Global affiliations that build Kenyan marketing agencies

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•   The writer Anthony Gatheca is the CEO of Transcend Media Group.

  Anthony Gatheca, Transcend Media Group CEO.

• Anthony Gatheca

Global affiliation marketing partnerships are slowly gaining ground in the marketing industry in Kenya. It has been predicted that spending on marketing partnerships is expected to grow by
10 percent in 2020 owing to the demand for global affiliations with local marketing companies.

 Affiliate marketing partnerships in the past allowed for the gaining of global strategic tools and insights from the vast networks which allow for a wider reach into global companies. According to surveys by Statista, the US marketing spend is due to reach 8.2 billion US dollars by 2022. These affiliations are necessary to tap into the global network of countries to collaborate on ideas and solutions for clients through the insight gained from the marketing and communication metric tools utilized. Competing on the international scale through a global affiliate creates space for exposure to emerging market trends globally, agencies are better informed, articulate and adapt well to global consumer needs. Most importantly, the financial muscle that comes with a global affiliate allows agencies to freely execute projects from within, giving them a better outlook in the client market. Locally, a lot of integrated marketing agencies have been able to benefit from the vast network and benefits global affiliated bring to the table. An example of this is the affiliation between global marketing giant McCann World Group and a local agency, Transcend Media Group. The affiliation has opened opportunities for the local agency, bringing forth business from global brands such as MasterCard, Nestle, Hollard Cigna, Facebook and South African Tourism just to mention a few. Not only does the affiliation benefit agencies financially but the local resource is able to benefit from the vast expertise, trends and knowledge that is derived from the affiliation partner.

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Through these affiliations Global Brands gain confidence in the ability of local agencies to not only craft region specific strategies but to also execute these strategies while keeping the brand image and reputation at an all-time high. These global giants churn out mind blowing campaigns while ensuring creativity is kept at the center of all they do hence leading them to global awards such as the 2019 Ad Week Award for global best advertising agency that was won by McCann World group in late 2019 year.  The Agency was also named Network of the year at the Cannes film festival and picked up an Effie Award for being the most creatively effective agency in the world.  Owing to technological advancements, integration of marketing services has been made possible which has allowed for the compilation of data outlining consumer experiences across marketing touch points. Partnerships have leveraged on these metrics to understand the consumer better through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software that is a competitive advantage across the globe. Global affiliations are vital to unlocking and expanding the potential of local marketing agencies. Agencies must continue to produce top notch work and seek these global affiliations to ensure Kenya becomes the African hub for developing and achieving the most creatively effective marketing results for companies.