The accolade was awarded to PrimaPlus for a direct mail campaign that was designed and executed on behalf of its client, MWeb Business Solutions for the Corporate ADSL product. The competition prize included a trip to London to the D&AD Awards (www.dandad.org) in early May 2007.
Says PrimaPlus MD, Peter Farrel, “The award is a feather in Prima's cap as well as a significant achievement for the direct mail industry as it focuses attention on the considerable impact that a direct mail campaign can have on business sales.”
Matshepo Majola, SAPO Direct Mail Centre senior manager, feels that the awards are “an excellent way to reposition direct mail in the eyes of media decision makers as a new reality media that consumers can touch, feel, see, smell and even hear”.
The 2007 competition was aimed at increasing awareness about the annual SAPO award as well as about the many benefits of direct mail to major businesses, specifically media, marketing and advertising agencies. Direct mail has traditionally been undervalued in terms of its impact and creativity when it is an affordable medium that can easily be integrated with other media.
With its potential for measurability and results, SAPO's intention is to reposition direct mail as a creative medium that has real physical characteristics; by using direct mail campaigns, companies can reach their consumers with imaginative and interactive 3D elements.
