Behind the scenes of Tropika Island of Treasure

Miantha Padayachee

Can you tell us more about what is going to make this season so unique?

I think that Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles will be so unique, because the celebrities that we have chosen all have very different personalities and fans, so this season is going to appeal to the entire country. The celebrity contestants include Maurice Paige, Zakeeya Patel, Siv Ngesi, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Emtee, Jessica Nkosi and Anga ”NaakmusiQ”. Minnie Dlamini will be the host and Jonathan Boynton- Lee will play the role of Games Master. Tropika consumers will be paired with these celebrities to compete against each other on the island for R1m – they will be pushed to their limits, have to deal with one another’s dramas and form new relationships which will make for excellent, “smoooth” entertainment for audiences nationwide.

When does this season air?

This season will air from 27 March–19 June, there are 13 episodes and the series can be watched on SABC3 on Mondays at 8pm. The final episode will incorporate a live cross over to Minnie Dlamini in studio with all the contestants, as a reunion show.

What is the selection process for choosing the celebrities in order to ensure that they are brand aligned?

The celebrities are carefully chosen according to their presence in the media and on social media, it’s essential that the brand chooses celebrities who have the reachability in terms of audience in order to generate as much hype as possible. We don’t want personalities that are too similar to each other, but we need celebrities who embody the key characteristics of Tropika – they need to be the kind of people who are going to have fun on the island, take part in activities and contribute to the show in a way that audiences would want to watch! At the same time, they have to be amongst South Africa’s ‘smooothest’ celebs.

The Tropika Island of Treasure involves a lot of travel, celebrities and production costs. This is a big cost – what makes it all so worthwhile?

I think what makes this all worthwhile for Tropika is that it secures such positive, branded coverage on behalf of the brand. The Tropika Island Treasure platform promotes the ideologies and lifestyle that the brand is associated with: escapism, island life, white beaches, palm trees swaying in a balmy breeze and sunny days that go on and on – this is paradise! The celebrity element contributes to making our consumers’ dreams come true and that’s what Tropika is all about as a brand. Essentially, Tropika gives South Africans the opportunity to partner up with their favourite celebrity on a tropical island and stand a chance to win R1m.

How has the series ensured that each time it has generated positive brand talk-ability?

We are very careful each year to ensure that we are constantly innovating what we do. We never want to get to a place where we feel like we stagnate and people aren’t desperate to turn on their TV and see what happens this year – we are lucky enough to get it so right that people literally can’t wait for the show! At the same time though, it’s important that we get it right with regards to cementing the lifestyle associated with Tropika – we are an island brand that is associated with “smoooth” living and we make sure that we meet people’s expectation in this regard.

What has the brand learned from year-to-year that they should/should not do in order to make a success of the series?

The brand has learned that every year we need to keep upping our standard and doing things differently. We have learned that our choice for brand ambassadors (in other words the celebrity contestants) is extremely important. For 2016, we have selected a diverse group of celebrities that all appeal to different consumer markets, therefore allowing the show to appeal to a broader consumer base. For example, in order to stay constantly ahead of the game and innovative, this year we created a unique Tropika Theme Song for the TV series with Celebrity contestants, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Emtee and Anga “NaakmusiQ”, which will be available next year for download.

What would you say is the fundamental success of the show in relation to the effect is has on the brand?

The fundamental success that the platform Tropika Island of Treasure has had on Tropika is that it has truly placed Tropika on a different level versus other fruit juice competitors in the market. Tropika is one of the only brands in South Africa to have successfully ran an ongoing AFP for the past six years – this is a phenomenal success! Tropika remains market leader within the short life fruit juice based market and continues to grow from strength to strength.

Bizcommunity is offering five lucky readers a chance to win a Tropika hamper containing a Tropika Towel, six-pack cooler bag, shopper bag, speaker, cap, key ring and lanyard. To enter email your contact details and delivery address to moc.ytinummoczib@niw.

www.tropika.co.za