This month we chat to Michael Krynauw, newly appointed Head of Digital at Joox, a Naspers-owned music streaming business. With over a decade’s experience in Digital, on both client and agency side, he shares some valuable insights with our readers as well as his thoughts on where we can expect Digital to go in South Africa and Africa in the next few years.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Inquisitive, Determined and Ambitious
Tell us a bit about your new role at Joox?
I’ve recently joined Joox as Head of Brand and Digital, this is a fantastic opportunity to look at all areas of the marketing landscape to determine what levers need to be pulled to acquire users into Joox at the best price and at the same time identify areas to retain and re-engage our audiences with relevant and impactful content. The music streaming industry is highly competitive and you always need to be questioning the status quo and evaluating what marketing mix is optimal to keep users engaged on a daily basis
How is Joox different from other music streaming services like Spotify?
Joox crafted its position as a music streaming platform that creates meaningful value between fans and artists. With a full local team on the ground in South Africa this has given us the opportunity to react quickly to local trends and needs. During the pandemic, as an example, we understood the plight of artists who had lost their livelihoods and felt it our responsibility to do what we could to offer our support. This led to the creation of a number of unique initiatives including Gig to Earn which paid local artist to perform live in JOOX This was followed by our Big Live initiative where JOOX created live shows in app by leading South African musicians including Cassper Nyovest, The Parlatones, Mi Casa, Demi Lee, Vusi Nova, Master KG, Jeremy Loops and Shekinah to name a few. JOOX also supported up and coming artists through our JOOX Live Wednesdays, which again provided a stage for local up and coming talent to get noticed and stand a chance to open up for the big live artists, an opportunity that they would have never been available to them during this time. JOOX coins store is another unique product feature which rewards users for participating in daily activities with coins. Coins can be used to earn VIP subscriptions as well as purchase goods in our Coin store.
How would you describe JOOX’s Digital Marketing Strategy?
JOOX is deeply focused on ensuring that our audiences are engaged on a daily basis, this means constantly looking at ways to reach and interact audiences with relevant and impactful content and ensuring that users have a great experience using JOOX.
What do you love most about your job?
The people! JOOX has managed to secure some of SA’s best talent and working with such a wide variety of experienced individuals has been rewarding and exciting.
The most important lesson you’ve learnt in your professional career so far?
Team work makes the dream work! The most successful business and teams are ones that have found a rhythm and a strong work culture centred around performance.
Where do you believe Digital commerce is heading in South Africa/Africa?
It’s going to grow from strength to strength. We have only really begun. Digital commerce in South Africa is still only a small percentage of total trading and the pandemic has showed us we have a long way to go, but it has sparked action by many leading business to take digital commerce more seriously.
What advice do you have for aspiring Digital Marketers?
Question everything and keep an open mind. Speak to as many contacts you have the industry to understand what new tools/tech or platforms have been developed and how this can your current business. Digital is ever changing so be comfortable with the fact that the only constant is change.
Best advice anyone has ever given you?
Back yourself. Trust your intuition and always keep your eye on the big picture – your vision for success!
When I’m not working, I’m…
At the gym, running, mountain biking, spending quality times with friends and family. I’ve also recently started playing the piano which has been a lifelong goal.
