The Australian Marketing Institutes (AMI) Awards for Marketing Excellence were held on the 22nd of October in Melbourne and showed diversity in the winners, with Youngcare and the University of Sydney Union both taking out the AMI 2008 Marketing Program of the Year award.

The Certified Practicing Marketer of the Year (CPM) was awarded to Tara Lordsmith, general manager of retail marketing at Simplot Australia and has been working in FMCG for the past 12 years.

The Sir Charles McGrath Award, which is presented as recognition of long-term service to marketing and marketing achievement was awarded to Justin Milne, group managing director of Telstra Media.

The entire list of winners were:

Category: Brand Extension
Winner: rare | wear

Category: Brand Revitalisation
Winner: Pepper Homeloans

Category: Consumer Insight
Winner: Hamton Property Group
Category: Corporate Social Responsibility
Winner: BlueScope Steel

Category: Education
Winner: Murdoch University

Category: Incentive Marketing
Winner: EVT Marketing Group

Category: Internal Marketing
Winner: University of Melbourne

Category: Loyalty Programs
Winner: Kmart Tyre & Auto Service

Category: Marketing Communications (B2B)
Winner: Pepper Homeloans

Category: Marketing Communications (B2C)
Winner: Telstra Country Wide

Category: Multimedia & Interactive
Winner: Ezibuy

Category: New Brand
Winner: Youngcare

Category: New Product/Service Launch
Winner: Aviva Australia

Category: Relationship Marketing
Winner: University of Sydney Union

Category: Social Marketing
Winner: NSW Roads & Traffic Authority

Category: Sponsorship
Winner: Steel Blue WA

Marketing Program of the Year:
Youngcare and University of Sydney Union

CPM of the Year:
Tara Lordsmith, Simplot Australia.

Sir Charles McGrath Award:
Justin Milne, Telstra Media