IAB SA calls on young, black, digital media and marketing students to enter the career-making Front Row 2021

Oupa Monamodi, WPP South Africa Transformation Chair and IAB SA Transformation and Education executive director, says: “The Front Row initiative is an extension of the IAB SA’s remit to empower the digital marketing and media industry, specifically, by facilitating programmes and initiatives that champion transformation and education. By equipping young black creatives with the knowledge, tools, and access necessary to carve out a thriving career, we are able to drive meaningful and lasting change in the industry. The power of collaborative initiatives like the Front Row programme, especially when backed by South African digital media institutions and brands, is remarkable.”

Last year’s inaugural Front Row was a tremendous success, and saw five deserving winners rewarded with an assortment of career-making prizes, including industry-relevant courses, as well as access to the “front row” of industry events. Following on from last year, the benefits of being a Front Row 2021 winner are numerous and tangible. Winners will be presented with prizes that will not only reward them for their hard work, but serve as a stepping stone towards bettering their futures in the industry. For example, 10 x Front Row participants will be invited to attend this year's 13th Annual Bookmarks Awards Virtual Showcase on 29 July 2021, an annual event which recognises excellence in digital and the powerful impact interactive has on the overall marketing mix; as well as enjoy access to IAB SA key thought leadership programmes and research throughout the campaign period; with one 2021 Front Row winner being selected for a paid four month internship with the IAB SA. Three of the Front Row 2021 winning participants will also receive access to a (non-transferable) Online Short Course from the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, each to the value of R16,500, to further their digital creative and business studies.

Motshidisi Mokoena, one of the 2020 Front Row winners who now has a seat on the IAB SA Transformation Council says: “The time for change is now, and lasting change begins with the people who will spearhead the industry tomorrow. By supporting and investing in them, we can ensure that their future, and that of the industry as a whole, is a bright one.”

The IAB SA Front Row initiative is made possible by several partners and their support and sponsorship is a direct investment into the future of the South African digital marketing and advertising industry.

We would like to encourage all IAB members to support this initiative as we work together to transform our industry and, in turn, our nation.

If you are a digital media and marketing student currently studying towards a digital qualification, you are eligible to enter. Please complete this form and submit your answers, references, and entry by 18 July 2021. Your nomination will then be reviewed by the IAB SA Front Row Committee and the IAB SA Front Row Advisory Committee. All successful entrants will be notified via email by Tuesday 27th July, with all winners announced at the 13th Annual Bookmark Awards on Thursday 29 July 2021.

To be sure you receive notifications of Front Row events and other IAB SA initiatives, please subscribe here.

For more information on Front Row 2021, or how to partner on the programme, contact IAB SA CEO Paula Hulley, by e-mailing ten.asbai@aluap.