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Ellah Mukwati and Funny Hudzerema
The Herald website scooped the Best News Website award during the digital marketing conference and awards yesterday.

The aim of the awards was to acknowledge organisations that have adopted digital technologies in their business operations and have consistently implemented the technology and started taking positive steps in creating digital synergies.

Speaking during the event, Deputy Minister of Information Communication, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Win Mlambo, said Zimbabwean companies should move with technological trends if they wanted to remain in business.

“With the Internet becoming central in everybody’s life the world over, Zimbabwean corporates must latch on to the same technologies and leap onto the cyber platforms if they are to remain afloat in this vicious marketplace,” he said.

“Adopting digital marketing provides an organisation with real time competitive ability to analyse marketing intelligence and react timeously to their dictates.”

Dr Mlambo said the use of wireless text messaging, digital television and electronic billboards should give serious businessmen an awakening to the growing complexity of digital marketing, which if adopted well can give a defining line between business survival and liquidation.

“Digital channels are relatively cheap and easier to access compared with traditional media, making them within reach of practically every business of every size.”

Statistics indicate that 93 percent of the country’s population are using mobile phones and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, in its third quarterly results, indicated that Zimbabwe now boasts of more than 12 million mobile phone subscribers across all networks of voice, and contributes about 60 percent of communication revenue.

The awards were hosted by Starligem Media, a digital marketing consultancy firm involved in house training and conferencing and digital event management.

Among other winners were NewsDay which scooped the best website award, Econet for best service provider of the year and its EcoCash banking together with E-wallet from ZB, while TelOne won best product of the year.

The Herald was competing with other publications such as NewsDay, Daily News, the Financial Gazette, ZBC, ZiFM, Techzim, TechnoMag and Star FM.

The Zimpapers Group has a number of online publications which include SportsZone, Bh24 and NewsHub.