In this series of interviews, we find out what they’ve learnt working alongside the cluster judges and what their young minds bring to the table.

“What has made judging even more exciting this year is for the second time, we invited young communication enthusiasts from across the country to participate in the judging process, and selected 11 of the coolest, brightest minds who brought some really fresh insight to the process,” says judge and founder of the Prisms Young Judges initiative, Palesa Madumo, executive director of strategy at Vuma Reputation Management.

Boston Media House graduate Floyd Magubane and creative strategist at Hip-Hop 411.

Here, our interview with Boston Media House graduate Floyd Magubane and creative strategist at Hip-Hop 411…

What does this recognition and opportunity mean to you?
As a media graduate and a novice practitioner, it is an invaluable experience. It's direct exposure to the industry, not in an ordinary fashion but in such an honourable and significant way. We judged the work of some of our favourite brands amongst others, and although a bit intense, it has been a wonderful experience.

It also gives me the urge to excel within the industry, as I have my own personal goals of doing amazing things in the future. Most importantly, it's about contributing to the growth of the industry and allowing young people like myself to not only learn but also be a part of the industry, alongside some of the best professionals. It's really a great initiative.

Briefly tell us about your experience in the industry.
After graduating, I volunteered at campus radio station Voice of Wits (Vow) FM as marketing co-ordinator. The following year, I interned at media sales house Mediamark. Currently, I'm self-employed and working as creative strategist at startup media agency Hip-Hop 411.

Comment on the judging process.
Personally, I found it to be educational more than anything. There were a lot of campaigns to go through, but you learn from both the good ones and the bad ones, the dos and don’ts. You get to see in detail what goes into a having a successful campaign, from the type of research to how the execution was carried out.

Even more, you get to see how the different agencies approach and handle their briefs from clients. Lastly, different categories also highlight the imperatives of different markets within the industry.

What has the response been to this year’s entries?
It has been a balance. There were ones that really stood out, that were amazingly creative, and delivered on objectives.

What makes the winning work stand out?
Creativity and innovation. How they were able to achieve results in ways more effective than usual.

Prisa also introduced the Student Campaign of the Year in 2016. Why do you think it’s important that students and the next generation of PR professionals are included in such initiatives?
Cultivation. The industry will suffer from a lack of quality professionals if such initiatives are not available. It ensures growth in the industry and that the standard will not be lowered.

What do you think young minds bring to the table?
A fresh perspective.

Young people are eager to make their mark and they are the future. Young people live an active lifestyle, so they tend to know more about what's happening on the ground, culturally.

I'd say they are more in tune with the times.

What have you learnt working alongside the cluster judges?
Love and be passionate about what you do. With all the work they are pressed with, they still took the time out of their busy schedules and contributed to this initiative, with enthusiasm and without compensation.

Comment on the past, present and future state of PR.

I think like most media practices, with a shift to digital as technology evolves, it's no longer traditional and PR is more integrated.

With such initiatives, we also see more and more young people heading to the industry. So in the future, there will be a good number of young people doing great things in the industry.

What are you most looking forward to in terms of this year’s Awards?
I'm really interested in SMEs. So I'm looking forward to seeing some of the small businesses and startups that will be honoured as winners, and the stories they are going to share.

As mentioned, the Awards take place this Sunday, 22 April. Follow us on Twitter for live updates on the night and visit our Prism Awards special section for other related content and of course all the winners following the announcement. Here’s the link to our other social media pages, as well as the Prism Awards’ Facebook and Twitter accounts.