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Brands hail Snapchat at NZ’s SMCAKL Awards

Snapchat was an unofficial star of the annual Social Media Awards last night with many brands citing it as a great marketing platform to engage with their audiences, including the Blogger of the Year and People’s Choice Award winner NZGirl.

The best and brightest businesses operating on social media were crowned at the second annual SMCAKL awards. More than 400 people poured into Auckland’s Sweatshop Brew Kitchen to see the likes of Spark, Burger Burger and Bell Tea take home some appropriately-designed hashtag awards.

(No really, the awards were literally a big gold hashtag trophy).

The Spark team and their Most Creative Use of Social Media Award

Convener of judges Ken Freer says this year’s entries showed a high calibre and wide range.

“It demonstrates that in New Zealand social media has well and truly come of age as a marketing and communications channel,” Freer says.

In order to judge the awards, judges looked at the levels of engagement, social influence and creativity on the campaigns.

While award winners can give themselves a satisfied pat on the back for a job well done, the event itself also showcased some slick social media technology that encouraged audience engagement.

Attendees could hashtag the official #SMCAKL tag on their Instagram picture and wander over to a printer, which then instantly printed it out in physical form.

There was also a huge screen on the wall displaying a live feed of tweets about the event.

Blogger of the Year and People’s Choice Award was awarded to NZGirl, a social magazine that curates articles about subjects like fashion and food.

Belinda Nash is the brains behind the blog and credited its success to Snapchat, a social media platform that’s growing more and more popular with businesses that know how to harness its powers.

Nash says it’s transformed their followers into friends and helps them connect with their followers in a personal way, as they swap Snaps – or photos and videos – back and forth, then nzgirl uploads their posts to Facebook the next day.

Businesses, take note: Snapchat was one of the stand out social media platforms through out the night.

Spark’s Snapchat roadie also took out the Uber’s most creative use of social media award.

The company journeyed around New Zealand last year with “Automated Thanking Machines” – machines that gifted people presents based on their interests, such as music, movies or technology.

People kept up to date with where the road trip was heading next by following Spark on Snapchat.

The full list of SMCAKL 2015 winners is listed below:

Microsoft New Zealand Most Effective Social Media Campaign – winner: Gigatown

  • Chorus New Zealand
  • Contagion
  • Camelion Partners   
  • Waxeye Studio

Microsoft New Zealand Most Effective Social Media Campaign – Highly commended: Junk Free June

  • Cancer Foundation
  • Little Giant
  • Socialites

The Goat Farm Most Effective Social Media Campaign (Small Budget) -winner: #Gallipoli100

  • New Zealand Herald

The Goat Farm Most Effective Social Media Campaign (Small Budget) – Highly Commended: Bell Tea — Anzac Day Tins

  • Bell Tea Co
  • Socialites

Best Use of Social Media in a Product Launch: Charlie’s Straight Up Cola Launch

  • Charlie’s        
  • Socialites       
  • Starseed

Uber Most Creative Use of Social Media: Spark Snapchat Roadie

  • Spark New Zealand  
  • Socialites       
  • Sherson & Willis

Facebook New Zealand Best Community Management: Gigatown Chorus

  • Contagion
  • Camelion Partners   
  • Waxeye Studio

House of Travel Blog of the Year: nzgirl

  • nzgirl

Vodafone New Zealand People’s Choice Award

  • nzgirl

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