Toyota South Africa, manufacturer of several of the country’s favourite vehicles as well as its tough Hilux bakkie, has once again come on board as a Gold sponsor of the Pendoring Advertising Awards.

According to its Senior Manager: Marketing Communication and Advertising, Pieter Klerck, the company’s support for the awards is based on its need to talk directly to a younger target market including the creative and free-spirited out-the-box thinkers attending the Awards each year as well as the consumers they influence.

“When it was established 19 years ago, Pendoring acknowledged that Afrikaans was part and parcel of South Africa’s tradition and identity,” he said.

“Founded on the rationale that the Afrikaans-speaking segment of the population was extremely brand loyal with a relatively large disposable income and that consumers tend to open their hearts, minds and wallets more readily when they are addressed in their mother tongue, it aimed to encourage marketers to promote products and services in Afrikaans.

“Toyota had historically spoken to this market using smart and creative advertising in Afrikaans and welcomed the opportunity to highlight its support for the language by partnering with Pendoring over the years.

“Today, in 2013, it welcomes the fact that Pendoring has evolved to promote creativity and a renewed interest in other indigenous languages.

“Its addition of the Truly South African categories and the introduction of the Umpetha Award, which rewards the best overall entry in these categories, are progressive steps, and ones that resonate with both the creators of mother-tongue advertising and the consumers this speaks to.

“Continuing to align the marque with Pendoring therefore gives Toyota the ideal opportunity to position itself and its vehicles as equals to South Africans who take pride in their culture, their language and their heritage,” he said.

Pendoring has, over the past two decades, evolved into a comprehensive campaign aimed at creating greater awareness of the power of communicating in the home language of the target market be it Afrikaans, Zulu, isiXhosa, and so on.

“Today, Pendoring is about encouraging the use of indigenous language advertising, and in that way respecting the heritage and traditions of all South Africans,” said Pendoring chairman and managing director of the ATKV Group, Japie Gouws.

“By creating and advertising in the target audience’s mother tongue, and entering Pendoring, the continued existence of that mother tongue is secured, as is the development of innovative and creative advertising that truly resonates with the target market.

“This, in turn, not only leads to a healthy and dynamic advertising industry, but provides a significant investment in the future of Afrikaans and other languages,” Gouws said. “Toyota’s continued support for the awards contributes greatly to assisting us achieve this.”

Pendoring Advertising Awards 2013 will take place on Friday September 20 at the CTICC with the Loerie Awards following suit on Saturday September 21 and Sunday September 22. Entries open on 6 May 2013 and must be submitted via the website at www.pendoring.zo.za.

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Caption:

“Today, in 2013, Toyota welcomes the fact that Pendoring has evolved to promote creativity and a renewed interest in other indigenous languages.”