Marketing Excellence

Winner: Mark Callaghan, Frucor

Judge’s comment:

“Undeniable that brand is integral to the DNA of the business. A recognised leader in talent creation fostering excellence. A benchmark for others in their industry. Consistently embraces transformation. Balances innovation and risk with a great marketing discipline and systems to compete against a global powerhouse. The fact that this organisation represents a place where young marketers want to be says a lot for what came through in the entry. It was very tough category, but this entry truly represented world class marketing excellence.”

Finalists:

Geoff Matthews, Mt Cook Alpine Salmon. Before he came on board, Mount Cook Alpine Salmon was a loss-making cottage industry. But by letting brand and marketing strategy drive business, it is now internationally renowned, it is a shining light in the New Zealand export community and it has increased total revenue by 696 percent since 2009.

Phillip Poole, J.H. Whittaker’s and sons: ‘Make sure it’s great quality, don’t be boring, and always respect and listen to the consumer.’ This is the long-term marketing view of Whittaker’s Philip Poole and adhering strictly to this simple maxim has helped the locally-owned company become one of the country’s most trusted brands and the clear no.2 in the market, with over a third of all chocolate blocks sold in New Zealand coming from the Porirua factory.

Jim Bibby, Stihl New Zealand: As the head of Stihl New Zealand, Bibby oversaw a complete transformation of the business, morphing from a company that sold expensive products to professionals into a company than sold expensive products to the weekend warriors. And that has meant the company has grown at more than five times the rate of the overall outdoor power equipment sector since 2008.