PERSPECTIVES

Anything can happen

If I had R50 for every time I’ve heard the words “Women don’t do well in talk radio”, I’d be retired in Clifton by now, living my best life and sipping cocktails each evening instead of prepping for the next interview. I’ve always chosen to view that statement as a dare rather than a refusal, but there’s no denying that overcoming that mindset has been a challenge at times.

My hope is that the next generation of women won’t have to hear that statement at all, and won’t face the anger, disappointment and self-doubt that comes with it. But at least if they do hear it, they will be able to look around and find role models who immediately prove it wrong – women who have fought hard to win their place behind the microphone, to deliver great content, and to be compensated fairly and equitably for their work.

That’s not to say that the battle is fully won just yet, or that simply being allowed into the room is enough. Getting on air is only the start; staying on air requires energy, creativity, focus, teamwork and thorough preparation, every single day. And even with all of that, no show is entirely predictable or plannable. It’s live radio, so you never know what the next caller will say, or what breaking

Pippa news event will throw Hudson your carefully planned running order out the window. On any given day, absolutely anything can happen. That’s why we love it so much.

Pippa Hudson hosts Lunch with Pippa Hudson on CapeTalk, weekday afternoons from 1–3pm.

Nourishing innovation

As a child I was always fascinated by marketing, specifically advertising – TV

ads, radio and billboards, the idea behind how people in media construct a product message, and the manner in which the medium allows you to be creative!

It is fun and things are never the same, which is why I ended up in media, an industry that nourishes innovation. This exceptionally creative industry nurtures creative talent, and allows people interested in communication to combine their love for marketing with creativity and originality.

Over the past two years I have learned that “you don’t know what you don’t know”. The pandemic certainly confirmed this. The way we knew marketing suddenly changed almost overnight and we had to be innovative.

For radio stations, events disappeared, partnerships became immaterial, and we had to find new ways to entertain listeners and still provide clients with campaigns that aligned with their business needs.

Lindiwe Mtwentula

It is out of this that we came up with great CSI projects, creating non-traditional revenue streams outside broadcasts while raising money to give to the local community. With such projects we evoked the community to come together and help us change people’s lives. Clients partnered with us and the brand association with the project gave them brand awareness similar to or better than the traditional way of adverting on radio.

Being with a brand such as OFM is truly amazing, and I am proud to be part of an amazing team of strong, powerful women leading the brand. Media is most certainly the place to be.

Lindiwe Mtwentula is marketing manager of OFM radio.