“We understand that audiences are more sophisticated than ever, and that clients need more than just the same old stuff in order to reach them,” says Madiba. “They need an agency that has a long-term commitment to their business, but which is also innovative and nimble enough to adapt to changing market realities.”
It is with this in mind that PR Powerhouse has been consistently working to build up a reputation as an agency that not only delivers, but which is strategic and creative too. Its focus is on more than just the usual methodologies, but on taking clients on an ever-evolving journey of communicating with their audiences.
“This means thinking differently about communications challenges, and about consciously adding value every step of the way,” says Madiba.
Born in the digital age, Madiba and her team bring not only the skills and experience they have earned in multi-national agencies to this task, but a special kind of nous about how individuals today experience a brand.
Working with a select client list that includes Novo Nordisk, A.P. Moller Maersk, the Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation and Novartis among others, PR Powerhouse sets out to become an extension of its clients’ communications function, to add something unique to each organisation’s communications mix, and to deliver on a variety of different projects through a carefully constructed networking model.
One of the ways in which the agency has done this is to explore new ways in which to reach different audiences for its clients.
“For example, working with Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, we have seeked to demonstrate the company’s commitment to the prevention as well as the treatment of this chronic condition. We felt that one of the ways in which they could do this would be to become actively and visibly involved in supporting World Diabetes Day, which we have done with great success since 2011.”
Another challenge was to reach young people with a healthy lifestyle message, because statistics show that the average age for the onset of Type 2 diabetes has dropped dramatically over the past two decades.
“We began the process of opening up this audience for Novo Nordisk by arranging for the company to host a music concert with a healthy living message in Johannesburg’s Mary Fitzgerald Square. The concert was free, and all attendees could visit a mobile on-site clinic for free testing, lifestyle management information and advice on how to manage diabetes effectively.”
This initiative was a first of its kind for a pharmaceutical company, and gave it a kind of street cred that more traditional advertising and PR could never have achieved.
“We pride ourselves on really knowing our clients,” says Madiba, “and especially on listening to them. So when Novo Nordisk said it needed to reach a younger audience, we listened and heard. As with all of our clients, we actively engaged the client’s communications team on this objective and asked that most important of questions: Why? That’s because we take nothing for granted. We work with our clients to create exactly the kind of PR that’s right for them.”
This effort extends beyond the country’s borders too, as PR Powerhouse is a proudly South African company with a strong African presence. Having established a network of alliances in countries like Angola, Kenya and Nigeria, Madiba and her team now work closely with agencies in these countries for companies like A.P. Moller Maersk.
“Again, this is about breaking new ground,” says Madiba, “especially in countries like Angola, where this particular client is only starting to go full steam with PR”.
What is the secret of the agency’s success?
“For a start, we’ve found and know our niche. In many cases, we partner with advertising and brand management agencies that don’t have an in-house PR function in order to offer this added value to their clients.
“We also bring a special set of skills to the table. We are able to look at a PR challenge and conceptualise a creative solution that is aligned to the client’s strategic goals. And our plugged-in approach to implementation enables us to put our clients into the spotlight by leveraging all aspects of the PR mix: from media communications to reputation management; from event marketing to community outreach; from brand PR to social media, which is a fundamental part of our DNA.”
With so much under the belt in just two short years, what does the future hold for PR Powerhouse?
“It’s a rapidly changing world out there,” says Madiba, “so the next few years are bound to bring new challenges and to test every aspect of our creativity. But we’re open for business and we’re up to the challenge, so bring it on!”
For further information about PR Powerhouse, visit
www.prpowerhouse.co.za.