Sonae Sierra's marketing initiatives stood out from the others in the competition, by being awarded by the jury four times for initiatives developed in Portugal and Spain, which makes it the Company with more distinctions in these countries - two Gold Awards and two Silver Awards.
The Flash Stores concept and the "Arte chega ao Colombo" initiative were awarded the maximum distinction - the Gold Award, in the "Business to Business" and "Public Relations" categories, respectively, while the PromoFans® platform and the "Fashion Preview" event won the Silver Award in the "Sales Promotion" and "Advertising" categories, an unprecedented feat that mirrors the quality of the Company's and its Shopping Centres' marketing efforts.
The "ICSC Solal Marketing Awards", held annually by the biggest association in the shopping centre sector, distinguish the best marketing campaigns in the international retail sector, selected by a jury comprised of renowned specialists.
About these awards Manuela Calhau, Sonae Sierra's Global Marketing Director for Europe, states that "we're very proud to have received these important awards that distinguish the best that is done in the international shopping centre sector. We consider the fact that we were one of the companies that won the most Gold Awards a clear acknowledgment of our ability to create innovative marketing concepts, especially considering the challenges faced by the sector in the current economic climate in Portugal and Spain, which further highlights the relevance of the implemented initiatives", she adds.
About the award-winning initiatives
Launched in June 2012 in Sonae Sierra's shopping centres in Portugal, Flash Stores are a flexible commercial format, in terms of investment and occupancy length, that enable an initial support to companies and/or products in launch stage, thus making available to entrepreneurs the presentation and marketing of their products to the final consumer. For Sonae Sierra, it's a means of bringing innovation to the business, attracting new operators and consequently new clients with the new commercial offers, optimizing the number of available shops in its shopping centres.
"A Arte Chegou ao Colombo" is an initiative launched in 2011 in Centro Colombo that aims at contributing to the dissemination and promotion of cultural activities, as well as bringing visitors closer to several artistic expressions, encouraging their participation and interaction with the works of art. In 2012, the initiative had the partnership of MNAA - the National Museum of Antique Art, which led to two exhibitions: "Construir Portugal. Arte da Idade Média" ("Constructing Portugal. Art of the Middle Ages") and "Desenhando o Mundo. Arte da época dos Descobrimentos" ("Drawing the World. Art in the Age of Discovery").
Later in the year, Sonae Sierra launched PromoFans®, a multichannel promotion platform, innovative and unique in Portugal and the international shopping centre sector, which established an online connection between the promotions of the brands present in the shopping centres and their shops, where the transactions with discount take place.
Fashion Preview took place in the Plaza Mayor Shopping Centre, in Spain. It's a fashion event organized to mark the beginning of the Fashion Preview, which took place in the same shopping centre. The program included runway shows, different animations, the creation of a VIP area and fashion workshops. The shops were open until midnight and there was a massive client turnout to the party, with the Centre doubling its visits that evening.
