Fitting for #YouthMonth, entries for the fourth annual New Generation Social & Digital Media Awards are officially open. Stephen Paxton, MD of the New Generation Awards, calls them: “the missing jigsaw piece in the South African awards calendar,” because while so many awards take place locally, they tend to only focus on the agencies and their involvement with the campaign activations, so one tends to forget that social media and digital marketing is actually a team strategy between agency and client. The awards also continually evolve to meet new trends by looking at what’s hot and trending overseas and what’s making its way into the South Africa digital scene.

Winning team from New Generation 2015.

In focusing on social and digital media platforms in particular, which ties in with younger consumers and their preferred methods of interaction with those brands, the awards also have categories such as Most Innovative use of Social Media, Best Integrated Marketing Campaign, Best Online Competition, Best Gamification Campaign and Best Social Media Reach from an Event. These categories challenge the agencies and the marketing teams to find their voices and enter campaigns that incorporate the migration to social network sites, games and anytime, anywhere media, which also speaks to Generation Z.

New Generation of creative work

Paxton explains, “A significant aspect of this generation is its widespread use of the internet from a young age. Members of Generation Z are typically thought of as being comfortable with technology, and interacting on social media websites for a significant portion of their socialising. Brands who encompass the new ways of marketing through social and digital media, have already won the hearts of their future customers.”

Paxton says this year’s awards see the introduction of online entries powered by Mind Interactive. He explains this will make the entire entry process much easier and less time consuming for entrants submitting their campaigns.

The awards’ judging panel has increased to ten people, which includes some of SA’s leading entrepreneurial, digital and creative minds, who often win awards themselves. The awards wanted a collective of different industry minds to best give their views on the work submitted.

Three new categories have also been introduced, namely: The Best Revenue Marketing Campaign/Event Award, The Best Marketing Automation Campaign Award, and The Best Community Engagement Manager Award.

The introduction of these new categories helps the awards stay on top of their game, as it offers entrants a greater variety of trending topics.

Magical creativity

Look at the new Automated Marketing category, for example. It has become one of the key areas for agencies and corporates to focus on, so it’s imperative that we recognise the use of software platforms and technologies designed to more effectively market on multiple channels online, such as email, social media and websites, as well as automated repetitive tasks. A good Automation Marketing campaign then is one that manages to attract new subscribers, increase product usage, gather product feedback and nurture your leads.

Paxton says winning campaigns will need to show on-strategy creative execution that displays a clear link between the original business objectives and the outcomes enabled by the work. This means that quantifiable, measurable objectives need to be identified and evidence provided that these had been met or exceeded.

Entries that address all the judging criteria, in addition to being creative and going beyond standard practice – developing it into something magical – will make an award-winning entry.

Seems these awards are the ones to watch, as they’ll identify the true leaders that continue to challenge technology changes, and identify campaigns that go beyond the normal or just doing one’s job.

The awards’ entry deadline is 20 July, with the awards’ gala ceremony set for 22 September at Microsoft’s head office in Bryanston, Johannesburg. To submit your work via the online entry form, click here. For more details, contact the team on 011 462 9963 or az.oc.sdrawanegwen@nehpets.You can also follow their Twitter stream for award updates!