Razor's Kalay Maistry and NTT Data's Marian Scala named in Provoke Media’s Innovator 25 EMEA

(Images supplied. Artwork: Lesley Svenson, Bizcommunity)

The list features innovators who are addressing the industry’s challenges with ingenuity and creativity to create meaningful and, hopefully, lasting change during tumultuous times.

“Many innovators on the 2024 list are leading the way – often vocally – on big societal issues from DEI to women’s healthcare.

“The breadth of our 2024 class shows that innovation is found across the PR industry — our innovators across the EMEA region this year include experts in creativity, AI, data and intelligence, social and digital, corporate and crisis, and public policy,” states Provoke Media.

SA has what it takes

Maistry says it is a great honour, and humbling, to be featured as one of the key innovators in EMEA amongst such a prestigious group of global professionals and world-class agencies.

She adds that she is proud that two South Africans made the list. “This demonstrates that we have locally what it takes to lead in innovation.”

She says she has been focused on applying innovation through creativity in the corporate communications and reputation management space, and this is why some of South Africa’s premier brands trust her counsel.

“Being recognised motivates me to keep pushing the boundaries in terms of leveraging creativity, and the AI environment we find ourselves in, to keep improving how we can protect reputations and improve communications.”

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Reminder of the impact of PR

For Scala being named one of Provoke Media’s 25 Innovators for EMEA is truly an honour.

“It is a powerful reminder of the impact PR and communications can have on both business and society and a celebration of the dynamic nature of our industry across the region.

“I’m deeply grateful for this recognition and for the incredible teams and mentors who’ve supported me along the way.”

Known for her ability to guide organisations through transformative rebranding and reputation management initiatives, this year Scala led the Dimension Data brand - a 40-year-old South African household name - transition to NTT Data.

This was a complex multi-market process that included aligning messaging with corporate goals while navigating regional sensitivities and involved an integrated communications approach.

Scala’s success includes a 64% increase in tier 1 earned media, compared to the previous year, a 90% engagement rate with the brand’s content by its top 50 accounts, and growing the LinkedIn following to over 500,000 followers with an engagement rate of +10%.

“We had an Improved brand perception in 2023, with a 25% increase in marketing pipeline, compared to the previous year, resulting in a 10% increase in bookings,” says Scala.

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EMEA innovators make up

The 2024 EMEA innovators are 64% women and 36% men, 28% people of colour, of whom 12% are Black.

Agency-side professionals represent 76% of the list, with 12% in-house and 4% working in other kinds of organisations.

The UK makes up the majority of the list. Besides South Africa innovators from Sweden, the UAE, Portugal and Ukraine are represented.

Provoke Media has stated that this year's list breaks with tradition by actually including 26 individuals, as we've counted the co-founders of innovative crisis simulation firm Polpeo, Kate Hartley and Tamara Littleton, as one entity.

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PR’s opportunities

The 75 global innovators, from across all three global regions, EMEA, the Americas and APAC, have ranked the industry’s greatest opportunities to take the lead in innovation as:

1. Creative ideas (40%, up from 22% last year)
   
2. Integrated marketing (16%, down from 44%) last year
   
3. Data, analytics and measurement (16%)
   
4. Business transformation (12%)
   
5. AI and martech (6%)
   
6. DEI (5%)
   
7. Content creation (5%)

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PR's level of innovation

Compared to other marketing disciplines 37% of the list sees PR’s level of innovation as equal to other marketing disciplines, 39% see it as more innovative and 21% less.

Scala’s advice to PR professionals is to embrace innovation if they want to stay relevant, create impactful campaigns, and connect meaningfully with ever-evolving audiences.

“PR professionals need to be continuously upskilling in digital trends, embracing innovation through new tools such as AI.”

She urges PR professionals to experiment with emerging platforms, such as AR, VR, and new content formats like podcasts and live streams to captivate audiences.

“Stay adaptable, running pilot campaigns to test ideas, and collaborate with marketing and tech teams for integrated campaigns.”

But she says PR professionals need to prioritise ethical, transparent practices to build trust.

Maistry says the PR industry is a dynamic industry that constantly evolves and while this can be challenging, it also presents exciting opportunities.

“Innovation and growth are inherently tied to change.”

However, she says if you find yourself overwhelmed by the pace of innovation, seek out like-minded individuals who can provide support and guidance.

“Collaboration can be both comforting and empowering, fostering personal and professional growth.”