T5 Interview with Barbara

Barbara Nyambura is an actress, comedian and content creator. She has been involved in a number of local stage productions, and is an extra in the TV series Monica and a journalist in Kina. On TikTok, she has 105,000 followers, and she emerged runner up for the TikTok Comedy Creator of the Year in 2020.

1. What part of your marketing career does TikTok boost? Do you consider yourself a professional actress or a professional marketer?
I got serious about TikTok just a little before Covid-19 struck as a way to keep my creative side alive. Starting out, I didn't have a particular style. I did anything and everything under the sun. But, the more I grew as a creator, the more my content evolved.
It wasn't until I pulled out my consumer behaviour notes that I truly understood how heavily intertwined marketing and acting were. Creating content has brought to life a lot of the concepts I learnt in school such as understanding my audience, mapping out their behaviour (what they like and don't like) and using that information to craft my content in a manner that would best resonate with them. Hmm... I dare say, I consider myself both a professional marketer and a professional actress.

2. How did you come up with such an interesting persona? Is it that you didn't want to be recognised on the streets? Is your Tiktok persona simply an expression of your intimate thoughts?
Great question! The different personas I embody in my videos were all birthed out of necessity. They are the vehicles that personify the ideas I have in my head, and I present them in a visual manner that is understandable to whoever watches them. So yes, my TikTok persona is simply an expression of my intimate thoughts.

3. You feature on a number of Kenyan series. Is this an area you are interested in developing? What kind of shows would you like to be part of in future?
Absolutely. I'm not particularly fixed on any types of shows. Any opportunity I get to relay a story, I will take in a heartbeat.

4. Do your fans try to get you to tell them a joke when they meet you on the streets? Does that kind of attention feel nice or invasive? 
Haha! Not at all, although that would be an interesting thing to experience. I highly cherish any interactions I have with my fans and lovers of my content. As creators, we always dream of having our art reach and impact as many people as possible. So, to have fans show appreciation for my work, and even detail out what it means to them, is something I truly treasure.

I view my relationship with fans as a symbiotic one rather than a predatory one, where both parties are continuously gaining from each other. Fans relish in the quality of content while the celebrity basks in the attention (likes, views, comments, shares) that comes with it.

5. Did you ever see yourself on this career path when you were younger? What would you say to your younger self?
Absolutely not! I mean, I always hoped that I'd end up in the creative industry but as a comedian? Haha. That never crossed my mind. But, I am extremely glad and grateful that I ended up here and that I get to make thousands of people laugh. I would tell my younger self to start. Just start. You don't need to wait till you have an expensive camera, phone or lights. The resources you have, however little, are enough.