Johannesburg, October 16th2023 – Effie Awards South Africa proudly announces its partnership with Ipsos, a global leader in research and creative effectiveness, to launch the inaugural Effie South Africa Trends Research Report. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in the South African marketing and advertising sector, providing invaluable insights for entrants, marketers, and advertising agencies.

The Effie South Africa Trends Research Report, now available for download on the Effie Awards South Africa website, offers an in-depth analysis of marketing excellence and its impact on brands and businesses. Ipsos, which boasts a hallmark agreement with Effie Worldwide, has previously produced similar reports for Effie UK and Effie USA, making this report part of a global initiative.

Mathe Okaba, ACA Chief Executive Officer for Effie South Africa, expressed the significance of this partnership, saying, "In the dynamic world of marketing, where strategies evolve, and consumer behaviours transform, one constant remains – the pursuit of effectiveness. This report aims to be a source of knowledge and inspiration, serving as a guide for marketers, strategists, and decision-makers to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of marketing effectiveness."

Shaun Dix, Global Leader Creative Excellence at Ipsos, further emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, "Ipsos' hallmark agreement with Effie Worldwide reflects our shared vision: that effective advertising and marketing require insights, passion, rigour, analysis, and creativity, all with a clear focus on effectiveness."

Key Highlights from the 2023 Effie South Africa Trends Report

Understanding the Landscape
In a world marked by "polycrisis," where economic and social challenges abound, Effie-winning campaigns demonstrated a deeper understanding of the current challenges and context, creating campaigns that positively shifted key business metrics and drove growth. Despite the industry's increased focus on direct response marketing, brand equity continues to drive around 64% of customer choices.

The Power of Strategy and Insights
Strategic creative research emerged as a catalyst for creativity, enabling campaigns to become more emotive, distinctive, and impactful. Early creative exploration allows brands to develop campaigns that are relevant, emotive, and capable of achieving end business objectives, with a 48% improvement in campaign effectiveness when creative exploration starts early.

Bringing the Strategy & Idea to Life
While budgets play a role in campaign success, creative quality has become increasingly vital in a cluttered and fragmented media landscape. The report underscores that big budgets do not guarantee campaign success; creative quality is paramount in capturing attention effectively.

Focusing on Creative Content
Effective campaigns challenge category conventions and leverage distinctive brand assets, differentiating themselves from competitors. These campaigns reinforce brand choices and create a strong emotional connection, ultimately driving brand recognition and recall.

As Effie Awards South Africa and Ipsos continue their collaboration on these annual reports, the insights provided offer a window into the world of marketing excellence. Entrants, marketers, and advertising agencies are encouraged to download the full report from the Effie Awards South Africa website to gain valuable knowledge about achieving marketing success in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The Effie South Africa Trends Research Report can be downloaded HERE

Join the conversation using the hashtags #EffieAwardsSA. For more information on the 2023 Effie Awards, visit www.effieawards.co.za.