Women In Marketing 2024 Edition ft. Masego Motsoeneng from OUTA
Masego Motsoeneng is OUTA’s Brand Manager. A Johannesburg native, she shares her journey with us and reflects on the moment she pivoted from law to communications. She discusses the hindrances loadshedding poses to remote and hybrid work success in South Africa. Learn more about her in this segment of Women In Marketing
Personal Background:
Thanks for taking the time to participate in our ‘Women In Marketing’ feature. Where were you born, and what childhood memories stand out for you?
I was born in East Joburg in the small town of Kwa-Thema, Springs. There are way too many good memories to share but the one that sticks out is being in Grade 1 and being cast as the lead singer in our school concert which led to me being a lead singer or dancer in most of my primary school concerts.
Describe your high school and college years. You were the coolest one, right?
I attended an all-girls high school which was a cool experience that taught me the importance of healthy competition (in academics of course). Lol, and I was not the coolest or most popular one. The college years were amazing, back when you could safely walk in the streets of Braamfontein and they were a great journey of self-discovery and shaped me into who I am now.
What’s your favourite meal that you wouldn’t share with anyone?
A BGR burger.
What would be your plans for a sudden $10 million windfall if you were to receive it tomorrow?
Wow. The first thing I’d do is pack my bags and book a one-way ticket to somewhere far away to clear my mind and take in this sudden stroke of luck! There is a lot that I would like to do but the top 2 things would be to travel and see the world and invest in a couple of young girl’s lives as a “big sis” to help them achieve their full potential.
Can you share an interesting fact or hidden talent not found on your LinkedIn profile? Previous Women in Marketing candidate Anastasia Hamel says that she can breathe fire!
I am a florist :)
I love flowers so I did a few floral design courses (as a hobby) and I used to run a flower business on the side called Roses and Sunsets.
Career and Work:
How do you typically start your day, and are you #TeamCoffee, #TeamTea, or both?
I am definitely #TeamCoffee. My day starts with me checking emails and messages then a good cup of coffee and a good playlist to get the day going.
What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? Didn’t the “I want to become a doctor” bug bite you?
All I wanted to do growing up was to be able to do something fun and wanted to be the reason behind amazing things happening. During my high school years, I participated in the Cell C “Take a Girl Child to Work Day’’ campaign. It landed me at the offices of SAA where I met some influential women in law — I was convinced I was going to be a lawyer.
Then the following year (Grade 11) I landed up at Bounce Back Media where I shadowed a phenomenal woman Fatima Ouanssaidi (now CEO of OnPoint PR). That was my first proper step into the world of media and marketing and I just knew I belonged there. I continued to shadow Fatima until the 2nd year of my studies in Corporate Communications. By doing this I was exposed to different campaigns but the most fulfilling feeling was seeing the work we had done behind the scenes come to light and have people enjoy it.
That’s when I knew I wanted to be in marketing.
You hold a BA in Corporate Communications from the University of Johannesburg (You Go, Girl!!). Considering the rise of online educational platforms like Coursera and Google Skillshop, how do you foresee the future of tertiary-based education?
Kudos to Coursera and Google Skillshop, they have made education accessible to everyone and have placed the power to learn in our hands, HOWEVER, I still believe that tertiary-based education is important and still holds its own space and I see the Coursera’s of this world as an addition to this but do not see if ever taking the place of tertiary-based education.
Many industries had to create systems overnight that would enable their respective workforces to work from home due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s your perspective on remote and hybrid work, and how have you dealt with its challenges? Do you have a preference?
I am a big advocate for remote and hybrid work, I don’t know why it was not implemented earlier. These provide a good work-life balance for most employees and in some instances lead to improvement of productivity of the workforce. Unfortunately, the biggest challenge we face is the unpredictable E(ish)skom and loadshedding which keeps us on our toes — that is the biggest threat to this way of working (in my opinion) because not everyone can get a generator.
AI is the hot topic of the day, especially generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. How do you address the challenges you face in your day-to-day responsibilities? Any specific tools you’d like to plug us with?
ChatGPT and Gemini are a prime example of how the evolution and improvement of technology will always shake the table and how with change, there will be a lot of resistance and fear.
With anything new, there was a bit of hesitance in the use and uptake of these AI tools in my day-to-day but now I have come to embrace them. The trick to ChatGPT is what you put in, will determine what you get out so there is still a lot of thinking and ideation that I do separately before asking ChatGPT for help and even after receiving the help, it’s good to do due diligence and good checks.
2024 and Beyond:
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?
The advice I would give my younger self is to always go for it! Do not wait for the perfect conditions, just do it and there will be an opportunity to start all over again if things don’t work out.
What are your personal or professional goals and aspirations for the future? We hope to see you on Forbes’ Most Influential CMOs list. No pressure!
The pressure is definitely on! For the last couple of years in my career, I have been purposeful in being in positions that enable me to use my skills and expertise to make a difference. I want to continue doing that but now the plan is to add some fun to this purposeful work. I want to expand and work in the African space and the next few years I’ll finally pursue my MBA in Luxury Branding.
What are you currently reading, and how do you consume your content?
I am currently reading Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘David & Goliath’. I only just started the book after a recommendation by a friend, so far, so good.
What are you currently streaming that you’d recommend?
My current fave is Season 7 of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, a great show that showcases travel and the cuisines of various destinations (two of my favourite things, food & travel).
We are always looking for amazing Women In Marketing to profile. Who would you like us to contact?
Mbali Cindi — currently ranked (Loeries) in the top 10 brand strategists in the EMEA region.
