At the 2025 YouTube NZ Marketing Awards, global marketing expert Thomas Barta joined the panel to judge Brand of the Year, won by Vogel’s. He shares some thoughts on what he looked for during this process.
Judging this year’s Brand of the Year award was a privilege. But more than that – it was an eye opener.
New Zealand is a fantastic place for marketing. There’s an energy here. A sharpness. A creative edge. If you’re still clinging to the myth that we need to look overseas for “real” marketing innovation, it’s time to let that one go.
People often ask me: What makes an entry stand out? I have a personal lens, and it might not reflect every judge’s criteria. Here’s what I looked for:
First: Real customer impact
Not likes. Not sentiment. Not some 3D brand metrics. I’m talking about behaviour change – measurable shifts in how people act, buy, choose. The brands that rise to the top are the ones that move the market. That unlock new value.
In my Marketing Leadership Masterclass, we often debate what “marketing impact” really means. The answer isn’t always comfortable. It’s not in the brand tracking dashboard. It’s in revenue, market share, pricing power: proof that the work made the business stronger.
How? It comes down to increasing the ‘value creation zone’ (V-zone) – the overlap between what customers need and what the company needs. That’s where the magic happens.
Some of this year’s entries told good stories… but the market didn’t blink. Others, shifted market share, increased price premiums. That’s the kind of signal you can’t ignore. The difference matters.
Second: Distinctiveness
When I run growth workshops for companies, I often see great ideas – but people hesitate to go all in. Playing it safe feels “safer”. In the same way, some brands clearly understood their customers’ pain points. Their execution was spotless. But forgettably safe.
Brand of the Year isn’t about being good. It’s about being unmistakable. The kind of work that doesn’t just fit the brief, but reframes the problem. Work that makes you sit up. Work that makes customers feel something new – and act. It’s rare. It’s where the magic happens.
If I had to distill it down, the winner had two things: a brave, original idea and real market impact. Creativity plus impact. Both reflected back through the eyes of customers.
One more thing
PS. One more tip: read the instructions. You’d be surprised how many entries missed the mark because they didn’t answer the actual questions. No judge is going to be blinded by pure marketing warble. Creativity is powerful. But clarity wins awards.
And here’s a truth we shouldn’t forget: for every entry, there were perhaps 10 more brands doing remarkable work, but never entered. Awards matter, but the real work happens in the market.
So yes, keep entering. More importantly, keep making great work that expands the V-zone. All brands that do? You’re already Brand of the Year!
Kia ora,
Thomas
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 84, Sept-Nov 2025. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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