Preparations for the MOST Awards 2021 edition are surging ahead after confirmation that the event will go ahead this year, albeit in a different format.
Representatives from media agencies and media owners gathered for the annual focus group – held virtually – to discuss the format of the event, the categories and the research parameters while acknowledging the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“One of the most important success factors in our ‘new normal’ business world is the ability to provide excellent service. Businesses that are able to adapt without compromising their service levels are going to win,” said Brad Aigner, founder of research outfit, Freshly Ground Insights, which is conducting the survey.
“Those that do not will most likely fail. This is why the Most Awards is no less relevant now than it ever has been over the past 12-years. Our recent focus group interaction with Industry stakeholders verified that the importance and fundamentals of service delivery between buyers and sellers of media space has never changed. This is why we are very pleased to be running the Most Awards research survey again this year. The show is going on!” he emphasised.
Reassuringly, the consensus was that not much needs changing, and that the criteria in particular are still considered relevant, even in the current environment. The individual awards such as the Bell Award, the Shepherd Award as well as the rising star and legends awards remain.
“The feedback was very positive and the attitude one of excitement. I got the feeling everyone believed it was mandatory that the MOST Awards have to happen this year,” says Nicole Banks from Freshly Ground Insights (FGI), which have, as always, conducted the research survey.
Banks confirmed the questionnaire “wouldn’t change that much”.
Of course, the impact of the pandemic on ways of working has to be acknowledged, and much discussion took place on how this aspect should be brought into the MOST Awards in 2021.
The topic of the cinema category elicited much debate. With movie houses profoundly knocked by the pandemic for most of last year, advertising sales took a major hit. The MOST team are digging deeper and canvassing opinions on how to handle the category.
Then there’s magazines, a sector that has been on the ropes for some time, but was hard hit by the pandemic. The possibility of combining it with newspapers into a single print category was mooted and is being investigated.
The rise of ‘content’ was acknowledged, too, with several respondents suggesting a new ‘content delivery’ category in recognition of its growing importance among effective delivery channels. Many agreed this was worth checking out, but perhaps with a view to introducing it at a later stage.
And then of course, the work from home and virtual sales environment has affected all agencies and owners, and their respective teams.
This new way of working has had an enormous impact on media owners and agencies, and respondents believe a ‘virtually perfect service award’ should have a place in the MOST Awards 2021.
Sponsorship sales for the 2021 MOST Awards are open and a variety of sponsorship packages are available. Sponsorship of specific awards can be packaged to include online advertising before, during and after the awards announcement, plus fun, creative and enduring activations during the awards.
For more information or to sponsor the MOST Awards 2021 please contact Melanie Warricker on melanie@ifeelgood.co.za
or 072 480 6123.
Key dates to remember
12 April: Voting Opens
14 April: Online discussion – Learning from legends. Register here. June: Online discussion – Harnessing the sales vision. Register here.
4 June: Voting Closes
5 August: Online discussion – Finding real, workable solutions to grow talent. Register here.
8 September: Awards Announcement. Register here.
