By Sekelwa Mpambo
Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz 2018 – through the lens of a marketing intern
For a marketing novice who also happens to be a lover of jazz, working for the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz has been an experience of a lifetime, both personally and professionally. Even more rewarding was being a part of Ganizani Consulting, the team tasked with making a success of the marketing of an event as big and as prestigious as the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz which greatly changed my outlook on integrated marketing. The amount of work and sacrifice that goes into marketing an internationally acclaimed jazz festival is a lot. And to witness the sheer dedication and diligence from the Ganizani team has given me a new understanding of what it takes to be a successful marketer who understands their client and audience and immersing yourself in a brand.
Aside from the myriad of emotion and the plethora of emails, what does nine days till The Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz look like behind the marketing scenes? For Catherine Kapanga, accounts manager for Ganizani, “it constantly keeps me on my toes! Every day is something new! My problem and project management skills are being developed daily”.
Other than the opportunity to diversify my skill set, my biggest lesson has been witnessing that the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz is more than a festival and what it takes to encapsulate that sentiment when marketing it. As Nina Simone said, Jazz itself is not just music, it is a way of life and of thinking. It is our past and its potential, summed up and sanctified and accessible to anybody who learns to listen to, feel, and understand it. Jazz can connect us to our earlier selves and to our better selves-to-come. It can remind us of where we fit on the time line of human achievement, an ultimate value of art”.
An integral part of the campaign was to making people “feel the music and live the jazz”, Joy of Jazz launched the following compaigns, some of which where my highlights:
- Road to Standard Bank Joy of Jazz with Oletta Adams and Wanda Baloyi
- GelezaKleva and Learn
- Colloquium – In Conversation With
- Jazz Cares
- Celebrating Women’s HeART
My Personal Highlights
Standard Bank Joy of Jazz: Gelezakleva workshops:
Youth in underserved communities who are interested in the various niches of the music industry, were afforded the opportunity to learn from renowned people in the industry through these workshops. I particularly enjoyed the Geleza Kleva and Learn workshops because I am passionate about youth development and the Geleza Kleva and Learn workshops are part of a development program that is aimed at empowering the youth with knowledge from music fundis. Topics ranged from, copywriting and composing to events management and performance – and the youth enjoyed the presence of artists such as Ntsika from The Soil who spoke passionately about the art of performing and Mantwa Chinoamadi, executive producer for the Joy of Jazz, who spoke about events planning.
Celebrating Women’s heART
Women celebrating women – those present and those who’ve passed, in an event that was aimed at commemorating and fellowshipping what it means to be a woman in art and to appreciate the role that each woman, young and old, play in making women in society free in not only their art but also in their respective lives – be it music or otherwise. Powerful women in music such as Letta Mbuli, Sibongile Khumalo, Nothemba descended on Constitutional Hill to celebrate womanhood and to pay homage to women who’ve paved the way for other women.
Jazzy Fridays
As part of the final build up to the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, the Jazzy Fridays, in partnership with Tsogo Sun, were a chance to get a sneak peak into what the festival holds for audiences. For us, it was a chance to experience the fun part of working. This is where I came to learn why wine was dubbed “the elixir of the gods”. Gugu Shezi, Femi Koya, and Dudu Makhoba wowed audiences in an intimate affair for three nights only.