Awards Wrap: Bookmark Awards just days away, meet SA’s Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award winners, DStv Content Creator Awards nominees revealed

The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.

Bookmark Awards close at hand

There are just days to go before the biggest event on the digital media and marketing industry calendar — the IAB South Africa 2023 Bookmark Awards.

The 2023 Bookmark Awards will take place on Thursday, 27 July — and is expected to be bigger and bolder than before. This year’s ceremony winner announcements will be more compact and presented in cinema style to ensure winners can be viewed from all angles.

Hosted by comedian, actor and director Glen Biderman-Pam, best-known for the multi-award-winning My Kreepy Teacher and The Sixty60 Swindler campaigns, as well as stints on Tali’s Diaries and in commercials for Coca-Cola and more, he knows his way around work that drives digital forward.

This year, the event takes place across two days with a Finalists’ Showcase preceding the awards ceremony. Here’s everything you can expect and what to do to ensure you come prepared to enjoy insight, engagement and all the celebrations of winning the ultimate recognition of digital excellence.

One day before the awards ceremony, join us at the first-ever IAB South Africa Bookmark Awards Finalists’ Showcase on Wednesday, 26 July. The Finalists’ Showcase will provide an opportunity for insight and engagement with the 2023 Bookmarks’ hopefuls and present an overview of the finalists’ case studies in an intimate auditorium setting.

• Bookmarks Jury President and Nedbank Group Executive for Marketing & Corporate Affairs Khensani Nobanda
• Managing Director of Machine_ Robyn Campbell
• EssenceMediacom SA Social Media Director Luzuko Tena
• Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy South Africa Alex Goldberg
• Head of Group Digital Communications at Sasol MJ Khan
• Senior Manager: Digital at SuperSport Rikashni Rangasamy

Tickets for both the Bookmarks awards ceremony and the Bookmarks Finalists’ Showcase are now available here. Follow IAB South Africa and The Bookmark Awards on LinkedIn,  Instagram and Twitter to stay updated. For more information on the 2023 Bookmark Awards, visit thebookmarks.co.za.

South Africa’s Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award winners

In a highly anticipated event held at The Forum, in Johannesburg on 19 July, Claire Blanckenberg and Zama Ngcobo were lauded as the winners of the 2023 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award, respectively. Launched in 1972 to commemorate the Maison’s 200^th anniversary, the Bold Woman Award is imbued with the enterprising spirit of the Grande Dame of Champagne, Madame Clicquot, and celebrates trailblazing businesswomen who share her values of innovation, fearlessness, and determination.

“We recognise that South Africa’s female entrepreneurs are a national asset. Leading their industries bravely and ethically, women like Claire and Zama dare to be bold, creating better business practices and contributing to flourishing communities,” said Jean-Marc Gallot, President of Veuve Clicquot. Attending the event for the first time in South Africa, Jean-Marc’s passion for empowering businesswomen through the Bold Programme is rooted in upholding the heritage and essence of the brand, and the legacy of Madame Clicquot.

The award ceremony brought together leading businesswomen to network, connect and engage in meaningful conversations around entrepreneurship. Inspiration permeated the evening with entertainment delivered by female pioneers including MC Jo-Ann Strauss, SA ballerina gone global Kitty Phetla who performed an afro-fusion style dance piece accompanied by pianist Kate Watson, and South Africa’s first female fighter jet pilot Major Mandisa Mfeka who shared a moving speech. Much like the distinguished guests in attendance, these trailblazers have succeeded against the odds and continue to inspire a nation of daring women.

Launching officially in South Africa at the award ceremony, Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Open Database of female entrepreneurs is free of cultural, geographical and technological barriers and aims to stimulate social and economic development. With the second largest number of registrations by country on the platform, South African women markedly seek to connect with fellow women role models. As such, female business leaders are invited to register at www.boldopendatabase.com and join an illustrious community of women who walk in the footsteps of Madame Clicquot.

Angostura to sponsor Bar & Beverage Awards

Set to be the most significant recognition platform in the industry, positioning it alongside renowned international drinks awards such as Tales of The Cocktail Spirited Awards, the ANGOSTURA Bar & Beverage Awards SA aims to set a new benchmark for excellence within the local bar and beverage industry, including supporting industries such as brands, distributors and marketing agencies that drive service excellence for the drinks sector.

As the fourth largest market worldwide for The House of ANGOSTURA, South Africa holds a special place in the brand’s heart. The decision to sponsor the awards reflects the brand’s commitment to supporting and acknowledging the immense talent and dedication that underpins the local industry.

Marketing manager for ANGOSTURA bitters in South Africa, Kgalaletso Dithejane, says, “This sponsorship represents the perfect alignment of shared values. The brand’s recent launch of two new flavours – orange and cocoa bitters – exemplifies its dedication to innovation and aligns perfectly with the creative essence of the South African bar landscape. The House of ANGOSTURA® continuously strives to push boundaries and elevate the craft of mixology, and this sponsorship enables the brand to further inspire and empower local talent to create exceptional and unique experiences for beverage enthusiasts”.

Nominees announced for year two Of DStv Content Creator Awards

Shop! SA unveils high-powered judging panel for Shopper Marketing Awards

Shop! South Africa, the newly launched trade association dedicated to enhancing retail environments and experiences, has named an array of industry heavy hitters as the judges for its first Outstanding Shopper Marketing Awards (OSMA) on 1 November.

Around the world, the Shop! OSMA awards have become the industry’s major annual awards that recognise and reward best practice, innovation, and excellence in shopper marketing.

The panel comprises:

• Carl Willoughby, the Chief Creative Officer at TBWA Hunt Lascaris. He has won awards around the world for his work, and was ranked #1 ECD in South Africa at the 2021 Loeries.
• Eugene Lenford is a veteran of the FMCG and alcohol sectors. He is currently the marketing manager for Savanna, which won a Gold Cannes Lion Award in 2022.
• Mamapudi Nkgadima, the MD of market research company African Response. She has worked with some of South Africa’s best-known brands and is a former SAMRA board member.
• Carla Gontier, the strategy director at Point Group, has worked on multiple award-winning campaigns for blue-chip clients across the banking, automotive, FMCG, and retail sectors.
• John Clark, MD for Haleon in sub-Saharan Africa. Clark has more than 25 years’ experience in the FMCG and OTC industries, including iconic brands like ZamBuk, GrandPa, Huggies, Kleenex and Sensodyne.
• Andy Sutcliffe, CEO and founder of Fractional CEO. He has founded, scaled and exited two advertising agencies sold to Omnicom and Accenture, runs an ad agency in East Africa and lectures in creative leadership at one of SA’s premier business schools.
• Craig Lodge, CEO of Incredible Connection, HifiCorp & Everyshop. He has more than 30 years’ experience in FMCG, beverages and retail at SABMiller, Coca Cola, Pick n Pay, TBWA, Publicis and Pepkor.
• Phil Day is MD at POPAI in the UK and Ireland. He has been working with UK brands and retailers since 2006, and has reviewed more than 2,500 awards case studies as part of a judging panel.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have attracted a judging panel of this calibre for our first Shop! OSMA Awards,” said Shop! SA MD Di Wilson. “Their presence as judges gives us a massive credibility boost as we set out to put shopper marketing on the map. The Awards celebrate creativity, innovation and excellence in-store, online and throughout the shopper path to purchase.”

Shop! has already launched a call for entries in five categories and six markets. The categories are Shopper Marketing Campaign of the Year; Integrated Marketing Campaign; Experiential Activation; Digital & Mobile; and Cause Related.

Entries for the Shop! OSMA awards are open until 31 July.