All the 2012 Assegai Awards winners

Assegai entry numbers are said to be growing steadily year on year by at least 30%, the quality of work is improving each year and clients are getting to see the real bottom line benefits that sit behind the art and science of marketing. Each year an analysis of the entries reveals a telling story - more and more businesses, from small entrepreneurial outfits right through to the largest blue chips, are investing in direct and integrated marketing.

"The Assegais provides a wonderful research opportunity to benchmark evolving trends and test new products and services aimed at the direct marketing fraternity," says Michelle Perrow, DMASA.

Views that digital channels such as web, email, social media and SMS would spell the end of more traditional direct channels have reportedly proven unfounded judging on this year's entries. Integration seems to be the trend and marketers are making use of multiple channels to drive response across media channels.

Janras Kotsi, group executive: Mail Business of the South African Post Office comments: "It is pleasing to see that the silo mentality seems to be subsiding and marketers are realising that to be a successful direct marketer, you need to embrace the versatility and appeals of different channels. It's a new world of direct and interactive marketing and many of yesterday's assumptions have changed. Multi-media marketing is more important than ever, but email and phone are no longer the central players they once were - it is now all about integrated communications. Direct mail is enjoying an unprecedented level of appeal and relevance and finding its place in a combined communications mecca of new and traditional channels."

Winners

The awards were individually scored by an expert panel of judges and the final scores were audited by an independent auditor. The Leader awards, which were introduced in 2011, are those entries that could qualify in terms of their final audited scores for an Assegai award. From the leader awards, the top scoring campaigns are then awarded gold, silver and bronze awards.

The 2012 Assegai Integrated Assegai Awards is headline sponsored by the South African Post Office for the sixth consecutive year, and once again generously supported by a host of category and support sponsors including:

• Absa
  
• African Bank
  
• Blue Label Data Solutions
  
• Bytestream
  
• Computer Facilities
  
• Demographica
  
• Edcon Group
  
• Information Capital
  
• Nedbank
  
• O' Keeffe and Swartz
  
• P:Cubed
  
• Placecol Skin Care Clinic and Dream Nails Beauty
  
• Standard Bank
  
• List Perfect
  
• The Focus Rooms
  
• 5th Dimension - who are also responsible for the development of this year's Assegais campaign
  
• Teresa Settas Communications - who are also the coordinators of the Assegai Awards
  
• Burlington Data Print
  
• Inter-Net

For more go to www.assegaiawards.co.za or contact the Assegai Awards office on +27(0)11 894 2767 or e-mail az.oc.sdrawaiagessa@ofni.