Viral Tea Ranked Among Leading Digital Media Houses In Pride of Kenya Awards
Viral Tea writes original news and informative articles covering local news, politics, entertainment, business and sports
Marvin Chege 
For the first time since launching in February 2021, Viral Tea has been recognised among the top three digital media houses in Kenya in the Pride of Kenya Awards (POKA).
The 2023 edition ranked one of Kenya's fastest-growing and most innovative digital native media houses second among 14 online media platforms nominated for the awards in the 'Online Media of The Year' category.
Furthermore, POKA revealed that Viral Tea garnered 198 votes, behind Wueeh TV which secured victory with 471 votes in a hotly-contested race.
Reflecting on the achievement, Viral Tea's founder and editor-in-chief, Marvin Chege revealed that the milestone feat was achieved thanks to unwavering support from its loyal readers and fans.
Viral Tea was ranked second in the Pride Of Kenya Awards. /PRIDE OF KENYA AWARDS
"Coming second in itself is still a major milestone for us, even though we were unable to secure victory. It just shows how Kenyans are now recognising the hard work and innovation that we've put in to get Viral Tea to where it is now, a very fast-growing digital native media house in the three-year-old decade.
"The recognition by Pride of Kenya Awards (POKA) serves as a true testament to how far we have come since 2021. We are very grateful for everyone who came out to support us throughout the nomination," he said.
Chege underscored the importance of the achievement, expressing hope that it may open more opportunities for collaborations, partnerships and possibly opportunities for upcoming journalists with a nose for news, especially on social media.
"Hopefully the runner-up finish kicks off a special 2024 and beyond for us as we continue to explore, innovate, understand and adjust to the demands of the digital media landscape.
"We aim to give more Generation Zs a voice after being underrepresented for years and adapt to their needs in terms of news and entertainment consumption. Who knows, this might be the year that we start to challenge the big boys in Kenya's digital media space," he added.
The awards ceremony was held for the winners on Friday, January 12 at Zetech University, Mang'u Campus in Ruiru, Kiambu County.
POKA prides itself on more than just an awards ceremony; it is a testament to the boundless creativity and talent that Kenya possesses.
Its journey began in 2005 with a profound mission - to empower, celebrate, and sponsor untapped talents in Kenya, and it continues to evolve with every passing year.
It aims to empower and celebrate Kenyan talents, recognizing the extraordinary in the ordinary, and providing them with the support and sponsorship they need to flourish.
"We believe that every artist has the potential to achieve greatness, and we are dedicated to nurturing this potential from the grassroots level to international acclaim.
"We envision a Kenya where artistic diversity and excellence are celebrated on the global stage. Our vision is to be the driving force behind Kenya's creative revolution, inspiring the nation to recognize, cherish, and support its talents and fostering an environment where dreams become a reality," states POKA on its website.
The Viral Tea Story So Far
Founded in 2021 and on its way to turning three years old in February, Viral Tea writes original news and informative articles covering local news, politics, entertainment, business and sports as well as unique features curated to satisfy the needs of the general public, especially the youth.
Demographics from Google Analytics and Similarweb among others indicate that Viral Tea is among the most-preferred news websites among users aged 18-39 who consume content in real-time, without having to wait for prime-time news bulletins.
In September 2023, Viral Tea became the first digital native media house in Kenya to have a segment dedicated exclusively to aviation, and from this, it has broken major aviation news as well as provided evergreen content regarding how aircraft systems work, and how helicopters are used during events among others, particularly those that have caught the eye of Kenyans.
Our articles have moreover been published in easy-to-understand language and details derived from research via respected aviation news websites and the internet and catchy enough for our readers to consume as much information as possible and be 'in-the-know' about aeroplanes, or as we like to call it, to #NeverMissAStory.
On LinkedIn, Viral Tea enjoys its status as the fastest-growing digital native media house, and though it took almost a year to breach the 10,000 followers gap from zero, it amassed close to 18,000 followers on the platform in a shorter time, in a period LinkedIn has emerged as a one-stop shop for Kenyans seeking credible and reliable information.
On WhatsApp, Viral Tea became the first digital native media house in Kenya to have its exclusive WhatsApp group where users join through an invite link sent upon request from the admin and interact with each other as well as catch up on news and multimedia content as it happens.
Projects such as Spill The Tea weekly newsletter available exclusively on LinkedIn and collaborative projects such as the #KenyaWomenSeries affirmed the digital media house's true testament to deliver high-value content that is creative enough to maintain the loyalty of its current fans and attract new followers.
A screenshot of Viral Tea's website. /VIRAL TEA KE
According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023, trust in news media in Kenya has remained high at 63 per cent compared to other countries, meaning that Kenyans still trust the media because of its independence in a highly polarised political environment.
On social media, WhatsApp emerged second as the top social media app in the country for news at 60 per cent, closely behind Facebook at 61 per cent. Overall, it is the top social media app at 83 per cent followed by YouTube (76 per cent) and Facebook (73 per cent).
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