The awards recognise and reward marketers and marketing companies for their role in the industry. The four major categories to be judged this year include Marketing Person of the Year, Marketing Company of the Year, Brand Campaign of the Year and Sponsorship Campaign of the Year.

The Marketing Council has recognised the need to ensure that the awards are more accessible to small businesses and marketing companies with small to moderate size marketing budgets and has thus opened up the judging of the Brand Campaign category to include brand campaigns under R2 million, as well as multi-level budget ranges.

This year, the Direct Marketing component of the awards will be separated from the Marketing Excellence Awards into its own independent direct marketing annual event and awards.

Gisele Wertheim Aymes, GM at Johncom Media Investments Newspapers Division, says, “The decision was taken in order to ensure that the Sunday Times Business Times Marketing Excellence Awards hones its focus more distinctly on the four categories. It supports the principle that the Sunday Times Business Times Marketing Excellence Awards is an award for marketers and not a supplier-to-marketer's award”.

Nominees will undergo a process of selection by a panel of 63 judges representing South Africa's marketing and business talent, led by chairperson Dr Ivan May.

Last year 135 entries were received from across a broad spectrum of marketing in South Africa and it is hoped that, with the expansion of this year's Brand Campaign category and its implications for greater accessibility to the awards for smaller industry players, the number of entries will increase substantially.

To submit nominations or for more information, go to www.marketingexcellenceawards.co.za.

[4 Jul 2007 16:43]

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