#MOSTAwards: heed and Carat Johannesburg top of the media industry

(Image: Danette Bretienbach). Winners of the Most Awards

The inaugural Most Admired Marketing/Media Manager of the Year went to the Heineken Group's senior media manager, Avtaar Mohanlall.

The award winners were announced last night at a packed Wanderers in Johannesburg, where the media industry gathered in force to celebrate their own for the first time since 2019.

Passion for the people

Michelle Randell Sharnock, marketing and strategy director, heed, who was also named the Media Owner Rising Star says her passion for the industry is unwavering since the day she entered it. "And this is purely because of the people I get to work with every single day. I am incredibly proud, but most importantly, most proud for my team for winning best digital agency and best media owner overall,”

She says winning the best media owner overall is a sign they are doing something right. “We are pushing boundaries; we are trying to reshape what media sales are all about.”

Today, she adds, the days of selling a placement or a platform are over. “We now have to be able to sell a solution and media strategy, and understand what clients need before they understand it and then deliver a solution that is meaningful that delivers results.

“To achieve this the onus is on agencies, clients and media owners to be up to date with what is happening in their environment and through empirical evidence and modern marketing principles have a clear understanding of what drives brand growth.”

All about collaboration

On being named Agency owner of the year, Mlue Maguba, account director, Vodacom, Carat Johannesburg, says, “We as Carat, and dentsu as a whole, really pride ourselves on the work that we do through the collaboration of our different teams in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Everyone makes it come together.

“This award means that everything we are doing on a daily basis is showing and is being appreciated not only by our company, but by the industry and that we are setting a great example for others, and are a place that can be a destination for others in their careers.”

Inaugural Most Awards marketing and media manager award recognises changing media landscape

Danette Breitenbach  7 Sep 2023

Salute to the media industry

The event also honoured Sandra Gordan for her contribution to the Awards over the year who says she is thrilled that Arena Holdings has raised the awards again, after the last one was held in 2019. “We are expecting a lot of changes, and while we have seen some of the changes this evening, wait till next year. It will be a changed environment that reflects the industry.

She also says she is a great believer in Fourth Estate and the role of media. “If it was not for you guys [the media industry] spending money and investing in the advertising there would not be a media industry in this country. Salute.”

Individual winners

• Media Agency Legend: Bonita Bachmann, The Media Shop Cape Town
  

• Media Owner Legend: Given Mkhari, chief executive officer, MSG Afrika Group
  

• Media Agency Rising Star: Adrian Naidoo, managing partner – strategy, Mindshare
  

• Media Owner Rising Star: Michelle Randell Sharnock, marketing and strategy director, heed (previously Digital Turbine)
  

• The Bell Award: Mike Leahy, Media Manager Africa
  

• Shepard Awards: Celia Collins, VP Publicis Media · Publicis Groupe Africa
  

• Most Admired Marketing/Media Manager of the Year: Avtaar Mohanlal, senior media manager, Heineken Group

Media Owner Awards

• Radio:

  1. Mediamark
     

  2. YFM
     

  3. Primedia Broadcasting

  
  

• TV:

  1. e.tv
     

  2. eNCA
     

  3. DStv Media Sales

  
  

• Cinema:

  1. SterKinekor Sales
     

  2. Cinevation Popcorn

  
  

• Out of Home (OOH)

  1. Relativ Media
     

  2. Epic Outdoor
     

  3. Primedia Outdoor

  
  

• Magazine

  1. Media24 Lifestyle Magazines

  
  

• Newspapers

  1. Spark Media
     

  2. AdSpend 24
     

  3. Arena Holdings

  
  

• Digital:

  1. heed (previously Turbine)
     

  2. Mediamark Digital
     

  3. AdSpace24

  
  

• Multimedia:

  1. Mediamark
     

  2. Primedia
     

  3. DStv Media Sales

  
  

• Media Sales consultant: Whisper Media
  

• Media Owner Lamb:

  1. Tractor Outdoor
     

  2. Future tech
     

  3. Primedia Malls

  
  

• Trade Marketing Service:

  1. Mediamark
     

  2. DStv Media Sales

Media Agency Awards

• Media Agency Lamb:

  1. Media Shop Cape Town
     

  2. Carat Cape Town
     

  3. Initiative Media SA

  
  

• Specialist:

  1. Alphabet Soup
     

  2. Fame Media
     

  3. Kintaro

  
  

• Full-service:

  1. Carat Johannesburg
     

  2. PHD Johannesburg
     

  3. PHD Cape Town