This year, 48 awards were presented in total, of which only seven were Gold awards. All Gold SACSC Footprint Marketing Awards are automatically entered into the International Council of Shopping Centres' Solal Awards. This global awards campaign is set to be judged early in 2016.
Amanda Stops, SACSC's CEO, said: "This year's SACSC Footprint Marketing Award winners were again judged to a global standard and can stand proud with top shopping campaigns worldwide. They consider each marketing campaign's strategy and objectives, creativity, implementation, cost effectiveness and impact."
Tyger Valley Centre earned the Spectrum Award for its 'Christmas in Africa', in which it took a refreshing proudly South African approach to its festive décor and, at the same time, empowered unskilled or unemployed women by teaching them crafting skills to sustain themselves. Tyger Valley Centre's 'Christmas in Africa' won a Gold Footprint Award in the Community Relations category, to qualify as a finalist for the Spectrum Award. Tyger Valley Centre is owned by Pareto and MMI Holdings. Pareto also undertakes the marketing of the centre.
Pareto featured strongly in the awards this year, with its ground-breaking new corporate social investment initiative, NuMiracle, also earning a Gold award. The project is aimed at improving unacceptably low levels of numeracy in the country, and is undertaken by marketing company Mustard Seed Relationship Marketing at Pareto's Pavilion Shopping Centre in Durban, and Southgate Mall and Westgate Shopping Centre in Joburg.
The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town took home the most Gold Footprint Awards, clinching three gilded trophies for the marketing of The Watershed, undertaken by the V&A Waterfront's in-house team.
The marketing company to achieve the most awards overall was Primedia Lifestyle, with an impressive 17 accolades, including two Gold awards for its 'Gateway and IBV Supercar Charity Parade World Record' for Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban and 'Paris Hilton's Closet' for Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria.
Sandton City was the shopping centre to win the most awards overall, taking a remarkable six gongs in total. Marketing Concepts is the marketing company for Sandton City.
"Marketing remains a fundamental element of any successful shopping centre," said Stops. "Through the SACSC Footprint Marketing Awards we acknowledge the contribution made by malls and marketers to our dynamic retailing industry. These awards have become an excellent benchmark of retail marketing innovation and marketing talent in South Africa. The hotly-contested awards again received a strong support, showing the esteem in which they are held by the industry."
