Positive Dialogue, in partnership with Duke, has launched its specialist influencer marketing division. It will offer its unique hybrid blend of authentic human connection underpinned by artificial intelligence and machine learning, a move that Managing Director Tracy Jones said hits the sweet spot where being culturally relevant overlaps with data and insights.
The division will be headed by influencer and renowned content creator Natalie Roos as it gears up to offer its clients best-of-breed communication solutions in a post-pandemic world. Roos has had a glittering career, with most of it spent in the travel sector, on influencer campaigns for major tourism brands such as Reunion Island Tourism and the Stellenbosch Wine Route. Her team is boosted by the arrival of PR professional Crystal Raman, who joins as campaign manager, while Kasheefa Meyer shores up the execution arm of the new division.
Positive Dialogue is part of the Duke Group of companies. ‘This launch was the next logical step in the Duke Group’s overall strategy, with all the agencies in the group fitting together like puzzle pieces that reveal the big picture: an insights-driven, 360 degree brand and communications solution. Duke is making big, bold moves as it bets on the future of our industry on this continent and beyond. We don’t chase accolades for the sake of winning awards, however winning Best Influencer Marketing Campaign alongside our Duke partner Mark 1 provides the validation and impetus to take our influencer marketing to a new level.’
‘Our influencer division works in parallel to the existing Positive Dialogue PR business with its proven skillset, as well as intimately with Duke’s other businesses, such as digital creative agency Mark 1, for example, where content created in our campaigns can be amplified with a paid media strategy with our expert in-house partners,’ she said.
Roos will lead the Positive Dialogue Influence team from Nairobi, Kenya, a strategic coup, opening Africa’s borders to clients. The rest of the team will sit alongside Positive Dialogue’s extended team and important partners in the Duke Group, such as CEO Wayne Naidoo, Brand Strategist Steve Miller, and Suhana Gordhan, who recently joined the Duke Group as Executive Creative Director. They are all an integral part of the ideation team.
Roos has worked on integrated, content-driven digital campaigns for brands like Old Mutual and Land Rover and won brands such as the Protea Hotels group and Pepsi. She is also an accomplished digital media editor, having served numerous positions at the Associated Media group.
‘Having had the opportunity to work as an influencer myself, I have experience working on campaigns with brands such as Cotton On, Capitec Bank, Volkswagen, Adidas, Attitude Hotels and many more, creating content that both resonates with my audience and effectively communicates the brand’s message. My passion is content excellence,’ said Roos.
