The collaboration for a new broadcast platform between Red Carpet Creative (RCC) a PR, marketing and production agency for the luxury travel and hospitality sector and Maggie Mutangiri, the Founder and Director of Travel Africa Network, was initiated earlier in 2020.
The partnership sets out to reshape the media landscape, leveraging a global audience to reboot the travel and tourism industry throughout South Africa and Africa. The March 2021 launch of the Travel Africa global broadcast TV channel will deliver content to 135+ million homes and hotels across Europe, Middle East, and North Africa; covering everything from African culture, to gastronomy, the best places to travel and stay, and destination documentaries. A subsequent partnership has been forged with DSTV’s Spice TV, covering broadcast throughout South Africa and Africa with an additional 14 Million daily viewers.
Red Carpet celebrates its 11th year in operation this September 2020, with the global proliferation marking its greatest milestone. The innovative collaboration offers a 360 degree inter-continental marketing approach, with real-time audience interactivity.
Geared towards local and international travel audiences, the broadcast business model with editorial-digi-commerce integration aims to reboot brands with a stronger bounce-back and global footprint – their goal being to drive the rise in sustainable tourism, wildlife conservation, and economic SME stabilisation.
RCC Founding Director, Jade Allen said, ‘Africa has so many stories to tell. A continent rich in natural wildlife, culture, and undiscovered experiences. We will be showcasing the best this beautiful country and continent have to offer, highlighting its people, places, and natural wonders. Giving Africa a platform to tell its story to the world. With Covid-19 becoming a major challenge for the tourism industry in 2020 and halting most, if not all, of this enormous sector of the economy, we believe we must get creative – shifting our offerings and marketing strategies to stay afloat. There remains uncertainty not only as to how transport and accommodation services are able to implement strategies to facilitate social distancing measures, but also around how the regulations and tests at international borders will operate.’
‘As the tourism industry works hard to recover from the impact of the current pandemic, tourism marketers are responsible for implementing the right marketing strategies to ensure their destinations remain competitive. Generating destination appeal in new and existing markets is essential in determining a city, resort or region’s global competitive position and its overall economic and developmental success,’ explained Matungiri.
The media impact of this is substantial. ‘The migration of both editorial and advertorial content with digital commerce from print and online to international broadcast is one of the ways we aim to offer brands a targeted, fast-reaching, and powerful platform for immediate conversions,’ said Allen. The platform uses on-screen QR code integration for immediate e-commerce conversions.
Red Carpet Creative’s global media partners, travel bloggers, influencers and photojournalists represent the publicity leg of their media landscape. ‘Celebrated film and TV presenters have joined us in pioneering yet another platform plugin with broadcast to social media content streaming via IGTV (Instagram TV) for direct engagement with local audiences.’
‘Our team of celebrity presenters include Bonnie Mbuli, Jeannie D, Katlego Maboe, Tracey Lange, Harmony Katolundi, Jade (Daniel) Hubner, Josie Eveleigh, Ayanda Dlamini, Mamohau Seasane and Seth Shezi, to name a few. There are also international TV show hosts Ernest White II (Fly Brother PBS) and Jennifer Su, both of whom are US based. All talk-worthy, enticing client content can be propagated across the continent via our plethora of media and social network channels,’ she added.
While Allen joined forces with Mutangiri, establishing local and international media partnerships, production, presenter and content teams for the global broadcast network, Melissa Crous took up the position as Operations Director and Partner at Red Carpet Creative.
Crous will oversee the running of all PR, marketing, and event related client accounts, with Allen playing her part in strategic applications and contribution towards conceptual brand development through TV broadcast and travel experiences.
Through extensive experience and benchmarking tactics, Crous’ experience covers all industry facets, from media relations and marketing, to graphic design, social media, website development, market research and event management.
RED CARPET CREATIVE
redcarpetcreative.co.za
