[Newsmaker] Mthunzi Plaatjie

Mthunzi Plaatjie

Briefly tell us about your new role?

Plaatjie: I’m tasked with the monumental task of launching Avatar’s Cape Town office. This will also bring us closer to our Caltex client (who is Cape Town based) and will also give us an opportunity to play in the Cape Town market.

What will your first order of business be?

Plaatjie: Continue building the Caltex brand and also build Avatar Cape Town’s client base in the process.

What will your core strategy be?

Plaatjie: No buzzwords needed for this one, it’s simple…excellence, excellence, excellence. If we remain EXCELLENT in everything we do then clients will appreciate us more (excellent business practice. Excellent work. Excellent results. All delivered by excellent people). Other clients will note the excellence and hopefully want in on our EXCELLENCE.

What is your main business challenge?

Plaatjie: We are fortunate to launch our office with a power brand such as Caltex, but our challenge will be to grow our agency’s client base.

The biggest trend in your industry?

Plaatjie: Everyone right now is crazy about the concept of “storytelling” but the danger in “storytelling” is that some brands end up narrating their own stories and tend to forget to craft stories that reflect their consumers’ lives/lifestyles or they end up forcing their consumers’ stories into their brand “stories”.

Most important attribute needed to do your job?

Plaatjie: A strategic creative mind coupled with patience and high tolerance of meeting people from all walks of life.

What inspires you?

Plaatjie: A room full of magical minds. Avatar’s leadership IS that room filled with magical minds and that inspires me.

What's at the top of your bucket list?

Plaatjie: Driving 35 laps at the Monza (Italy - home of Ferrari…enough said) Grand Prix circuit inside a Formula One racing car. I think I deserve a lap for every year I’ve lived. What a life! Lol.