Volkswagen’s brand launch drives away with the Supreme 2012 TVNZ/NZ Marketing Award

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Volkswagen_5.jpgThe 2012 TVNZ NZ Marketing Awards, celebrating a new positioning in their 21st year, saw a range of winners crowned victorious, but it was Volkswagen New Zealand’s Brand Launch who took the Supreme Award at the event, last night.

Speaking on the repositioning and the essence of these awards, judge Mike Lamer, formerly of Mercury Energy said: “Everything Marketing is a cry out to the boardrooms of New Zealand to take marketing seriously. If it’s done properly, marketing can be the real difference for a business in its category and I think the winning entrants this year prove testimony to that.”

awards.jpgHosts Vincent Heeringa, NZ Marketing magazine, and Sue McCarty, Marketing Association (MA) were joined by returning awards MC, Te Radar, who took the audience on a  night of celebrating the coming together of brands, ideas, skills and people.

 

A plethora of industry, judges and individual awards were given out on the night, however there could only be one Supreme winner and that coveted award went to Volkswagen’s Brand Launch which also took out the automotive industry category.

Says James Bickford from Interbrand and a round 2 judge: “What they have shown is that you can change a business proposition into a brand proposition, and a lot of people would look at that journey and put it in the too hard basket, they didn’t, they were prepared to learn from it and through it, and they genuinely believed in the insight that they were going to create and build their brand around, and I think also a testament to their achievements over the past three years, is that Volkswagen globally have seen this as best practice in their territory.”

The other winners on the night were Pfizer New Zealand which took away four awards; Z Energy and RedWitch Analog, with two awards Frucor Beverages, Fonterra Brands (NZ), Kiwibank, The Electricity Authority & Ministry of Consumer Affairs, State Insurance, MediaWorks TV, ecostore and Dollop Foods T/A Dollop Puddings, each with a win.

Also celebrating was Air New Zealand ‘s chief executive Rob Fyfe, who was awarded the new Marketing Excellence award.

Says Wendy Rayner, 2011’s Marketer of the Year and judge this year: “Air New Zealand is an amazing example of marketing leadership from head to toe, The people on the ground, in the planes, in the Koru lounge, everywhere and at every touch-point,live their brand.”

The Rookie Marketer of the Year is Jasmine Griffin from J.H Whittaker & Sons and Ian Moody, formerly of Westpac, was awarded Marketer of the Year. The judges felt that Moody was a deserving winner as he was acknowledged as a principal leader, not just within Westpac, but across a whole host of different cross-functional teams.  He is an influencer and a leader who  inspired a whole company to put marketing at the forefront of everything.

This year the audience had the pleasure to witness two inductees into the Marketing Hall of Fame, George Hickton, and Professor Rod Brodie. Both were honoured for their commitment over the years to the marketing profession and industry.

 

Winners:

TVNZ, Marketing Hall of Fame

George Hickton, Company Director/Consultant

 

TVNZ, Marketing Hall of Fame

Professor Rod Brodie, The University of Auckland Business School

 

Colmar Brunton, Marketer of the Year

Ian Moody, Westpac New Zealand

 

University of Otago School of Business – Department of Marketing, Rookie Marketer of the Year

Jasmine Griffin, J.H Whittaker & Sons

 

Marketing Excellence

Rob Fyfe, Air New Zealand

 

Fairfax Media, Supreme Award

Volkswagen New Zealand, Brand Launch

 

Insight

Dollop Foods T/A Dollop Puddings, Dollop PR Strategy

 

&Some, Emerging Business/New Brand

Z Energy, Z is for New Zealand (The Launch of Z)

 

TVNZ, Innovation

Pfizer New Zealand, Pfizer Avigra Launch

 

Boston Digital, Transformational

RedWitch Analog, Seven Sisters

 

Sustainability

ecostore, Brand Transformation

 

University of Waikato Management School, Marketing Leadership

Pfizer New Zealand, Viagra = Avigra

 

Automotive

Volkswagen New Zealand, Brand Launch

 

Hypermedia, Consumer

Pfizer New Zealand, Pfizer Avigra Launch

 

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Export

Fonterra Brands New Zealand – Export, Anchor Strong

 

Financial and Banking

Kiwibank, Green Ops

 

BrandWorld, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)

Frucor Beverages, Mountain Dew – New Flavour Launch & Skate Pinball Campaign

 

Lifestyle/Travel/Leisure

Pfizer New Zealand, Viagra = Avigra

 

Public Sector

The Electricity Authority & Ministry of Consumer Affairs, What’s My Number Consumer Information Programme

 

Morton Estate, Retail

Z Energy, Z is for New Zealand (The Launch of Z)

 

Sponsorship

State Insurance, With you in Water

 

Technology

RedWitch Analog, Seven Sisters

 

Utilities/Communications

MediaWorks TV, Feels like FOUR