Meet our Account and Community Manager (AKA The Human Glitter Ball)

So, we've all met people who feel like sunshine, right? Warm, safe, and happy. Well, hopefully you have! They make life worth living. But like have you ever met a glitter ball person, though? My dude. 

A glitter ball person makes everything around them more amazing. They take the light and fun and joy of the world, and amplify it, throwing it right back at you, but in a more exciting way. We should all be so lucky to have an energetic and charismatic glitter ball person in our lives, and happily at Jumpin' The Gun we do. That's Macdonald Makganyoga, in a nutshell.

Affectionately known around the dispersed and dynamic JTG office as MacD, this sparkly human has been the sole Account & Community Manager at the Pink Think Tank since July 2022, and it's been a game-changer since day one. Here's what he gets up to in a day. 

"On the daily, an Account & Community Manager has to stay up to date with industry and community trends to keep ahead of competitors, as well as staying up to date with ALL social media platform updates and features," explains MD Michelle van Sittert. 

"They also have to produce consistently organised and maintained accounts and inboxes, while distributing all content correctly to maximise conversions and engagement. Not to mention giving feedback on account insights and guiding team members on account requirements! Oh, and did I mention developing weekly, monthly, annual and campaign reports as well as nurturing account proactivity to put the cherry on top?"

Breathless just having read that? Yeah, that's about right, friend. 

This job did not exist a decade ago, and yet it's one of those trailblazing roles that keeps getting more intricate as time goes on, and algorithms keep algorithm-ing. Which brings us to the question of what kind of Mad Hatter human jumps aboard this crazy, fast-hurtling train. Let's meet Mac properly, shall we? 

Innovative and performance-driven individual, with a keen eye for detail, and a passion for building brands, and driving social change, MacD has extensive experience in social media management, content creation, copywriting, strategy and campaign management. He also happens to be a budding influencer in his own right. Oh, and casually doing his Bcom Marketing Management with UNISA on the side of all the side hustles. 

MacD joined JTG after an extensive interviewing process. "I saw a post from the Social and Digital Media Club group on Facebook, took a chance and here we are now. I love that JTG is such a collaborative environment, we all work together and support each other to make things happen. I also love the fact that I'm constantly learning  and growing, I also like that we have a transparent work culture."

The wonderful thing is that he slotted right into the existing JTG machinery without missing a beat. 

"After many years of being the token male in the female dominated workforce that is JTG - having another dude finally join the team has been really great! He's funny, quietly confident and integrating him with our team has been buttery smooth," says Keagan Clack, Creative Director at JTG. 

The rest of the team agrees that MacD fitted right in from day one. This is incredibly important in a dispersed work environment like we have at JTG. 

"It is super important to find similarities as well as differences in personalities in a dispersed creative working environment. Similar personality traits cultivate a healthy and cohesive working environment where differences help challenge one another to think and feel things differently," says Tara Bakkes, Head Designer.  

"To me, once you've established where you do and do not agree or get along, the quicker both personalities can thrive in a highly fruitful work environment. That's why it is imperative to find the time to connect and find similarities with all your colleagues no matter how far away." Happy, the whole team has this in MacD, who is the only member of the crew who resides in Joburg, but forms a pivotal part of the team even though he is a little farther away. 

He's also ace at juggling a whole bunch of balls at any given time. 

"MacD is definitely the cool, calm and collected JTG member, taking the challenges in his stride and making it look effortless. His understanding of the client and their brands enables him to operate efficiently and be the media “voice” that resonates with their brand," says Stephen Duckitt, Project Manager. 

Junior Copywriter Roxy Lincoln agrees. "We manage to put our heads together when it comes to copy and community management. What makes him effective is that he’s always down to implement feedback and help gather information."

"He's so great and consistent with what he does," Keagan agrees. "You need to keep a very steady head while working this job and still be able to adapt to many different brands and content types. From knowing the best way to post a TikTok or a Facebook post or an Instagram story to monitoring numerous accounts for comments and direct messages. It can be a lot to wrap your head around but MacD's dedication and steadiness makes him the perfect person for the job."

And to top it all off, he is a nice person. Like no-strings-attached nice to the bone. 

"He’s incredibly fast with his work, and sweet," says Jeane Preller, JTG Designer. Lead copywriter Anna-Bet Stemmet concurs. "It can be tough to stay soft in a go-go-go world that demands a thick skin, especially working within an industry that is notoriously intense and on all the time. The fact that MacD keeps his head, and still flashes his signature smile, is a testament to his deep well of inner strength."

So how does a man with so many irons in the fire keep his own spark alive in his spare time? 

"I'm an outgoing person. My friends and I always have something to do on weekends, from hiking, to markets, to concerts. Those are my vibes. I also like trying out new restaurants." Of course he does. Oh, and did we mention the man can sing super well? Yeah man, there's no end to the drip on this one. 

If MacD had to be a shade of pink, he would be bright pink. "I'm a vibrant and fun person and an overall lover of the good things in life." See? Disco ball human 🪩