Vaughan Croeser, vice-president of marketing at South African Breweries (SAB), has been named Loeries Marketer of the Year for his leadership in marketing strategy, creativity, brand building and commercial execution.
Announced on Thursday evening, the award recognises marketing leaders whose work has made a significant impact on brands, businesses and the wider industry. Croeser is only the second SAB marketer to receive the accolade.
Under his leadership, SAB has delivered a series of award-winning campaigns, including Castle Milk Stout’s African Time, Castle Lager’s Fans that stood the test of time, and Corona’s Sun Shadows campaign and FIFA World Cup activations.
His approach combines consumer insight, creative ambition and commercial discipline to strengthen brands and drive business performance.
“This award belongs to the incredible teams behind our brands,” said Croeser. “One of SAB’s greatest strengths is our ability to combine global scale with local relevance. We draw on world-leading marketing expertise from across our global network while empowering our teams to make bold, market-specific decisions.”
He said this balance had enabled SAB to build brands that connect with consumers while delivering sustainable business growth.
Khensani Nobanda, Nedbank chief marketing officer and a Loeries board member, said Croeser combined commercial rigour with creative courage while recognising the importance of people, communities and culture in building meaningful brands.
“His influence extends far beyond SAB and continues to shape the standard of modern marketing in South Africa,” she said.
Pepe Marais, founder and group chief creative officer at Joe Public, said the recognition was long overdue, having worked with Croeser for more than a decade.
Marais highlighted Croeser’s ability to balance commercial pragmatism with creative ambition, identify strong ideas and secure the support needed to bring them to life.
“He challenges everyone around him to raise the bar while always treating people with respect,” Marais said.
SAB chief executive Richard Rivett-Carnac said the award reflected Croeser’s strategic vision and leadership, as well as the strength of the marketing teams behind the company’s brands.
He said Croeser and his team had consistently raised the standard for marketing effectiveness and brand building through consumer insight, commercial excellence and bold creativity.
Marcel Marcondes, global chief marketing officer at AB InBev, said the recognition demonstrated the marketing talent within the global brewing group.
He pointed to the company’s One ABI Way of Marketing approach, which aims to align teams around a common standard, combining consumer understanding, creativity and commercial discipline to drive sustained growth.
Croeser’s award highlights the role of marketing in connecting brand-building creativity with measurable business performance in South Africa’s competitive consumer market.
