#Newsmaker: Kagiso Musi joins new agency Meta Media as MD

"As an experienced marketing and communications executive who has deep operational and management experience, Kagiso brings a wealth of diverse knowledge and skill to our newly created media agency,” says group managing director Chris Botha. “Additionally, she has been an active member on many boards including amongst others, Wunderman, MSG Afrika Group and The Jupiter Drawing Room.”

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Here, Musi tells us that the opportunity to balance traditional approaches with the growth in connected devices and omnichannel media behaviour is a challenge she looks forward to…

Kagiso Musi

How do you feel about your appointment?
Having spent my career in marketing communications, media feels like a natural progression, an extra link that fits comfortably in the journey. I’m excited that I've been charged with leading South Africa's new media player. A space which will in effect have me draw on my vast experience to make it work well.

Tell us more about Meta Media and what excites you most about joining the agency.
Startups are always an opportunity to do differently, better and possibly change the how.

Meta Media, as a media agency born in a digital era and its name, borrowed from the gaming and digital worlds, is about an effective way to achieve goals. Literally standing for 'most effective tactics available' and approaching all we do with an understanding of the most granular form of data.

It therefore opens up an interesting way to do things in this media space – it’s about the data of data and making rands and cents work optimally. This is the commitment to our clients: a granular understanding of our audiences and using the data to inform hyper-targeted approaches for more effective conversations. This will ensure that our clients and people win.

What do you love most about your career and marketing and communications in particular?
I love that we have the ability to change narratives with continuous renewed engagement. We breathe life into brands and get to figure out how to deliver the stories. I mostly enjoy that I get to run businesses that are ever-evolving, and the fantastic people one meets along the way.

Tell us a bit about your experience, what you bring to the agency and what you hope to achieve in your new position.
I have holistic marketing communications experience and have been trained in its diverse value chain throughout my career. This multifaceted experience allows me to not only approach business opportunities more strategically but also opens up doors to solve (business and brand challenges) more holistically. We are building something new and exciting, a place where clients can find a home that understands how business and brand data inform how they win.

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Any career highlights you’re particularly proud of?
I've had the privilege to work with great brands and great people. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing people who have crossed your path go on to chart new territories and excel. There is also very little that is more satisfying than seeing the results of one’s work. Building strong relationships with clients, making things work operationally, looking after one’s team – all of this whilst having mad amazing fun doing what I do.

What are you most looking forward to?
To solving new challenges. Proposing ways to align the sophistication of consumers with a rapidly changing media landscape. Fundamentally understanding ways of digging into data to deliver content in a compelling way. I'm also looking forward to building a solid media agency of tomorrow and competing with the best!

What’s at the top of your to-do list?
To simplify our business goals for the team and in turn to understand what each of our people want for themselves.

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to for work?
My friend and mentor gifted me two books The 5am Club: Change Your Morning, Change Your Life by Robin Sharma and Connect the Dots by Rashmi Bansal. The funny thing is that I'm not a morning person (so ‘5am club’… eye roll!) and ‘connect the dots’ is a compilation of stories from 20 amazing individuals without an MBA who started their own businesses... and I have an MBA. So, the message is clear; that my MBA does not matter and that I must wake up earlier ;) Thanks Rah. I’m also re-reading The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, as one always needs a gentle reminder.

I'm a podcast junkie on every subject and all things that intrigue me and I'm intrigued by a lot. I'm that 'why' girl. Constantly in search of different answers, new stuff, new thinking.

I’m also on a ‘Childish Gambino’ tip. He’s doing nice things for me. Always on a Gregory Porter level. He sets my head right!

Tell us something about yourself not generally known?


I'll let you figure this one out. Two truths and a lie:

• When I was younger, I started the process to become a nun
  
• I sea-walked in Mexico
  
• I used to sing opera