Primaplus spears Inkosi Award

6 Nov 2007

The Inkosi Award, the most coveted of the DMA Assegai Awards, went to Primaplus for the MWeb Voice Box entry, yesterday, Monday, 5 November 2007. Andrew Ambrogioni of Action Ambro's was crowned DM Marketer of the Year, Computer Facilities named Organisation of the Year and Michelle Perrow of Lesoba Difference was inducted into the DMA Hall of Fame.

The awards, presented by the South African Post Office, were exceptionally well-supported after a four-year sabbatical, with a total of 126 entries from 20 agencies and corporates. Of these entries, 80 made it through to finals and 33 finalists received awards. In addition, three special awards were made.

Commented Brian Mdluli, CEO of the DMASA, “We're very pleased with the turnout for this year's awards, both from an entry perspective as well as a sponsorship point of view. After a four-year sabbatical, the direct industry has once again stepped up to the plate and put their support fully behind the Assegai Awards.

“It speaks volumes about the growing credibility that direct is gathering and the high regard that it is afforded by some of the biggest brands in the country. Some of the industry's biggest industry names stepped on to support this year's awards and a huge amount of credit goes to these sponsors for putting the Assegai's firmly back on the map,”

Sponsors of the Assegai Awards 2007 were the South African Post Office, MTN, Absa, Greymatter, Effective Intelligence, Vodacom, Standard Bank, Services Seta, Expo Centre Johannesburg, Computer Facilities and TransUnion.

Category	Company	Name of entry	Award
Media – Direct Mail	Greymatter	4x4 "on or off" mailing	Bronze
Media – Direct Mail	Action Ambro's	Local is Lekker	Silver
Media – Direct Mail	Lesoba Difference	Liberty Life Architects	Gold
Media – Alternative Media	Wunderman SA	MTN SMS – Ya Seiva	Silver
Media – Alternative Media	TEQUILA\JHB	Drunk Driving can be fun	Gold
Media – Mass Media	Action Ambro's	Rand Show	Gold
Media – Multiple Media/Integrated Marketing	5TH Dimension Marketing	Purina ONE	Bronze
Media – Multiple Media/Integrated Marketing	Wunderman SA	MTN SMS – Ya Seiva	Gold
Media – Telephone Marketing	Conexus	Long Distance Lead Generation	Silver
Media – 3D	Action Ambro's	AIG Ogre Invitation	Silver
Media – 3D	Lesoba Difference	Medshield Aids Day	Gold
New Media E-Marketing	Standard Bank	Savings on IB	Silver
New Media E-Marketing	Lesoba Difference	Nestle College of Chocology	Gold
New Media – Mobile Marketing	BrandNew Advertising	Cadillac BLS Boomerang	Bronze
New Media – Mobile Marketing	Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments	Bluetooth in Malls	Silver
New Media – Mobile Marketing	Digital Solution Group	"What's Your Flava"	Gold
Strategic & Integrated marketing – CRM/Loyalty	Wunderman SA	MTN Yello Fortune	Silver
Strategic & Integrated marketing – CRM/Loyalty	Primaplus	Shell G-Force Programme	Gold
Strategic & Integrated marketing – ERM	Lesoba Difference	Liberty Life Entry Level Market	Bronze
Strategic & Integrated marketing – ERM	Lesoba Difference	Vodacom Consultative Committee	Silver
Strategic & Integrated marketing – ERM	Wunderman SA	FNB Project Protocol	Gold
Technology Solutions – Database	5TH Dimension Marketing	Tim & Tom	Gold
Technology Solutions – Database	Conexus	Datafix	Bronze
Creativity – Art Direction	Action Ambro's	Spring Mailer	Bronze
Creativity – Art Direction	Lesoba Difference	City Varsity Peak Campaign	Silver
Creativity – Art Direction	BrandNew Advertising	Where does Poo come from?	Gold
Creativity – Copy	Action Ambro's	Showreel Book – Smuggled Letter	Silver
Creativity – Copy	Primaplus	Vuyiswa Goes Home – Annual Report 2006	Gold
Creativity – Creative Solutions	Lesoba Difference	St. Johns	Bronze
Creativity – Creative Solutions	Primaplus	MWeb Voice Box	Gold

MWEB Voice Box Gold

Student Awards:
Student Marketing Team of the Year	University of Pretoria for Potatoes SA	Phumzile Jane Manana, Aunyena John Moloisane, Ofentse Dinawe Moloko, Sifiso Chimbuzi, Mandisa Thabisile Bohlela, Lwandile Luzipho, Nhlanhla Nkosi	Gold
Student Marketing Campaign of the year	University of Pretoria	Cell C C-Spot	Silver
Student Marketing Campaign of the year	University of Pretoria	Cell C Meet-on-the Street	Gold
Student Awards Special Mention	Contribution to DM education in SA	Prof Yolanda Jordaan
Young Direct Marketer of the Year	Action Ambro's	Thato Mokoka

Michelle Perrow, chairperson of the Assegai Awards committee event, added, “The Assegais are still the most respected measurable marketing awards in the industry and many agencies and corporates put a tremendous amount on work into their entries. What is also very evident from the entries is that there is a growing spectrum of work being done for brands by traditionally direct agencies. Greater spend is being pushed towards taking traditional above the line campaigns and adding a response mechanism to these to gather data and garner a response, rather than just being purely a brand building exercise.

“I also believe that the added focus that the legislative environment has put on direct has been positive for the industry. Besides driving up standards and requiring greater levels of professionalism from direct marketers, it has also made big brands sit up and take notice of the potentially devastating effects of losing their direct arm, something that has been for very long considered the poor cousin of advertising.

She continued, “Being forced to take real stock of the value DM brings to the total picture has meant a lot of brand owners have had to take a scientific and calculated look at exactly how they are handling their DM activities and relook at their prioritisation of marketing activities.”