Shop! South Africa recently held its second annual Shopper Marketing Awards, celebrating achievements in retail and shopper marketing. Held on 5 November at the Bryanston Country Club, the event highlighted campaigns that not only demonstrated creativity but also delivered measurable results, strengthening the connection between brands and consumers while driving business growth.
The winners of each of the 12 categories showcased the power of impactful shopper programmes and the potential that they hold to not only forge meaningful connections between brands and shoppers, but also to grow the bottom line.
Di Wilson, founder and MD of Shop! SA, said that the organisation exists to drive excellence in the industry. ‘Our goals are to upskill participants, facilitate networking and collaboration, and recognise outstanding achievements. These awards are not just about creativity. They are also about effective campaigns that drive conversions and truly commercialise brands.’
Siobhan Sullivan, one of the judges, highlighted the enduring fundamentals of successful campaigns. ‘While the industry has evolved tremendously, the core principles remain the same. This is evident in the winning campaigns, which showcase results-driven strategies that resonate with shoppers.’
The winners expressed their pride and gratitude for the recognition, with Jennifer Inns from Hyphen Creatives affirming Shop! SA’s primary goal: ‘Our award is a testament to the vital role of shopper marketing in bridging brands and consumers.’
Nande Myama, Junior Research Strategist at Integer Hotspot, described their award as a validation of their focus on impactful, results-driven work, while Alison Mitchell, Head of Brand at nighty9cents, said that their award underscores their commitment to delivering meaningful results. ‘Our win affirms us as an agency that does work that works, and that keeps our clients’ promises.’
Trevor Shell of H&A Manufacturing, which won Gold in four categories, highlighted the collaborative efforts behind their success. ‘Achieving these results is testament to the commitment of each team member to innovation and excellence.’ Shell also thanked their clients for their trust and partnership, saying that great clients enable great work.
Speaking for Tradeway Promotions, Andreas Smit said that the evening was an incredible opportunity to see the level of commitment in the industry and appreciates the value of having been able to celebrate success alongside the agency’s clients.
The ceremony attracted guests from across the shopper experience, retail, FMCG, and advertising and marketing sectors. Guest speaker Tanja De Korte, MD of Rainmaker Media, shared insights on the transformative potential of retail, emphasising how data can help brands deliver relevant, meaningful messaging where it counts most. That is on the shopper’s path to purchase.
Gold winner Claire Swart of Barrows Design and Manufacturing, best summed up the awards experience: ‘Here’s to all the late nights, big dreams, and every milestone we’ve achieved. 2025… We’re ready for you!’
Wilson is already setting her sights on the future. ‘We are turning our attention to building the association to include best practice events, knowledge sharing, and an even bigger awards event. But we need engagement from the industry in order to do so, and we will be calling on your expertise and involvement.’
The 2024 Shop! SA Gold winners are:
Integrated/Omnichannel campaign for food and drink: Angle Orange for Heineken.
Integrated/Omnichannel campaign for non-food: Integer\Hotspot for Femagene.
Shopper marketing campaign for food and drink: On Line Advertising for Purity.
Shopper marketing campaign for non-food: ninety9cents for Make Savings Simple.
Interactive activation: Tradeway Promotions for Unilever.
Purpose-driven campaign: Rainmaker Media for Castle Lite.
Temporary on-shelf: Hyphen Creatives for Douwe Egberts.
Temporary off-shelf: H&A Manufacturing for Ricoffy.
Temporary scale display: H&A Manufacturing for Chocolate Takeover.
Permanent on-shelf: H&A Manufacturing for Johnnie Walker.
Permanent off-shelf/free-standing: H&A Manufacturing for Huggies.
Permanent gondola ends: barrows Design and Manufacturing for Axe.
The judging panel included industry luminaries Siobhan O’Sullivan (Premier FMCG), Wendy van Zyl (Libstar), Katleho Mahloane (FNB), Craig Small (Clicks Group), Candice Schooling (Rainmaker Media), Joanne Gould (Smollan), Tshiamo Tladi (Accenture Song), Francois Jurgens (Nestle), and Craig Dore (Brand Amplify).
SHOP! SOUTH AFRICA AWARDS
https://www.shopassociation.africa/
