Tourism Australia's Nick Baker wins AMI Marketer of the Year
- 24 October, 2014 09:12
Outgoing Tourism Australia CMO, Nick Baker, has been crowned Marketer of the Year at this year’s Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) Excellence Awards.
The executive general manager of marketing (pictured), who announced his resignation from Australia’s promotional body earlier this week after seven years, used his thank you speech to urge marketers to drive the creativity message through their organisation.
“Creativity lies at the heart of innovation,” Baker told attendees at the annual awards event, held at Sydney’s Sheraton on the Park last night.
But he also flagged the importance of technology in modern marketing success and called on marketers to “take your CIO/CTO to heart”.
Baker added that there’s never been a better time to be a marketer. Baker was also awarded the ADMA Marketer of the Year Award in 2013.
Related: Tapping into social experience: Tourism Australia’s Nick Baker
The most emotional winner of the night was VIE Marketing, which was honoured with the top award for its ‘Saving a Farm and Family’s Legacy’ integrated marketing campaign for milk producer, Scenic Rim.
The campaign was centred around third-generation dairy farmer, Greg Dennis, who had received a below-production cost offer from its milk processor that would have seen him go out of business. In what was described as a David and Goliath battle, Dennis opted to go out on his own and bottle his own milk.
The program of work to launch the new Scenic Rim 4Real Milk brand incorporated an extensive media campaign, strategic social media and ‘farmer Gregie’ presenting at a range of events across the region. According to Vie, the milk sold out within hours of the launch and stocklists doubled within the first month.
The AMI also honoured Lorna Jane Clarkson, the founder of Lorna Jane Activewear, with the Sir Charles McGrath Award for her stellar success in retail, social and digital marketing, and ongoing growth.
Related: Delivering the digital experience at Lorna Jane
At the other end of the spectrum, Barnardos Australia marketing and communications officer, Sarah Mathews, was awarded the Future Leader Award for her work on the organisation’s new brand identity.
The rest of the winners are as follows:
- Brand Extension – Fair Go Banking, Newcastle Permanent Building Society
- Brand Revitalisation – Taste the Bundaberg Brewed Truth, Bundaberg Brewed Beverages and BCM
- Consumer Insight – Pride and Patchy Crops, Bayer
- Content Marketing – Content Marketing Strategy – University of Southern Queensland
- Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR at Manheim Supporting Kids Under Cover, Manheim
- Digital Marketing – Monday’s the New Sunday, Icon
- Education – “It’s my university. Make it yours.” Australian Catholic University
- Experiential and Brand Experiences – Clicktosave, St John Ambulance WA
- Internal Marketing – Staff Giving Program, La Trobe University
- Loyalty Programs – Bayer ‘Accelerate’, Synchro Marketing
- Marketing Communications (Business to Consumer) – How Mr iSelect became the Unlikely Hero of Health Insurance, iSelect and AJF Partnership
- Marketing on a Shoestring – Illicit Drug Campaign, ACT Policing
- New Brand, Product or Service Launch – Saving a Farm and Family’s Legacy, VIE Marketing
- Social Marketing – Ungiven Gifts, Graffiti Group
- Sustainable Marketing – Sustainability at Mater, Mater Health Services
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