INDUSTRY AWARDS

Smarties Awards are to expand to other countries in SSA region

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

‘A natural progression’ for the global marketing industry awards to expand from the SA market, which launched its own Smarties in 2013.

MMA South Africa, the local arm of the global non-profit trade association for marketers – usually referred to as MMA SA – is launching the inaugural sub-Saharan Africa Smarties awards (SSA Smarties) this year, expanding into key markets such as Kenya and Nigeria.

A scene from a Smarties Awards ceremony in the Asia-Pacific region. Photo: MMA

The Smarties Awards programme recognises leaders, brands, agencies, and tech providers that pioneer new approaches in modern marketing and deliver significant business impact through these endeavours.

Sarah Utermark, Country Director of the MMA SA, says it is a natural progression for the Smarties to reach out to other markets in sub-Saharan Africa. “These are strong innovation tech markets, and a burgeoning marketing industry leads the way for the regions,” she explains.

Goal is to build a strong presence among key SSA countries

Adds Rohit Dadwal, global head of Smarties Worldwide: “Our ultimate goal is to build a strong presence among key sub-Saharan countries, as we have done in South Africa. The impetus behind this expansion, is to build on the remarkable success of Smarties SA since its inception in 2013, with attendance and entries growing each year.

“This next chapter in the MMA SA Smarties has been spurred on by the success of the Smarties – our global awards platform – which has exceeded expectations year-on-year, and the unwavering support shown by CMOs on our South African Board who hold regional responsibilities that stretch into the sub-Saharan region.”

Confirmed categories for the new SSA Smarties include an AI in Marketing category and an Emerging Tech category. The awards will also include the Advertiser of the Year, Brand of the Year, Publisher of the Year, Enabling Technology Company of the Year, and Agency Network of the Year.

Agencies from across the SSA region have been invited to submit their entries for the Smarties sub-Saharan Africa Awards by 2 August 2024. You can find out more here.

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