Hosted at the picturesque Langhams Estate in Fourways this past weekend, the Dove Creator Masterclass brought together thought leaders, creators, media, and other key stakeholders.
Hosted by seasoned broadcaster and conduit of conversations, Hulisani Ravele, the day was filled with impactful insights helping to shape the future of content creation. The Dove Creator Collective also welcomed the 60 "Dovelies" who were selected after capturing the attention of audiences on social media.
As thought leaders shared their perspectives on the ever-evolving content landscape, authenticity was a recurring theme; brands and audiences alike are looking for reliability in a world that is overly curated. This was a necessary platform considering the weight of the conversation. Different stakeholders contribute to the creator economy, so it is important for creators to know how to build a brand and understand the factors that contribute to longevity. Often, it is the creators who focus on building trust instead of chasing numbers who build credibility. Trends come and go, but building a community that rallies behind you when it counts is what keeps your brand relevant far beyond any single campaign.
Community Lead at Dove South Africa and award-winning digital marketing professional, Amanda Sapo, weighed in on the conversation. Leading with an ice-breaker game to kickstart the conversation. As someone who leads Dove’s digital and community engagement strategy, she offered creators advice on building and understanding their audience. Sharing her perspective, she assured them that it's not about beating the algorithm.
She cautioned against the biggest mistakes content creators make on TikTok, including creating for personal preference instead of audience needs, stressing that content should answer what your community wants, not just what you feel like making. She also cautioned against failing to use insights and niching down too early, and encouraged creators to try a different approach if their current strategy is not translating. "If you notice people dropping off at the 20-second mark, next time start with a question or something gone wrong before you get into the vlog," she suggested. Expanding on what makes content shareable, she highlighted humour & entertainment, instructional & informative topics, and relatability. From an analytics perspective, she advised looking at your data to determine what works for your audience and using those metrics to refine your output. Finally, she reassured creators that it is perfectly okay to repost old content.
To allow the audience to process the insights, Hulisani Ravele introduced Sweet Guluva from the Dove brotherhood, who filled the room with his soothing voice. The ladies got to their feet and danced to his track as excitement filled the room. He serenaded the guests with two more songs before making way for a conversation centred around content creation, ensuring it is not only visually appealing but attractive to the algorithm as well. Before introducing the Creator Program segment, Ravele echoed Amanda’s sentiments that it is not about beating the algorithm but building a community. "The way to build that community is to also serve them content that looks good, because we eat with our eyes first, so why would you expect anything different from your audience?"
With this in mind, she introduced the Head of Creative at Ogilvy, S’buyisele Mthembu, whose approach to storytelling continues to capture the attention of audiences and brands alike. At the heart of everything she creates are impactful stories and the simple belief that the most meaningful creativity doesn’t just build brands; it shapes culture, creates opportunities, and leaves people better than it found them. Joining S’buyisele on stage was the Founder and Creative Director of Set Life Studios, Steven Obi-Emedo. He heads a creative powerhouse in production, specializing in photography, cinematography, and visual storytelling. As one of the country’s renowned photographers and videographers, he has built a career defined by resilience, creativity, consistency, and commitment.
S’buyisele ushered in her segment with her powerful voice, inviting the guests to join her as she sang a worship song that has become popular on social media. Her impressive vocals filled the space, setting the tone for an impactful session. Introducing the Creator Lab, she shared that she was beyond excited and slightly emotional to be in the room. She handed the mic over to Steven before unpacking the backstory of how the day came about as the creative visionary behind it.
"The premise of how we’d like to structure today’s story is that we’re all in the room today because an idea was born. Very late at night on a Tuesday, we had to rejig the entire plan for this campaign. In a nutshell, Dove approached us with a simple request: 'Can you create the future of creators for Dove?' We agreed. It was such an amazing opportunity; we had this plan and strategy, the frameworks, the playbooks—it was brilliant. And then one night, I got a link from my team. We had built the plan, it was all done, and it turned out that one of our competitors had launched something similar. I did not sleep that night because we had to pivot and find a way to differentiate ourselves. How were we going to launch a creator program that’s different from other brands? I'll tell you the story of how that came about through lessons."
Taking us through her presentation, she led with "60 Dovelies" on the screen—the new creators that are now part of the Creator Program. "You guys are the testament to ideas and the impact of what an idea can do. I get goosebumps when I think about every person’s story that sits in this room, and that you get to co-create with us now." She listed the following steps in idea-making:
1. Pure Observation
She explained that part of her job requires her to be obsessive about observing people, sharing that she is utterly obsessed with the human psyche. "What is making people scroll past content? What’s making them laugh? What’s making them angry? Why are they fighting in the comment section? Who’s doing what? That’s the very first step of creativity and idea-making. Be obsessively observant. Don’t just scroll past your content but look for human behaviours. Why are people acting like that? Why are they saying that? Why are they putting that there?" She maintained that this mindset will help inspire your ideas in ways that differ from merely following a trend.
2. The Insight is Beyoncé
Contending that no ideas can come to life without an insight, she clarified that while advertisers sometimes use complex terms, an insight is simply a truth about a human. "Ask why are people doing that? And then you distill that, and it becomes the insight that informs your content.
Nothing starts and stops without an insight. It’s the Beyoncé of all our lives as content creators. The lesson here is, if I take it back to the story of Dove and the Creator Collective, what happened was that everybody was chasing the trend of 'make a creator program,' but my insight was a human truth. I spent a lot of time obsessively observing, and the thing I pulled out from that was that it was tense on TikTok between brands and creators. Creators were complaining that brands are killing creativity, using the same people over and over again, and not paying enough." S’buyisele observed that there was a lot of tension and controversy surrounding the conversation, so instead of chasing the trend, she chased the truth. "And the truth was that the relationship isn’t great right now. That’s what I pulled out from that conversation."
3. Ningasabi (Don’t be Scared)
If you want to be a content creator, someone who lives and breathes creating things, you have to be willing to take a bold step and be brave. "You have to do the thing that’s going to make you have sleepless nights. In my case, for this very campaign, I was scared. Now I have this insight, I’ve observed something, and I have to go back to the Dove team and say that we are going to have to lean into this tough conversation."
She noted that brands are often averse to controversy, but she fearlessly pitched the idea to Dove anyway. "I said, we’re going to have to confront this if we want to differentiate this creator program. We have to start with the conversation, the human truth, that creatives are frustrated. Lean into that and then present an alternative, which is the Dove Creator Collective." Reflecting on her moment of bravery, she admitted she was very scared, but her belief in Dove’s commitment to real beauty and real conversations carried her. "For them to take that brave step with me was something that really started this movement."
4. Bring it to Life
Letting us in on the collaboration with Steven Obi-Emedo, S’buyisele highlighted how Set Life Studios brought the idea to life. "They helped us create something that was just on a piece of paper, a little moment of bravery, and together we brought this beautiful community to life." Steven posited that many people think production starts with cameras and lights, but it actually starts with "protecting your real meaning of why you wanted to shoot this piece in the first place." He elaborated:
"I don’t know a single production that goes according to plan. For us at Set Life, it could be a change of location, weather, or budgets, but at the end of the day, the story needs to be kept in sight." He asserted that whether you are creating from a phone or have limited time, the most important thing is not to make excuses. "You saying, 'I have this amazing idea, I think it’s worth telling,' is all that matters!" Steven emphasized that great production isn’t expensive; it’s intentional.
5. Make it Better
Natural lighting is your best friend. Creators often wait for "perfect" equipment, but Steven validated that you can start right where you are. "Most of the time, what you have is good. Sometimes as a creator, you’ll see the new DJI come out and think you need it. Most times, you’re just creating an excuse. It’s the story that matters before the gear." He recommended finding a window for lighting and suggested using a sheer curtain to diffuse hard shadows. He also urged creators to lean towards content that "speaks." "I like to make things look good, so I have to ensure that whoever is consuming my content isn’t seeing it as shaky or hearing bad audio."
He encouraged the creators to learn to perfect audio and using a tripod or stable surface for shaky footage. "We are content creators; we don’t always need to shoot horizontally. Shoot vertically for where the content will live because that’s where people will consume it." Steven shared that while he prefers horizontal shooting for a cinematic feel, intention is key. Music conveys emotions, so he encouraged creators to be intentional with music selection. "Find the music that allows you to tell your story better!" Lastly, he underscored, "Before you post, take the time to watch the masterpiece you have created. You need to enjoy it first. Believe that what you’re creating is impactful and benefits someone else’s life."
He concluded by observing that content allows people to live vicariously through the creator.
To conclude the impactful masterclass, Hulisani took to the stage to impart some parting nuggets, reinforcing the recurring theme of authenticity: “In a world where everybody is trying to be one thing, being your thing is the thing.”
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