Marketers vie for top awards

The bow ties and red carpet come out in Auckland tonight for the annual Marketing Magazine Marketing Awards at the Hyatt Regency.

Vying for marketer of the year are three contenders from differing parts of the marketing spectrum: Craig Douglas, general manager, New Zealand sales and marketing, Fisher & Paykel; Mark Cowsill, managing director, Frucor Beverages, and Scott Forrest, marketing communications manager, Carich New Zealand.

The rookie marketer of the year finalists are Gareth Owen, marketing services manager, Hertz New Zealand, and Amy Nippierd, Griffins Foods assistant brand manager, children's biscuits.

The charity/fundraising/non-profit category battle is between Netball New Zealand's 2002 National Bank Cup campaign, the Ministry of Health's "Like minds, like mine" campaign and Bayleys Real Estate's Great Team NZ online auction.

The small business award will be decided between campaigns by Eyris Blue Pearl, Linden Leaves and 42 Below.

Livestock Improvement's Minda herd information services is up against the services campaign of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts in the business to business category, and Merck Sharp & Dohme (NZ), Philips Consumer Electronics and GlaxoSmithKline contest the consumer durables category.

The consumer services category sees Sky Television up against Carich Training Centre and Air New Zealand.

In the retail award category, it will be a battle between McDonald's and Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers and Foodstuffs - New World.

The winner in each of the campaign award categories will be considered for the night's supreme award.

The awards will also recognise Laurie Enting, Steve Bridges, Bill Gianotti and Ian Brown as the first inductees into the New Zealand Marketing Hall of Fame.