Naidu spoke to media update’s Adam Wakefield about Lifestyle Motoring’s move into the Sunday Times’ entire print run, advice for budding motoring journalists, and what influences the way car brands are perceived by the public.

What does it mean for the Lifestyle Motoring brand that it will now be available to all who get the Sunday Times? What changes, if any, are required, given the expanded reach?

Lifestyle Motoring panders to the demand for more motoring content in the Sunday Times. In its previous guise, the title was a standalone supplement distributed to selected subscribers. Being integrated into Lifestyle will mean adapting content to the format of its parent supplement.

That means taking a step away from the technical minutiae that usually defines automotive journalism – while remaining incisive, authoritative and, above all, entertaining. Lifestyle Motoring will feature in the last week of each month. 

What is the difference between the weekly editing work you do at The Times and Sowetan, and the monthly work you do for Lifestyle Motoring? What are the challenges?

The motoring sections of The Times and Sowetan newspapers reflect the nature of their respective parent publications. They offer sharp, concise round-ups of the weekly happenings in the automotive world. That includes impressions of models driven at launches, news and announcements, as well as road tests.

Lifestyle Motoring extends the scope to lengthier features with greater depth, comparative tests, classic cars, celebrity features – and stories that stray from the beaten path. Obviously, forward-planning alleviates much of the anxiety involved in keeping the machines operating optimally. And staying aware of the different identities of either is imperative too. The challenges are outweighed by the fulfilment enjoyed by a team that works tirelessly to deliver engaging automotive content.

What do you believe is the biggest misunderstanding advertisers have about the motoring reader market in South Africa? What is this niche looking for in the content they read?

Tough one, I must be honest. The landscape has changed a great deal and there are an overwhelming number of outlets that consumers can turn to for automotive content. Some assert the future lies in individual personalities with massive followings, rather than traditional publications. But I think that there’s always going to be a demand for relatable, curated content aligned to a title with credibility and history.

I suppose the prerogative will always lie with advertisers to decide which outlets resonate best with the audience they are trying to engage with.

For budding motoring journalists out there, what three pieces of advice would you offer them if they wanted to get into the motoring journalism industry? 

A basic love for cars doesn’t guarantee suitability to automotive journalism. The notion that motoring scribes spend their lives cruising in fancy wheels is an illusion, even though some make it look that way on Instagram.

Most of your days are going to be spent in the office, planning things and trying to craft stories that blend riveting prose with palatable explanations of technical stuff. Also, rid the misconception that you are going to become Chris Harris or Jeremy Clarkson. Try to emulate them and you will fail. 

Honing your persona as a trustworthy commentator with a unique voice takes time. Start reading voraciously. And not just the assessments of automotive publications. The mechanics of a good story remain the same; whether you’re talking about cars or cats in trees. And always remember who you serve: the reader. Don’t be despondent if your writing proposals aren’t met with favourable answers. Criticism is a given. Put yourself out there and be willing to learn.

Lastly, what are the biggest factors influencing the way a car brand is perceived by the general public? How many of those factors are under the control of the brand itself? 

There are countless examples of how effective groundwork shapes perceptions. Take the French, for example. Renault has been tireless in a bid to stay etched in the collective psyche – their campaigns have yielded impressive sales figures. Peugeot, on the other hand, is in a precarious state locally. They were far too quiet. The peculiar thing is that both manufacturers sell products of an equally good standard. Then you have Datsun, a brand lamented by the press for their substandard offerings which lack in basic safety amenities. 

Yet, the carmaker manages to attain impressive monthly sales figures. So it’s a bit of both. Manufacturers wield serious clout. But so does the press. Our duty, after all, is to aid informed decisions and dispense unbiased consumer advice.

For more information, visit www.blackstaradroom.co.za.

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Lifestyle Motoring is changing the way motoring is read in the Sunday Times, and Money, in the Business Times, is doing the same for personal finance. Read more in our article, Laura du Preez: Making finance journalism personal.

*Image courtesy of Tiso Blackstar Group