In this series of interviews, we find out what they've learnt working alongside the cluster judges (albeit remotely) and what their young minds bring to the virtual table.

2020 Prism Young Voices announced!

PRISA  13 Feb 2020

“The cancellation of the awards was really sad as the young voices were looking forward to attending the Awards for the first time and our work being acknowledged together with the seasoned judges. Covid-19 is having a disastrous impact on not only our economy but our industry, as agencies are retrenching and even losing accounts. I look forward to the virus being contained so business can resume as usual and 2020 can be the amazing year we all hope it would be!” – Tashinga Nyahunda, CEO, influencer manager and strategist at Mansa Musa Brands, commenting on the cancellation of the physical Awards and the general impact of the pandemic on the industry.

Tashinga James Nyahunda

Here, our interview with Nyahunda...

What does this recognition and opportunity mean to you?

Being recognised as a Prism young voice means my daily efforts in improving the communication of African brands especially focused on social media and e-commerce are being noticed and appreciated.

Briefly tell us about your experience in the industry.

I instantly joined the public relations industry as I managed Yung Swiss, a hip-hop artist who was on the chorus of hit record Mayo. I moved on to privately doing PR plans for established artist Nasty C and subsequently Davido for his label in South Africa. I diverted from working with artists to influencers in October 2018 and that is when my big break came, managing Mbali ‘Cherry’ Ubisi, who I’ve managed for over two years now. I also work with food influencers on countless campaigns. My agency ‘Mansa Musa Brands’ manages three of the four biggest beauty influencers in the country. In 2019, I followed my passion for art where I ran a monthly exhibition, which led me to meet my business partner Dumisani Bini, one of the biggest urban contemporary artists whose art pieces lay on the walls of Sandton’s finest restaurants. Currently, in 2020 I am handling the PR and marketing account for Social Media Week Durban.

Comment on the judging process.

The judging process consists of following the guidelines given to us. They thoroughly explain the type of attributes we should search for in a submission, which subsequently assists us in scoring each segment of the application before tallying up the total. The final judging session with the cluster judges assists in identifying what qualities we were looking for in each category.

What has the response been to this year’s entries?

This year’s entries are very competitive and great attention is needed as small details such as omitting information, which the agency has actually done in reality, can determine a winner of a category.

What makes winning work stand out?

Winning work in the categories I judged adhered to the brief guidelines, attended to all entry criteria and actually made a significant difference to the client by changing public perception of the brand and the target audience understanding their call to action.

What do you think young minds bring to the table?

Young minds bring fresh ideas to the table and efficiency. The youth are technologically accelerated and have advanced societal beliefs, which they can educate elderly people on and ensure the world develops at a faster rate, whilst inclusive of all humans.

What have you learnt working alongside the cluster judges?

I learnt that having a support structure that is there just to advise is essential for success. I also learnt that other individuals may have different opinions from you and it’s important to listen to their point of reasoning. The cluster judges also assisted in identifying when I was too generous to entrants.

What would the title of Prisms Young Judge for the 2020 awards mean to you?

The title of 'Prisms Young Judge' would be a great acknowledgement to me that I can outline the key aspects of a well-executed campaign and I can identify correct target audience messaging.

Comment on the current state of PR.

The current state of PR is digital as more social media platforms arise and the amount of people that are digitally connected increase. Many infants such as my own Mansa Musa Brands are being formed and seasoned agencies are having to focus more on social media marketing. South African brands are being more open to non-conventional forms of communication as Generation Z would rather spend on companies that add value to earth besides profit, an example being Nike. In future, the new digital agencies will be given bigger accounts and peer millennials with fresh methods in thinking and executing will occupy positions of power such as brand managers and account directors, which will bring new life to PR in South Africa.

As mentioned, the Awards take place on Friday, 15 May. Follow us on Twitter for live updates and visit our Prism Awards special section for other related content and a list of 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. Follow Tashinga Nyahunda on Twitter and Instagram.