Starrstruck keeping the entertainment industry alive and South Africa safe
Submitted by: Pearlmar Chauke
It is no surprise that South Africa’s entertainment and performance industry has been tremendously affected by COVID-19 leaving performers stranded and destitute. The government, while providing some assistance through a relief funding, could not uphold the livelihoods of many performers as they did not meet the prescribed criteria. This is where Starrstruck stepped in.
“We are currently in level 1 of lockdown and infected numbers are rapidly increasing as people become more frustrated with the restrictions leading them to ignore some of the safety rules and regulations in place. Not Starrstruck. Starrstruck is doing its part to ensure that the entertainment industry stays alive and subsequently enabling performers to generate an income to provide for their families once again. This is how Starrstruck’s concept came to life,” says Tim Fish, Founder of Starrstruck.
Starrstruck hosts Mzansi’s biggest and brightest stars and delivers their talent to the world on its pay-per-view online platform. Fans can still watch their favourite performers while staying safe in the comfort of their homes and experiencing golden circle moments like never before.
Starrstruck’s primary purpose is to create a space that connects both performers and fans in a more meaningful way through state-of-the-art technology by bringing local entertainment, which is truly reflective of South Africa’s rich heritage and cultural diversity, to the world. The online platform produces high-quality content which captures the dynamic talents of each performer while captivating fans through an engaging manner and creating a unique emotional connection.
The entertainment and performance industry thrives through live events, which due to the pandemic, has been sporadic and sometimes banned to mitigate the spread of the virus. Rather than leave performers in the lurch, Starrstruck’s business model allows for performers to reach a wider audience for elongated periods. This not only grows the performers’ fan base but creates an alternative income stream through online ticket sales.
Through their platform, Starrstruck hosts this unique content specifically produced for each performer to enhance their fan experience, on-stage persona and performance brand. Their mission is to capture the essence of various forms of entertainment such as music, comedy, theatre, and dance, and unite the performing arts under one brand. When recording a show, Starrstruck invites between 30 and 50 people to the studio for an intimate experience with the performer. Fans at home are able to access premier shows by the click of a button to get the full VIP golden circle experience with behind the scenes action and a showstopping performances by their favourite local talent.
To be a part of this world class production, fans can register on the Starrstruck website; https://www.starrstruck.live/member-register/ where they can purchase tickets from as little as R100 – R120 and catch all their favourite performers in action. With Starrstrucks video on demand feature, fans can also eliminate the fear of missing out (FOMO) and watch past performances at their own leisure.
“South Africa is such a diverse country. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to talent, and this is what Starrstruck relies on. We offer shows that cater to a wide range of audiences and brings fans closer to the performer in a safe and engaging way by leveraging on the latest technology that we have at our disposal. This platform allows for performers, who despite the limitations placed on large gatherings, can still authentically connect with their existing fans and create a larger fan following. Thanks to Starrstruck, performers of all kinds are ready to get back to doing what they love, entertaining and engaging with their fans, while also keeping South Africa safe,” concludes Fish.
Described as a Public Relations (PR) guru by her peers, Madelain Roscher is the Managing Director of PR Worx, a full-service marketing-communications agency, which she established in 2001. With 22 years’ in-depth industry experience based on an impressive consulting and corporate career, the firm has achieved remarkable successes under her leadership. Notably, PR Worx is the highest awarded public relations firm in Africa having been honoured as the best in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, South Africa and Africa awards for nine consecutive years. Madelain also won the 2019 Africa Women Leader Award by the World Women Leadership Congress and Awards, 2017 Woman of the Year: Media category; the Most Influential Women in Business award; was recognised as the Most Admired PR Professional in South Africa; and was the first person to receive the Public Relations Institute of SA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Her knowledge of the sector and developing commercial strategies that are impactful and that generate a maximum measurable return on investment for her clients, are some of her strongest service offerings. Her responsibilities include strategic business development for her own firm and that of PR Worx’s blue-chip client portfolio. Prior to starting up PR Worx, Madelain was head of South African Airways’ worldwide corporate communications function and the airline’s global spokesperson for a period of six years. During this time, she was one of two employees that was selected from 25,000 airline staff to represent South Africa in Switzerland as part of an aviation MBA programme.
