As you may know by now, C1rca 1964 and tech hub Bongo Hive will be hosting Lusaka’s first Social Media Day on June 29 at Bongo Hive HQ!!
The main portion of the June 29 event will be a panel discussion titled ‘Social Media Use in Zambia’ featuring Zambian entrepreneurs who are successfully using Social Media to promote their businesses.
Curious about the panelists? With 10 days to go, we decided to share bios of our stellar line-up, starting with Cathy Phiri.
If you’ve ever watched an episode of the highly addictive series Love Games Zambia, then you should know that it is produced by Media 365 of which Cathy Phiri is the Managing Director.
Catherine N. Phiri serves as Managing Director for Media 365, a cause-related communications company based in Lusaka, Zambia. Ms Phiri has been in this position since May 2011. In this role, Ms Phiri oversees the strategic direction
of the company, while also account managing high profile campaigns, and serves as executive producer of all audio-visual products.
Media 365 is a communications agency that specialises in generating social change and
development through cause related campaigns. Media 365 uses its in-house expertise and understanding of social causes and behaviour change to create strategy, communications, marketing, branding, and insights for local and global clients in the public, private and non-profit sectors.
Prior to her relocation to Zambia in 2011, Ms Phiri was Vice-President of Social Responsibility for MTV Networks International reporting to MTVNI Social Responsibility Senior Vice President,
Ms Phiri managed MTV’s multi-million dollar sexual health projects internationally through MTVNl’s multimedia global HIV and AIDS initiative Staying Alive. Ms Phiri’s responsibly spanned management of the campaign, managing the relationship with partners, coordinating the multiple departments working on any given campaign, managing direct reports and fundraising for productions and campaigns.
In 2009, Ms Phiri served as Executive Producer once again, for Shuga, MTV’s first drama series for Africa, that had an HIV storyline, funded by PEPFAR, UNICEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Ms Phiri oversaw the entire campaign across the TV series, the online interactive platform and the press and marketing component. After huge success as evidenced by an evaluation conducted by Johns Hopkins University/CCP, Ms Phiri was instrumental in getting a second season of Shuga funded. Recently Ms Phiri served as a consultant in the development and implementation of Shuga: Love, Sex, Money, which broadcast globally on 14th February 2012.
Additionally, Ms Phiri was the co-founder of Youth Media which is a non-profit multimedia institution, specialising in Behaviour Change Communication, disseminating information about sexuality and HIV and AIDS to young people in Zambia. Ms Phiri also served as the Executive Editor of Trendsetters, an award winning sexual reproductive health newspaper in Zambia, run and owned by Youth Media. Before the organisation shut down, it produced multiple multimedia products for young people in Zambia, including Trendsetters magazine, Trendsetters School (for in school young people), Trendsetters Radio, Trendsetters Online, and Children’s Press Bureau (a programme to train up youth journalists).
A native of Zambia, Ms Phiri received her Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the London School of Journalism and is currently pursuing her MBA (Marketing Strategies) from the London Metropolitan University. In 2009, Ms Phiri was awarded John Hopkin’s University/Center for Communication Programs, Gold Medallion for Excellence in Health Communication.
Cathy will be lending her expertise on Social Media and Social responsibility to the panel, particularly focusing on the impact Love Games Zambia has had on youth sexual behavior in the country. As a blogger and avid tweeter, Cathy will also share advice on how to draw the line in terms of personal branding and tweeting as a business.
For more on Cathy Read ‘What Cathy Did Next’ + listen to an interview with her on Zambia Blog Talk Radio.
Website: http://www.media365.co.zm and http://www.cathyphiri.com
Twitter Handles| @Media365Zambia | @MsCathyPhiri
Join Cathy and our other panelists on Saturday June 29, 2013 at Bongo Hive for ‘Social Media Use In Zambia’ at 13 hours. The panel will be moderated by C1rca 1964 Founder Mukuka Mayuka and Co-Founder Mazuba Kapambwe. There will be some give-aways, cupcakes and beverages as well! Interested? Sign up to attend here.
Follow @LusakaSMDay + ‘Like’ Lusaka Social Media Day for more info.
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