By Adam Wakefield

Since you joined Viacom (formerly MTV Networks) in 1998, how has the emphasis on analytics and research changed within the organisation when it comes to producing content? 

MTV Networks – as it then was – has always been adept at using research and analytics to drive its business decisions and to inform music programming, events and other activations. What has changed are the tools that we use to capture that research. Back in 1998, using online communities as a research tool had probably never been thought of, but we are always keen to add new tools to our research armoury as they have been developed.

The Power of Plugged In study was awarded the Rookie of the Year Award at the Vision Critical 2016 EMEA Summit. What were the chief insights produced by the document that affected, or are to affect, the way VIMN Africa functions? 

The document showed how online communities can be used quickly, efficiently and cost effectively to test the water on key decisions which impact content and viewership – choices such as “Who would be the best host for this show?”, “Where should we hold a certain event?” and so on. Online communities do not replace existing research tools but complement what we already do, and are just one of the many research methods that we use to inform our decisions.

You are a champion of initiatives that motivate, empower and educate African youth, such as Choose and Lose, MTV Base Meets, and MTV Shuga. Why do you believe it is important for content producers to get involved in such initiatives and does VIMN and its associated brands monitor what happens to the participants in the initiatives?

At VIMN Africa we believe we have a responsibility to give back to our communities and viewers by creating initiatives that empower or inform them – this has been the driving force behind voter motivation initiatives such as Choose or Lose, or multimedia campaigns like MTV Base Meets… or MTV Making the Video, a skills exchange programme.

We don’t have a formal process of tracking participants with our initiatives but we do check in with many of them from time-to-time through our teams and some of them still work with us in some capacity. Many of the actors involved in MTV Shuga are still active ambassadors for the project and continue to have links with the series long after their roles have finished.

You were the mind behind the launch of the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) in 2008. How has the Awards’ brand grown since its launch, and broadly speaking, how is Africa’s place within the VIMN strategy changing in the next five to 10 years if it is at all? How important is the continent within the organisation’s broader outlook? 

The MAMA is our biggest programming event and continues to grow in terms of impact and reach. This year, we had over 20 countries involved with the campaign, and a potential audience of over one billion people will have access to MAMA content. We are also fortunate that it attracts a diversity of partners/sponsors. This year, there was Absolut, DStv, Google, Joburg Tourism, and MTN. Its stature has grown since we launched in 2008 and it is now seen as Africa’s premiere music awards programme.

VIMN Africa is one of the businesses’ fastest growing and most profitable operations outside of the USA and, as such, will continue to play an important role in the organisations international growth and expansion.

How important is mobile in VIMN Africa’s approach to the continent? 

Mobile is a growing component of how we deliver relevant content to consumers on the continent. It is no longer a marketing tool for driving linear content, but a strong platform for super-serving our consumers with branded content when and how they want it.

Our Playplex mobile application offers a phenomenal opportunity for consumers to enjoy our content. We are hoping to continue growing and expanding our mobile proposition as the penetration of smartphones increases and data costs become cheaper. 

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*Image courtesy of Total Exposure