The 2026 Award Categories
12 categories. One entry kit.
Great marketing isn’t about the biggest budget or the boldest creative. It’s about thinking clearly, executing brilliantly, and proving that it worked.
These 12 categories celebrate exactly that.
Find your fit, make your case, and let the work speak.
Looking for the leadership awards?
Marketer of the Year, Marketing Organisation of the Year, and Rising Star of the Year.
Brand Strategy
Building, positioning and growing brands
Excellence in Brand Launch Strategy
This category acknowledges an exemplary marketing strategy employed in introducing a brand to market or relaunching an existing one.
Excellence in Brand Positioning
This category recognises a brand that has distinctively positioned itself to solve an identified customer and/or consumer problem.
Excellence in Brand Marketing B2B
This category recognises the best brand-to-business strategy.
Excellence in New Product or Service Launch Marketing
Outstanding marketing that drove demand for something new – whether launching from scratch, revitalising an existing product, or extending an established family.
Reach and Resonance
Reaching people in the right place, the right way
Excellence in Integrated Marketing
This category recognises an integrated marketing strategy that shows evidence of a comprehensive understanding of consumer needs while leveraging a diverse set of marketing touchpoints and activities to accomplish business objectives.
Excellence in Digital Brand Marketing
This category recognises a digitally-led brand marketing strategy that demonstrates an understanding of consumer needs, leveraging digital tools and technologies to accomplish objectives, and deliver tangible business results.
Excellence in Strategic Sponsorship Marketing
This category recognises a brand that achieves its business objectives through the strategic use of sponsorship.
Excellence in South African Resonance Marketing
This category recognises a brand that has managed to tap into a truly South African insight. The entrant does not have to be for a South African brand, though it must resonate with a uniquely South African point of view.
Purpose and People
Marketing with meaning, inside and out
Excellence in Purpose-led Marketing
This category recognises a purpose-led brand marketing strategy that demonstrates an impact on society and/or the environment while simultaneously achieving business and/or brand objectives.
Excellence in Internal Marketing
This category recognises an internal marketing strategy that promotes a company’s objectives, mission, products and services to its internal stakeholders in order to embed and integrate business strategies aimed at its customers.
Boldness and Resourcefulness
Pushing the boundaries of what's possible
Excellence in Marketing Innovation
This category recognises a brand that has pushed the boundaries and demonstrated outstanding marketing innovation.
Excellence in Resourceful Marketing
The Limited Budget, Unlimited Idea Award. This category recognises the commercial success of a marketing initiative in relation to a limited budget of less than One Million Rand (R1Million).
The Awards That Define the Profession
2026 Leadership Awards
Some awards recognise a piece of work. These three recognise the people and organisations behind it all.
The MAA Leadership Awards celebrate South Africa’s most outstanding marketers and marketing-led organisations. A rising star who isn’t waiting for permission. A marketer whose influence shapes the industry. An organisation that has made marketing its competitive advantage.
If that’s you, enter.
If you know someone it should be, nominate them.
Celebrating organisations that have harnessed strategic marketing to deliver significant business growth. →]
Recognising South Africa’s most outstanding marketer of 2026. An individual who has delivered innovative marketing, impacted business results, and used their influence to drive the industry forward. →]
Recognising this year’s best young marketer – under the age of 35. An individual who has demonstrated the potential to become an outstanding industry leader, through impactful analytical and creative marketing efforts. →]