It has been one of my missions to deepen public consciousness on what PR actually is. I recently did a facebook video in Shona (mixed with English) on the subject, however I would like to put forward some ideas in writing. This time making a case study of PR, by exploring the style of a well known , award winning educator in Zimbabwe known as Maxwell Chimedza.
This individual has won numerous awards, including one awarded by Meta (formerly Facebook). A lot more awards, press pieces, accolades and such have emerged over the years but it would be super misleading to dive into those before we address how an initial deserved surge of PR sparked his popularity, driving up his sales to his packages.
You may actually click the above phrase to read the story after this in a new tab. – Thanks!
Now why did they name themselves , “Rest of World”. Well the answer on their website goes as follows:
Why “Rest of World”? It’s a corporate catchall term used in the West to designate “everyone else.” Companies use it to lump together people and markets outside wealthy Western countries. We like the term because it encapsulates the problems we fight head-on: a casual disregard for billions of people, and a Western-centric worldview that leaves an unthinkable number of insights, opportunities, and nuances out of the global conversation.
With that established. You can imagine how this spark caused a veld fire of publicity where many other publications picked up the story of Maxwell Chimedza. Even local papers that had previous snubbed his prowess in teaching and producing hundreds of A’s had no choice but to tap in on the action. – That is the power of good PR marketing.
Side Note : As I write this, I realize I have a lot to unpack and you may not understand everything you need to understand about what I am saying through this one post. As such, to get the sequel to this article, I recommend, joining my Whats App Group or my Facebook Group. So that you catch it in my feed!
Let’s get back on track!
Now that media attention, attracted more media attention and business people donating computers, equipment, phones to the main man! – I won’t get into detail on that but I may come back to this post to include a linktree to the receipts ones day. – If you know you know!
Long after the buzz Maxwell has been doing his PR by himself in a different way.
No newspaper appearances.
No podcasts!
No televised mini documentaries as he did in the first days.
Just MEMES, relatable quotes, jokes, Winky D stan-ship and lots of Sadza and gango eating pics!
And… Yes that’s still brilliant PR. If not the best.
We tend to forget that PR means Public Relations! Your RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC!
Most people think of PR from a Linked in type of perspective, where you must always be eloquent in suits with Christopher Mutsvangwa Tier vocabulary, to say the least.
However a RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC can be you addressing your new found audience in your true element, and exposing them to pieces of you that they relate to, to make them aware of shared realities, joys, struggles, pains and ambitions.
That’s what I have seen this man doing for the past 2 years and i admire it. I have seen screenshots and been in groups where he was being recommended as the go to guy in his absence.
Revered for his authentic aura, realism, and perspective of life outside of what they buy his services for.
Do not get me wrong. I don’t assume his posting comes from a place of marketing, but rather by posting his true views and real life he is doing more PR than people who sit in a board room to strategize how they are going to pretend to be who they are not.
Yes in some instances he makes posts to remind you that his services are available. – This is important too, because new followers who may primarily like him for who he is may be unaware that he can solve their problems.
So keep this in mind: Whilst your PR can be driven by you exhibiting your authenticity to public, it’s important to realize that at any given stage, there is always someone who missed the memo about who you are and what you provide.
You may be the most popular car dealer in town, but being popular isn’t being known by everyone, it’s just being known by more people. You may have 300,000 , be known by a million, but the world has over world 8 billion people and people are getting pregnant daily! – So promote what you do with no guilt in between posts.
Put it in your bio, your featured images, your cover photo. – Post in groups that champion it. Eradicate brokeness! Stop thinking that “not posting” is virtuous, yet you ask for soft loans from people who post.
Back to Maxwell Chimedza!
When he proudly poses with his look alike daughter, or sitting on the same benches we sit on at cricket. Then sometimes lamenting about how he has been hurt by family, friends, betrayed, distrusted and disgusted. He is creating an organic relationship with him.
We love and hate him like family. Those who don’t like Winky D whom he reveres, still love him. They may prefer Holy Ten or Jah Prayzah, but the contradiction becomes the connection, like best buddies who are Liverpool vs Manchester united fans.
So the biggest take-away from this is, public relations is not only in eloquence, suiting up, brand logos and colours.
Yes all those aspects must not e ignored either but they have their own space in the grander scheme of things.
PR is beyond press releases and unneccessary verbiage and Latin terms to intimidate the vulgar!
If you are a business person reading this, engage with me, primarily through my Facebook page then we can see if we are ideal to work with each other or I will refer you to the right people to work with. I have deliberately grown a high level network of journalists, musicians , thinkers and designers that you would mutually benefit from.
As such, a free first step is to also join my group to never miss any updates.
There is more to this than I wrote, but let’s continue this conversation in the next post. Good bye!
