#19
EMILY KINUTHIA
GROUP MARKETING MANAGER, CFAO MOTORS KENYA
As an African woman with over 20 years of experience in the marketing and communication field, I have had the immense pleasure of working in nearly all industries across Africa, including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), telecommunications, internet service providers (ISPs), automotive, airline, paints, and oil sectors. My expertise lies in the art and science of brand storytelling, a profession I discovered after earning my first degree in Communication and Business Administration. I began my career with an internship at Scanad Advertising Agency and soon after secured an Account Executive role at JW Thompson.
As a master negotiator – a skill I honed growing up as a middle child in a family of four girls – I took to this role like a fish to water. I was quickly immersed in the world of brand building and developing brand campaigns that leverage consumer insights. Working on brands like Close-Up and Lux introduced me to the realm of advertising, brand building, and marketing, and I fell in love with the power to influence consumer purchase decisions.
Perhaps the most exhilarating phase of my career – and the one that truly shaped my path in marketing and communications – was when I led the account for Nestle Equatorial Africa Region (EAR), overseeing six Nestle brands across 12 African markets. These included Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone markets. This role immersed me in the complexities of consumer behaviour across different African regions, allowing me to gain deep insights into consumer needs, human psychology, and how these elements influenced their decisions and brand choices.
I crossed the Congo River, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Congo-Brazzaville, and explored the cultural nuances of various homesteads in Angola while striving to grow the market share for Maggi cooking cubes and Nido milk powder. The diversity in Africa not only adds complexity but also enriches its culture, with everything on the continent carrying significant meaning. I fell in love with meaningful brand storytelling, especially when it came to reaching the African consumer.
In the second half of my career, I took the driver’s seat in the marketing and communication field, leading various brands in the banking and automotive sectors. I soon discovered that while communication is a crucial component of marketing, it is only one part of the equation. To make a substantial impact on a company’s bottom line, a marketer must understand and excel in several other areas. This realisation broadened my perspective on marketing and helped me recognise the multifaceted nature of the field, emphasising the importance of delivering across different dimensions to drive success.
To achieve this success, I understood that the customer must be at the centre of one’s strategy, with a focus on creating unique and meaningful experiences at every touchpoint along their journey. As a brand storyteller, I continually seek opportunities to embed a brand’s story into the lives of consumers. One unique opportunity I had the privilege to work on was with Duracoat. The brand was struggling with market share, and the paint sector did not have a significant differentiator apart from price and brand perception. Crown Paints had, for years, been positioned as a premium brand in the Kenyan market, dominating the segment with strong advertising centred around its premium products.
The consumer insight that guided the approach for Duracoat was that consumers typically relied on painters to advise them on which paint to use for their properties, considering these painters as trusted experts. This insight led my team to develop the Peter Marangi personality, a campaign that helped the Duracoat brand achieve significant market share growth almost overnight.
In addition to brand campaigns, I have been involved in three brand mergers over the past 10 years, gaining invaluable experience on what it takes to deliver a successful merger. I led the brand merger between Access Kenya and Internet Solutions, overseeing the seamless transition of these two ISPs. The insights from this experience proved crucial for my second merger in 2019, between NIC and CBA Bank, while I was serving as General Manager (GM), Marketing Communication, and Citizenship. This journey imbued me with a unique perspective on the complexities of brand integration and the importance of effective communication during transitions.
I have since taken the lead in marketing and communication for the merger between Toyota Kenya and DT Dobie in April 2023, where I am currently Group Marketing Manager, overseeing 12 brands across CFAO Motors Kenya’s automotive portfolio. From these experiences, my most significant lessons involve successfully transferring equity and positive brand sentiment across two strong brands, while ensuring internal stakeholders are aligned with the new brand vision and mission. This alignment is crucial for delivering shareholder value.
Mergers are complex, involving challenges from people, culture, customer, and brand perspectives. Without carefully balancing these aspects, a business can face significant hurdles, potentially losing market share. When executing a merger, one must place people and culture at the heart of your strategy and execution plan. As the saying goes, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Keeping this in mind can be the difference between a successful merger and a problematic one.
My Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Leadership and Entrepreneurship from Africa Leadership University (ALU), School of Business, equipped me for the marketplace by honing my leadership skills and providing me with the ability to solve Africa’s unique challenges with Africa-centric solutions. Through this program, I explored the qualities of a V^3 leader, which has provided me with the tools necessary to lead with intentionality and a transformational impact. This deeper understanding of leadership principles has helped me navigate complex business environments and drive positive change in my professional journey.
Beyond the brands I lead and deliver against, I am conscious of the impact I have on the teams I manage. As a leader, I approach each season with intention, valuing the lessons it brings, and remaining open to both learning and unlearning to foster the development of future leaders.
Self-awareness is the key to unlocking greatness. In my journey toward becoming a great leader, I’ve come to understand that what I seek is also seeking me, implying that I must grow into the kind of person I aspire to be. This evolution requires continuous self-improvement, allowing me to develop the capacity for more and attract the outcomes I desire.
It is more effective to lean into one’s strengths to refine one’s craft, rather than concentrating solely on one’s weaknesses. I have embraced my natural gifts and talents, surrounding myself with a team that compliments my skills, which has helped me achieve success. I have had the privilege of working with some of the most amazing marketing minds and have seen firsthand the positive impact this can have on a brand’s growth and reputation
I have also learned never to take directions from someone who has never been where I am going, as it could lead me to the wrong destination. This has driven me to constantly seek out people who inspire me along my journey.
As a marketing and communications expert, I am dedicated to changing mindsets and reshaping the beliefs we hold as Africans. I aim to foster the understanding that our homegrown brands are suitable and valuable for our consumers, while creating compelling brand stories that resonate with both present and future audiences.
AUTHOR: EMILY KINUTHIA
EDITOR: KAREN SONG’E
