Excellence
Awards 2026
The 2026 MACE Excellence Awards programme is open!
Recognising Excellence Excellence Excellence
The MACE Excellence Awards takes place annually and recognises and celebrates excellence and the achievements of specialists and practitioners in marketing, advancement and communication in the higher-education sector.
All About Entering
How to enter, what it costs, and more!
Start preparing your entry today
Download the Call for Entries and Preparing for Excellence Guide to help you prepare your entry.
Excellence Awards Masterclasses
Use our videos and guides to help you save time in preparing an award-winning entry for the MACE Excellence Awards Programme.
MACE Master Classes
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Terms and Conditions
- Only paid-up Ordinary Institutional Members (as defined by the MOI) may enter the Excellence Awards. When entering, your institutional membership payment must already reflect in MACE’s bank account.
- Your entry must be received by 23:59 on the deadline days indicated to be eligible for the Super Saver or Early Bird fees. If your entry reaches us after 23:59 on the special fee deadlines, it will be considered for the next deadline. No entry will be accepted after 4 September 2026 at 23:59.
- Our proof of payment must reach us by close of day on 4 September 2026. If we haven’t received the proof of payment for your entries by 16:30, your entries will be disqualified.
- Incomplete entries will be disqualified. “Incomplete” constitutes the Work plan, or the Work sample is not submitted.
- Entries must be submitted using the entry form template. If you do not use the template, your entry will be disqualified
- Entries exceeding the page limits will be penalised. 100 words – 0,5 deducted from your score; 101 – 200 words – 1,0 deducted from your score; 201 – 250 words – 1,5% deducted; more than 250 – disqualified.
- Work samples will not be evaluated if the evaluator struggles to open or understand the role of the sample according to the work plan. Make sure that you label your work samples, that all links in your entry work, and that the evaluator has easy access to everything they need to evaluate.
- Projects and initiatives with more than 51% syndicated or reprinted material will be disqualified.
- Projects planned, created, and executed by agencies may not be entered. The communication team must have completed at least 51% of the conceptualisation and the creative process. The institutions must show that they were consistently involved and approved the process.
- If the permission and declaration section on the entry form is not completed and signed, your entry will be disqualified
- Entrants will receive feedback from the evaluators within four weeks after the results of the MACE Excellence Awards have been shared. If you have not received feedback after five weeks, please email mari@businessdna.co.za.
There are three divisions and 30 categories. Start by selecting a division in which you want to enter your project.
Keep in mind that a project may be entered in more than one division and more than one category. You will be required to complete an entry form, work plan, and work sample for each entry and pay an entry fee for each entry, but it is worth the effort.
Read the definitions of the divisions carefully and decide what aspect you would like to be evaluated on and where you feel you really excelled (wanting to win is good!). Read the definitions of the categories and decide where to enter your project. It is very important that you choose correctly. However, if the evaluators feel that you have entered in the wrong category, they will move your entry – and motivate why. This will always be done to your benefit.
Division 1
Campaigns
Campaigns would typically include a range of communication platforms, run over a specific period of time, and be aimed at one or more target groups.
1. Brand-building campaigns
This category deals with implementing strategies for new brands, repositioning existing brands or ongoing brand awareness in relation to internal and external audiences. Entries must demonstrate how research was used to inform the brand strategy and discuss the strategic approach and results. It may include brand characteristics and attributes, changes to corporate identities, and design solutions that address brand communication challenges. These campaigns are total packages as represented, for example, by space ads, display posters, billboards, multimedia ad campaigns, and web advertising. It could be for the institution as a whole or a department or faculty or function at the institution, such as a business school. It must be more than a logo redesign.
2. Fundraising campaigns
This category deals with donor relations focused on addressing and responding to donor issues, and long and short campaigns related to gifts and pledges and may include stewardship and public relations activities. This category also includes appeals for endowments and annual giving programmes to obtain and/or renew donors through continuous requests made throughout the year for providing ongoing financial support to the institution’s operating budget or support for facilities, equipment, and other special needs.
3. Stakeholder engagement campaigns
This can be a once-off or an ongoing programme that seeks to enhance stakeholder understanding of the institution within the community served. The aim of the campaign could be to build trust and credibility with stakeholder groups. The tactics and supporting strategies may include formal and informal meetings, events, social and electronic media, and printed material.
4. Issue-management campaigns
This category focuses on campaigns that proactively or reactively deal with institutional issues. It could address internal and external campus issues, such as reputation, environment, study and other fees, safety and security, research and intellectual property, parental and guardian involvement, diversity, and services to students.
5. Crisis-management campaigns
This category deals with the management of a crisis. It would aim to explain and defuse an immediate institutional crisis, such as hate crimes, racism, strikes, student protests, student and staff deaths, sexual harassment, weather-related disasters, and health issues. COVID-19 campaigns would fit in here.
6. Student recruitment campaigns
The focus of this category is on campaigns designed to build brand awareness, influence opinion, and impact on the decisions of parents and learners in order to sell enrolment to the institution. These campaigns would be run on an annual basis and would use a variety of communication vehicles and channels, such as radio and television commercials, newspaper and magazine ads, flyers, brochures, the website, social media, mall advertising, posters, and even guerrilla-marketing tactics.
7. Community and social-responsibility campaigns
This category deals with social responsibility campaigns and encourages positive actions while building awareness and reputation and positioning the institution as a good corporate citizen. It would generally focus on enhancing communities and populations’ well-being through causes, such as the environment, entrepreneurial development, literacy, education and health, cultural preservation, and indigenous and heritage protection.
8. Alumni campaigns
This category would include creative strategies for encouraging alumni involvement, for example, alumni boards, strategic planning, and alumni financial support and stewardship. This would also include programmes by:
- Alumni associations and the alumni office.
- Activities and programmes of student alumni associations and similar student organisations linked to the alumni office.
- Alumni marketing and branding initiatives, including how you market and position your alumni association or office, and its mission for your various constituencies.
Division 2
Channels
This division is about the way in which you get your message to your target groups. A medium could be part of a campaign or it can be a stand-alone medium.
9. Printed: Internal magazines and newsletters
This category recognises newsletters and magazines sent to internal audiences. The newsletter or magazine must be published at a set frequency, i.e. monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. Provide the frequency and circulation.
10. Printed: External magazines and newsletters
This category focuses on external printed magazines and newsletters. To be eligible, the magazine or newsletter must be published at a set frequency, i.e. monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. This category includes research magazines devoted exclusively to coverage of an institution’s scholarly contributions, whether in science, technology, the humanities or other scholarship areas. Please provide the frequency and circulation.
11. Printed: Other publications
This category recognises excellence in any once-off publication aimed at a specific stakeholder group, e.g. brochures, pamphlets, and coffee table books. Printed material related to the pandemic would be entered here.
12. Printed and digital annual reports
This category recognises annual reports published for the sake of financial, school, research, integrated reports or any other annual reporting. It can be a once-off publication, but it must report on the performance on a group’s performance for one year. Indicate the circulation.
13. Digital: Internal magazines and newsletters
This category recognises excellence in internal magazines and newsletters written and designed for the web or other digital platforms. Entered magazines and newsletters may also have a printed counterpart, though simple PDF versions of a printed magazine posted on the web would not be considered.
14. Digital: External magazines and newsletters
This category recognises excellence in external magazines and newsletters written and designed for the web or other digital platforms. Entered magazines may also have a printed counterpart, though simple PDF versions of a printed magazine posted on the web would not be considered.
15. Digital: Other digital media
This category recognises excellence in digital media used to promote aspects of the institution, for example research, institutional achievements, etc. It could be e-Books, promotional material, viewbooks, and prospectuses. Digital media used to communicate about the pandemic would be entered here.
16. Websites
This category recognises institutional websites, including sites created for an institution overall, or a specific college or school within an institution, e.g. law school or business school. Do not enter your homepage only. Special-purpose websites created for a particular purpose may also be entered, such as annual reports, fundraising, campaigns or news directed towards a specific audience such as alumni, prospective students, current students or parents. Important: All sites must be accessible to the public. Intranets and password-protected sites may be entered only if passwords or mirror sites are provided. Web pages dealing with aspects of the pandemic would be entered here.
17. Mobile Apps
This category recognises mobile apps developed for any area of marketing, advancement, communication or stakeholder communication. Apps developed to enhance COVID-19 related messages would be included here.
18. Social media
This category recognises social media sites developed and maintained for any area of marketing, advancement, communication, and engagement with a specific stakeholder group. It encompasses tools and practices that allow individuals and groups to collaborate and share knowledge and experiences online. It may use conversation-enabled publishing platforms, such as blogs and podcasts, social networks, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, democratised content networks, such as wikis and message boards, micro-blogging sites, such as Twitter, content-sharing sites such as YouTube, Instagram and Flickr, and virtual networking platforms. Pages must have been in place long enough to produce measurable results. Any social media messages related to the pandemic would be entered here.
19. Events: Single and multi-day
This category recognises events aimed at marketing, advancement or communication. Single-day events are events centred around special occasions, for example, anniversaries, first-year welcomings, open days, inaugurations, exhibitions, building dedications, and conferences that take place during open days. Multi-day events are typically conferences, roadshows, graduations, and exhibitions that take place on multiple days.
20. Audio, visual, and audio-visual
This category recognises radio and TV ads, corporate videos, podcasts, live-streaming, presentations (Prezzi, etc.) and other audio, visual, and audio-visual projects where the specific execution could have been done outside the institution but the concept and creative idea originated internally.
Division 3
Skills
This division recognises the specific skills that marketing, advancement, and communication professionals use to achieve their objectives. The communication platform entered in this division may have been entered in other divisions as well. Remember to provide the context for this skills entry.
21. Design for printed media
This category recognises excellence in the design of internal or external publications in all formats. It may include magazines, newspapers, newsletters, tabloids, annual reports, integrated reports, books, special publications, brochures, and other advertising material and e-newsletters.
22. Design for visual media
This category recognises excellence in the design of other visual media, such as PowerPoint, Prezi presentations, and banner advertisements. It also includes any other communication vehicle produced by using sound and images or a combination of these elements.
23. Design for digital media
This category recognises excellence in electronic and interactive communication channels, such as websites and online stores. It includes all computer-based communication vehicles defined as the end product and are produced for internal or external audiences, relying on a digital communication channel for delivery. It may also include electronic newsletters, electronic annual reports, special publications, CDs or DVDs, e-cards, and banner ads.
24. Writing for news media
This category recognises excellence in news writing, editorials, interpretive and expository articles, news releases, and feature stories related to the institution. One or more writer may have written the report. It can be a news report for internal and/or external media. It also includes news reports about research.
25. Writing for features, documentaries, and brochures
This category recognises writing excellence in features, documentaries, brochures, and any other similar medium. It also includes copy written on research, medicine, and science. Copy written for recurring features or columns, magazines, newsletters, internal or special publications, stand-alone features, speeches and presentations, executive correspondence, scripts for corporate use, technical writing, and annual and special reports should be entered in this category.
26. Writing scripts
This category recognises excellent script-writing. You may enter copy written for commercials, advertising, marketing or sales-promotion material, and advertorials.
27. Writing for the web
This category recognises excellence in writing produced for the web. This includes writing that only appears online, such as web articles, profiles of donors, alumni, and students. A single webpage, profile or article constitutes one entry.
28. Photography: News
This category recognises excellence in black-and-white and/or colour photography produced for mass news media. All work must have appeared in print in an institutional publication or periodical or used for some institutional purpose, such as on a website, an exhibition or advertising. The photograph must be the work of a staff member from the institution. Include the news report that was published with the photograph in your entry. used, as part of your entry.
29. Photography: Feature and documentary
This category recognises excellence in photography for feature articles and documentaries. All work must have appeared in print in an institutional publication or periodical or used for some institutional purpose, such as a book, on a website, an exhibition or advertising. A series of related photographs from the work of a single staff photographer may also be entered here. An entry is limited to a portfolio of seven photographs. Include the feature or documents as part of your entry.
30. Videography: Skills
This category recognises excellence in marketing, advancement, and communication, using a short video. This can include corporate videos or videos produced for recruitment and communication about research projects. The video must have been cretaed specifically for your institution and not for, or in conjunction with, other associations or groups. Please note that only ONE video should be submitted per entry, not a series. Videos may not be longer than 10 minutes.
All work samples and work plans must be submitted online.
Entry forms and work samples should be sent via email or WeTransfer to Mari Steenkamp at mari@businessdna.co.za.
Please send your work plan and work samples in one WeTransfer folder. Do not send your entry via email and then use a WeTransfer for the work sample.
Do not include a link to a WeTransfer folder in your workplan for the evaluators to click on to open your work sample the link inside your work will expire before the evaluation takes place.
To request an invoice for your entry, please send an email to mari@businessdna.co.za.
The evaluators comprise senior marketing, advancement, and communication professionals, hand-picked from tertiary institutions as well as from commerce and industry.
We do not judge, we evaluate, give guidance to grow because we believe that marketing, advancement and communication are the central nervous system of the community and of our institutions.
The evaluators comprise senior marketing, advancement, and communication professionals, hand-picked from tertiary institutions as well as from commerce and industry. The MACE Board reviews and approves the panel members in order to ensure that it is only leaders in the profession that are allowed the privilege of determining the standard of excellence for interventions in our respective fields of expertise.
Each entry is evaluated by a pair – one person from a tertiary institution and the other from the business world. They provide each entrant with detailed, constructive comments aimed at assisting entrants to improve their work.
How entries are scored
The following scale will be used to evaluate your entry:
| 1 | Information not provided, totally inappropriate approach. |
| 2 | No indication of strategic alignment, approach not explained or wrong, no measurement. |
| 3 | Inadequate explanation of alignment with the strategy, most key elements were missing, vague explanation of approach, only anecdotal results. |
| 4 | Professionally competent execution of the project, but not exceptional. |
| 5 | Professionally competent and better than average. |
| 6 | Clearly aligned with the business strategy of the institution, approach well explained, and valid and reliable results. |
| 7 | Exceptional and innovative approach, setting a new standard, insightful alignment with the business strategy, exceptional motivation of approach, and impressive, valid, and reliable results. |
Weighting
The scoring in the different divisions is the same, but the weighing of the work plan and the work sample will differ.
Division 1
Campaigns
The work plan carries a higher weighting.
Division 2
Channels
The work sample and work plan are weighted equally.
Division 3
Skills
The work sample carries a higher weighting.
Super Saver
14 August 2026-
Closes on 14 August 2026
Early Bird
28 August 2026-
Closes on 28 August 2026
Final Deadline
4 September 2026-
Closes on 4 September 2026
Enquiries
If you have any questions about the divisions, categories, or preparing your entry, please feel free to contact Dr Amanda Hamilton-Attwell at amanda@businessdna.co.za.
If you have any questions about administrative issues regarding the entry process or submitting your entry, please contact Mari Steenkamp at mari@businessdna.co.za.