AdVantage Admag awards announced

Tony Koenderman receives his Lifetime Achiever Award certificate from AdVantage publisher John Woodford. Pic by Hush Naidoo.

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As Chris Moerdyk, MC for the day, pointed out, the AdVantage AdMag Awards are a contribution by AdVantage to the magazine industry. The AdMag Awards are 14 years old and the objective has been the creation of an award that acts as an incentive to publishers to improve the quality and value of their brands, and to reward editors who position their publications in such a manner that it facilitates growth.

Koenderman, the editor and co-publisher of Tony Koenderman's AdReview, has spent the last 28 years writing about the media, marketing and advertising industry. He was lauded by his peers in the industry as "an amazing man who has positively contributed to our industry"; the "ultimate gentleman"; and a journalist of integrity, professionalism and "the conscience of our industry".

Koenderman said he was humbled by the award. "At a time when print media in general are under unprecedented pressure from new technology and the changing nature of the marketplace, awards like these can play an important role in helping to sustain the medium. I'm not one who believes magazines will disappear entirely, but we have already seen signs of pressure, in the shape of closures of titles.

"Overseas experts have said there'll be room for no more than one title per category, and that means only the excellent will survive. And the definition of excellence includes keeping close to your market, and making your offering an essential part of the multi-media package that people now consume on a daily basis."

Judging process

The AdMags focus on acknowledging the work of the editors and publishers and judging was done on content, effectiveness, production value, presentation, circulation and ad mix.

The three independent judging panels, made up of marketers, media strategists and media professionals, were convened over three days at Sappi head office in Johannesburg. The judges were: Wilma de Bruin (chief judge), Britta Reid, Walter Pike, Lucille van Niekerk, Ashraf Garda, Eve Pennington, Lebo Madiba, Melissa Attree, Simone Puterman, Brandon McLeod, Franette Klerck, Daniel Munslow, Chirene Campbell, Anina Roux, Marion Scher, Caroline Coughlan, Jacqui Nel, Luise Alleman, Shivani Naidoo, Traci-Leigh McMillan, Jacques Breytenbach, and Louise Marsland.

This year's AdMag Award entries were characterised by a high level of quality. Eve Pennington of The Starcom Mediavest Group summed it up: "Most editors know what they need to do to connect with their readers and are using different platforms to do so, thereby making their publications more than just a magazine."

The judges all agreed that the top publications are using other platforms to enhance their main brand. Daniel Munslow, Talk2Us, added: "Quality was good overall. What was exciting is that many publications are not afraid to expand into vertical markets and are using new engagement methods to get to know their readers."

Note: all double awards in a category are tie.

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