Entries have opened for the awards and, in support of Africa's digital marketing and media industry, the awards are open to the continent as a whole, thus inviting agencies, publishers and students to submit their entries to the industry's most prestigious awards.
As the use of digital technologies continues to expand, so the continent's industry is maturing, innovating and benchmarking itself against international standards. The Bookmarks, which is a well-established fixture on the South African advertising and publishing awards calendar, serves to identify and recognise excellence in digital creative work and execution that delivers measurable results.
"The 2015 IAB Digital Summit and Bookmarks Awards are about advancing the pace of digital marketing and recognising excellence, innovation and measurable impact. Digital is at the forefront of Africa's growth and the Bookmarks will begin this new chapter in Jozi, the pulse of digital and South Africa's economic hub," says Josephine Buys, CEO of IAB South Africa
The first IAB Digital Summit will feature top local and international speakers, as well as interactive breakaway sessions where delegates can engage, network and connect with some of the most inspired and inspiring practitioners in the global digital industry. This will be followed by the Bookmarks Awards ceremony hosted by celebrated comedienne and talk show host Anne Hirsch.
The IAB Bookmarks awards will be honouring winners in four major categories with 31 sub- categories, which have been updated and amended in accordance with the latest industry trends, and innovations that have emerged over the past year. In aligning with global standards these new categories recognise that the digital and advertising industry contribute professionalism; solution led development and measurable results.
New categories
• Craft awards - Copywriting; Best News wire and Research and Projects
• Individual and team awards - Best Blogger; Best Community Manager/ Social Media Marketer; Best Creative/Designer/Copywriter/Content Writer; Best Digital/ Media Strategist; Best Ad Ops Team and Best Journalist
• Special Honours awards - Marketer of the Year (individual)After a judging process by local and international judges, the short-listed finalists will be announced early in February 2015. Entry costs for the Core and Special Honours categories are R950 per submission for IAB Members and R1150 for non-members, while the Craft awards are R750 for IAB members and R950 for non-members. Entries to the individual and team awards are free.
Award entries are open to anyone in Africa and can be submitted online until 21 November 2014 at http://iabsa.net/summit/bookmarks.
