agricultural trade continued to become ever more globalised, Africa’s farmers needed to be given a fair chance to join global value chains.

“Not only will this require the upgrading of existing and the establishment of new agricultural supply chains, there will have to be investment in infrastructure. Corporations will have to invest in the type of research and development that will be useful and beneficial to Africa’s farmers. None of this will be easy, and it will require the right kind of leadership and effective partnerships between government, farmers and private sector investors and corporations.”

According to Chris Potgieter, head of private client securities at Old Mutual Wealth one of the speakers at the conference, demand for food products would continue to increase globally due to population growth and the higher calorie intake of a growing middle class. Strong demand coupled with supply constraints that were likely to occur due to the limited availability of resources such as land and water meant that, on macro level, the investment outlook for agriculture was optimistic.

“Innovation will equip agriculture to cope with the competing challenges of addressing food and nutrition security, improving livelihoods, combating climate change and sustainably managing natural resources. There will be a way to feed the world and money will be made by investors who are able to select the right investments,” he added.

Chicken dumping took centre-stage during one of the panel discussions at the conference. Francois Baird, founder of non-profit trade movement FairPlay, accused the EU of chicken dumping and costing the local poultry industry thousands of jobs as a result of unfair trade practices.

Dessy Choumelova, counsellor for agriculture, food safety and climate change for the EU delegation to South Africa responded to Baird’s statements, saying said that FairPlay’s “media campaign [was] not based on facts”. She had earlier spoken about fair trade between the EU and South Africa as stipulated in the SADC-EU economic partnership agreement (EPA).

Other highlights from the two-day event included a presentation by Dr Theo de Jager, president of the World Farmers’ Organisation who discussed the difficulties facing family farms globally, as well as the keynote addresses delivered by Pieter Geldenhuys, innovation expert and futurist, who spoke about the impact of technology on agriculture over the next five to 10 years, and by Prof Ruth Hall, an associate professor at the Institute of Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies at the University of the Western Cape, who was discussed issues of land ownership in Africa.

Erasmus concludes, “As South Africa’s oldest and most trusted agricultural magazine, Farmer’s Weekly hosts this annual conference to bring together international farmers and the best farming minds in the world where delegates can debate and discuss national and international agricultural and farming issues.

We appreciate all the interaction and engagement that took place during the two days and look forward to Agribusiness Africa Conference 2019.”

Find out what delegates had to say on Twitter by searching #FWAgbizAfrica

For more about this conference and other Farmer’s Weekly events visit https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/ or email farmersweekly@caxton.co.za.

Caxton Magazines DNA

Storytelling is our business. Content is our currency. Caxton Magazines is a division of Caxton CTP Printers & Publishers and houses 12 brands in print and digital formats, primarily aimed at the women’s lifestyle segment across life stages, lifestyles and income groups. These brands are: Vrouekeur; Woman & Home; Bona; Living & Loving; People; Food & Home Entertaining; Your Family; Garden & Home; Farmer’s Weekly; Essentials; Rooi Rose and SA Country Life. Visit www.caxtonmags.co.za