Sahifoulaye Koné began his career at Côte d’Ivoire Telecom in 2000 before joining the communications team at Orange France’s International Division (AMEA). He joined RTI in 2014 at the instigation of CEO Ahmadou Bakayoko, who appointed him Head of Multimedia and Communications in 2015 and then Director of RTI Digital, the leading Ivorian media group, in 2018.
Can you describe your activities? How are you organized within RTI's Digital Department?
We work every day with the TV and radio channel management teams to engage directly with viewers.
The objectives set for us by senior management for 2019 are:
– To develop editorial content and new services,
– To increase traffic on digital media,
– Improve monetization.
Can you tell us about RTI's digital strategy?
It's very simple: anticipate and prepare for the RTI Group's major digital changes in relation to customers (viewers, listeners, internet users) and offer the best content to our growing communities.
How do you position yourself on the different channels?
Our goal is to be the leading digital media outlet in Côte d'Ivoire. To this end, we are present on various platforms: our website had more than 4 million visits in 2018, our mobile apps had more than 86 million visits, our YouTube channel had more than 160 million views, and our various social media accounts have more than 3 million followers.
What do you see as the challenges of developing digital media?
For RTI, the main challenges are audience positioning and retention.
There are many players out there with programs that are increasingly challenging those of RTI.
How can we be available and give our customers what they want when they want it? That's our whole problem!
Facebook, various media outlets, the press… Who are your competitors?
In a way, they are all competitors at their own level. Thanks to the internet, we now have unlimited access to a database of information and content.
Using a smartphone, you can access social media, digital press, and various content (films, series, documentaries, etc.).
That's what's so exciting about the digital world!
RTI recently announced its intention to join the fight against fake news. This battle will largely be fought in the digital arena. Can you tell us more about this?
With social media, there are all kinds of news stories, which spread at varying speeds. It is difficult for internet users to know where the truth lies.
Once information is broadcast by RTI, it serves as a reference point because it is the official information that we communicate to the public. That is why RTI info, before broadcasting any information, undertakes thorough journalistic work to ensure that the information is reliable. In addition to RTI info, the news department has launched "les vérificateurs" (the verifiers), a community that allows internet users to share and verify the information they receive.