Lifestyle PR and Media Relations Manager

Overall Purpose of the Role

The Lifestyle PR and Media Manager will be responsible for developing and executing lifestyle-focused public relations initiatives that strengthen GoTyme Bank’s brand reputation, increase its cultural relevance, and generate positive media coverage.

Reporting to the Head of Corporate Communications, the successful candidate will lead public relations activities relating to lifestyle campaigns, product launches, events, partnerships, editorial opportunities, and media engagement. They will identify compelling stories across GoTyme Bank and translate our brand, products, customer experiences, partnerships, and campaigns into relevant and engaging media opportunities.

The successful candidate will be an experienced media relations professional with an established network of lifestyle, consumer, business, broadcast, and digital media contacts. They will proactively pitch stories, distribute media releases, secure high-quality coverage, coordinate media placements, and build trusted relationships with journalists, editors, producers, content creators, partners, and other key stakeholders.

Through creative storytelling and strategic media engagement, the role will help position GoTyme Bank as a modern, accessible, customer-focused bank that understands and connects with the lifestyles of South African consumers.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an integrated Lifestyle PR plan aligned with the bank’s brand, communications, marketing, and commercial objectives.
• Identify opportunities to position the organisation within relevant lifestyle, consumer, culture, entertainment, technology, financial inclusion, and broader societal conversations.
• Support the launch and promotion of products, services, partnerships, campaigns, events, and customer initiatives.
• Monitor cultural and media trends to identify timely opportunities for proactive storytelling and brand participation.
• Develop and maintain strong, credible relationships with journalists, editors, producers, broadcasters, content creators, influencers, and other media stakeholders.
• Use an established media network to secure meaningful earned-media opportunities across print, online, radio, television, podcasts, and social platforms.
• Proactively develop and pitch relevant story ideas, features, interviews, opinion pieces, profiles, case studies, and campaign content.
• Respond promptly and professionally to media enquiries, coordinating accurate information, interviews, commentary, and supporting materials.
• Draft, edit, and distribute high-quality media releases, media alerts, pitches, briefing documents, talking points, opinion pieces, reactive statements, executive profiles, and question-and-answer documents.
• Ensure that all media materials are accurate, on-brand, appropriately approved, and aligned with the broader corporate communications strategy.
• Manage the end-to-end media release distribution process, including media targeting, follow-up, coverage tracking, and reporting.
• Develop PR plans to support brand campaigns, product launches, partnerships, sponsorships, events, and lifestyle activations.
• Support the Head of Corporate Communications with reputation management, reactive media engagement, and emerging issues where required.
• Monitor and evaluate media coverage to produce regular media relations and PR reports with clear analysis, insights, and recommendations.

Experience Required

• At least seven to 10 years’ relevant experience in lifestyle PR, consumer PR, media relations, brand communications, journalism, or a related communications role.
• Proven experience developing and executing successful lifestyle or consumer PR campaigns.
• A strong track record of securing meaningful earned-media coverage across multiple media platforms.
• An established and active network of journalists, editors, producers, broadcasters, digital publishers, influencers, and content creators.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and distributing media releases and other external communications materials.
• Experience proactively pitching stories, interviews, features, profiles, and thought-leadership content.
• Experience working with senior executives, spokespeople, agencies, partners, and cross-functional internal teams.
• Experience managing events, launches, media engagements, or influencer-related PR activity would be beneficial.
• AI Proficiency

Skills Required

• Excellent knowledge of the media landscape and the ability to identify compelling stories, angles, and media opportunities.
• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong relationship-building, networking, influencing, and stakeholder-management capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to develop concise, targeted, and persuasive media pitches.
• Ability to simplify complex information and turn it into accessible, engaging content.
• Strong project-management, organisational, and time-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple campaigns, deadlines, stakeholders, and approval processes simultaneously.
• Confidence working with senior leaders and preparing spokespeople for media engagements.
• Sound judgement, discretion, professionalism, and awareness of reputational risk.
• Proficiency in media-monitoring, reporting, presentation, and standard productivity tools.

Competencies Required

• Proactive and opportunity-driven
• Creative and commercially aware
• Highly connected and relationship-focused
• Persuasive and confident
• Collaborative and adaptable
• Calm under pressure
• Detail-oriented and organised
• Curious about culture, media, consumers, and emerging trends
• Accountable and results-focused
• Able to work independently while contributing effectively within a broader brand/marketing team

Qualification/s Required

• A relevant degree or diploma in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Media Studies, or a related field.