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Prism Awards Special Section

#Prisms2018: Meet young judge Warren Mposi

In the run-up to the 21st Prism Awards taking place on Sunday, 22 April, we chatted to this year's cohort of young judges about their fresh approach to the judging process.

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.

Warren Mposi, account manager at Magna Carta.
Warren Mposi, account manager at Magna Carta.

Here, our interview with Warren Mposi, account manager at Magna Carta…

BizcommunityWhat does this recognition and opportunity mean to you?

This recognition means so much to me as a young public relations practitioner, cementing the fact that hard work and perseverance pays off at the end of the day. The opportunity presented by this recognition is priceless, as the amount of insight and the level of expertise that you get exposed to is truly an experience for all PR practitioners to experience at least once.

BizcommunityBriefly tell us about your experience in the industry.

I would say that my experience in the industry has been mostly positive. I learn new things every day and I would like to believe that I grow with every campaign, press release and every event I am involved in.

I have recently discovered that nothing will be handed to you in this industry, as you are only judged by the quality of your last project and you have to be uncharacteristically consistent.

BizcommunityComment on the judging process.

Firstly, the judging process wasn’t easy. The hardest part of the judging process is avoiding any potential of you being biased towards any of the campaigns based on your personal preferences. It’s extremely challenging judging, as certain campaigns were excellent, yet the manner in which they were submitted failed to follow the guidelines and we are only able to judge based on what is placed in front of us, and therefore have to be fair to all entries.

BizcommunityWhat makes the winning work stand out?

Any PR agency or organisation can plan an event, write a press release and roll out a campaign for any client. Yet, the wow-factor is usually what we look for, that essential spark of creativity that places the cherry on the top of any campaign - this is usually the element that is the creative spark of differentiation that we look for.

BizcommunityPrisa 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?

I think this is very important to start grooming the future leaders of the field at a very young level. This is important as it serves as the foundation for the PR industry and lays the first brick of confidence for future generations.

I was nominated for the Student Campaign of the Year, and although I did not win, that single nomination gave me the confidence to march on and less than a year later I am on the Prisms Young Judges panel. I hope that what the Student Campaign of the Year Award did for me, it can replicate for future PR professionals.

BizcommunityWhat do you think young minds bring to the table?

We bring a different perspective to the judging process. Prestige judges have a certain way of viewing campaigns, yet young minds are in touch with the latest trends and technology.

Young minds have spent the majority of their lives on the receiving end of all PR campaigns, yet they have valuable grassroots-level insight on what works with their demographic and what is a hit and miss.

BizcommunityWhat have you learnt working alongside the cluster judges?

I have learnt to look past the fancy bells and whistles that have been wrapped around the campaign, instead I was taught to look at the campaigns and understand that while certain objectives need to be met for the client, the campaigns themselves actually had to improve the lives of the market.

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

Firstly, I believe that traditional PR is dead. Secondly, I feel that the PR industry is in a state that more intergradation amongst different media disciplines is needed. And I see the future of PR being a combination of media disciplines such as advertising, marketing, social and digital, being basic skills that are wielded by the average PR professional.

BizcommunityWhat would the title of Prisms Young Judge for the 2018 awards mean to you?

The title alone holds so much weight, but holistically I feel that the title signifies the foundation of the future of PR professionals that will follow and will lead the industry in the coming years.

BizcommunityWhat are you most looking forward to in terms of this year’s Awards?

What I am looking forward to most is the display of the high calibre of work that has been submitted. I feel that the look on the faces of those who have impressed and deserve to win will be a beacon of excellence for other media disciplines, showcasing the standard of PR in South Africa.

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.

About Jessica Tennant

Jess is Senior Editor: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com. She is also a contributing writer. moc.ytinummoczib@swengnitekram
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