Corporate Culture As A Strategic Risk MAL66:25 | Page 104

Digital Marketing

By Anne Joyce Wambui

In the early days of digital marketing, we believed that content ruled all.“ Content is King,” we said, over and over, as brands raced to publish blogs, schedule social posts, and churn out email campaigns in the hope that quantity would lead to quality. For a time, it worked. The internet was still relatively quiet, audiences were eager, and competition was lower. But that world is gone.

Today, consumers are bombarded by content. Scroll your feed and you’ ll see what I mean: polished ads, templated captions, trending reels. You might watch a few seconds, maybe even click, but more often than not, you move on. That’ s not because the content is bad; it’ s because it’ s not speaking to you. What has changed is that attention once cheap and abundant has become a scarce currency. Brands can no longer afford to speak in generalities.

A 2024 McKinsey report found that 76 % of consumers are more likely to consider purchasing from brands that personalize their communications. Even more striking: 78 % said they’ re more likely to recommend brands that personalize well. To truly connect with modern audiences in Kenya and beyond, content alone is no longer enough. Context has taken the throne.

Why Relevance Is the New Currency

We live in a world of unprecedented access. The average person in Kenya now spends over three hours a day on their mobile phone. From WhatsApp groups to Instagram stories, to TikTok videos, we’ re constantly consuming and constantly filtering. That mental filter is brutal: if your message doesn’ t feel relevant, it doesn’ t land.

This is where context comes in. It’ s not just about what you’ re saying; it’ s about whom you’ re saying it to, when you say it, where they are, and how they prefer to hear it. Context makes content meaningful.

At its core, contextual marketing is about tailoring your message based on four critical pillars: who the customer is( their demographics, interests, and behaviors), where they are( physically or within the buying journey), when you reach them( because timing can make or break engagement), and how they prefer to connect( whether through mobile, email, in-app, or voice). It’ s no longer about broadcasting to the largest possible audience- it’ s about delivering the right message, at the right time, to the right person, through the right channel.

For example, a WhatsApp reminder about a skincare sale is far more effective when sent two days after a customer browsed similar products online. An email invite to an event in Nairobi resonates more when sent only to people within a 30-kilometre radius, not blasted across an irrelevant list. Even something as simple as a TikTok ad performs better when it features lightweight Nairobi street fashion during Kenya’ s hot season, instead of rain jackets meant for a different season.

Context turns content into connection and in doing so; it drives engagement, trust, and ultimately, revenue. It’ s not magic. It’ s intentionality. And it’ s what today’ s consumers expect.

Beyond Personalization: Towards Humanized Marketing

Many brands assume personalization is simply using someone’ s first name in an email. But that’ s not personalization that’ s automation. True personalization is about relevance. It ' s about understanding not just who your customer is, but what matters to them in this moment.

This is where hyper-personalized marketing enters the picture. It goes beyond demographics to tap into behavior, emotion, timing, and platform. It asks: What is this customer thinking about right now? What do they need help with? What are they not saying and how can we show up meaningfully?

In Kenya, where mobile-first behavior dominates and WhatsApp is the preferred channel for both personal and professional communication, brands that understand the nuances of local engagement will always outperform those simply copying external models.

For example, a growing number of businesses from fintech startups to online retailers are using WhatsApp Business not just to respond to inquiries but to build conversational journeys. A customer browses a product on Instagram, clicks a link, and is instantly chatting with a human( or smart bot) on WhatsApp, receiving recommendations, answers, and even an exclusive offer. It’ s seamless. It’ s personal. And it works.

One thing is clear: technology doesn’ t replace human insight it enhances it. AI tools are incredibly useful for small teams looking to scale content, test message variations, or generate copy ideas. But the why behind the message still needs a marketer’ s brain and a brand’ s heart.

In my own work across sectors from e-commerce and FMCG to financial services I’ ve seen how AI can accelerate personalization when paired with audience understanding. In e-commerce, we used browsing behavior to suggest timely, relevant offers not just to drive clicks, but to create shopping moments that felt personal. In FMCG, segmentation allowed us to tailor seasonal product

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