APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, is delighted to announce that its Vice-President of Digital, PR, and Media Relations, Lynne Krawchuk, has been selected as a judge for the South African edition of the globally-renowned Effie Awards (www.Effie.org) programme.

It is the second time this year that APO Group has been invited to participate on a major awards judging panel, following Lynne’s selection on the jury for The Drum Awards (https://bit.ly/3Pfx7wv) in July. These appointments highlight both Lynne’s own credentials as an influential figure in African marketing communications, and APO Group’s position as undisputed leader in Pan-African communications consultancy.

The Effie Awards are the world's most prestigious marketing and communications awards, honouring the industry's most significant achievement: Effectiveness. Globally recognised as the gold standard for assessing marketing efficiency by both agencies and clients, they continue to honour and celebrate the most effective marketing communication campaigns.

In 2021, the very first Effie Awards programme dedicated to South African excellence in Marketing and Advertising was established. In a crowded field of some of the biggest agencies in global communications, the Grand Effie was won by 99c Communications for its campaign with South African supermarket giant Checkers (https://bit.ly/3bLED4w).  

The Effie South Africa Awards are run by the ACA (Association for Communication and Advertising) (https://ACASA.co.za/), the official representative body of South Africa’s advertising and communications profession.

In 2021, ACA CEO Mathe Okaba commented on the decision to run a dedicated Effie Awards programme in South Africa. “Winning an Effie is considered globally to be the pinnacle of effectiveness in our profession. It is the most respected marketing effectiveness award and provides brand and agency teams with global recognition for having delivered effective results with respect to business and marketing communication objectives.”

This week, Lynne will join experts from some of the biggest Marketing and Advertising agencies in the country as the judging process for the 2022 Effie South Africa Awards begins. The jury will evaluate more than 100 entries in two rounds of competition before a shortlist of campaigns are selected for the Judging Summit and Finalists party on 22nd September - with the Grand Effie winner announced a week later.

The Effie Awards Gala will be held on 27th October.

Born in Cape Town and residing in Johannesburg, Lynne has more than 20 years’ experience in PR and digital marketing. As the head of APO Group’s consultancy division, she is well-placed to identify excellence in Communications, having led Public Relations campaigns for a hugely diverse set of clients including Canon, Ecobank, and the NBA.

By employing a team of experts working ‘on the ground’ throughout the continent, APO Group is able to provide truly Pan-African support for its clients, with Lynne and her team helping hundreds of multinational companies, public institutions and other organizations thrive in Africa.

“This is really a double celebration for me,” said Lynne Krawchuk, Vice President of Digital, PR, and Media Relations at APO Group. “Clearly it is a personal highlight to have been selected as a judge on such an illustrious panel, but the fact an Effie Awards programme has been dedicated to South Africa shows that our continent is now starting to see the recognition it deserves from across the global communications community.” 

“Everyone at APO Group is extremely proud that Lynne has been selected to be a judge for the Effie Awards,” said Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder and Chairman of APO Group. “Her presence on these prestigious judging panels is a testament to the work the team at APO Group are doing across the African communications landscape, and it shows that Africa is becoming a major player on the world stage.” 

Visit www.EffieAwards.co.za/  for more information about the Effie South Africa Awards.