Last night (Friday, December 13), Evolve Group Africa held the forth installment of the annual Uganda Marketing Excellence Awards (UMEAS) at a red carpet and black-tie gala, at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
The event, dubbed the Marketers Biggest Night, saw outstanding performers in the marketing industry awarded under the theme( “Promoting Sustainable Marketing.”
Evolve Africa, the UMEAS Franchise owner orchestrated the UMEAS to cover every facet of marketing profession, including, sustainability, communications, branding, advertising, digital and public relations.
Shafique Ssemakula, the co-founder of Evolve Africa, the UMEAS this year explored how well brands, marketers and their agency partners have leveraged different media channels, digital and traditional, to create campaigns that have made a sustainable impact on their target audience and businesses.
The winners were selected by a distinguished six-member Marketing Council that comprises of renowned competent industry experts, that were selected based on leadership, contribution towards the profession, experience and academic qualifications.
The council oversaw both the nomination process, and the entire award winner selection.
The public vote, that was transparently carried out on the UMEAS website, accounted for 40%, for six of the twelve categories of this year’s UMEAS.
The public vote on the selected categories represented 40% of the final vote, while 60% stake resides with the Marketing council. The Marketing Council determined all nominations, but the public voted through a transparent system on the UMEAS website, for six of the twelve categories of the awards which accounted for 40% of the final decision.
However, final decision for all winners was made based on the unquestionable decision of the Marketing Council, that retained 60% of the final decision.
The distinguished jury includes Dr. Benedict Mugerwa,Ngulumi Immaculate Nabatte, John Paul Okwi, Rogers Anguzu, Barbara Arimi, and Jackie Namara Rukare.
According to John Paul Okwi, the Council Chair, this year’s winners were chosen based on; alignment to strategy (set objectives and budget spent), Execution (creativity and problem solving abilities), as well as Return on investment; (business impact), as they looked at campaigns and projects that made good use of resources sustainably.
The UMEAS secretariat will release a detailed report, to explain their methodology for all stakeholders to review and understand why their brands performed the way they did.
Away from the awards, Johnnie Walker Uganda set the perfect festive mood as guests enjoyed cocktails and whisky from their wide catalogue, all through the evening.
Esteemed Marketer- Daniel Ogong`s star outshone his peers, as he was announced the winner he of the night’s most coveted honors, the prestigious- UMEAS Marketing Pioneer Award.
Among other big winners of the night was I&M Bank, who bagged the Advertising Campaign of the Year, for their I&M @50 execution, while Uganda Breweries Ltd won the most awards of the night, as they bagged the PR Campaign of the Year, for their Uganda Waragi Lemon & Ginger Limited Edition launch, as well as the Best use of Experiential Marketing, for the Tusker Lite MT. Rwenzori Marathon 2024.
Below is the full list of the Uganda Marketing Excellence Awards (UMEAS) 2024 winners;
1. Advertising Campaign of the Year-I&M at 50 by I&M Bank
2. Best Use of Partnership Marketing-Heads Up Campaign by Vivo Energy Uganda
3. Best Use of Digital Marketing –Zero Flex Account by Post Bank Uganda
4. PR Campaign of the Year-Uganda Waragi Lemon & Ginger Limited Edition launch by UBL
5. Best Innovation-Cente WhatsApp Banking by Centenary Bank
6. Best use of Experiential Marketing -Tusker Lite MT. Rwenzori Marathon 2024 by UBL
7. Best Not for Profit/Social Good Campaign-Rotary Cancer Run 2024
8. Best ESG Campaign-Growing Women/Greening Tourism by Treescape Planet Organization
9. Rising Agency of the Year-Capital One Group
10. Rising Agency of the year 1st Runner Up-Pivot Media & Marketing
11. Agency of The Year-Zeus the Agency
12. Agency of the year 1st Runner Up-Fireworks Advertising
13. Marketing Campaign of the Year- Uganda Waragi Lemon & Ginger Limited Edition launch by UBL
14. UMEAS Marketing Pioneer Award-Mr. Daniel Ogong
The UMEAS 2024 was sponsored by:Uganda Breweries Ltd, Centenary Bank, Crown Beverages Ltd, Equity Bank, NSSF, Roke Telkom, Wango App, Kadanke Brand House, Radiocity97FM, Matooke Republic and Vision Group.
