The awards celebrate the best of the best in South African marketing and aim to future-proof the sector and raise the bar for local marketers.

The finalists for the Marketer of the Year category, in which marketers are to be nominated by their industry peers, are yet to be announced.

"We were very impressed with the calibre of entries and the judges had a tough job selecting these finalists," says MAA council chairperson Yvonne Johnston. "Selecting the winners will prove even more challenging as we are determined to follow a rigorous and methodologically robust adjudication process to ensure that we showcase South Africa’s finest talent."

"We have in our midst world-class marketers and campaigns that are competitive in terms of innovation and effectiveness on a global level. It is time that we start celebrating the brilliant minds behind these campaigns," Johnston adds.

She says that strategy lies at the core of successful marketing. "The planning that comes before the creative process is an art and a science — getting this right is essential for a campaign to achieve business results."

"These awards are by marketers and for marketers, but we recognise that executing a winning campaign involves a collaborative process with the right partners. The awards event is, therefore, open to the wider marketing industry and agencies," she adds.

The celebrations will kick off at Sun City with a networking welcome cocktail party on the evening of Wednesday, 26 June, followed by the Marketing Achievement Summit on Thursday, 27 June before the ceremony in the evening.

The Marketing Achievement Summit, with the theme 'Future-proofing marketing, will aim to explore marketing strategy, key issues and imperatives.

Some of the questions being asked at the summit include:
  • Is the strategic importance and contribution of marketing to business performance eroding over time?
  • What are the “new rules of engagement” for future marketing and communications
  • How do you build a brand across Africa’s diverse countries?
  • Are South African companies innovating, or are they going to be disrupted?
  • Can marketing reshape our nation’s destiny?
For more information, visit www.marketingawards.co.za. You can also follow the Marketing Achievement Awards on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.