The IAB Benchmarking of Digital Excellence Series

In the final episode of this series, Nick and Johann go in-depth with Andrea Quaye, the Jury President for the Bookmarks 2020 as well as Matthew Arnold from VMLY&R to find what the future of the Bookmarks are and what to expect going forward.  Andrea Quaye:Jury President: Bookmarks 2020  Matthew ArnoldChief Connections Officer: VMLY&R

In the 5th installment of the Work that Wins in Digital podcast, we hang out at the Bookmarks Judging and catch up with Molefi Thulo and Kalliebree Keynerd to discuss the judging process and what the jury looks for within case studies and awards-worthy work. Molefi ThuloExecutive Creative Director: Ogilvy Johannesburg Kalliebree KeynerdHead of Social Media: Joe Public

In the 4th installment of the Work that Wins in Digital podcast, we sit down with Justine Cullinan and Khensani Nobanda to discuss the merits of advertising, how to best sell work and what awards mean to clients from the perspective of marketers. Justine CullinanHead of Marketing: MezzanineKhensani NobandaGroup Executive: Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank

In episode of 3 of the IAB SA: Benchmarking Digital Excellence series, we return to the Loerie Awards 2019, and all the work that won. We sat with two more of the judges and discussed some of the winners, how they won and most importantly, what you can learn to win in the future.The IAB SA is an official endorsement partner for the Loerie Awards and partner with the Loeries to define digital categories and criteria, as well as a partner in the nomination process for the digital judges at the Loerie Awards.The Loerie Awards is arguably the most prestigious creative award in Africa and the Middle East. Being in its 41st year of existence it has a long history of creative excellence. In this episode, we discuss the trends, tactics, and tricks that take work from just work, to winning work. Our interviewees are Jacquie Mullany, Executive Creative Director of VMLY&R South Africa and Veli Ngubane, Co-founder and Group MD, AVATAR.Jacquie MullanyECD, VML South AfricaJohannesburgJacquie is a writer of words, lover of ideas, and a trainer of unicorns. She began her journey as an art director, did some coding, then fell into copywriting as she moved her way TTL. In addition to having her work recognised at multiple award shows, she has also had the honour of judging a few of them as well. She is fluent in three languages, including Emoji and Giphy and has made herself at home as Executive Creative Director at VML South Africa. Veli NgubaneCo-founder and Group MD, AVATARJohannesburgA strategist turned creative, Veli is the co-founder and Group MD of Avatar. Avatar is part of the M&N Brands network, a holding company with diversified investments in leading advertising, media and communication businesses.Veli serves as Advisory Board Chairman at the Red & Yellow School, sits on the IAB’s Transformation & Education Council, is a DMA Board Member and has judged the Loeries, Apex, Bookmarks, PRISM, Pendorings and AdFocus Awards.He was also named in this year’s Mail & Guardian Top 200 South Africans. Veli holds a BSocSci (Politics, Economics & Law) from UCT and a postgraduate Marketing & Advertising diploma from the Red & Yellow School.A born entrepreneur taking advantage of the two very economies he was exposed to, Veli is also a brand man (his experience includes BMW, Apple and Investec), deeply committed to disrupting and challenging the advertising industry, “Just being black is not enough; we need black- owned and managed agencies to be world class.”Constantly learning, constantly innovating, 36-year-old Veli has also learnt the pitfalls of success, “I have learnt that one must define what success means to oneself, as there is a great danger with conforming to the one society creates.”

Our second episode looks at the Loerie Awards 2019, where we discuss the ins and outs of judging with two of the jury members of the Digital Communications panel.The IAB SA is an official endorsement partner for the Loerie Awards and partner with the Loeries to define digital categories and criteria, as well as a partner in the nomination process for the digital judges at the Loerie Awards.The Loerie Awards is arguably the most prestigious creative award in Africa and the Middle East. Being in its 41st year of existence it has a long history of creative excellence. In this episode, we discuss the trends, tactics, and tricks that take work from just work, to winning work. Our interviewees are Camilla Clerke, Executive Creative Director of HelloFCB+ and Kabelo Moshapalo, Executive Creative Director of TBWAHuntLascaris.Camilla ClerkeAfter several years studying B.Com CA, Camilla got out just in time, pursuing a career in advertising. After a number of years working on TVCs, print and radio campaigns for clients like FNB, MTN, and Wimpy, she found her way into the experimental and innovative through-the-line agency, HelloFCB+. It was here her life changed forever. Exploring innovative solutions to solve business problems; like building a real-life website on a 2km cycling track for Toyota RAV4, turning a non-profit organisation into a Media Agency to feed hungry children for the PSFA, and telling people to “say it with a cactus” instead of flowers in Netflorist’s drought campaign, Camilla has won a number of awards, both locally and internationally; including Cannes Lions, Loeries, Bookmarks, Webbys, D&AD, FWA and One Show. She has also sat on the Cannes, Loeries, Dubai Lynx and Bookmarks panels. She likes wine. Kabelo MoshapaloKabelo is a self-taught illustrator who traded his acrylic paints and brushes for the digital canvas.  He began his career at FCB Electric Ocean in 2000, becoming Group Head Digital Interactive in just five years and Creative Director Digital Interactive in 2007 gaining valuable experience working on global brands and building local success in the digital world.  Prior to being made Executive Creative Director (ECD) and being appointed to the board of TBWADigital Arts Network in Africa, he joined as Senior Creative Director and was promoted to ECD soon after at TBWATequila.  His role in the development of creative digital solutions has been widely recognised throughout South Africa. In 2015, Kabelo was featured in Destiny Man magazine’s Power of 40 List, which celebrates extraordinary men from all over South Africa under the age of 40.  He was one of the 2003 judges of the Loeries Awards in the newly emerging discipline category – an honour repeated in 2004, and from 2007 to 2014. In 2015, he set on two different panels of the Loeries Awards, namely Non-English Radio, and Communication Design. He’s also adjudicated the Apex Awards, where judges are tasked with appraising both creativity and effectiveness, measuring actual marketing campaign results.  Driving creative excellence on the continent, Kabelo was appointed to the judging panel of the inaugural advertising and communications awards launched by Botswana's Association of Communication Agencies (ACA) in 2013.  The same year he also sat on the judging panel of the IAB South Africa Bookmarks awards, a show that celebrates digital marketing excellence - an honour repeated in 2016 and 2017. In continuing to celebrate excellence in all things digital, Kabelo was appointed as a jury member on the CLIO awards 2016 Digital, Mobile, Social & Digital Technique judging panel.   In 2017 Kabelo made a return to the Digital & Interactive Communication and Digital Craft Loeries Awards panel. He’s also adjudicated the Lisbon International Advertising Festival, appraising branded content works across categories; TV, Digital, Games, Promo, Activation and Creative Effectiveness.

Our launch episode looks at the bookmark awards 2019, as a benchmark for digital excellence that reflects business excellence.The Bookmark Awards seeks to recognise and reward digital excellence and empower all members of the digital media and marketing industry to thrive in the digital economy. We're here in the interest of transparency. In the interest of growth and in the interest of equipping you with useful tools to be able to create work that wins. What works, what doesn't, what are judges looking for.Clare TrafankowskaHead of Digital for Carat South Africa and DentsuX, she was the Bookmarks 2019 Performance Marketing Jury Chair.Ernst van der MerweJudge in the Innovation Engineers Category and Bookmarks 2019 IAB SA Committee Chair. Integrated Creative Director Ogilvy Johannesburg