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IN CONVERSATION Creativity Jennifer Barassa – owner and consumer education and a large budget founder of the Kenyan marketing, to convince the trader and consumer to advertising and promotions take up the brand. There is also a lot of agency Top Image – began as preparation required before launches, piloting and partnerships. a key to her a small home-based start-up in What, in your opinion, is the state of success than 900 people across six East marketing in Africa? 1995. Today she employs more Africa is the emerging market that offers and West African countries. a lot of opportunities, especially as the developed world is saturated. Africans have taken to marketing like fish to water; there are excellent marketers and ENNIFER BARASSA HAS MORE products coming from Africa. than 33 years’ experience across J marketing and related fields, What are the big trends that marketers having started her career in the corporate in Africa should be looking out for? world with global giants like Kodak and I see four major trends that are going Johnson & Johnson before branching out to be important for marketing in Africa: on her own. These efforts were rewarded consumer engagement; digital marketing; in 2012 when she was named Business social media marketing; and storytelling. Woman of the Year by the All Africa Jennifer Barassa ... Marketing an app Business Leaders Awards: East Africa. in love with the such as M-Pesa What is Top Image’s marketing She is also a member of the Board of creativity and requires a great deal methodology? Directors of the Kenya Women Finance challenges associated of creativity and We study the market to get insights. consumer education with marketing Trust and heads the Women’s Desk at the Then we conduct a needs assessment Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, and, once the job is done, we always where she is a director. Barassa serves do a customer-satisfaction survey. Plus, on the boards of the National Council of we evaluate ourselves on a monthly Women of Kenya and the Constituency basis on the performance of each Development Fund, as well as on various In Kenya we grew What guidance would you give to creative people to work with. Most M-Pesa is the best project. Top Image also prides itself school boards. from two staŽ to people looking to build a career importantly, manage your financials. thing that ever on rigorous training. This dynamic entrepreneur recently the present 800 in marketing? Most businesses involving young happened to us sat down with Strategic Marketing Africa Get into a field in which you are an expert people fail because they do not manage What is the African consumer looking to reflect on some career highlights, the and conduct market research before their finances. for in terms of a marketing campaign, challenges she’s faced and the state of starting up. Try to find a mentor who’s brands and product quality? marketing in Africa. Another highlight has been Top Image’s done it before. Work hard, have passion What has been your biggest You’ve worked with M-Pesa – one of The African consumer is looking for several expansion in Africa and opening up offices and commitment. Understand your challenge? Africa’s most innovating apps – since key things: for a product or service that What drove you to start a career in Uganda, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, clients’ needs and ensure that you Late payments from clients and those its inception in 2006. What has this will satisfy his or her needs; that provides in sales and marketing? Tanzania and Rwanda. Soon we’ll be in always deliver against committed targets who take a 60- to 90-day payment period. partnership with Safricom/M-Pesa a solution; is of high quality; comes at an I enjoy talking to people, providing Nigeria and Cameroon too. and expectations. Also, working with fly-by-night and meant for Top Image? affordable price; and is convenient. solutions for their businesses and seeing I’ve been fortunate enough to win ‘briefcase’ agencies can be frustrating, This is the best thing that ever happened results. I also love the creativity and the many awards as a business leader and Starting a business is never easy. as can the undercutting and corruption to Top Image. Because of our work with How would you target different challenges associated with sales and be named as a leading SME by the Kenya What advice would you give in awarding of tenders or projects. M-Pesa I am widely travelled as a keynote regions in Africa? marketing. Top 100 SMEs and be Lady Entrepreneur budding entrepreneurs, especially speaker in the area of mobile money At Top Image we connect to consumers [of the year] for two consecutive years. in the marketing, advertising and How do you attract clients? transfer and branchless banking. I’ve in different parts of Africa by learning You’ve enjoyed a long and illustrious That was very satisfying. promotional arena? We pitch for the business and are travelled to Singapore, the Philippines, and understanding the culture of that career; what are some of I was also very proud to be declared Be sure that you want to start a business, selected. In the last few years, Top Haiti, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, the US particular region or country, their the highlights? the East Africa Businesswoman of the because you are in it for the long run. Image and Jennifer Barassa have and others. consumer history and previous product There have been many highlights. The Year for 2012. I was surprised, excited There are no luxuries and many ups become brands in their own right, so marketing campaigns. It is also important growth of Top Image from two employees and thanked God for bringing me this far. and downs. Also be prepared to burn I get a lot of business from companies How does marketing an app differ to appreciate that the trading and to the present 800 employees in Kenya I still need to work hard, not rest on my the midnight oil. Creativity is key in a PHOTOS: SUPPLIED because we have a reputation for from marketing a more conventional business structures can be very different, alone is just one. And now we are a laurels and aim for the bigger challenges marketing, advertising and promotion delivering, achieving results and being consumer product? and that you need to embrace and work training ground for fresh graduates. to come. business, so make sure you get good passionate about what we do. It requires a great deal of creativity, with those differences. 30 strategicmarketingafrica First quarter 2014 First quarter 2014 strategicmarketingafrica 31