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#YouthMatters: Daniella Galante of RX Africa on her love of storytelling, and staying true to who you are

As part of our #YouthMatters feature, we chat to Daniella Galante, senior digital marketing executive of events and exhibition company, RX Africa.
Daniella Galante, Senior Digital Marketing Executive, RX Africa.
Daniella Galante, Senior Digital Marketing Executive, RX Africa.

Here, Galante chats to us about what inspires her, where she sees herself in five years, and which project she is incredibly proud of.

Can you tell us what your role entails and what your day-to-day looks like?

I am responsible for overseeing and managing all the digital marketing within the tourism, travel and creative industries portfolio, which include WTM Africa, Africa Travel Week and FAME Week Africa.

I am involved throughout the campaign ideation, planning, implementation, measurement, and optimisation process. I have hands-on experience using various digital marketing platforms and work closely with our creative and content director to achieve specific portfolio objectives such as increasing sales, lead generation, brand engagement, and conversions.

Who inspires you?

Several people inspire me for different reasons. My mom inspires me from an emotional point of view – I always ask myself what she would do in a certain situation – she has a strong work ethic, she is selfless, kind and loves fiercely! From a business and creativity point of view, my partner inspires me - he can look at everything holistically and strategically. He also works in marketing, so we often bounce ideas off each other and usually come up with amazing concepts.

What other skills or talents do you have?

I love telling stories and my job requires me to be a good storyteller. I can tell a story through visual and audio mediums such as videos and designs. I use these mediums to talk to different target audiences across our different channels. I am also an avid baker – it is not uncommon to find me baking cookies for everyone in the office.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I know it sounds cliché, but I want to focus on my happiness. I spent so many years being unhappy in a job where I didn’t feel appreciated or valued. I am so happy where I am right now that I think for me, happiness trumps job titles or a big salary. The older I get the more I appreciate a good, healthy working environment. I want to be able to make a difference in the world. Like Steve Jobs once said: "The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

What sparked your interest in getting into digital marketing?

My curiosity! In 2016 I realised how rapidly things were changing from a marketing and communication point of view. I saw how many publications were going digital and how many people were starting to allocate their marketing budgets towards Facebook and Google ads. Suddenly new job titles were being created – social media managers and digital marketing managers. Social media was always something I knew a lot about and something I loved – so I decided to combine my love for events and my love for social media.

Inspiration can be found all around us if we just look – in people, in places, in every event.
BizcommunityWhat do you most love about the events and exhibition industry (and that of the tourism and travel industry)?

I started my career in the entertainment industry as a publicist seven years ago and absolutely loved it! My highlights were always the red-carpet events and launches I would work on – I just love seeing everything come together. My passion has always been in events – from ideation to planning to set up and then seeing your vision become reality. Another passion of mine is travelling – so being able to work on events such as World Travel Market Africa and Africa Travel Week is a dream!

What are your sources of inspiration and creativity?

Inspiration can be found all around us if we just look – in people, in places, in every event. I think my biggest inspiration is from those who didn’t believe in me. I had a boss who told me I was mediocre and wouldn’t amount to much - it motivated me to be relentless in the pursuit of both success and happiness. My creative inspiration comes from feeling alive – which is when I am outdoors. I feel most inspired and creative when on my bicycle riding through beautiful landscapes and breathing in fresh air.

What is the one project you have worked on that you are incredibly proud of?

I am currently working on a project that I am incredibly proud of and passionate about – it is a new event we are launching in September called FAME Week Africa which focuses on the film, arts, media and entertainment industries. Coming from the entertainment industry it is something that is very close to my heart. These industries have been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and that is why we have created a platform called the FAME Reel Talent Showcase. We created this platform to help boost these industries by shining a light on the importance of these creative industries.

Here is a video I made to tell you a bit more about the showcase:

You’ve previously won the World Travel Market Africa, ILTM Africa and FIBO Global Fitness Africa, receiving an Excellence in Social Media recognition at the 2019 ROAR Awards – what did these wins mean to you?

It means that we are doing something right – to receive recognition from the industry is an amazing feeling. We work really hard to create content that is valuable, newsworthy, interesting and relevant so it is great to know that our efforts are being noticed.

What is your message to South Africa’s youth this Youth Month?

What I have learnt over the last seven years working in the entertainment and event industries is that you shouldn’t have to compromise your integrity for anyone. When you are young and starting to work in the corporate world it is easy to try to change who you are so that you can fit in or be liked – but people will respect you more if you stay true to who you are and what you believe in. And if they don’t, then you are in the wrong place – leave! Don’t waste your time on people who are not going to motivate or inspire you.

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