The New Generation Social & Digital Media Awards has launched it's new website featuring three new categories and entries are officially open.

The new categories for the New Generation Social & Digital Media Awards are:

"The Best use of Social Media using Gather Online Award"

This category is designed to introduce agencies to Gather Online and showcase its potential as a marketing tool. Gather Online's approach to connecting like-minded people around topical discussions lends itself to innovative marketing campaigns.

New Generation aims to challenge marketing teams to think outside the box to develop creative marketing initiatives, competitions, or online promotions using the Gather Online platform.

This first new category came about as a result of their ongoing partnership with Gather Online and is set to challenge all marketing teams and agencies to engage and market their campaigns through this new social platform.

"The Best Virtual Reality Marketing Campaign Award"

This award recognises a campaign that has championed the use of virtual reality through desktop and mobile VR. The winner of this category will present a VR campaign/event that is immersive, impactful, memorable, and novel.

It will be a campaign that has made a meaningful connection with the audience, and one that puts them at the heart of the action. 

Stephen Paxton, managing director of the Awards, says, "Our second new category, Best Virtual Reality Marketing Campaign Award, is perfect for today’s marketers, as more and more brands venture into VR marketing to engage their audiences with a more true life experience. Some consumers are starting to care more about the experience than the actual brand itself.

”The New Generation Outstanding Students Award"

This category is open to all registered first, second, and third-year students, as well as Honours students, at African universities.The award recognises individuals or group excellence in conceptualisation and innovative use of communication curriculum content to develop a digital campaign that promotes community stakeholder engagement, with the use of resources to drive positive community impact through active citizenship. 

Professor Sonja Verwey, head of the Department of Strategic Communication and head of school for the School of Communication at the University of Johannesburg, adds, “The introduction of a student category in the New Generation Awards is a hugely exciting prospect for the Department of Strategic Communication at the University of Johannesburg. We are privileged to participate in initiating such a valuable and innovative award category, which will provide our students with exciting new opportunities to showcase their digital communication skills and knowledge.

"Paxton adds, “Academics play a massive role within the industry and are developing some truly amazing campaigns through the innovative use of technology, social, and digital media”.

Student discounts on entries apply.

For more information, and to enter this year's awards visit www.newgenawards.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on //twitter.com/@NewGeneration_0">Twitter.