Top honours at NZ Direct & Interactive Marketing A

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE MARKETING ASSOCIATION

Oxfam ‘Unwrapped’ campaign by TEQUILA\ and Onecard Wine programme by Proximity iD share top honours at NZ Direct & Interactive Marketing Awards

AUCKLAND, 29 February 2008 – Spectacularly increasing donations on a shoestring budget for Oxfam’s innovative pre-Xmas ‘Unwrapped’ campaign has won TEQUILA\ the top RSVP Grand Prix award at the NZ Direct & Interactive Marketing Awards for the third consecutive year. The other major award, the Supreme NEXUS, went to Proximity iD for the seventh time in eight years. On this occasion, the digital and data marketing agency has been recognised for its highly targeted e-marketing catalogues promoting individual wine offers to Progressive Enterprises’ Onecard members.

The NZ Direct & Interactive Marketing Awards, organised by the Marketing Association, comprise two series of awards: the RSVP Awards, for the best examples of direct and interactive marketing campaigns judged on strategy, creative, and results; and the NEXUS Awards, for the best products, services and processes that drive campaigns. The full results for this year’s awards are available at www.nzdirectmarketingawards.co.nz

RSVP Grand Prix winner
Sue McCarty, Chief Executive of the Marketing Association, said “TEQUILA\’s ‘Unwrapped’ campaign for Oxfam NZ succeeded on so many levels, not least of which was the worthy cause involving the sending of highly practical and valuable gifts from Kiwis to parts of the world in desperate need. These included teacher training, shares in coffee plantations, as well as donkeys and goats! The fresh approach taken by TEQUILA\, including a humorous viral video, allowed Oxfam to connect to a much wider group of generous New Zealanders. And all of this was achieved on a very modest marketing budget. Congratulations to TEQUILA\ for the third consecutive year!”

In addition to the Grand Prix, the Oxfam Unwrapped campaign secured two gold medals for TEQUILA\ in the Sales Generation and Shoe String Budget categories.

Supreme NEXUS winner
According to Sue McCarty, “Proximity iD has a near stranglehold on the Supreme NEXUS award, having now won it every time bar one in the last eight years. The highly sophisticated personalisation that Proximity iD has achieved with the Onecard Wine programme is truly world class, even attracting the attention of the United States Direct Marketing Association in December with an NCDM Gold medal. Well done again to Proximity iD.”

In addition to the Supreme NEXUS, the Onecard Wine programme secured two golds for Proximity iD in the Strategic Vision and Products & Services categories; four silvers in Customer & Market Insight, Innovation, CRM & Data Management, and Media & Channel Utilisation respectively; as well as a bronze medal in Production & Fulfilment.

Other RSVP Gold Medal winners
Other RSVP Gold Medal awards included three golds to Connect Communications, two of these for the SkyCity Rocket to Riches campaign and one for TelstraClear’s The Lab campaign; OgilvyOne secured a gold for the Life Pharmacy Living Card Loyalty Programme; JustONE picked up a gold for the ADT Burglar Welcome Mat; Origin Design won a gold for Contact Energy’s I Can Make a Difference campaign; Black secured a gold for This Puppy Needs You for the Royal NZ Foundation for the Blind; and TOUCH/CAST NEXT won a gold for Weta Limited’s Rayguns campaign.

Other Nexus Gold Medal winners
Other NEXUS Gold Medal awards included two golds to Tango Communications for the TVNZ OnDemand campaign; a gold to The Hyperfactory and Saatchi & Saatchi for the Augmented Reality campaign for Wellington Zoo; and a gold to justONE, e-volution and Touchpoint for SUBWAY’s SUBCARD campaign.

About the Marketing Association
The Marketing Association officially came into being on 25 February 2005, having initially been established in 1974 as the New Zealand Direct Marketing Association. The Association’s purpose is to encourage and develop the highest standards of measurable marketing in New Zealand.

The Association’s commitment to its members is to:
• encourage the growth of data-driven Marketing
• provide leadership and governance to the Marketing industry
• provide quality training and learning opportunities
• provide Marketers with a communication vehicle and a network of Marketing peers
• acknowledge best practice in the Marketing industry through a comprehensive Awards programme
• proactively spearhead and manage industry issues which require lobbying and regulatory advice on behalf of members
• endorse best practice in marketing through robust Accreditation
• encourage member growth by providing vital business support
• foster close relationships with affiliated industry bodies

As the business organisation for New Zealand's marketers, the Marketing Association has members ranging from the country's largest corporates to individuals – approximately 4,000 Marketing professionals - and is committed to stimulating business success through best practice marketing.

More information on the Marketing Association is available at www.marketing.org.nz

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