Woolworths South Africa has earned significant global recognition at the International Content Marketing Awards (ICMA) in London, reinforcing its position as a leader in brand-owned storytelling. The retailer was awarded the Grand Prix Gold for Best In-house Agency, an honour that recognises the strength of its integrated in-house content model and its long-standing collaboration with Media24 Advertising and Content Marketing (ACM).
The award reflects a deliberate approach to content that places audience relevance, strategic alignment and creative excellence at the centre of the Woolworths brand.
Central to this recognition is Woolworths’ embedded content marketing team, which operates at the intersection of business strategy, brand, creativity and commercial outcomes. According to Executive Content Director Cathy Lund, the team’s mandate is to deliver audience-first storytelling that is both creatively ambitious and strategically grounded. Being embedded within the business allows the team to align closely with product, trading and seasonal priorities, while maintaining a consistent and trusted brand experience across platforms.
The ICMA recognition, Lund notes, validates an in-house model that combines deep business integration with strong creative leadership and carefully chosen partners.
Woolworths’ purpose-led work was also celebrated, with its campaign This Apple Can Save the World receiving Gold for Best Purpose-Led Content and Silver for Best Use of Innovative Technology. These awards underscore the brand’s ability to connect storytelling with broader social and environmental themes in a way that resonates with audiences while delivering measurable impact. Beyond individual campaigns, Woolworths’ broader content ecosystem, spanning owned platforms, and partner-produced properties such as Woolworths TASTE and the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards, was a key factor in its success.
The partnership with Media24 ACM received further acclaim through multiple awards for Woolworths TASTE, including recognition for social media, imagery, SEO, monetised content and internal communications, as well as a Silver award for Content Person of the Year for Media24’s Katharine Pope.
Media24 leadership highlighted the power of insight-driven strategy and creative collaboration, while Woolworths’ marketing leaders emphasised the value of a partner that deeply understands the brand, its customers and relevant cultural moments.
With continued ICMA wins in 2024 and further global recognition in 2025, Woolworths is steadily setting a benchmark for in-house content teams, demonstrating how strategic leadership, creative craft and trusted partnerships can combine to deliver content that truly matters.
