You must be a very proud man . Are there any specific things you have done that could have contributed to being nominated and winning this award ?
Proud I am , for who would not be ? But more importantly I am humbled and indeed very surprised for I had no idea that I had been nominated . This is indeed a humbling experience that the marketing fraternity , some who have been my peers have seen fit to bestow on me this honor . This means they have recognized the impact I have made to the marketing profession .
Coming to specifics I think the teams I have built and led , those I have mentored and lifted up appreciated and therefore have recognized my contribution , not just to the profession but to their careers . Throughout my sojourn I have always tried to inspire and lift others for I believe in building strong teams , one cannot make it alone . Indeed , in Uganda , some of the people whom I have worked with are today heading marketing in other industries and sectors that I made an impact on their careers through training , guiding and mentoring . Nurturing people who then go into positions of leadership is important for me . That ’ s one way of giving back to the marketing profession .
Secondly by the time I left Nile Breweries we had overtaken Uganda Breweries making us the number one brewer in Uganda . Though this cannot be attributed to marketing alone nor me personally our contribution as a department in fulfilling our role as brand builders went a long way in achieving this remarkable feat . This is something I look back with pride and I think my peers in the profession recognized the work we put in . Thirdly at Stanbic we have built strong brands which have contributed to us maintaining our market leadership .
The Banking and the Brewer Sectors must be very different kettle of fish . Any shocks that hit on joining Stanbic and how did you navigate the new terrain ?
Yes and no and I will explain . Yes because the Banking industry all over the world by its very nature tends to be conservative and risk averse a stack difference to FMCG sector and alcoholic beverages in particular . Banking is about reducing risk as in many cases they are dealing with other people ’ s money if we distil it down to its bones , or bare minimum . This tends to permeate and affect all departments and functions .
So , the first week on joining I put on a tie , something I had not done for along long time . However , this did not work for me . I felt stifled in my thinking and honestly physically . So , I walked into my Boss ’ s office and told him so . He told me as long as you are presentable you can remove the tie .
Earlier we spoke of creativity . I have this view that creativity is a big pillar of marketing and the office environment including dressing contributes significantly to one ’ s creativity and a tie doesn ’ t sit well in getting ones ’ creative juices flowing .
Let me give you an example that clearly brings this point home . In South Africa some of the best , if not the best advertising creative directors work in Cape Town . The reason is simple ; they can go to work in shorts and slippers during summer . In addition , the sights and sounds of the Ocean have something about it that provides a conducive environment to unleash their creativity . The feeling of freedom that casual wear gives one can , in my view , contribute to better creative ideas . There is of course no empirical evidence of this and creative ideas can thrive in all sorts of places , but it ’ s a strong belief I hold .
Now let me come to the second part of my answer , that of the ‘ No ’. Marketing irrespective of the brand one is building or the category they are in is based on the same principle . That the consumer is at the centre of everything one does . To succeed one needs to understand the signals the consumers are sending , synthesis this information , get useful insights , and make decisions that will make a difference . So I prefer not to be constrained by the industry the brands I am building is in and view myself as a marketer doing what I do best . This view was useful in my transition from building beer brands to banking brands .
Moreover , I am sure that some of the consumers of Nile Breweries brands are our customers in the bank , just wearing a different hat but their core and needs are the same . They are looking for brands that understand them and evolve as their needs change . In this respect I found Stanbic was sitting on a gold mine given that they had good products which needed to be built and transformed to strong brands . Leveraging on my experience building beer brands and with strong focused team we have largely been able to achieve this . Having said this , it has not been a walk in the park . Stanbic is the biggest Bank in Uganda and is complex in its operations . This really stretched my imagination and abilities .
Though there has been significant and positive development , Marketing in some categories , especially those companies that are not in the FMCG space , is still trying to prove itself and earn a seat at the table . What do you think marketers need to do be considered with the same regard as say Finance or HR ?
This is an important question especially now that I have had experience in the two sectors ; an FMCG company , and now the Bank . When a joined the Bank , I realized that Marketing was as a matter of course , a support function rather than one of the core departments . But the Bank had realized the need to change this and the CEO was categorical they did not want a marketer from the banking sector . They needed fresh thinking and my background was in part what made them hire me .
What will it take for marketing to be recognized and given its due respect ? I tell those joining the industry that one must be clear about what marketing brings to the table and how it ' ll impact the business positively whatever strategy the company ' s pursuing , e . g growth or profitability . What the marketer brings to the table is a deep understanding of the customer and how they are changing . A business is all about satisfying customer needs at a profit . Any business that meets its objectives does so because it consistently meets the needs of their customers . Therefore , when the business strategy is being formulated marketing must be at the centre for there ' s no business without customers and marketers are the latter ’ s advocate .
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