Margaret Brand & Content: Brand Interview & Newsletter Content

As part of Margaret London's Margaret Meets Series I had the privilege of designing an exclusive interview and then leading it, sitting down with Ollie Olanipekun, CEO of @flocktogether.world. We delved into Flock Together's upcoming plans & Ollie's insights on the powerful role of social media in community mobilisation.

I adapted the answers to also produce social-first content for Margaret's Instagram platform so as to maximise engagement and share Ollie's compelling insights with our audience. The overall experience allowed me to merge my interviewing and content creation skills, fostering a deeper connection between Margaret London and our community while spotlighting Flock Together's mission. This dynamic discussion exemplified Margaret London's commitment to catalysing meaningful conversations and sharing impactful stories.

The conversation in particular focused on POC relationships to the natural world and how strained relationships between the two highlights a colonial legacy at play. In summary, this very important conversation showcased how community mobilisation, social media, and meaningful dialogue has the potential to play a part in addressing complex issues.

Being part of a business which made room for conversations which could ultimately drive positive social made me incredibly proud and hopeful for what could be achieved through purposeful and meaningful content creation and business blogging.

In this interview, my design of these questions took into consideration the cultural climate around sensitive topics such as colonialism and so I approached the subject with enough subtlety to keep everyone involved open but balanced with enough clarity to ensure mutual understanding and that we were getting to the important meat of what would drive positive social action. The aim was to promote an atmosphere where important conversations can occur without discomfort.

Central to my approach was also ensuring that questions directed to both Flock Together and their representative, Ollie, went beyond theoretical or corporate discussions. The goal was to facilitate a relatable connection between our community and their brand. This was accomplished through questions that had a more human feel to them and allowed for the CEO to detail how his personal relationship with nature underscored the creation of the business, showcasing the brand as a force for positive change and the CEO as an advocate for this change.

This particular question was designed to initiate an intimate level of relatability, notably from someone as esteemed as the CEO, with our community of creatives and artists who are also faced with the challenge of balancing their digital presence and personal well-being. It allowed the organisation to be seen as a genuine agent of social and environmental transformation, whose personal challenges are shared with our audience. This approach not only inspired our audience but also reassured them that their struggles were acknowledged and shared by an organisation committed to meaningful change.

Research: Thorough research of the brand and Ollie Olanipekun to understand their background and values in order to create a list of insightful questions to give way to memorable conversation.

Branding: Crafting questions that highlight the brand's unique selling points and differentiators.

Cultural Awareness: Being sensitive to cultural nuances and diversity to ensure the interview remains enjoyable and respectful.

Interview Techniques: Familiarity with various interview techniques, such as open-ended questions, behavioral questions, and strategic questions.

Confidence: Projecting confidence to put the brand representative at ease and encourage open and honest communication.

Adaptability: Being a versatile creator by using one piece of content to feed into much more.

Storytelling: Compiling the representative's narrative into a compelling and coherent brand story.

Client Collaboration: The ability to work closely with this client before, during and after to understand their goals, vision and ensuring that the execution was formidable in showcasing their goals.

Teamwork: Working collaboratively with my assigned peer, assessing and delegating based on our strengths and also seeing where we could support one another where possible.

Editorial design component: Organising the interview into a coherent and well-flowing structure, with an introduction of sorts, main body, and conclusion. Creating a gradual build up in interest based on my order of questions.