by Thinus Ferreira
Similar to its inadequate PR communication a year ago for two new shows (one of which already tanked and got cancelled) e.tv once again seemed to have failed with a haphazard PR communication strategy for its new show Isiphetho that started on Monday night.
With e.tv once again not properly communicating with media before, and in the lead-up to, a local production, it again raises questions as to whether this is a bug or a recurring feature.
It doesn't appear that e.tv knows how to rope in and have a dynamic communication process or strategy around PR for new big-budget productions, wants to learn how other broadcasters and streamers do it, or has a desire to figure out the standard practice of doing media for a show launch where it benefits both the broadcaster and media in a way that unlocks value for the TV channel, press and the specific show.
Several South African media and journalists covering television and shows like e.tv and Isiphetho were once again left completely gobsmacked about what they consider to be very badly done and borderline non-existent communication in the lead-up to this show.
On 4 March, Thapelo Ramatsui, then e.tv marketing and communications specialist according to an email signature and now e.tv brand specialist according to the latest email signature, did an email blast at 2:42pm to tell media to watch e.tv that night at 9:28pm for a "special announcement" that would be made on-air.
Keep in mind that most journalists and media no longer work at 9:28pm, that some travel, have families, and that some are not at TV sets, or have access to a TV set at that time due to travel or other arrangements and engagements - and were not able to watch at 9:28pm.
The special announcement turned out to be a short e.tv video promo to announce that e.tv has commissioned a new telenovela called Isiphetho from Black Brain Pictures, produced by Mandla Ngcongwane ("Mandla N") which would start soon on the channel.
On both that day, as well as again on 6 March, TVwithThinus asked e.tv to please send information about the telenovela announcement and Isiphetho - since e.tv didn't bother to do another email blast after the first one on 4 March asking the media to watch, to actually tell the media what the announcement was.
e.tv ignored both requests.
It took the clock to tick until 11 March for e.tv to do another email blast - in all caps and with a typo - to send out a press release "INTORDUCING ISIPHETHO". This press release noted that Isiphetho would start on e.tv on 15 April at 18:30.
After this, there were no further press releases received around Isiphetho until the series suddenly started on 8 April on e.tv - a week earlier.
Several media TVwithThinus asked, knew nothing about the date change.
They were also not made aware if or whether any media launch event for Isiphetho would take place, whether there would be any press day with either in-person or virtual one-on-one interviews with the cast and crew, or any virtual one-on-ones or roundtable sessions done on Zoom before the show would start airing.
No digital screeners were sent to media for possible review or background purposes - something that has become common the last few yeas for both new local and international series.
On Sunday - a weekend and just a day before the moved-up TX launch of Isiphetho - e.tv and Isiphetho held what could be termed a media launch event at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in Muldersdrift, Gauteng.
Out of the various so-called influencers and media that e.tv and Isiphetho did tell and invite and who managed to attended, the return on the investment was one online print article that was published by City Press newspaper on Monday 8 April and that comes up in a google search.
An online search doesn't yield any other article results of the day.
Several media asked, had no idea that e.tv would do this Isiphetho media launch, were not invited, not told and not communicated with and not told whether there would be any virtual media day before the show's start on e.tv.
Besides the physical event, e.tv PR and Isiphetho apparently did nothing virtual, with none of the information or speeches at the event which were shared if there were any, with no transcripts of what was said, and no press release afterwards on either the Sunday or Monday for the show.
On Tuesday TVwithThinus became aware that Isiphetho actually started on e.tv the night before.
Asking other media on Tuesday, out of the group polled, only one knew of the show's date change from 15 April to 8 April. The rest didn't know and had no communication or PR interaction from e.tv around Isiphetho at all.
UPDATE Wednesday 10 April 16:24 - On Wednesday afternoon, e.tv issued a press release about Isiphetho, noting that "ISIPHTHO - DESTINY KICKS OF WITH
3.3 MILLION VIEWERS!" with the mistake in the all-caps subject-line repeated in the body copy of the press release.
