Cape TImes - The Sekunjalo Group congratulated Independent Media on its nomination as a finalist in three categories at this year’s International News Media Association’s (INMA) Global Media awards – Best Launch of a Brand or Product to Create an Audience Segment in the local/regional category; Best Public Relations or Community Service Campaign; and Best Use of Video in the global/national category.
The awards take place at the conclusion of the 87th annual INMA conference in New York in May.
Since Sekunjalo’s acquisition of Independent Media in 2013, Independent Media has been the only African media company to be nominated for INMA’s Global Media awards for three consecutive years.
The awards received 655 entries from 196 media companies in 36 countries.
Participants include newspaper media, magazine media, digital media, television media and radio media.
Before the acquisition of Independent Media by the Sekunjalo-led consortium in 2013, the company lacked significant infrastructure to compete in the rapidly evolving media environment. Over the past two years, Sekunjalo invested significantly in technology, innovation and skills training and development, integral to the redesign of the company. “These nominations and the ongoing recognition by the international media community are direct consequences of the significant investment that Sekunjalo has made in Independent Media over the past two years”, said Dr Survé.
Graphic: Independent Media
Independent Media’s Home Property magazine in KwaZulu-Natal was nominated in the category Best Launch of a Brand or Product to create an Audience Segment in the local/regional category.
“This nomination is particularly significant because it emphasises the success of our commercial strategy in KwaZulu-Natal. Amid considerable investment by our competitors to undermine our home and property leadership in the region, we have emerged successful with this great new value-added product for both our clients and readers,” said Dr Survé.
Independent Media’s national campaign to highlight awareness about racism, Racism Stops With Me, was nominated in the category Best Public Relations or Community Service Campaign in the Global/National category.
This campaign was launched in January last year when Dr Survé, as the executive chairman of Independent Media, recognised the need for the media to play a constructive role in highlighting South Africa’s most pressing issues and allowing for healthy debate across all sectors. He called on all stakeholders – readers, commercial partners, advertisers, investors, staff and society in general – to work together to confront the reality of racism. International media houses have expressed keen interest in collaborating with Independent Media on similar campaigns, acknowledging that racism is an international concern.
The national #DontLookAway campaign, which ran during the 16 days of Activism in Support of No Violence Against Women and Children, was nominated in the category Best Use of Video in the global/national category.
This campaign formed part of Independent Media’s Social Change programme to mobilise readers and advertisers to become aware of the scourge of violence against women and children.
“We are unashamedly non-racist, non-sexist and purpose-driven. By publicising the horrific statistics related to women and child abuse, we are playing our part in drawing attention to gender violence in our country,” added Dr Survé.
Competition entries were judged in February by an international panel of 44 executives from 17 countries.
INMA has run an annual competition rewarding excellence in media since 1937. This year’s Global Media awards focused on six activities crucial to success:
* Energising brands.
* Creating new products.
* Growing, engaging and monetising audiences.
* Growing advertising revenue.
* Developing customer insights.
* Instilling innovation.