Last minute and lots: entries flood in for awards
The fingernails were being bitten feverishly late last week as the New Zealand marketing community used every last second at its disposal (and a few more on top of that) to get the entries in for the TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards. But all’s well that ends well: the number of entries has swelled to more than three times that of last year.
Graham Medcalf, former editor of NZ Marketing and corporate services manager with the Marketing Association reckons it’s a record.
“We’ve never had so much interest,” he says.
So what’s different this year? The marketing for one thing. A comprehensive print, direct and online marketing campaign was deployed by agency Hot Mustard to drive greater awareness and accessibility to the awards. And the design changed too: DNA provided the awards a new visual metaphor (“the science of marketing”) that was applied to all the communications and the awards microsite. The theme will be used on the forthcoming awards on 26 August.
“And I can’t underestimate the role of the Marketing Association in driving these awards to a new level,” says Vincent Heeringa, publisher of NZ Marketing, the owner of the awards. “In particular marketing manager Lisa Fitzpatrick has taught us all a lesson in planning and execution in a very tight timeframe and budget.”
Sue McCarty, chief banana at the Marketing Association, says a key ambition this year was to attract high calibre judges. “We’ve attracted some of the most respected marketing professionals from New Zealand and Australia to judge these awards. I think this has played a big role in growing the number of entries.”
And as the last minute beggars and stragglers cajole their way across the line, the judges get to work later this week. We’ll keep you posted.
What do you think?