The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media industry.
Category finalists of the 2020 Sunday Times Gen Next Awards have been announced!
The finalists across each of the 69 categories of the 16th annual Sunday Times Gen Next survey have been announced. The winners will be celebrated during an online Awards event on 21 August 2020.
The Sunday Times Gen Next survey is considered the leading barometer of what South Africa’s youth find on-trend and aspirational, and delivers insights that are valued by brand management, advertising, and marketing professionals.
The survey conducted by HDI Youth Consultancy (now incorporated into Yellowwood) has previously been limited to South African youths between the ages of 8 and 23, but for the first time also includes a sample population of Young Professionals, aged 25 to 30 years. More than six thousand youth and young professionals across the country were polled during the 2020 survey period which concluded ahead of the national Covid-19 lockdown.
However, the Gen Next survey has not been insulated from the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdown, says Bonolo Molale of HDI: “The greatest impact has been in our inability to reach the full desired sample of 12 000 youth and young professionals. Despite the challenges faced, we have reached 6000 youth and young professionals which is a significant sample size and represents a large and relevant population from which to draw insights on youth.”
“The 2020 survey results will serve as the most accurate ‘before’ snapshot of youth brand perception from a pre-lockdown, pre-Covid-19 period,” said Eben Gewers, head of advertising sales and trade marketing at Arena Holdings – which owns Sunday Times Gen Next.
“It gives marketers a unique benchmark for measuring attitude shifts that may happen because of the hardships many will face, and how these will shape their spending priorities in a post-lockdown economic recovery period.”
The survey also recognises youth perception of personal brands of sports and entertainment celebrities. “High profile individuals like sports stars, musicians, and actors play a huge role in youth culture, and it will be very interesting to see which of those celebrated in the 2020 survey results will maintain their good favour and continue to serve as responsible role models during this crucial time for our country,” says Gewers.
The finalists in the 2020 celebrity, sport and entertainment categories (in alphabetical order) are:
- Coolest TV Soaps: 7de Laan, Empire, IsiBaya, The Queen, Uzalo
- Coolest Radio Stations: 947, Jozi FM, Lesedi FM, Metro FM, Ukhozi FM
- Coolest Local Sportsperson: AB de Villiers, Percy Tau, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Siya Kolisi, Thembinkosi Lorch
- Coolest Local DJ (radio or club): Black Coffee, DJ Maphorisa, DJ Tira, DJ Zinhle, Kabza de Small
- Coolest Local Male Celebrities: Cassper Nyovest, Kaza de Small, Kwesta, Nasty C, Trevor Noah
- Coolest Local Female Celebrities: Boity Thulo, DJ Zinhle, Lady Zamar, Minnie Dlamini, Sho Madjozi
- Coolest Online Influencers: Bonang Matheba, Kim Kardashian, Lasizwe, Mihlali Ndamase, Somizi
Sunday Times Gen Nextis presented in association with HDI Youth Consultancy. Register to watch the Sunday Times Gen Next Awards online, by clicking here.
For information on sponsorship and activation opportunities at the 2020 Sunday Times Gen Next Awards please contact Cortney Hoyland | hoylandc@arena.africa
Call to Enter 2020 Marketing Achievement Awards: Celebrating Those Who Dare!
The Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) is confirmed to take place in February 2021. Endorsed by the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), theY celebrate excellence in the science and art of strategic marketing.
The recent challenges which have thrown the world off course have highlighted how critical it is for marketers to find their own True North and guide their brands with determination and precision. This year, the MAA will look for the greatest minds, the truest ideas, and the boldest approaches.
All marketers from across South Africa, big and small, known and unknown, are encouraged to enter their best work so that they can be measured against, and recognised by, their peers. There are several categories available and the entry format is a simple online process.
The following categories are available for entrants to prove their strategic abilities in:
- Purpose Led Marketing
- Strategic Sponsorship Marketing
- Brand Positioning
- Marketing Innovation
- New Product or Brand Launch
- Reputation Management (Corporate and Brand)
- South African Resonance Marketing
- Brand Marketing B2B
- Integrated Marketing
- Resourceful Marketing (The “Limited Budget, Unlimited Idea” Category)
- Internal Marketing
- Digital Brand Marketing (New Category for 2020)
- Rising Star of the Year (Nominated)
- Marketer of the Year (Nominated)
This year’s entry process has been finetuned to allow for winning case studies to be published. This way, we can truly set a benchmark for excellence, inspire marketers to make a case for leading organisations with insightful strategy, and prove marketing’s value to the bottom line.
Newly appointed Chairperson of the Marketing Awards Council (MAC), Mohale Ralebitso, will be spearheading the Council, taking over from Yvonne Johnston who successfully chaired the MAC during her three-year tenure. As an entrepreneur and expert transformational business leader, his resume spans over 22 years in marketing and financial services, and boasts a litany of accomplishments.
Early bird entries close on 17 August 2020, while final entries close on the 6 September 2020. In the face of a pandemic, nothing is certain, however the intention is for the Awards Ceremony to be hosted in early 2021.
#marketingachievers #marketingachievementawards #arrivetruenorth
Special Adaptability Award for Financial Mail AdFocus Awards 2020
2020 has been an extraordinary year, forcing agencies to think and operate differently both internally and externally. This has led to the Financial Mail AdFocus Awards 2020 introducing a once-off Award, the Financial Mail AdFocus Adaptability Award.
“Over the last few years there’s been no shortage of headlines confirming the dramatic shift in agency structures and client expectations – thanks in the main to digital disruption and telecommunications, business transformation and the agenda of diversifying the industry. Now with COVID-19, agencies too must adapt and try to embrace the opportunity with enthusiasm,” says 2020/21 AdFocus Awards Chairperson, Tumi Rabanye.
The Awards, which opened this week, acknowledge that conditions that agencies have been operating in since March are highly unusual, and has required an agile approach and flexible response to client needs, she explains. “As the concern, and dare I say anxiety levels, around COVID-19 infections and the ramifications increase, the marketing communications industry and community is not exempt, with COVID-19 demanding that agencies show what they are made of.”
The Financial Mail AdFocus Adaptability Award will recognise how agencies have successfully adapted to this new paradigm.
Advertising and media agencies can also enter the usual categories offered by AdFocus.
The 2020 Agency Awards:
- Large Advertising Agency of the Year
- Medium Advertising Agency of the Year
- Small Advertising Agency of the Year
- Network Media Agency of the Year
- Independent Media Agency of the Year
- Public Relations Agency of the Year
- Specialist Agency of the Year, and
- Overall Agency of the Year
The 2020 Special Awards:
- Lifetime Achievement
- Industry Leader of the Year
- Student of the Year
- Shapeshifter
- Partnership of the Year, awarded jointly to an agency and client
- African Impact Award
- Transformation Award
This year a number of new jury members have joined the Financial Mail AdFocus Awards in the main jury:
- Lehlohonolo (Hloni) Mokema – Lead Communications Specialist for People and Culture, Absa
- Faheem Chaudhry – MD, M&C Saatchi Abel JHB
- Thabiet Allie – CEO, TurnUp Music
- Wendy Bergsteedt – Group Head Marketing, Coronation Fund Manager
- Dr Beate Stiehler-Mulder – Senior Lecturer, Marketing and Stakeholder engagement – Department of Marketing Management, University of Johannesburg
- Lebo Motswenyane – Founder, Lucky No.8
- Alistair Mokoena – Country Director, Google
- Dali Tembo – MD, Instant Grass.
- Haydn Townsend – MD, Accenture Interactive
- Sindiswa Masuta – Strategy Business Director, Grey Group
- Jay Badza – Founder, Orchard on 25
- Lesego Kotane – MD, King James Johanneburg
- Mpume Ngobese – MD, Joe Public Connect
Agencies can register on the adfocus.co.za website. Entries for the advertising awards close on 31 August and the media awards close on 24 August 2020.
Ten-year old VMLY&R South Africa awarded Cannes Top Ten most creative Agency of the Decade
VMLY&R South Africa has taken 10th place in the Cannes Agency of the Decade awards for the Middle East and Africa region.
It’s only 10 years since the agency launched as NATIVE, a small, full-service digital marketing agency with the bold ambition to become South Africa’s best, which is why Ryan McManus, Chief Creative Officer at VMLY&R South Africa acknowledges that this accolade is a gratifying achievement for such a young agency and a testament to the type of work it produces.
“This award reinforces our belief in purpose-driven work that lives in people’s lives,” he said. “This is an ethos with real meaning, a practice we live and breathe every day. We actively create real connections between brands and their consumers. And it shows in the work.”
In 2013 a partnership with global digital marketing giant VML, further entrenched NATIVE’s leadership position in South Africa. In 2018, Y&R, another WPP company, merged into VML, integrating the strong digital heritage of NATIVE with Y&R’s more traditional through-the-line creative excellence giving clients the ability to create a brand experience across every touch point, an integrated approach to brand communication very few local agencies are able to provide.
A retrospective view of some of VMLY&R South Africa’s more recent wins at Cannes show that work with the ability to really engage the customer in a culturally relevant manner, is work that wins awards.
#IAmMuslim, a 2016 campaign for PASSOP took home a Gold Lion and reminded the world that being Muslim does not make someone a terrorist. In the same year, Twitter Refugees, also for PASSOP, won a Silver for an automated Twitter engine that hijacked the global conversation to remind the world that refugees are human beings.
In 2017, VMLY&R took home 6 Cannes Lions including Cannes Entertainment Agency of the year for Absolut’s One Source Live campaign which was responsible for re-igniting the iconic global brand into an African context to win the hearts and minds of local consumers.
In 2017 Stop The Cycle for Huff Post received two Bronze Lions for using Facebook’s new 360° ad format to raise awareness about how consumerism has an impact on society and the environment.
The true film Dead Fish Eyes about how surfing helps youngsters from the Cape flats find an alternative life to gangsterism, won a Bronze Lion in 2018 for Surf Shack.
And in 2019 Don’t Tell Me What to Do won a Bronze Lion for repositioning the Edgars brand, taking it from being on the outside of local culture to a culturally relevant connected brand through a multi-channel campaign that combined make-up tutorials, body-positive poems, choir performances, personal stories, a fashion collection and an original song by Africa’s rising icon Sho Madjozi.
Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards more important than ever
With a plethora of channels for citizens to choose from when it comes to news, journalism has become more important than ever. This is because of the process journalists follow when they investigate a story before they present it to the public.
In the age of fake news the importance of these verified stories cannot be emphasised enough especially has they can have a serious impact on our democracy and country, as stories such as the Gupta Leaks and the exposure of the VBS scandal has shown.
Both of these were awarded the SA Story of the Year at the Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Sponsors of the Awards for many years, the Standard Bank Group recognises this. Two years ago, its CEO Lungisa Fuzile stated: “Stories such as the Gupta Leaks help the public to connect the dots and see the truth in an era of false news.”
This year freelancers can enter for free provided they submit a letter confirming their work from their editor and the publication must be aligned with media associations. PSS members will pay R80 entrance fee.
Please note that entries will close on 15 July, and with only two weeks to go, journalists are urged to submit their work before this deadline as there will NOT be any extension.
The awards event will also be a virtual event to be held on 15 October.
The entry kit with all details regarding submissions can be accessed and downloaded at //www.pdmedia.org.za/ and all submissions can be submitted at //sikuvile.org/ .
FNB wins Best Digital Bank, TymeBank emerges as a strong contender, according to SITEisfaction® 2020
InSites Consulting South Africa (previously Columinate) has revealed the results of its ninth annual SITEisfaction® survey. Launched in 2012, the report is an annual measure of customer satisfaction with digital banking services in South Africa. It rates each banking institution with a score from -100 (worst possible experience) to +100 (best possible experience), combining the scores for internet banking (via computer web browser) and mobile banking (via mobile apps).
Consumer data in the SITEisfaction® report indicate that FNB achieved first place as South Africa’s Best Digital Bank with a score of 81, while Capitec places second this year, with a score of 78. FNB and Capitec were tied for first place with a score of 79 each in 2019. These two banks have consistently been rated either 1st or 2nd since the measure was introduced in 2012. Third place is awarded to newcomer TymeBank, with a score of 74, followed by Nedbank (72), Standard Bank (66), and Absa (61).
Giuseppe Virgillito, FNB Head of Digital Banking, says, “We are honoured to once again be recognised as the best digital bank in South Africa. The consistent improvement in customer experience across our digital channels is in line with our strategy to help customers manage their money through a safer, convenient and efficient platform.”
