customer toward advocating for change , has taken center stage . History is awash with narratives capturing the use of humor as a powerful tool for advocacy , mobilization , communication and lifting the spirits of those fighting for specific change .
In the case of this revolution for governance and policy change towards reduction of social and political ills , enhancement of the economy to enable internal customers eke out a decent living , as well as good governance in the judiciary , executive and legislature , humor has been a driving factor . The emergence and rise of the hashtag # AngukaNayo mapped against the hit song by the music group Wadagliz ’ s , has yielded a protest symbol creatively manifested in song , dance , spoken word , visual artistry , and chants during national and international demonstrations . The song ’ s refrain has borne various dance challenges , and is used as a clap back almost in ‘ responsorial psalm ’ format to any emergent declarations , decisions , disclosures or messages dispatched by government .
The creation and circulation of memes , caricatures and other visual representations of the # AngukaNayo slogan has elicited mirth and merriment amidst the passage of important messaging for the movement . Its organic adoption as an anthem has had significant stickiness across all generations . It has been taken up as the collective rallying cry towards challenging oppressive systems , decrying punitive government policies and continuous raising of awareness towards constituting a better nation .
To say that the nation has been ‘ moved ’ to action both literally and figuratively would be quite befitting for there has been movement in terms of decision making , movement in terms of collective thought and progressive action , movement by the government in an attempt to respond to matters arising , actual movement in terms of song and dance on the streets , in gatherings both online and offline , and a movement in the spirit and souls of the internal customers - citizens calling for change .
In tandem with the messengers moving messages , the message itself needs to have an irresistible calling , and the # AngukaNayo anthem has taken on special importance . Loosely translated into ‘ fall with it ’ with deeper connotation of ‘ run with it ’ the theme has Kenyans rallying together and running with the beat .
What would be great would be for the brand leaders to listen the voice of the internal customer , take up good governance and # AngukaNayo .
The Power of Context
Gladwell avers that “ epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur ”. Indeed , the epidemic that has been the collective pushback on historical injustice and continued mismanagement of the Brand Kenya , has been very strongly influenced by the rising up of the middleclass population of Generation Z players who have bandied together to call for a stop .
The digital environment with a heavy leaning on three online social platforms ‘ Twitter ( X ), TikTok and WhatsApp , has created a powerful social environment in which pockets of influence in different spaces have added up to the collective rise continuing to disrupt the status quo .
The context of the 2010 constitution and the rights and freedoms therein enshrined , has also provided an environment to enable the increasingly ‘ legally literate ’ younger population to advocate strongly for change . The internal customer is currently enjoying significantly more freedom of speech than there ever has been , and thus use all kinds of platforms to get messaging heard , even those unpalatable to the brand governors of the nation . This environment where anything said goes , that was hitherto deemed as treasonable , is now a current norm , fostering an environment of boldness towards counter narratives to the state ’ s various stands .
Gladwell talks about human behavior being sensitive to and strongly influenced by its environment and this is made manifest in the surge in protests and demonstrations country wide where increasingly , batches of demonstrators are popping out from different geographies and sectors and raising their voices as they try to # OccupyXXX , where XXX is the location or institution where atrocities are perceived to be happening and change is needed .
The environments producing results in terms of pressurizing key persons in leadership in the state to do the right thing , have also grown nationwide . This has been concretized from the success of telephonic and physical ‘ greetings ’ under the banner ‘ kusalimiwa ’ - a strategy where a critical mass of citizens actively call and message a leader or congregate in their physical home or office to pass on the message of dissent - to having a spate of apologies and distancing from the original unpopular stances earlier taken . These smaller close-knit groups on different portals , have come together to each take action on the main agenda , leading to incremental successes to the cause .
The nation ’ s brand leadership would be well advised to study the contextual framework of the country , understand the modus operandi and psyche of its internal customers , and swiftly adjust accordingly for success .
When all is said and done , customer experiences at the different touchpoints produce moments of truth that represent any one of the 3 M ’ s - Magic , Meh or Misery . How internal customers are feeling about the nation and the journey they have been on for the past 61 years as expressed over time , fall into the Meh and Misery categories . For a small fraction of those that have gotten away with looting and plundering the nation , all things are rosy and magical . For the majority of the internal customers , there ’ s lots of cynicism and resignation and a paralysis of being resigned to the status quo , that is rapidly coming unraveled by the juggernaut that is the current Gen Z led revolution . What is not in contention is the misery that abounds with economic , political and social misery expressed overtly .
Customer decisions are highly emotionally charged and the psyche of the nation of explosions and rage , is at emotional pressure cooker levels . The critical question to reflect up on at this time is whether the brand leaders in the nation have the wisdom to take into account the moments of truth and repair the internal customer experience ?
There is already significant patriotism and love for the brand , which is sufficient fodder for the fuel of change to be fanned aflame . The government thus needs to make a concerted effort to transform its relationship with its internal customers and honor that the customer is the most important parameter of a brand and that for Brank Kenya - All sovereign power belongs to the people .
Carolyne Gathuru is the founder and director of strategy at LifeSkills Consulting . She has several years of experience in customer experience strategy development and training . You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail at : CGathuru @ life-skills . co . ke