Wikimedia Foundation Strategic Communications Workshop
Wikimedia Foundation hosted a strategic communication workshop on 25 March 2023 at the Red Radisson Hotel, Rosebank. Belinda Mbambo led the workshop, and in attendance from the Wikipedia Foundation were Dumisani Ndubane, Nobantu Modise, and Gwadamirai Majange, and from the Wikimedia ZA team were Bobby Shabangu, Pfano Ranwedzi, Shupai Mchuchu, and Zenande Mantlana.
The workshop covers how to make a message suitable for the audience as an organisation; the communication strategy for the Wikimedia South Africa chapter cover building a strong objective for the chapter, the mission, and vision. The workshop also covers positioning issues to the public/target audience and defining the audience for the chapter as primary and secondary.
Lastly, how should the chapter pitch to the media and cover important aspects? This part of the session focused on us, the individuals inside Wikimedia South Africa, and how we choose to represent ourselves and Wikipedia as a single brand. This was accomplished by discussing an "Elevator Pitch," in which attendees were required to identify themselves and their goals within the Wikimedia ZA brand. This could then be a tool used to secure investors or collaborators for Wikimedia ZA.
The workshop was informative and knowledgeable, where the audience had an opportunity to ask questions and also help define the objectives for the Wikimedia South Africa chapter.
The biggest takeaway was that Wikimedia is a global brand, but for it to go further inside the African continent, we, as Wikimedia ZA chapter members, must grasp the importance of effective communication, through education, engagement, and empowerment of current and future members.
Workshop In Pictures
