New Media continues winning streak

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The PICA accolades are truly the cherry on top for New Media, who has won numerous respected local and international awards this year. Just in the past four weeks, New Media has celebrated major wins at the Pearl Awards in New York for Woolworths TASTE (Gold - Best Integrated Print and Web Programme) and Siyasiza, the internal communications magazine for FNB (Best New Launch/Relaunch); scored big at the Galliovas, with Woolworths TASTE food editor Abigail Donnelly winning the top award - Best Food Writer of the Year - as well as Best Stylist; at Bookmarks, with Woolworths TASTE Digital and Eatout.co.za taking home four prizes for excellence.

"Being recognised within our industry with top honours like these is of course wonderful, but even more gratifying is knowing that we've done our best for our clients, having created content that not only resonates with their readers but also gives measurable results," said Bridget McCarney, Managing Director for New Media. "Our customers' satisfaction is the real reward, but that said, the PICAs and other awards are certainly much appreciated nods for the consistently outstanding groundbreaking work created by our talented team, and we are very proud to be the recipients of these honours."

New Media wins include:

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• DESIGNER OF THE YEAR (LAYOUT OF THE YEAR) - HIGHLY COMMENDED: "Pulling Strings", Woolworths TASTE
  
• RETAIL AND CONSUMER GOODS - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Woolworths TASTE
  
• EDITOR OF THE YEAR (CUSTOMER PUBLISHING) - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sumien Brink, Woolworths TASTE
  With the look and feel of a consumer magazine, Woolworths TASTE magazine has been celebrating food for preparing, eating and sharing for nine years with quality production values, abundant recipes and proudly South African content. Showcasing inspirational but unintimidating food, the multi-award winning monthly food magazine has a circulation of over 35 000.

• LEISURE AND LIFESTYLE - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Mercedes Benz
  A high-quality, innovative lifestyle magazine directly distributed to buyers of new Mercedes-Benz cars, journalists and Mercedes-Benz dealerships. The magazine showcases the luxury vehicles, while affirming the desirable and affluent lifestyle of the brand's customers, and its reader surveys yield response rates of as high as 30%.

• LEISURE AND LIFESTYLE - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Privé
  Distributed quarterly to Sun International's most valued guests (MVGs), Privé is a winning combination of lavish visuals and exciting features that highlight the abundance of opportunities to play and win with Sun International's many casino destinations.

• EDUCATION, HEALTH, CONSERVATION, SAFETY & SECURITY - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Mediclinic Family
  Mediclinic Family reaches patients and staff at Medi-Clinic hospitals around the country, offering advice, comfort and information related to health issues to 86 000 readers who pass through Mediclinic's doors.

• FINANCIAL & OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Siyasiza
  A monthly internal staff magazine printed on SAPPI Triple green paper with a circulation of 35 000, Siyasiza keeps FNB employees and pensioners posted about the FNB scene, with style. This accolade follows less hot on the heels of a bronze award at the international New York Pearl Awards.

• SUPPLEMENTS - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ackermans Club magazine, Baby Supplement
  Ackermans Club magazine is a bi-monthly publication produced on behalf of the Ackermans Group Club and is the number one benefit of being an Ackermans Club member, and its warm, supportive and playful tone along with entertaining trend and lifestyle content provide an escape from the busy life of its female readers.

• ONLINE SOLUTION - HIGHLY COMMENDED: www.eatout.co.za, Eat Out
  The Eat Out brand is the gold standard of the South African culinary industry. Besides its annual glossy magazine, Eat Out is also accessible by a variety of media channels, including a weekly e-newsletter, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, the much-anticipated Eat Out Restaurant Awards and the first Eat Out Conference in 2012.

McCarney concluded, "With over 400 entries and an atmosphere of heightened excitement over SA's innovation and tightening focus on producing quality magazines that fit the brief, the annual awards ceremony did much to affirm that even in these rapidly evolving digital times, magazines are here to stay."

For more information on New Media and their award-winning titles log onto www.newmediapub.co.za or follow @NewMediaZA on Twitter.