Platt breaks barriers and redefines media business

The Women in Media annual conference took place on Saturday, April 20, at Nedbank in Windhoek.

This conference, which began in 2021, was established to provide a place for women within the media fraternities, from student journalists and interns to media business owners, lecturers, and public relations and communication specialists, to come together and collaborate, network, and exchange ideas.

Limba Mupetami, the co-founder of Women in Media. Image from Nedbank Namibia

The co-founders of Women in Media, Limba Mupetami (far left) and Jemima Beukes (far right) with some women who gave speeches and were part of the panel discussion. Images from Nedbank Namibia

One of the speakers, Ilke Platt, the founder of Poiyah Media, gave a speech on breaking barriers and women redefining media business challenges. Platt also touched on how public relations used to be the last thing on the agenda at meetings and the least in the budget.

“Covid-19 has elevated public relations, communications, and marketing to the next level because now everybody has to communicate,” Platt said, adding that the pandemic allowed her to broadcast on her own platform.

“Nobody is above; nobody is under. We’re all equal. When I make it somewhere, I bring along my sister in Christ so that we’re all on this ship sailing together.

“The level of comfortability will get us ten steps backwards,” Platt said. “My generation was born 22 years ago, and there are now people who don’t watch NBC because we’re all streaming.”

Platt said that times are changing and brands need to consistently reinvent themselves every single time.

“The value of the brand is what we have to execute. We don’t have to be on every single platform that doesn’t suit us as the brand or the company,” Platt stated.

“A brand is only as good as the last thing it has done.”
Ilke Platt

Platt further said that with every setback, we need to look for an opportunity, adding that if your business is not waterproof, it’s going to sink.

“We learn while we say yes, because the moment we think that we need to be overly qualified, people are going to get the fish before us,” Platt expressed.

Part of the audience at the Women in Media Conference during a speech by Ilke Platt — Part of the audience at the Women in Media Conference. Image from Nedbank Namibia

The Poiyah Media founder also spoke about influencers and how everybody can now have their own voice online, and those often aren’t verified, later stating that social media has made the actual service or product bigger than it actually is.

“When we say yes to clients, they should be worth our time, our efforts, and the resources we put out. I would rather have five good-paying clients than 100 in my portfolio,” Platt stated.

We do the job until we learn how to do it.
Ilke Platt

Platt encouraged those considering going into business to stick to their value because if they don’t stick to it and they are everywhere, it won’t be special anymore. After all, people get comfortable with it and no longer appreciate it as much.

“When you go out in business, make sure that when you are in the media with everybody, you stand out. And when you stand out, they will say, ‘We want Poiyah. Yes, we got a cheaper quotation, but it’s the brand, the character, and the professionalism that always do it for me’”, Platt said.

The businesswoman further said that another challenge is that with the rise of artificial intelligence, a fictitious place is created and people cannot overdeliver on the promise that has been made, ultimately setting themselves up for failure.

“One of the major things that face businesses is that everything is right,” Platt said. “What does that ‘right’ mean for you and your client? If it works for you, it works for you.”

Platt added that influencing will always be there, even 25 years from now, because the characters never change.

“Maybe the packaging may change, but the person that you met 22 years ago is the same feeling you need to have after 22 years because the brand’s character never changes,” Platt said, adding that exterior motives may change but internal ones should never change.

That takes development, consistency, and remaining relevant to the generation at hand.

Platt concluded that all she has done and achieved was by God’s grace and blessings.

“I have God-fearing people that see everything behind the makeup, and when you jump into business in the middle of a divorce, it’s strong women that pray for you to succeed,” Platt said, adding that not everyone cheering you on is genuinely happy for you, and we therefore need to pray for discernment.