Canal Walk struts off international marketing award
Staking its claim in the spotlight, Canal Walk Shopping Centre was honoured for its excellent and innovative marketing, winning a MAXI Silver award in the Community Relations category for its Canal Walk Foundation project.
Marketing Concepts undertakes the full marketing function of Canal Walk Shopping Centres which is owned by Hyprop Investments Limited (80%) and Ellerine Bros (Pty) Ltd (20%).
“The MAXI Awards acknowledge the success of excellent marketing strategies and honours the crème-de-le-crème of global retail centre marketing. We are delighted to be singled out as one of these achievers,” says Camilla Lor, marketing manager of Canal Walk on behalf of Marketing Concepts.
The announcement of Canal Walk's innovative social initiative as the winner on the world stage followed hot on the heels of this programme winning a Gold Footprint award at the South African Council of Shopping Centres Congress in October 2008.
Canal Walk Foundation is the official social investment project of Canal Walk Shopping Centre, one of South Africa's premier super-regional shopping centres with over 400 stores, open from 9am - 9pm daily, representing one of the most comprehensive and compelling lifestyle shopping experiences in South Africa.
Inspired by Nelson Mandela's words “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, Canal Walk Foundation was established in 2005 to support a full spectrum of education, humanitarian and cultural projects and initiatives that contribute to the upliftment, development and empowerment of the community.
Lor explains that beneficiaries include learners at all levels of education and training as well as music, arts and sports education and development. The Canal Walk Foundation also supports skills development and training; assisting both education institutions and learners through the provision of facilities, opportunities and resources for basic needs such as books, uniforms and meals for learners and more advanced, specialised educational requirements.
“In actively pursuing the objectives of its charter, Canal Walk Foundation supports projects that contribute towards the transformation of the South African society,” says Lor.
The MAXI Awards Program is an international marketing competition that recognises excellence in shopping centre marketing. Awards have been given every year since 1972 to those shopping centres and companies that have designed and implemented the most successful marketing programmes during the previous year. Winners are able to clearly document substantial impact on the shopping centre or shopping centre company's goal, and can measure results through effective, efficient and creative use of all available resources.
