Tusk Awards 2002

In congratulating the recipients of the Awards, the Chief Executive Officer of the MFSA, Davy Ivins, said: "The Tusk Awards are one of the value offerings of the MFSA in recognising and applauding excellence in marketing. These and the MFSA's other awards - Raptors, Loeries and Assegai - are a primary way in which the MFSA drives the industry to ever greater standards of achievement."

South African Broadcasting Corporation's Group Sales and Marketing Director, Mark Jakins, said: "It is in a Proudly South African spirit that we would like to applaud and congratulate the fine South African marketers that are being recognised and rewarded for their excellent marketing effort at this year's new Tusk Awards. The Institute of Marketing Management's National Marketing Excellence Awards have served as an industry benchmark since 1962 and will continue to do so as the new MFSA's Tusk Awards in the future."

The theme of the Awards - the tusk of an elephant - has been chosen to represent an animal revered for its strength, wisdom and leadership. The success of any enterprise, especially in tough economic times, relies heavily on the strength and wisdom of its marketing effort; thus the tusk of an elephant represents the Marketing Federation of Southern Africa's annual Tusk Awards.

Marketing Person of the Year

The Marketing Person of the Year represents the pinnacle of the Tusk Awards of the Marketing Federation of Southern Africa.

This year the award went to Santie Botha, who was the driving force behind Absa's innovative free internet access offering.

Absa's free internet access offering, which hit the market in 2001, catapulted the bank into first place in internet banking in South Africa, with a customer base today of 325 000 and a market share of 36%. As Absa's Group Executive Director, Botha's objective in launching the offering was to associate the brand with innovation and to grow Absa's internet banking base.

Another achievement of the 2002 Marketing Person of the Year was the merger of four banks - Volkskas, Allied, United and Trustbank - into one brand, Absa. The 1998 merger, called "Project Impact", was one of the largest strategic marketing and operational exercises ever undertaken in South Africa. Four years on, its success can be measured by Absa's position as one of the top ten most admired brands in South Africa.

Botha joined Absa in 1996 and was the youngest person to be appointed to both senior management and the Absa board. Prior to "Project Impact", the importance and relevance of marketing as a specialist function was not appreciated across the organisation. This is underlined by the fact that Absa had 18 advertising agencies servicing 34 different business units.

Absa's brand and marketing results today clearly prove that a focused and specialist approach is imperative in driving business success.

Apart from her activities at Absa, Botha invests time and energy into furthering the practice of marketing, serving on the boards of the Marketing Federation of Southern Africa and the National Business Initiative.

In congratulating Botha on her Award, MFSA Chief Executive Officer, Davy Ivins said: "Santie Botha has provided a shining example of the way in which marketing can contribute to a company's success by being at the heart of it."

Special Awards

Two special awards were presented on Friday night - one to outgoing Executive Chairman of the Institute of Marketing Management, James McLuckie, the other to a former Chairman of the Association of Marketers, Geoff Garbett.

McLuckie received the Special Award for Sustained Contribution to Marketing Professionalism for his vision, integrity and commitment to improving standards and the professionalisation of marketing.

His particular interest has been in education, his contribution to the industry having begun with his voluntary support of the Institute of Marketing Management's Diploma in Marketing. The course has grown from a handful of students to a point where over 13 000 examinations are being written in 2002. For his achievements in education, he was made a fellow of the IMM in 1985.

McLuckie took up the leadership of the IMM in 1990 and transformed it into an organisation that is highly respected both locally and internationally. He also initiated the certification programme that has spawned the Chartered Marketer Board Exam and professional status, for which statutory recognition is being actively sought.

The Award is made to McLuckie at a time when the new unified voice for marketing, which he worked tirelessly to create, celebrates its formation out of the Institute of Marketing Management, the Association of Marketers and the Direct Marketing Association.

Garbett, who received a Special Award for Lifelong Contribution to the Marketing Industry, is a dedicated believer in the power of marketing and has been very active in marketing industry affairs. He was elected Chairman of the Association of Marketers (ASOM) board in 1995 and is the only chairman to have held a double term of office on the board.

During his career, Garbett held a number of portfolio positions, serving on the SAARF board, the Audit Bureau of Circulations Council, the ASA Appeal Committee, and the ASA Board. He actively campaigned for the establishment of the Marketing Industry Trust in order to ensure future funding for SAARF and the ASA, and is a founding member of the Trust. He was involved in negotiations to remove GST from advertising, out of which grew the ASOM Education Fund through the recovery of monies erroneously imposed on research.

During his tenure with ASOM Garbett spearheaded many industry issues tackled by ASOM, and proved himself a valuable negotiator.

MFSA Chief Executive Officer, Davy Ivins, said the Special Awards made to McLuckie and Garbett were richly deserved. Both had made significant contributions to the marketing industry throughout their careers, he added.

Chartered Marketer Award

Vodacom, South Africa's leading cellular network, was recognised for its services to South African communities when it received the highly regarded Chartered Marketer Award for Community Marketing.

The Award recognises an individual or company who has gone beyond the call of professional duty and given their time and marketing expertise in empowering other marketers or supporting a community orientated venture.

Since its inception in 1994, Vodacom has made a significant contribution to the empowerment of communities through cellular telephony. Specifically, this has been achieved in the following ways:

In congratulating Vodacom on its Award, MFSA Chief Executive Officer Davy Ivins said Vodacom had made an invaluable contribution to South African communities and thereby to the development of the South African economy as a whole.

Product Launch of the Year

An innovative launch of a new range of luxury cars, and the repositioning of a blanket-manufacturing business have been recognised by the 2002 Tusk Awards as the Product Launch of the Year for large and medium organisations respectively.

BMW South Africa was recognised for its launch of the new 7 Series BMW luxury cars in a campaign that began in October 2001 and culminated in a spectacular launch in the ZASM railway tunnel at Waterval Boven, Mpumalanga in March 2002.

All aspects of the launch reinforced BMW's commitment to "the world of BMW" as one that immerses guests in an unforgettable experience - from their transportation in two chartered flights, through to their chauffeuring to the unknown destination, an evening extravaganza in the railway tunnel, a multi-media panoramic show, and a driver orientation and driving experience through Mpumalanga.

The launch has subsequently been hailed by BMW AG's head of Design as possibly the best launch in the world for BMW 7 Series.

Aranda Textile Mills was faced with a challenge to maintain and grow its share of the blanket market in a market place flooded with cheap imports. The Tusk Awards was given to the company in recognition of its successful repositioning as "The fashion name in blankets", which has resulted in a sales growth of 33% compared to the same period last year.

New blanket offerings such as the exclusive "Touch Me" suede and the "Panther Fur" blankets have enabled Aranda to complete on the basis of fashion, backed by a product guarantee of three years.

An awareness campaign was used to implement the repositioning of the product, using outdoor advertising, advertorials, a social responsibility programme, radio interviews, point of sale material, personal sales, fashion shows, exhibitions, in-store promotions, public relations and a Big Brother celebrity blanket.

MFSA's Chief Executive Officer, Davy Ivins, said that both product launches, albeit with very different products and target markets, illustrated the need to adopt a marketing campaign that is focused and strategic in nature.

Service Launch of the Year

The launch in August 2001 of South Africa's no-frills, low cost airline, kulula.com, was chosen as the Service Launch of the Year for 2002.

Operated by Comair Limited, kulula.com's positioning statement of "Anyone can fly" encapsulates its product offering: an easy, direct booking with the airline, offering consistent good value for money that cuts down on "frills". In return, customers can expect to pay less on average than with other conventional airlines, without comprising on safety.

The name "kulula" means "easily" in Zulu, and was chosen to encapsulate value, simplicity and ease.

One of the challenges facing the launch of kulula.com was the domination of the local airline market by the national carrier, South African Airways. An above-the-line advertising campaign was chosen as the most cost effective launch route because of the large size of the audience.

The creative idea for the "Anyone can fly" positioning was to show many types of ordinary South Africans as possible, dressed as the "superheroes" they could become with kulula.com - a tongue in check dramatisation of the philosophy that the customer is the hero.

To maximise the budget, the above-the-line campaign theme was carried into all elements of service delivery and design. For example, the plane design included the positioning line, making it an effective flying billboard.

Public relations events that were capitalised on included an in-flight wedding on Valentine's day, guaranteed low price fares to passengers stranded by the collapse of a competitor, and go-cart racing to launch kulula.com/cars.

SOS Children's Villages have been supported by kulula.com from inception, from basic donations to bringing the excitement of flying to kids. One of the most memorable of these coincided with the first flight to Durban, where 30 SOS children were taken for their first visit to the sea, and a beach party thrown for them.

"kulula.com is an exciting addition to the airline industry in South Africa, and the MFSA is delighted to recognise the innovative nature of its launch through this Award," said MFSA Chief Executive Officer, Davy Ivins.

Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year

A comprehensive and groundbreaking lifestyle centre for selling pre-owned 4x4 vehicles is the winner of the 2002 Tusk Awards for Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year.

Extreme Sixteen - X16 - is an entirely new concept of marketing 4x4 vehicles. It ranges from a brand and icon that enhances the extreme nature of people's aspirations, the carefully planned positioning in Fourways (the heart of the retail market), to the experiential retail environment that embraces imagination, adventure and escapism.

The experience is created through the various retail offerings, including a state-of-the-art auditorium, conferencing, off-road academy with 2 off-road tracks, training courses, the News Café, Extreme Kidz products and entertainment and accessories, and a host of complimentary retail outlets.

Creating an icon was critical to the success of the brand. The X16 icon is cool, fun and funky and has a life beyond signage. It is a culture and reflection of a person's identity. The merchandise and promotional items developed all display the X16 icon, making it a powerful tool to develop the brand identity and create a cult following.

By offering buyers an opportunity to compare every brand and make an educated decision on which brand suits their specific needs in an environment that embraces innovation, dynamism, customer satisfaction and loyalty, X16 is well on its way to becoming a global example of successful experimental vehicle retailing.

Marketing Federation of Southern Africa's Chief Executive Officer, Davy Ivins, said that Extreme 16 was an excellent example of the innovative use of marketing communications to build a brand.

Roll of Honour

Four companies - Vodacom, PG Glass, the Unilever Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Gordon Institute of Business Studies - have been added to the coveted Marketing Roll of Honour of the Marketing Federation of Southern Africa.

Their names were announced at the annual Tusk Awards of the MFSA at a function in Johannesburg on 1 November 2002. They join a distinguished list of companies on the Roll of Marketing Honour of the Awards, which were first made forty years ago in 1962.

Vodacom's 4U product offering was developed in 2001 as a strategy to build a "cradle-to-grave" commitment to its brand, by creating loyalty in the youth market with a product that met their specific needs.

Research indicated that young people have specific cellular habits and usage patterns. For example, they communicate mainly via SMS and use voice only for emergency use of convenience. The 4U product offers a customised solution for the mobile communication needs of young people in a modern, "funky" style that is attractive to them and speaks their own language.

While both PG Autoglass and PG Glass are in their own rights well respected and widely known brands, research was revealing that the public required a retail one-stop-shop for glass. The PG Group took a strategic decision to incorporate the flat glass business of PG Glass into PG Autoglass, and to operate the merged retail businesses under one banner, that of PG Glass.

Key in this positioning was the establishment of brand credibility, higher levels of brand recognition and brand recall. There are now higher percentages of satisfied and loyal customers - with loyalty being measured as the percentage of customers very willing to repurchase and to recommend the PG brand in the face of competitive brand offers.

The Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing, established in 1999, is a non-profit organisation based at the University of Cape Town, and largely funded by the Unilever Foundation.

The Institute aims to raise the level of strategic marketing in South Africa by developing marketing theory and generate information that is specific in a South African context. This information is shared with educators and marketing practitioners.

The success of the Institute is evident in the number of projects tackled, the awareness of its projects and activities, and growth in membership, conference delegates and media exposure.

The key focus of the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) is to provide intensive, high quality and relevant management education where executives and students debate, formulate positions and develop action plans around practical case studies, using their own experiences and knowledge and by drawing on best practice.

Within two and a half years, The Gordon Institute of Business Science has built a premium brand which is well recognised, respected and associated with high quality education. The school currently provides company specific programmes for over 25 top South African companies.

The selection criteria for classes ensure that GIBS attracts high potential students. The MBA has within two years, and with only one graduating class, been ranked alongside top business schools.

Commenting on the Awards, Marketing Federation of Southern Africa's Chief Executive Office Davy Ivins said all four companies were worthy additions to the Roll of Honour, as all had made effective use of marketing to build their brand.