of engagement metrics- it began with an insight: people love to see themselves reflected in the brands they consume.
The same lesson emerges in Netflix’ s push for African originals. Series like Queen Sono or Shanty Town work because they reflect real streets, languages, and conflicts. These shows aren’ t algorithmic imitations of Western tropes; they are lived stories, rooted in the rhythms and contradictions of African life. By investing in authentic voices rather than formula, Netflix taps into pride, relatability, and a hunger for self-representation. That’ s why audiences rally around them.
Human-centric creativity begins with empathy. It requires immersion in people’ s lived realities rather than deskbound extrapolations from data points. Algorithms can predict behavior, but only human insight can decode meaning. Whereas AI can enhance creativity, it cannot replace the human pulse. A well-crafted message must carry cultural context, humor, pain, and aspiration- things data cannot fully compute.
Going back to what Henry Ford famously said,“ If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Algorithms and surveys reflect present desires; creativity anticipates future needs. Renewal in marketing means seeing beyond data points to the deeper human aspirations they fail to articulate.
Purpose as a Strategic Competitive Advantage
Purpose has been abused in recent years- reduced to slogans and performative virtue. Yet, when authentic, it remains the most powerful differentiator a brand can possess.
Unilever’ s decision to tie sustainability to its core brands was not philanthropy; it was strategy. Brands like Lifebuoy and Ben & Jerry’ s grew faster because purpose sharpened their relevance. Locally, Equity Bank’ s commitment to financial inclusion and education scholarships is not CSR- it is a business model built on empowerment.
The key is alignment. Purpose must intersect with the brand’ s capabilities, not float as an external cause. A bank cannot credibly campaign on climate change if its lending portfolio contradicts that stance. Renewal demands a purpose that is authentic, actionable, and measured by outcomes, not hashtags.
Strategic Use of Technology
Technology should serve story and strategy, not replace them. The danger today is overreliance: marketers chasing algorithm tweaks or buying reach without resonance.
The path to renewal lies in intentional adoption. AI, for instance, can augment creative development, personalize at scale, and predict behavior- but it cannot substitute for human imagination. Social platforms can amplify, but they cannot supply narrative.
Consider Spotify’ s“ Wrapped.” It is pure data, yes, but framed as a story- individual listening histories turned into personal narratives. This is technology amplifying meaning. Locally, M-PESA is not just a tool but a cultural story of empowerment, one that reshaped economies.
The discipline is to resist gadget-chasing. Ask: does this tool deepen our story, strengthen our purpose, or humanize our creativity? If not, it is a distraction.
Measurability Without Myopia
The digital revolution promised precision. But in its shadow grew myopia: what cannot be measured instantly is dismissed. Renewal requires marketers to reclaim perspective.
Metrics matter, but they must ladder up to meaning. Share of search is often a better predictor of market growth than social likes. Emotional connection is harder to quantify, but its absence is fatal.
Les Binet and Peter Field’ s research on effectiveness proves the point: campaigns optimized only for shortterm activation underperform in the long run. Balanced investment across both brand and performance drives the highest ROI.
In practice, this means broadening dashboards beyond CTRs and CPMs to include brand lift, recall, advocacy, and cultural impact. Measurability must illuminate, not narrow, vision.
Long-Term Thinking in a Short-Term World
The final pillar is perhaps the hardest. Marketing today operates under quarterly pressures. Yet every enduring brand was built through patience.
Apple’ s“ Think Different” was not a oneoff- it was a multi-year positioning that still defines the brand. Safaricom’ s“ Twaweza” did not spike overnight- it was sustained narrative architecture. Coca-Cola’ s association with happiness has been reinforced over decades.
Long-term thinking requires courage: courage to defend brand budgets against quarterly cuts, courage to stick with narratives beyond campaign cycles, courage to resist algorithmic chasing. Renewal is not about who shouts loudest today, but who is remembered tomorrow.
Towards a Marketing Renaissance
The seven pillars are not isolated tactics. They are a philosophy of discipline, humanity, and endurance. Storytelling without purpose is hollow. Creativity without technology risks irrelevance. Metrics without long-term vision reduce marketing to arithmetic. Renewal requires the interdependence of all.
If marketing has become an industry of distractions, storytelling is the way back to meaning. Technology should amplify stories, not replace it. Algorithms should distribute stories, not dictate them. Performance metrics should validate the story, not suffocate it.
The marketer who masters story does not fear platform changes or shifting trends. Because while media fragments, the human mind does not. We will always be creatures of narrative.
As Seth Godin put it:“ Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but the stories you tell.” The challenge- and opportunity- of modern marketing is to remember this timeless truth.
The way forward is not more data, more targeting, or more noise. It is a story. The one element that cannot be automated, commoditized, or ignored. The one element that makes a brand unforgettable.
Dr. Sylvia Ng’ ang’ a, PhD in Marketing, is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing( ACIM), a member of the Marketing Society of Kenya( MMSK), and an Associate of the Public Relations Society of Kenya( APRSK). She serves at the Marketing Faculty at Daystar University. You can commune with her via email at: SMukenyi @ gmail. com.