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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s marketing industry is set to come under review as the Uganda Marketing Excellence Awards (UMEAS) return for their sixth edition, with organisers planning a State of Marketing Address to examine emerging trends and challenges shaping the sector.
The awards, organised by Evolve Group Africa, are scheduled for December 11, 2026 at Kampala Serena Hotel.
The State of Marketing Address, which will precede the awards gala, will bring together marketing and communications professionals to discuss developments in digital marketing, artificial intelligence, social media, internet penetration and changes in the media landscape.
The session will also culminate in the release of the State of Marketing Report 2026, which organisers say will provide industry statistics and insights intended to inform marketing strategies for 2027.
According to Paul Businge, Business Development Director at Evolve Group Africa, the report is intended to give industry players data that can be used in planning for the coming year.
“The report will provide industry players with actionable data to drive their strategies in the forthcoming year,” Businge said.
The State of Marketing Address will run from 2pm to 4:30pm, followed by a black-tie awards gala from 6pm.
The awards were introduced in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to recognise marketing campaigns developed by brands and agencies during a period when businesses faced disruptions to traditional ways of reaching consumers.
Since then, the organisers say the awards have expanded to assess how organisations use both digital and traditional media to develop campaigns and generate measurable results.
For the 2026 edition, the awards will retain 13 categories covering advertising, public relations, digital marketing, partnerships, innovation, sustainability and agency performance.
The categories include Advertising Campaign of the Year, Best Use of Partnership Marketing, Best Use of Digital Marketing, PR Campaign of the Year, Best Use of Experiential Marketing, Best Not-for-Profit/Social Good Campaign and Best Innovation – New Product, Service or Process.
Other categories are Rising Agency of the Year, Agency of the Year, Best Use of Sustainability, Marketing Campaign of the Year, UMEAS Most Accomplished Marketer and Brand of the Year.
Dr Benedict Mugerwa, head of Professional Courses at Uganda Management Institute and a member of the Evolve Marketing Council jury, said the awards cover different areas of the marketing profession, including communications, advertising and public relations.
Mugerwa said the judging criteria will look beyond the visibility of campaigns to assess the thinking and evidence behind them.
The criteria will include the strength of the concept, consumer or market insights supporting the idea, integration across different platforms, key performance indicators, impact and execution.
For categories open to public voting, the Evolve Marketing Council will account for 60% of the final outcome, while public votes will account for 40%.
Some categories, including Rising Agency of the Year, Agency of the Year, Best Use of Sustainability, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Most
Accomplished Marketer and Brand of the Year, will not be subject to public voting.
The organisers say the awards are intended to provide an assessment of marketing work across the industry, while also creating opportunities for networking among brands, agencies and other players.
Sandra Lamwaka of Matooke Republic, one of the sponsors, said the awards had provided a platform for brands to establish professional connections and for the publication to tell stories about the brands participating in the awards.
The introduction of the State of Marketing Address adds an industry discussion component to this year’s awards, with the organisers expected to use the session to examine how technological and media changes are affecting marketing strategies.
Artificial intelligence, in particular, is increasingly changing how businesses produce content, analyse audiences and engage consumers, while expanding digital access is altering the relationship between brands and their audiences.
The State of Marketing Report is expected to provide data to support discussions around these changes, although the organisers have not yet released details on the methodology or scope of the research.
Entries for the awards close on November 15, 2026. Finalists are expected to be announced on November 27, with public voting for eligible categories running from December 1 to December 10.
The awards gala will be held on December 11 at Kampala Serena Hotel.
The event is sponsored by Centenary Bank, Uganda Breweries Ltd, Crown Beverages Ltd, Vision Group, Reel Analytics Uganda, Rage East Africa, Matooke Republic, Kadanke Brand House, Radiocity97FM and Kampala Serena Hotel.
Entries can be submitted through the UMEAS website.
