Storytelling Archives - Walk Communications

Category: Storytelling

June 12, 2023

I no longer despise Social Media

I’ve been a content creator for over a decade. Primarily in radio and television, I have been fortunate enough to have had great experience writing nationally syndicated prime-time television shows, and hosting some of the biggest radio shows in South Africa. I’ve also been very fortunate in that I have been afforded a fair number of accolades and recognition for my efforts.

Please don’t think I’m pointing that out to help my ego, I’m just trying to establish that I understand this world.

As a consequence of being ‘in the public eye’ over the last decade, I have also been compelled to exist and be present on the myriad of social media platforms that have dominated the digital landscape during this time. Admittedly I never enjoyed this! I like many members of ‘traditional’ media had held the view that social media influencers are fly-by-night types who got lucky and fell into large followings. I was of the view that what I did as someone who made content for radio, television and print required a far more developed and sophisticated skillset.

I am aware that reading that last paragraph probably makes me seem grossly arrogant but trust me this is a common point of view among members of traditional media. I’m just here to reluctantly admit it.

This isn’t however my point of view anymore.

Last year in September I was on my then 6th annual heritage tour. A radio-driven campaign on 5FM that spends the month of September exploring the people, places, and hidden gems that make South Africa great. I was in central Karoo when I got a call from someone on my team informing me of a potential opportunity to travel to a secret island in Colombia with Corona. Being a lover of travel, I took up the offer immediately and began the preparations for the trip, which was only a few weeks away. Within no time at all I found myself on a plane together with a group of ‘influencers’ heading off to an island off the coast of Cartegena.

I say influencers in parenthesis because that’s what they were to me at the time. I was the journalist, and they were the influencers going to live their best lives on an island. I very quickly learned how totally wrong I was about this group of people. The collective is known as The Corona Network which is a program managed in partnership by CSA and Corona that has set out to develop talented individuals who speak to the brand’s philosophies in an organic and non-invasive way.

I very quickly learned that this group were professionals. Masters of their craft were using social media to tell powerful stories to large audiences. From conservationists, travel enthusiasts, and documentarians, the group was made up of highly skilled, highly passionate hard-working people.

Watching this crowd work made me seriously challenge the stereotypes I’d held about influencer culture and made me want to embrace social media and approach it like I do traditional media.

In the months that followed I went on a wild ride which has seen me being able to crack over 1 million monthly engagements on both Instagram and TikTok and grow my followers steadily. I have also come to realize that just like radio and TV there is plenty of garbage on social media, but there is also plenty of gold.

Fundamentally, the same principles of compelling content apply. I am using skills developed from traditional media in my social media content creation and seeing great results. In part I have written this article as a guilty confession, but also to encourage members of traditional media that may still have some kind of hang-up when it comes to the world of digital media.

It’s time to embrace, learn from both sides, and build strong bridges between these two worlds, because fundamentally we are all just individuals whose passion is compelling storytelling. I am putting my hand up to lead the charge and encourage others from both sides of the fence to take up the call to build our connected industries together.

February 20, 2023

Stop creating content at the expense of others

As someone who has spent over a decade creating content for national audiences on radio, television, print, and digital, I have seen my fair share of trends come and go. But there is one trend that I just can’t get behind – mean-spirited content. You know the type I’m talking about, those videos where the punchline comes at the expense of an unsuspecting person, often in situations where alcohol is involved. This is content that relies on dishonest editing techniques, exaggerated reactions, and cheap shots to create a fleeting moment of amusement. Overtly sexualized games of ‘would you rather’ and on-the-spot questions about the capitals of countries, designed to make people look promiscuous, stupid, or both.

While this kind of content may perform well in the short term, it comes at a steep cost. As a content creator, you must consider the long-term effects of the material you put out into the world. Is it building equity for your brand or tearing it down? Here are a few reasons why I believe creating mean content is bad for business:

Firstly, the villain always dies. In any good story, the bad guy may be revered or even loved for a time, but ultimately, they are always defeated. This is because human beings are hardwired to root against them. So while mean content may win you some fans in the short term, your true colours will eventually shine through.

Audiences have a conscience. When you consistently produce content that belittles, embarrasses, or makes fun of others, it creates a negative perception of your brand. Audiences may start to associate your name with insensitivity, meanness, or even bullying. This can be especially damaging for content creators and channels that later want to to position themselves as socially responsible, compassionate, or empathetic.

Audiences are perceptive. The editing techniques and misrepresentation that are often used in mean content are not lost on audiences. People are becoming increasingly savvy and can recognize when they are being manipulated or deceived. When they discover that the content they have been consuming is not honest or genuine, it can lead to a loss of trust in your channel and a feeling of betrayal.

Brands won’t like you. When you create mean content, you’re constantly pushing the envelope to give your audience what they want. This is a dangerous game to play because you’re dealing with real people. Brands may be attracted to you based on your audience growth, but they will only align themselves with you so long as you align with their principles. Regardless of your engagement rates, if you cross the line, the brand will be forced to drop you.

On the other hand, positive content can go a long way in benefiting your brand. Creating content that is based on uplifting, or educational messages has the potential to build trust and credibility with audiences. When a brand consistently produces content that adds value to the lives of its audience, it creates a perception of generosity, compassion, and empathy. This, in turn, can lead to a sense of loyalty and trust in the brand.

While mean content may be easy to produce and may perform well in the short term, it comes at a cost. It can damage your brand’s reputation, erode trust, and limit your opportunities for growth. As content creators, we have a responsibility to consider the long-term effects of our work. Let’s focus on creating content that is uplifting, positive, and adds value to the lives of our audience. That’s how we create equity, and that’s how we build a lasting legacy.

February 9, 2023

Spend money on radio, but not like you used to.

I am in a fortunate position in that I have worked through the decline and growth of major radio brands both in front of the mic and behind the scenes. I currently host a flagship show on a national station and own a marketing company. During my career I have worked for creative agencies, overseen account management for large-scale campaigns and executed others as a show host.

I consider this position fortunate because it has allowed me to experience the radio industry from a variety of different perspectives. It must be said that as a medium radio is my first love, and I am immensely biased, however from this circumspective vantage point I have come to make some observations about radio marketing that you might find interesting.

When I joined commercial radio in 2012 it was experiencing the beginnings of its decline. Radio was about to start losing the battle to digital. Reflecting on this period, I think it there was far too much hubris running though the veins of radio practitioners. Digital wasn’t taken seriously enough in my experience and the mantra that ‘radio will always be king’ because it had thus far successfully managed to outsmart other forms of media, was constantly repeated in the circles I was in.

The reality however was that radio simply couldn’t do certain things. Digital’s ability to measurably demonstrate ROI for brands was significantly better than the survey data radio was supplying and the cost to play was and remains significantly higher. Digital also meant personalised choice. Through streaming services consumers could decide exactly what they wanted to listen to and when.

The above paragraph is still reflective of the ways in which many marketing managers and agency types are thinking, but I want to argue that it’s no longer reality. Since the dawn of new challengers a decade ago there have remained a thread of dedicated radio practitioners who have quietly been innovating the medium, ensuring it stays relevant in an ever-changing landscape. I believe the fruits of their labour are beginning to be seen and I encourage all brands wanting to build authentic relationships with consumers to include radio into their marketing mix, but not how they used to.

Radio remains powerful when it works hard to not be generic. The ability for radio to create a dynamic, live-approach to content creation and community building still remains one of its greatest strengths.

Having worked as both a digital strategist for major brands and as host of large radio shows, I can say with confidence that the rate of engagement of a radio station’s WhatsApp line is quicker and far more nuanced than organic social media posting from big accounts. Radio stations can generate hundreds, if not thousands of responses in minutes that range from seemingly frivolous to personal and vulnerable opinions. Any marketer unsure about radio’s relevance should shadow a producer for a day and witness this first hand.

During my career I have worked on building radio concepts as opposed to generic features. These concepts manifested as campaigns, focused on immersive storytelling. Among these projects are the likes of 6 heritage tours, where I spend September documenting great South African stories, inviting South Africans along for the on air journey. Trips to Colombia, Mauritius, Croatia and Antarctica, all where brand messaging was integrated into a story-led campaign. In addition to the travel space, I have developed and sold countless other campaigns, like 30 Dreams in 30 Days, where we spent a month fulfilling the dreams of children with life-threatening illness to celebrate the 30th birthday of Reach for a Dream. Through my experience I have come to understand the architecture of how to align a brand’s message with the market’s interest. The focus has been about creating opportunities for brands to amplify their objectives through integrated content marketing that allows them to intercept the captive audience these campaigns have generated in non-intrusive, organic ways.

It’s also important to point out that I’m not unique. I am constantly in awe of incredible radio campaigns that my peers in the industry pull off. Last year, KFM raised R18m to feed children at risk. I challenge any marketer to think of other forms of media attracting that kind of interest and traction in such a short space of time. These are not isolated incidents, but rather testaments to the unique power and penetration that radio is able to achieve.

Coming to the question of this article’s title. When I advise marketing managers on how to spend their money on radio, I advise them not to focus on paying for thirty second generics. While I think that they certainly have their place, I believe a far more effective way to approach radio is to look to find ways to create campaigns that focus on radio’s biggest strength, storytelling. By finding creative ways to tell a story about your brand or a particular objective you are currently trying to drive, you create cultural moments, which can be long-lasting and extremely impactful. The campaigns I have built have enjoyed success beyond radio, receiving attention in national newspapers, television channels and also within the digital landscape.

One of the key focuses of Walk Communications is finding ways to build these kinds of campaigns and properties for brands. As more of the brand custodians I engage with begin to grow an appetite for this approach, I become increasingly excited for the future. In a world where the biggest challenge of the marketer is finding a way to standout among the noise, competing against a shrinking attention economy, watering the garden of a brand with immersive storytelling through radio campaigns is a tactic I would highly advise considering.

So, spend your money of radio, but don’t just throw it at generics, live reads and traffic sponsorships. Come to Walk Communications and let us to build a campaign tailored to your brand and allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy the same success that this kind of marketing has afforded others.

February 5, 2023

Pioneering Travel Radio in South Africa

For context, this article is written for radio and technical practitioners, interested in the technicalities of how I got shows on air using remote setups

In 2016 I was presented with a challenge, market a music concert in Polokwane. The best way I could think to do that was to walk there. The journey took two weeks and my producer Michael Bossenger (Mad Money Mike) and I made the 330KM journey on foot from Johannesburg to Polokwane. Followed only by a catcher car that would follow along for safety reasons to carry our bags and equipment.

Broadcasts of this nature had been done before, however, there was essentially no template and we needed to figure out how we were physically going to get 2 hours of radio on air every day. Our solution was primitive, but it worked. Here’s what we did. Along with us on the road, we had an iPad, a decent mic that could plug into the iPad, a 3G signal on our phones, and a desk driver the in the studio.

Here were our steps.

Connect a microphone to an iPad.
Turn on the iPad’s mobile data and create a hotspot.
Connect the iPad to the hotspot using Wi-Fi.
Use Skype on the iPad to connect to a computer in a radio studio.
The computer in the studio should be connected to the studio desk.
The audio from the microphone on the iPad is transmitted over the internet to the computer in the studio via the Skype connection.
The computer in the studio captures the audio signal and routes it to the studio desk for broadcast.

In this setup, the iPad acts as a remote audio source, transmitting the microphone signal to the studio over the internet. The computer in the studio acts as a receiving endpoint, capturing the audio and routing it to the studio desk for broadcast. The hot spotted 3G Wi-Fi provides the internet connectivity necessary for the transmission of the audio signal.

We used 3G as a minimum requirement back in 2016.

Following the walk, we became obsessed with the idea of being able to broadcast from anywhere in the country and world. Here are some of the amazing devices and technologies that have helped us along the way.

The Rodecaster Pro

After a few years of plugging microphones into different kinds of soundcards, we eventually were introduced to The Rodecaster Pro, which changed the game significantly

A RodeCaster Pro is a digital mixing console specifically designed for podcasting. It allows you to mix multiple audio sources, including microphones, sound effects, and music, into a single audio output.

The RodeCaster Pro works by connecting to your computer or mobile device via USB, and it has a built-in audio interface that can capture audio from multiple sources. You can plug in up to four microphones, and you also have the option of connecting additional audio sources, such as musical instruments or sound effects, through the 3.5mm and USB inputs.

The RodeCaster Pro features an intuitive, touch-screen interface that makes it easy to adjust levels, mute or solo tracks, and access sound effects and music. The device also has built-in sound effects, which you can trigger with the touch of a button.

In terms of remote radio broadcasting, the RodeCaster Pro can aid in several ways. First, it allows you to mix audio from multiple sources, including remote guests, into a single, high-quality audio output. Second, it provides a compact and portable solution for remote broadcasts, as you can easily connect the RodeCaster Pro to a laptop or mobile device and use it to broadcast from anywhere. Finally, the RodeCaster Pro provides a range of audio processing tools, including equalization, compression, and noise reduction, which can help to improve the quality of your remote broadcast.

Overall, the RodeCaster Pro is an excellent tool for anyone looking to produce high-quality audio for remote radio broadcasting.

2. Cleanfeed

The main issue we always still had was how to broadcast live, remotely, without something like an ISDN line. That all changed when we discovered Cleanfeed.

CleanFeed is a web-based audio conferencing tool that enables remote radio broadcasting and podcasting. It allows multiple audio sources to be mixed into a single audio stream, which can then be broadcast live or recorded for later use.

CleanFeed works by using the internet to connect remote guests to a central studio. Each participant can access CleanFeed from their computer or mobile device, and their audio is captured and transmitted to the central studio in real time. The audio signals from each participant are then mixed into a single audio stream, which can be broadcast live or recorded for later use.

CleanFeed has largely replaced ISDN lines, which are dedicated digital telephone lines that were previously used for remote broadcasts. ISDN lines provided high-quality audio transmission, but they were expensive to set up and maintain, and they required special hardware to be installed at both the remote location and the central studio.

In contrast, CleanFeed is a cost-effective and flexible solution that can be used from anywhere with a reliable internet connection. It eliminates the need for expensive ISDN lines and dedicated hardware, making remote broadcasting more accessible for smaller organizations and individual podcasters.

This has largely remained the formula for remote broadcasts that have taken place on a boat in Croatia, from 8 African countries, a remote island in the Caribbean, and South Africa, during stage 6 load-shedding, the latter being one of our bigger challenges. For this, we have invested in a Jackery.

3. Jackery

A Jackery is a portable power station or battery pack that can be used to provide backup power for electronic devices when an AC power source is not available. It is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can store a certain amount of energy, which can then be used to power various devices.

How it works:

Charging: A Jackery can be charged through an AC outlet or a solar panel. When fully charged, the battery pack can store a certain amount of energy, which can then be used to power various devices.

Output: A Jackery has multiple output ports, such as USB, DC, and AC outlets, which can be used to power a range of devices, such as smartphones, laptops, lights, and small appliances.

Power management: Some Jackery models also come with built-in power management systems that can control the output voltage, current, and temperature. This ensures that the connected devices receive a stable and safe source of power.

Portable: A Jackery is compact and portable, making it an ideal backup power solution for loadsheding, remote broadcasts and other situations where a reliable power source is not available.

Overall, a Jackery provides a convenient and reliable way to keep electronic devices charged and powered when an AC power source is not available.

The most important lesson I have learned about remote radio broadcasting is that you need to be adaptable. There are countless ways to achieve the technical sides of broadcasts like these, but the more curious you are, the more you discover about what’s possible. Research, experiment and push the boundaries of what’s possible, all in the interest of pushing radio forward.

January 20, 2023

Once upon a time in marketing: The power of storytelling in marketing

When we need to sum Walk Communications up into a sentence we refer to it as a “Marketing agency specializing in campaign building through immersive storytelling”. This is because we are committed to the belief that storytelling is an often-undervalued art that serves a vital role in persuading consumers to connect with brands authentically.
In today’s increasingly crowded marketing landscape, it’s becoming harder and harder for businesses to capture the attention of consumers. With so much noise and competition, brands need to find new and innovative ways to stand out and make an impact. One powerful tool for doing just that involves going back to the basics and focusing on storytelling.
Storytelling has been around for as long as humans have known how to communicate, but in today’s world, it’s more important than ever. The reason for this is simple: it’s becoming harder and harder to capture the attention of consumers. In a world where we’re bombarded with an endless stream of information and distractions, brands are faced with the challenge of cutting through the noise to make an impact.
There is a beautiful uniqueness to storytelling. Unlike traditional marketing tactics, storytelling doesn’t rely on interrupting people’s lives with flashy ads or hard-selling them on a product. Instead, it creates a connection with consumers on an emotional level. By weaving a narrative around a brand’s message, storytelling allows businesses to create an authentic and relatable connection with their audience.
The facts back this up. Research shows that storytelling is a powerful tool for building brand loyalty. A study conducted by the Nielsen Norman Group found that consumers are more likely to remember a brand’s message when it’s presented in the form of a story. Additionally, a survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute found that content that tells a story is more engaging and shareable than other forms of content.
At Walk Communications, we specialize in using storytelling to build powerful and effective marketing campaigns. We understand that it’s not enough to simply push a message out to the masses. Instead, we work to create a connection with consumers by amplifying specific objectives for brands, companies, and organizations. We place storytelling at the centre of the relationship between brand and consumer, creating emotional connections that are hard to ignore.
This doesn’t mean that we aren’t still a traditional agency in other respects. We build and implement campaigns that encompass the full range of marketing tactics and channels from Social Media, to print, radio, TV, and outdoor. It also doesn’t mean that we believe that marketing cannot be straightforward. The commitment to leaning into storytelling is about how we believe that it is fundamental to the core of messages, which is essentially the fundamental purpose of marketing, to present the right message to the right people at the right time and place.

So if you are interested in seeing how the art of campaign building, focused on immersive storytelling could work to amplify your messaging, drop us a mail and we’ll happily set up a consultation.

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