SA Car of Year ‘rebooted’ with AutoTrader
This year, the iconic SA Car of the Year competition receives a digital media injection with the announcement that SA’s largest online motoring marketplace, AutoTrader, is taking over the title sponsorship.
The Sacoty award has always been a pivotal moment in the motoring year, a decree that shapes both motoring interest and sales for the year to come.
With AutoTrader on board, the competition gets its digital evolution, bringing buyers and sellers together like never before.
“Partnering with the Sacoty competition is an opportunity for us to add value to the motoring industry in a variety of new ways,” AutoTrader CEO George Mienie said.
“It is the most reputable, prestigious and longest running motoring award in the country. We’re excited to tackle this new opportunity.”
First run in 1986, Sacoty was founded by the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ), itself approaching 57 years in existence.
AutoTrader’s added 26 years of experience give the competition more than a century of combined motoring knowhow, along with a shared desire for innovation.
“The new partnership with AutoTrader starts an era of a new look for the competition.
“After much discussion with our stakeholders, the 2019 event will certainly suit the entire motor industry,” SAGMJ president Roger McCleery said.
Innovation planned for the 2019 competition includes the introduction of individual categories alongside one overall winner; a re-engineered qualifying period to ensure the bulk of the new releases in September are included; and the allimportant inclusion of the consumer vote, made possible by AutoTrader’s in-market car shopper audience.
“The consumer ultimately votes with their wallets, and we aligned with the guild in our desire to include this important element to the competition,” AutoTrader marketing director Angelique Lynch said.
The judging process is based on both rigorous selection and judging criteria.
The competition uses a minimum of 22 judges chosen by voting, peer and industrywide selection, across the SAGMJ’s 300 plus membership.
Cars are rated on between 10 to 12 factors, test driven and verified by each judge.