The Assegai Awards are given to those who have excelled above all others in the Direct Marketing industry during the year. The awards banquet was held at Vodaworld on 3 September.
Winners list:
MEDIA CAMPAIGNS
Alternative Media
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: VWV - Damelin Education Group, Aptitude TestBroad Market Direct Response Marketing
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: Net#work BBDO - Rosebank Homeless Association, Fashion
A great example of non-profit direct response marketing, this campaign for the Rosebank Homeless Association eschewed a solicitation based on guilt and pity in favour of the real faces, personalities and circumstances of the homeless – imbued with a sense of pride and joy. The pro-bono advertisement translated into a five-fold increase in contributions plus new offers of support.
Gold Award: Net#work BBDO - Cotlands, All I want for Christmas
Whilst you can't put an ROI value on the Cotlands "All I want for Christmas" campaign, it is an undeniable example of outstanding direct response advertising. The pro bono campaign generated some 10 to 12 adoption requests a day. For the first time in its history Cotlands did not have enough children to meet the demand, and a waiting list of prospective parents has been instituted.
Silver Award: Action Ambro's - Telkom, The One Number
Silver Award: Maxidor (Pty) Ltd, Our Strength is Your Security
Silver Award: Tequila Johannesburg Advertising - MonteCasino, Freeplay Score 100%
Special Mention: Action Ambro's - Telkom, The One Number
Special Mention: Action Ambro's - Telkom, Born to Fly
Special Mention: Tequila Johannesburg Advertising - MonteCasino, Freeplay Score 100%
Digital Media
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: Trigger - Bluebean, You, 12 Hours, R150 000
The conceptualisation and creation of this promotion experience both builds and demonstrates a brand, and develops invaluable customer and prospect insight. It also converts leads measured into customer sales ...All within a restricted budget.
Silver Award: FCBi - Distell, Flight of the Fish Eagle: The Different Perspective BookDirect Response 3D Campaigns
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: the difference engine - Joshua Doore Lucky Packet Mailing
The exciting creative concept and execution of the Joshua Doore Lucky Packet campaign exceeded all expectations. Targeted at 3500 'nearly paid up' customers, the campaign achieved a 16% converted response rate, the highest ever within the group, an a 62% lift in average purchase price. Overall, the innovative 3D campaign generated a return on investment exceeding R30 for every Rand spent.
Gold Award: Southern Oracle Advertising - Royal Canin, Mission Ispossible
This promotion overcame a poor previous reputation and re-established Royal Canin in the veterinary channel. 100% of the targeted practices participated and placed product orders, resulting in a 44% average increase in sales and a R1.6 million boost in turnover.
Silver Award: Action Ambro's - Telkom, Born to Fly
Special Mention: Action Ambro's - Telkom, Born to FlyDirect Mail
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: B&L Direct Marketing Services - NSRI, NSRI Buy A Boat Mailing
Carefully targeted at committed supporters of the NSRI, this campaign outperformed revenue expectations by 420% and secured total contributions of R320 000 from an appeal sent to a total of only 5000 people! With a 15.21% response rate, the campaign is the most successful NSRI mailing ever.
Silver Award: B&L Direct Marketing Services - NSRI, NSRI Save Our Base Mailing
Silver Award: the difference engine - Lancôme, Lancôme Bonus Points VoucherMultiple Media
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: Trigger - Vespa South Africa, Star in the Vespa TV CommercialTelephone Marketing
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: B&L Direct Marketing Services - NSRI, NSRI Shore Crew MembershipMARKET CAMPAIGNS
Automotive
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: FCBi - Toyota South Africa, Land Cruiser Munch Box MailingBanking
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: K&B DIRECT, RCS Personal Finance 2nd Loan Offer
This campaign is a text-book application of effective direct marketing principles. Using sophisticated targeting of good customers, careful risk assessment and a cost effective up-sell offer, the campaign achieved a 27% response rate with over 89% converted to sales. Calculated over the 32 month loan term, the campaign can project a return on investment of R89 for every R1 spent.
Gold Award: Trigger - Bluebean, You, 12 Hours, R150 000
This lead generation campaign delivered an astounding 62000 fully profiled and qualified leads at a cost of less than R16 per lead. As a promotion experience it developed invaluable customer and prospect insight, and due to its viral nature it showcased the Bluebean brand to over 400 000 individuals.
Silver Award: FCBi - First National Bank, FNB - Encore Mailing
Silver Award: Standard Bank & Tequila - Standard Bank, Standard Bank RCP Pluss
Silver Award: Absa, Bankfin 4x4
Silver Award: Ogilvy One Worldwide - Fairbairn Capital, Unretirement
Special Mention: Ogilvy One Worldwide - Fairbairn Capital, UnretirementICT
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: Action Ambro's - Telkom, ISDN The Fight
Telkom's 'ISDN- The Fight' campaign broke the barriers of traditional direct mail both in design and copy. The target market responded enthusiastically to its highly creative and non-technological approach, and Telkom was rewarded with exceptional results. The campaign delivered a 32% response rate, R19 million in annualized revenue, and the total sell-out of all available ISDN lines.
Gold Award: Trigger - Absa Electronic Channels, Absa Internet Access: Free to Paid-for conversion
This challenging campaign successfully navigated an extremely sensitive market environment. Managed astutely via the digital medium the campaign succeeded in sensitively communicating the demise of ABSA's Free Internet Service and migrating 79% of the free subscribers to the paid-for service. The campaign helped entrench ABSA as a leading Internet Service Provider, whilst maximising goodwill.Insurance
Winning Entrant, Gold Award Old Mutual - O& M Cape Town, Voluntary Premium Increase Campaign
The Old Mutual Voluntary Premium Increase Programme is the standard against which all Group Direct Sales' campaigns are now measured. Generating returns exceeding 5:1 the highly segmented monthly campaign has been built on ease of response, long term value, extensive personalization and an emphasis on existing product enhancement. Response rates of 6% are common and low lapse ratios of less than 3% are experienced.
Silver Award: AIG - Metropolitan Life, Metropolitan Senior Hospital Cash Plan
Silver Award: AIG - Nedcor Group Insurance Brokers, Nedbank Inbound Cross Sell Senior Hospital Cash PlanLeisure, Travel & Tourism
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: TEQUILA\Johannesburg - Djuma Game Reserve, Jurie Moolman, Djuma Game Reserve BrochurePublishing / Custom Publishing
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: Ramsay Son & Parker-Getaway
The use of multiple communication and entry channels and the link with the editorial coverage of the Cape to Rio trip ensured that the Land Rover Sweepstakes competition grew new subscriptions by 5% over the previous year while maintaining the current subscriber base at its existing levels. The campaign contributed over R3million in revenue and achieved a return on investment of over R8 per R1 spent.
Silver Award: Uppe Advertising - Daily Sun, Daily Sun Awareness Campaign for AdvertisersRetail & FMCG
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: Grey Worldwide South Africa - Master Foods SA, Whiskas Meaty Nuggets launchCREATIVE
Art Direction
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: FCBi - Distell
Flight of the Fish Eagle: The Different Perspective Book Rewarded for superb Art Direction, this carefully crafted multiple-media CRM and Eventing strategy was designed to market Flight of the Fish Eagle brandy. The unique book 'lives' the brand perfectly by inviting the viewer to experience a different perspective. Response has been overwhelming, and word-of-mouth marketing has made it a sought after collectable, helping create brand advocacy, awareness and education.
Silver Award: Tequila - Octagon, Return to Roots VIP invitations
Silver Award: Net#work BBDO - Telkom, Lucy Moon Flower - BookCopy
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: Produce Interactive Design - Great Stock!, This is your Caption Speaking
Silver Award: Net#work BBDO - Childline, Lucy Moon Flower - BookCreative Solutions
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: Tequila Johannesburg Advertising - SABC - Yvette Potgieter, The SABC Golf Day Invitation
Getting the notoriously elusive Media Buying Segment to the SABC Golf Day was a challenge ably met with this entry. The campaign and message was delivered with clear insight to the target market and their busy schedules, and in a manner never before used for a golf day. It was a creatively brilliant solution to a difficult problem, and it succeeded with an exceptional 80% attendance.
Gold Award: Net#work BBDO - Rosebank Homeless Association, Fashion
How does a charity organisation encourage donors to dig deep without resorting to the tried and tested (and tired) guilt or pity approach typical of this sector? This creative solution not only created an advertisement that viewers love to watch, but achieved a five-fold increase in contributions whilst showcasing the homeless in an uplifting advertisement imbued with a sense of pride and joy.
Silver Award: Trigger - Vespa South Africa, Star in the Vespa TV Commercial
Silver Award: Tequila, Tequila Christmas CardDATA & TECHNOLOGY
Database and Technology Innovations
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: the difference engine - Lancôme, My Lancôme – The Smart Solution
With a 730:1 return on investment ratio, the 'My Lancôme' technology solution has changed the way Lancôme does business. A South African cosmetic industry first, the technology has facilitated a true one-on-one relationship with customers. Now customers can enjoy ease and convenience though branded smart cards, and Lancôme has been able to establish a whole array of added functionality – all transacting in real time!
Silver Award: Trigger, SMS Response Engine
Special Mention: Trigger, SMS Response EngineINDIVIDUAL AND COMPANY
Young Direct Marketer of the Year : Blain Waterford AIG
This year's Young Direct Marketer holds total responsibility for all aspects of Direct Marketing at AIG South Africa. His contribution has helped AIG to become - in just 3 short years – the country's dominant Accident & Health Short Term Insurer.
With only three dedicated staff members, his operation has achieved more than 40% growth for each of the last three years. And it's on target to do it again in 2003!
His accomplishments in the Direct Marketing Industry are exceptional for a person of any age... for someone who has been in the industry for just seven years and who is only 26, his achievements are unique.
Direct Marketing Supplier Award of Year: Tunleys Mailroom and Rand Envelope
Both are well known throughout the Industry for their outstanding service in the envelope and mailroom sectors.
Not only do they deliver unfailing excellence to brief, but they are also the suppliers of choice for clients experiencing the standard industry pressures of time and logistics, bringing peace of mind and calm control in the midst of chaos and panic.
Their excellent and professional participation provides a service of inestimable value to the Direct Marketing Industry as a whole.
Direct Marketing Organisation of the Year: Direct Channel Marketing
The Award this year goes to an enterprise that was launched just two years ago, on a foundation of courage and commitment, and without any formal financial backing.
The company is a role model for the ecomonic empowerment of previously disadvantaged communities... its unique policy on employment and training not only creates genuinely new jobs, but also offers free, no-obligation training to the unemployed.
Its progress has been phenomenal, growing to 150 call centre seats within its first year, and winning a Siver award at last year's Assegai's after four only months in business... a remarkable achievement!
Direct Marketer of the Year: Sean O' Keeffe
The Direct Marketer of the year for 2003 is a man who has applied 14 years of dedicated focus to the outbound sales of insurance to affinity groups.
He has recently established a Call Centre in the UK, but while in South Africa, He was always very active in the Direct Marketing industry. He was at the forefront of the drive to self-regulate in the face of legislation, and served on the board of the DMA.
STRATEGIC & INTEGRATED MARKETING
Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) Programs
Winning Entrant, Silver Award: Oscar Tango - GuinnessUDV, Bell's Fraternity of Connoiseurs
Silver Award: aquaonline, BMW Owners CircleRewards Programs
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: My Lancôme - Lancôme
My Lancome demonstrates all the ingredients of a successful rewards programme - flexibility, speed of earning and redemption, and a full range of management tools All this packaged in an easy to understand format and presented via exquisite creative. In just 12 months of operation the programme has generated phenomenal returns: after CAPEX costs, returns exceed R730 for every R1 spent!Enterprise Relationship Marketing Programs
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: the difference engine - Liberty, Appreciator Programme
The Appreciator ERM programme has been extremely effective in narrowing the gap between Liberty and its Agents. A world-first strategy and implementation model, in just 10 months the campaign has achieved a return on investment of R606 for every R1 spent.
Silver Award: Open Communication (Pty) Ltd - FNB Corporate Bank, ApplesenseNew Market Entrants
Winning Entrant, Gold Award: Trigger - Nike SA, Nike Pilot Programme
This lead generation campaign delivered an astounding 62000 fully profiled and qualified leads at a cost of less than R16 per lead. As a promotion experience it developed invaluable customer and prospect insight, and due to its viral nature it showcased the Bluebean brand to over 400 000 individuals.
Silver Award: the difference engine - Liberty, Appreciator Programme
