Meet Your 2024 Bookmark Awards Jurors

(Cape Town, 27 March 2024): With just a couple of weeks before entries close for the digital media and marketing’s most prestigious awards, the IAB South Africa Bookmark Awards announces its 2024 Jury Panels. 

Continuing in its aim to set the benchmark for digital media, marketing and technology by rewarding impactful digital work within the marketing sector, the Bookmarks adds Marketing Craft to its Jury Panels. This ninth panel of jurors will join judges across Publishers; Innovative Engineers; Builders; Marketers; Performance Marketing; Social, Community & Influencer Marketing; Youth Action and Special Honours.

Robyn Campbell, IAB South Africa Agency Council Lead, emphasises the importance of the Bookmark Awards as a key role player in propelling the industry forward by recognising excellence, fostering innovation and setting high standards for future digital creative. “It’s no secret that awards create a healthy sense of competition within the sector while simultaneously motivating agencies and brands to improve their work and drive better results for clients. Being recognised with a Bookmark Award further translates to increased credibility and prestige for the winners, helping them attract new talent, partnerships and clients.”

Each of the nine Bookmarks Jury Panels is headed by a Jury Chair, who will assess work across ​​eight awards categories that align with IAB South Africa’s mandate to empower the media and marketing industry to thrive in the digital economy. These include building brands digitally, putting users first, creating and maintaining a consistent approach to measurement, transforming the industry from within and providing trustworthy digital supply chains. 

“The heart of the Bookmarks lies in its jury. This year, we’ve curated a diverse panel of South African industry experts from digital media, marketing and technology who, as in previous years, have all been nominated by their peers. This ensures a double dose of credibility — a jury that reflects the rich tapestry of our industry and country (with 51% female and 67% people of colour) and the endorsement of their proficiency by their colleagues,” says Khensani Nobanda, IAB South Africa Bookmark Awards Jury President.

“With the exciting addition of a ninth panel, we are expanding our reach and fostering even more innovation. It is indeed a testament to the Awards’ commitment to constantly raising the bar and setting the benchmarks for excellence in South African digital work.”

THE 2024 BOOKMARK AWARDS JURY PANELS

MARKETERS PANEL

Nkanyezi Masango, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative, SSA (Chair)

“Humanity above AI.” While Nkanyezi lives by this code, he understands that technology is ever-evolving and is keen to view Bookmarks entries where timeless insights merge with new platforms and technology.  

Carl Willoughby, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA \ Hunt \ Lascaris

Matthew Van der Valk, Executive Creative Officer, VML South Africa

Kyra Antrobus, Creative Director, Accenture Song

Artwell Nwaila, Head of Creative & Ecosystem, Google

Suhana Gordhan, Independent Creative Leader

Nomsa Khanyile, Marketing Director – Bakeries & Wheat, PepsiCo

Peter Little, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe Africa

Camilla Clerke, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy

Kyle Schoeman, Executive Creative Director, Grid Worldwide

Nkululeko Vilikazi, Creative Director, Machine_

Bridget Harpur, Head of Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa

MARKETING CRAFT PANEL

Alex Goldberg, Creative Partner, Ogilvy South Africa (Chair)

With 20 years in the communications industry, Alex is no stranger to the Bookmarks. This year, he looks forward to seeing how the industry has tackled the AI elephant in the room. “AI has really exploded so it’ll be great to see who has successfully utilised AI to bring ideas to life in new ways and not just use AI as the idea.”

Pippa Misplon, Managing Director, Retroviral

Greg Davies, Chief Design Officer, PlusNarrative

Thomas Lawrence, Marketing Manager: Castle Lager, AB InBev

Tanya de Jongh, Integrated Creative Director, RAPT Creative

Ntokozo Nhlanhla, Executive Creative Director, Digitas Liquorice

Sithabile (Star) Kachisa, Head of Marketing – Sub-Saharan Africa, Spotify

Gareth O’Callaghan, Creative Director, Joe Public

Monde Siphamla, Creative Director, M&C Saatchi Abel

PERFORMANCE MARKETING  PANEL

Lerato Modisakeng, Paid Search Director, Jellyfish (Chair)

Before taking on direct digital marketing, Lerato worked in e-commerce, where she gained a keen understanding of consumers' needs and preferences. Her advice to marketers: “Always produce work that places the consumer first to solve a business problem.”

Gai Le Roy, Chief Executive Officer, IAB Australia

Cays Margison, Performance Account Manager, iProspect

Laureen Mxoli, African Digital Marketing & Commercial Lead – Nutrition, Unilever

Adrian Naidoo, Managing Director, Mindshare South Africa

Insaaf Khan, Chief Growth Officer, VML South Africa

Kuhle Verby, Digital Marketing Lead, Publicis Groupe 

Lerato Zulu, eCommerce Head: Digital and Performance Marketing, Old Mutual

Brian Muguto, Managing Director, PHD Johannesburg

Loyiso Ngcongo, Acting: Senior Manager – Digital Marketing, Adoption & Acquisition, MTN

Yvette Naidu, Managing Director, Lucid Performance Media

PUBLISHERS PANEL

Charis Coleman, Head of Digital Content, Multichoice Group (Chair)

Charis’s skills as a digital strategist are key to her leadership in overseeing content teams across video, audio, design, social media and web writing. She believes Publisher panel jurors must have a deep understanding of digital publishing trends, technologies and best practices. “Equally important is the ability to approach each entry with fresh eyes and an unbiased perspective,” she adds.

Christo Brits, Digital Business Manager, Maroela Media

Danette Breitenbach, Editor: Marketing and Media, Bizcommunity

Garrin Lambley, Head of Content, The South African

Sbu Ngalwa, Editor in Chief, EWN – Primedia

Servaas De Kock, Group Executive Digital, Caxton & CTP

Gugu Phandle, Digital Marketing Content Producer, Arena Holdings

Anthea Carstens, Audience Acquisition Manager, Kagiso Media

Mbali Soga, Editor in Chief – True Love, Media24

Bridget Ngcobo, Head of Agencies Business Partners, Google

Rikashni Rangasamy, Showmax

SOCIAL, COMMUNITY & INFLUENCER MARKETING PANEL

Deshnie Govender, Head of Marketing TikTok Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok (Chair)

Deshnie lives by the mindset of ‘Each One, Teach One’, where her purpose is to leverage digital to tell stories. She believes that working in marketing is more than a job; it’s a responsibility to nurture relationships, drive growth and guide brands through the ever-changing currents of the market.

Sanele Mawisa, Head of Social & Digital Content, Ab InBev

Paul Coetzer, Creative Director: Digital & Social, Publicis Groupe Africa

Zipho Ntloko, Strategist, NIVEA, Dentsu Creative

Lebo Moerane, Head of Social and Digital, VML South Africa

Luzuko Tena, Social Media & Advertising Lead, Accenture

Koketso Masisi, Creative Director, Retroviral

MJ Khan, Head of Group Digital Communications, Sasol

Sylvester Chauke, Chief Architect & Founder, DNA Brand Architects

Jeanette Grove, Director: Digital, Content & Creative, Instinctif Partners Africa

Meagan Alexander, Performance Marketing Manager, DigiOutsource

Samkelisiwe Mndaweni, Senior Social Media Manager, Digitas Liquorice

YOUTH ACTION PANEL

Zodwa Gunuza, Creative Director, The Hardy Boys (Chair)

A creative to her core, Zodwa’s digital code lies in a quote by Albert Einstein: “Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought”. Her advice to new Bookmarks’ entrants is to watch the Masterclass to help perfect your entry.

Lloyd Wybrow, Senior Strategist, Oliver Marketing

Anli Grobler, National Programme Manager: Brand and Communication Strategy, VEGA

Senzo Xulu, Digital Creative Director, THE ODD NUMBER

Andreas Shifotoka, Strategy Lead: Digital and Social, LePub: Publicis Italy

Lethukuthula Zimu, Freelance Creative

Keneilwe Mekgwe, Strategic Marketing Manager: Beverages, PepsiCo

Roderick Laka, Creative Group Head, Machine_

Edwin Mbugua, Senior Digital Strategist, Wunderman Thompson

Vuyani Masango, Art Director, Digitas Liquorice

Noah Makholwa, Digital Manager, Nielsen

BUILDERS PANEL

Nimay Parekh, Director, Accenture Song (Chair)

“Know the trends but don’t be trendy.” This digital code underpins Nimay’s impressive resume and roster of awards, which are a testament to his creative abilities. He believes a juror must seek out transformational work that seamlessly weaves into the brand narrative and challenges the norm.

Lydia Oberholzer, Creative Partner, Kilmer & Cruise

Mbuso Mabena, Creative Group Head, Grey South Africa

Andrew Kay, Founder & Product Designer, Refresh

Vusi Khosa, Head of Experience Design, AltStudios

Taylor Wienand, Principle UI Designer, Foolproof

Kgomotso Rammutla, Head of Digital and Payments, Woolworths Financial Services

Genie Botha, Head of Product Design, MakeReign

Mia Roets, Experience Design Director, Joe Public

Shareef Galveen, Head of Design, Digitas Liquorice

Vincent Maher, Chief Executive Officer, I/O

INNOVATIVE ENGINEERS PANEL

Brandon Govender, Digital & Integrated Executive Creative Director, Joe Public (Chair)

In 2017, Brandon’s Cerebos TV commercial featured on the world’s top advertising sites and was named World’s Best Ad of the Day and Week by AdWeek and AdForum, respectively. His pro tip for benchmarking excellence: “To truly digitally innovate, first start with the big idea”.

Tlangelani Chabalala, Senior Tech Manager: Group Marketing and Corporate Affairs, ABSA

Victor Jacobs, Digital Creative Director, M&C Saatchi Abel

Natalie de Canha, Creative Group Head, MakeReign

Alex Bosman, Creative Group Technology Lead, Accenture Song

Tilesh Bhaga, Creative Director: Digital and Innovation, Grey Group

Mandisa Bohlela, Pillar Marketing Lead, FNB

Lauren Crook, Director, Kintaro

Qhakaza Mohare, Chief Operating Officer, Digify Africa

Andrew Louw, Head of Marketing: Digital Commerce (Checkers Sixty60), ShopriteX

Warren le Roux, Head of Technical, Digitas Liquorice

SPECIAL HONOURS PANEL

Vaughan Croeser, Vice President of Marketing, SAB (The S0uth African Breweries) (Chair)

With a background in sales, it’s no wonder that Vaughan highly prioritises the consumer experience. As a Jury Chair, his advice to other jurors is: “View the work through the eyes of the consumer or end-user. You have to have empathy with the intended audience and look at ideas with fresh eyes”. 

Paula Hulley, Managing Director, Digitas Liquorice

Zanele Zwane, Managing Director, Have You Heard

Nosipho Ginindza, Managing Director, SoulProviders Collective

Robyn Campbell, Managing Director, Machine_

Dineo Mofokeng, Digital Marketing & CX Consultant

Viwe Mfaku, Senior Creative Director EMEA, Prime Video

Zetu Damane, Chief Strategic Officer, McCann Joburg

Refilwe Maluleke, Managing Director, Yellowwood Future Architects

Romy Townsend, Executive Head of Marketing, Nedbank CIB

Adetutu Laditan, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Google

Download the full list of jurors here.

BECOME A BOOKMARK AWARDS ENTRANT

“As we get closer to the closing date for Bookmarks’ entries, we remind all entrants not to shy away from innovation,” adds Razia Pillay, CEO at IAB South Africa. “We are especially excited to see the evolution of the industry through this year’s entries, specifically where they both meet the needs of current customers but also anticipate and shape the needs of the 2030 customer and the ways those customers will interact with brands and consume information.”

Entries for the Bookmark Awards are open until midnight on Friday, 12 April 2024. Entries submitted past the entry deadline will be subject to a 10% late penalty fee. Late fees are applicable from Saturday, 13 April until Friday, 26 April. The awards ceremony is set to take place on Thursday, 15 August.

ENTER THE IAB SA BOOKMARK AWARDS 2024 HERE.

PARTNER WITH THE BOOKMARKS

In its quest to drive digital forward, the Bookmarks has been honoured to partner with the most esteemed organisations over the years. There are many opportunities to partner with the 2024 Bookmark Awards season and we invite companies interested in sponsoring or partnering with the Awards to contact Razia Pillay at razia@iabsa.net or on WhatsApp at 071-394-4928.

IAB SUPPORTING PARTNERS

IAB South Africa is proud to be supported by various industry bodies and organisations. The Loerie Awards team assists in governing the Bookmark Awards, ensuring a fair and accurate entry and judging process. The IAB South Africa further partners with the Advertising Media Forum (AMF), the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA), the Press Council of South Africa, the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), and the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC), amongst others, to drive digital forward.

For more information on the Bookmark Awards 2024, visit thebookmarks.iabsa.net. 

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Issued by Chimera Creative on behalf of IAB South Africa and The Bookmark Awards

2024. For media enquiries, contact zainab@chimeracreative.co.za. 

About The Bookmark Awards

The Bookmark Awards is an IAB South Africa initiative that celebrates your innovation, creativity and effectiveness within the media and marketing industry. It is the unrivalled benchmark of local advertising excellence. While The Bookmarks have always stood for prestige digital work, it also aims to drive digital change. Winning a Bookmark Award is a recognition of work that helps move the industry forward. thebookmarks.iabsa.net

About the IAB South Africa

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) South Africa, formerly known as the DMMA, is an independent, voluntary, non-profit association focused on growing and sustaining a vibrant and profitable digital industry within South Africa. The IAB South Africa enables growth for our people, brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms through education, measurement and acknowledgement. IAB South Africa empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy and comprises 150 leading media companies, brands and technology firms working in digital marketing and media. Become an active member to thrive in a digital economy by signing up on iabsa.net.