Marketing awards are an important way to
recognise and
reward the great work being done in the advertising industry in South Africa (SA) on an international scale.
These awards recognise the creative and successful campaigns that have been launched, and that have made a real
impact in the marketplace.
They can also provide
valuable insights into the current trends and developments in the industry, helping to
inform and
shape future strategies and campaigns.
Participating in marketing awards can also be a
great way to get exposure to a business and its offerings, as well as to foster relationships with potential clients and partners.
Ultimately, these awards can offer a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the industry and to encourage the development of new, innovative ideas and campaigns.
Want to find out more about the marketing award industry?
Then join Jané Rossouw from media update and Joe Public's co-founder and owner Pepe Marais as they take a deep dive into the marketing awards:
Why is it important for SA agencies to participate in international creative awards / festivals / programmes?
Before I answer this question, I would first like to make my position clear on awards: Awards, like money, are a by-product of offering maximum value through our creative product. We do
not create work to
win awards. We create work to win
hearts.
I always compare this thinking to the international film and music industry, and their platforms like the
Oscars and
Grammys. I cannot imagine that either Beyonce or Steven Spielberg get up in the morning to make money or win awards. They do so because they love their craft, and they love how people emotionally respond to their craft.
I do believe that when Beyonce dropped
Break My Soul into the market, what she cared most about was how her audience would respond to her music. The 29
Grammys and the USD$450 million she amassed through her music, are both natural by-products of striving for excellence as an artist.
That said, to your question, our participation in international awards is critical for the growth of our
people, our
product and our
agency. Why? Because it is one thing to say you are a fast runner; it is a completely different thing to win an
Olympic Gold in the 100-metre sprint.
Awards are a measure of excellence. They are confirmation of the standard that you set through your creative product, validated by your peers.
In the end, judges of creative shows are just normal people. And work that
resonates most, and is most
relevant to the brand,
will rise to the top. In the absence of awards, how else would we be able to set a standard for what we do as an industry?
As a 100% locally-owned entity we want our work to compete on a global stage.
Imagine what it could do for the perception of
our country if our agency was seen as one of the best in the world. Imagine what it could do for
our client's brands if our agency was ranked as one of the best in the world. This simply would not be possible without international award shows like the:
- Cannes
- D&AD
- One Show, and
- Clios.
And then, of course, there's the fact that work of this standard works better in terms of sales than creative campaigns that are sub-par. And that, in itself, should be enough reason to participate in international awards.
Should all creative agencies participate in these competitions? Why or why not?
We are in a very competitive industry. And even though many of our clients don't always want to make 'award-winning' work, they do prefer to work with award-winning agencies.
This is confirmed by
The Scopen Report. These competitions are, in themselves, also a form of marketing for our agencies and, since we expect our clients to invest in marketing their brands, we should invest in marketing our own.
So yes, in my view, if you are interested in adding true value to your clients, then you should participate in these competitions because it drives the calibre of the output of your agency. [This in turn ] drives the perception of the brands that you are entrusted with.
So it's a win-win for all, in my book.
What are the benefits of participating in these awards?
[The benefits include] building your own brand, which in turn attracts more clients, more of the right creative people and more high-calibre suppliers.
It is also a great means of
retaining the best people. But again, all of these benefits do not occur in isolation. You first have to create a culture that fosters creative excellence. You have to create a belief in creativity and the power that it adds to brands.
Then, be ready to swim like a little goldfish against a tsunami of mediocrity, before you can even begin to expect your gold medal. So, everything is interrelated.
That's why I always compare awards and money. Both are the oxygen of a creative business, but we don't wake up every morning thinking we must breathe.
What are the pros and cons of winning one of these marketing awards?
The pros are that they create a halo of excellence around our business and that they make our journey of being better than our best,
measurable.
For example, if we win a
Bronze at
Cannes in year one, a
Silver in year two and a
Gold in year three, it shows measured improvement in our creative output. And each year, we can then put goals in place to improve our output systematically.
This is validated by awards as an independent measure of the improvement of our output — as adjudicated by global experts. When awards are approached like this, as a measure
towards ultimately adding creative value to the brands that we serve. I can offer no cons.
What gives South African agencies a competitive edge in the global advertising landscape?
We live in a market with massive
social,
economic and
political challenges. And since we are in an industry that thrives on solving problems, I would argue that we are positioned in one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of opportunities.
The world has also set its sights on Africa, and I have a feeling that we are going into a decade where we can
truly start to unleash the potential of creativity in our continent.
What would you recommend people participate in, South African marketing awards or international marketing awards, and why?
I would always recommend both. The one does not operate in isolation from the other. Our market will always remain South Africa, and therefore, our work should always,
always, remain locally relevant.
By entering both local and international shows, we get to flex our conceptual ability and craft, yet retain the local flavour of our work. We currently have three new campaigns in production for the South African Breweries, which are highly relevant to our market, yet at a global standard in terms of concept.
Local relevance at a global standard remains my motto and the only way to use advertising if you are truly committed to growing brands.
How have these marketing awards shaped the content that you produce?
A great question to end on, because they
haven't.
As much as we appreciate the role awards play in our creative ecosystem, they come at the end of a long process:
- from the purpose of our business
- our values and our creative culture
- our strategic processes
- our interactions with all our clients
- our collective pursuit of excellence
- our hunger to make the most relevant work in our market for our consumers
- our unwavering belief that creativity grows brands, and
- an intense love for what we do.
And
that, as they say, is the bottom line.
Do you need an update on all the relevant awards going on? Leave us a comment in the section below and we'll update you with 2023's relevant marketing awards.
*Image courtesy of Canva