By Adam Wakefield

Total Exposure was founded in 1995. Who founded the agency and what led to its founding?

Total Exposure was founded by Sandra Chidrawi and myself in 1995, and launched as the first entertainment publicity consultancy in the country. We saw there was gap in the market with no other agencies positioned as pure publicity consultancies with media relations as its core.

Secondly, it was post independent South Africa which had suddenly opened up to the world and, for the first time, we were on the map for international music tours. We both worked in the music industry and had reached a glass ceiling with regards to promotions; so those two factors prompted us to take the risk and launch.

Total Exposure operates within the sponsorship, lifestyle, media, events, online reputation management, entertainment, fashion and sports fields. What led Total Exposure to work in these areas? Was it a conscious choice or a result of how the chips fell in regards to the clients the agency works with?

It was a conscious decision with the scope evolving over time. When we launched, we focused primarily on music – that was our collective background and was where we had contacts, reach, and reputation. However, over time, we broadened our focus so as to grow the business, but defined it as consumer lifestyle. The one commonality is that these business areas ultimately communicate to the same audience – and so we continued to build on that expertise. We still believe that a niche focus yields the best results.

Strategic communications is a term used by Total Exposure, and one which holds weight in the wider industry. To the agency, what is meant by strategic communications, and where does it fit into the business landscape today?

We realised very early on that there are two parts to this puzzle – strategy and execution. We also realised that what defined us versus our competition is that we did both parts very well; whereas the common experience was that PR agencies were strong on execution but not strategy. Even more critically, we know that without strategy there is limited success.

Strategy is probably more relevant today than ever before. Research has shown that in the next 20 years’, brands will be looking to communication consultancies to provide strategic thinking more so than execution. The media landscape today allows for anyone to publish and execute campaigns – but what it really needs is a good strategy behind it.

There has been a shift within the PR and communications industry where there is a combining of certain functions between marketing and PR. How has Total Exposure adjusted to these happenings? How do you intend on positioning the agency to ensure that it remains on the pulse of what is happening?

There is a revolution happening in communications. And the lines are being blurred between all disciplines in the field – advertising, digital, activations, eventing, PR. Clients are asking all disciplines to collaborate and for ideas to lead campaigns. PR communication has always had to have ideas at its core which we have had to sell on their merits.

If your idea is not strong enough, no media will buy it. And today, that’s never been truer, with most communication now being one to one. Content is central to all communication and we have only ever produced compelling content since day one. What has changed is the proliferation of channels to place that content in.

How has Total Exposure responded and adjusted to digital’s rise and solidification as an important facet of the communications industry?
       
Core services within agencies of the future include storytelling, creative and content, as well as paid, earned and shared media, along with an understanding of how to activate the different channels. We have been building that capacity for some time now and will continue to do so. Its been an organic journey as PR is at the coalface of communication and feels the shifts first.

For those working at Total Exposure, what are the most important skills the agency values and why?

Strategic thinking, creativity, people skills, digital understanding, research, writing, planning and the ability to sell your ideas. This industry requires grit and the ability to bring to life strong creative and strategic ideas.

For more information, visit www.totalexposure.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.