global . Hence we have seen very little cannibalisation since the consumption habits , packaging and serving of the content is materially different .
How have you gone about marketing Nation . Africa beyond leveraging the platforms you have under NMG ? And are you using the same team , editorial , marketing , PR , to grow this new baby or is it an entirely new team ?
When we embarked on launching Nation . Africa , we were clear of the need to create a surround sound both internally and externally not only in the region , continentally and globally . We developed and launched a huge integrated marketing campaign named “ We are Nation ” to communicate centrality of the consumer to Nation . Africa and engage both internal and external consumers .
Internally we embarked on driving awareness to develop champions through staff engagement activities , internal branding of reception , walls and lifts , changed our business cards , staff merchandise etc .
Externally we launched high quality campaign video that sought to communicate that Nation was there for every African relayed through its imagery , music and denouement ; utilised out of home billboards , digital out of home screens , advertising touch points in malls , merchandise , paid new age digital marketing platforms such as Facebook , Twitter , YouTube as well as programmatic .
We are using largely the same internal cross-functional teams with a few new additions assisted by international and local marketing and technology agencies .
What is the unique value proposition for advertisers looking to utilize this new platform ?
Nation . Africa is a platform that delivers high quality content to a more loyal engaged audience that has enlisted on a long term journey that is transformational in nature . The relationship is therefore
Nation . Africa is Nation Media Group ’ s digital brand that seeks to create and deliver high quality content from across our continent - from the news as it unfolds , in-depth reporting , expanded content from across the continent and premium paid content - delivered to audiences on a cleaner and more user friendly platform that enables interactivity with the consumer .
not transactional . This audience is now more continental and global driving significant traffic who spend considerable amount of time on the platform . Hence advertisers have access to more eyeballs , quality measurable audience and wider geographic reach of their products and services .
In your own words , where do you see the place of traditional media in a digital world ?
Traditional media will continue being an important platform because it still has its own audience . It will become more niche with a focus being more on ‘ day two journalism ’ containing analytical and investigative type of content .
Today ’ s world is different , and the youth who ideally should be taking over the mantle of buying and reading papers , seem to have other more exciting and relevant sources of information and entertainment . How are you positioned to navigate this generational gap with its different values , needs , and consumption habits ?
The youth are sometimes misunderstood when it comes to their access to content . They like fun but are also clear on information that can transform their lives . We have seen how the youth are engaged in business through entrepreneurship , agriculture , technology etc . The issue is whether we can present information in a language that speaks to them and here I am not speaking of click bait . We have wired ourselves by positioning our content to address them and developing new content formats such as podcasts , puzzles , video , livestreaming etc . We have also established a programme to engage the youth who are providing us continuous valuable feedback on our content , content types and formats . However , we recognise that the youth challenge is a dicy one that will continue taking centre stage in our digital transformation journey .
There has been a postulation that traditional media kept the consumer at the peripheral of their business for far too long , one reason the digital revolution caught them flat footed . How have you rewired your drive to ensure you tap into the pulse of the consumer fruitfully ?
I do not fully agree with the proposition that traditional media kept off the consumer from their business . Media has strived to always put the consumer at the centre of both content and product development . The difference is that digital media provides better engagement and data mining in a more real-time fashion .
At NMG we have re-engineered ourselves to develop Nation . Africa that seeks to put the consumer at the centre of it through an interactive content platform where we are constantly ideating and iterating through data-driven decision making approaches to respond to the needs of the consumer .
What is your view on big data and research ? And how are you tapping into these in your quest to deliver more
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