🕒 Over a Year Later... Nendo's Big Return & Fresh, Free African Research & Marketing Insights!
After over 400 days with no newsletter, Mark Kaigwa gives a full update on work-life, links, and the state of Nendo's research and marketing work and insights.
Dumela (that's hello in Sesotho),
Confession: It's Been (Too) Long
It has been over 415 days since I sent you a Letter N Nendo newsletter. While that was difficult to write, I'm excited to be back in your inbox with more.
To those of you who I've met and have nudged me about this newsletter, whether strangers, old friends, or new acquaintances alike - thank you for your encouragement and kind words. I hope to update you on Nendo and provide fresh insights today. Uncharacteristically, they're all written by Nendo (to show just how much we've been sharing with the world since the last newsletter).
First, a Reintroduction
For first-time newsletter recipients, allow me to (re)introduce myself.
Who am I? I'm Mark Kaigwa. I'm an entrepreneur, writer, and professional speaker who is perpetually curious about people and technology. I am married to an incredible wife, a dad to 3 girls, an AC Milan fan, and excited to lead Nendo.
Who is Nendo? Nendo is an award-winning research and marketing agency. We blend the best of these two disciplines in one company.
Research: We uncover data and insights on the habits, beliefs, and behaviour of individuals, ideas, and industries through our research work. Whether traditional in-person research like focus groups, interviews, or surveys, or fancy new approaches like social media listening, digital landscaping, and marketing effectiveness studies across Kenya and Africa.
Marketing: We also work with brands and nonprofits to deliver campaigns, content, and copy to change perceptions and behaviour through our creative work. Our team provides design, copy, content calendars, online and offline media plans, below-the-line marketing and campaigns to drive sales, generate demand, and win hearts and minds.
What is "The Letter N" Anyway?
The Letter N, the newsletter you're reading, is Nendo's way of building a special relationship with people who have either downloaded one of our many reports, been to our occasional events, or signed up because they want insights on how Africans use the internet, social media, and mobile phones.
The newsletter is broken down into sections, like me serving you a 5-course meal of bits and bytes at my digital restaurant:
What to sip: a quote, quick link, and idea I can't get out of my mind
What to nibble: a short read, listen, or watch (5 to 10 minutes long) with some context.
What to bite: a series of long-reads, listen, or videos to watch (+10 minutes) with something to think about
Links Á La Carte: an assortment, much like a nice dessert plate, of links to different resources to consume at leisure.
Bottom of the News(letter): some final parting thoughts from myself
So there you have it. It may feel like precious space in this newsletter explaining what it is, but I'll beg the indulgence of frequent readers so everyone can know what to expect from now.
What Has Nendo Been Working On?
This is why we've been so silent the past year(s). There's been so much going on at Nendo, but I'll give you an idea with a few of our recently wrapped up and ongoing client projects.
What Has Nendo Been Writing
The past few years have been the greatest for me (in terms of volume - and hopefully quality - of writing). I have published more words on our blog than any other time in Nendo's history.
It is actually one of my KPIs in the company scorecard. The entire newsletter today, long as it is, will be comprised of links to these articles. Please visit nendo.co.ke/blog often to see what we're up to. You can expect regular updates, typically published by Friday or Monday morning.
What to Sip
"AI isn't coming after Kenyan creatives jobs. Instead, it’s cutting stock image companies like Getty Images, Shutterstock, and even free ones like Unsplash. It is time to say 'Rest in Pixels' to the hardest working man and woman in stock image land - the "hard-working African doctor/ engineer/ lawyer/ businessman" because it is the same gentleman each time."
This quote comes from an article on why I viewed fears of an AI revolution as premature and misled. The fear was that it would eliminate advertising agencies' and professional models' jobs. I disagree.
More here - https://www.nendo.co.ke/post/ai-replaces-stock-images
What to Nibble
For several years, I have found Nendo misunderstood. When we speak to some past or present clients, they'd say, "Oh, I didn't know you also did research/marketing..." So it felt cathartic to write the best definition of who Nendo is today.
It would mean something to me if you read it. You passing on a good word somewhere in future would help our mission. It gives real client examples to help you see who we serve and what we do.
Read more here - https://www.nendo.co.ke/post/what-we-do-at-nendo
What to Bite
One of the best articles I've enjoyed writing in a long time was if I had the mission to destroy the brand, marketing, and advertising industry in Kenya (and maybe the world).
"MsaniiGPT" is the Frankenstein chatbot I would build, built atop OpenAI's ChatGPT large language model. I unpack precisely how I'd get it to learn Swahili and Kenyan slang to replace today's creative professional.
My favourite quote is the kicker at the end, which focuses on an African blood sausage called 'Mutura' and why it is best enjoyed in unsavoury conditions.
Read more here - https://www.nendo.co.ke/post/msaniigpt-making-a-creative-director-ai-chatbot
Links Á La Carte
AI is a huge buzzword, and how to use it is unclear. I shed some light on how my team and I use AI at work, From Midjourney to ChatGPT+ and more, to deliver value for our clients.
With AI making such big waves in society today, it can be hard to figure out what will change and what will stay the same. I looked in my crystal ball and penned two pieces - one on how marketing will change completely, yet research will stay steady amidst disruptions. Thinking in decades takes courage and real perspective, and I hope it provokes you to do the same.
Social Media Service fraud is one of Kenya's biggest repetitional risks for banks, telecoms, and utility companies. A 5-minute delay can cost $500 and create millions in reputational damage. My team and I even created an ad in the Business Daily (the top business newspaper) and built a special web page to address this big problem. Nendo's got answers and solutions; my blog here goes into them.
African social media crises tend to have a 'flavour' that is different from the rest of the world. I unpacked how best to respond (or not) and why some of the first Google Answers textbooks won't work. My framework for resolving them is called MELTS.
One of the most popular pieces by Nendo was why I think Kenyans (and many Africans) don’t care about privacy. This paradox between their behaviour and what they proclaim isn't unique to Kenya. Still, there are unique problems specific to how precious mobile phones are, thanks to mobile money, that are both exciting and worrying. More here.
Bottom of the News(letter)
I want your help - how often would you like to receive this newsletter? For now, I'm expecting to reach out monthly - just trying to get back on the bandwagon.
We'll also be moving to another platform, hopefully soon. We started a Substack, so if you want to get first in line and sign up there, you can do that. We've coughed up a fortune on Mailchimp fees, and I'm happy there's some good competition.
If you find this valuable, please share this newsletter with someone in your network. It means a lot to me and the team.
Until next time (likely with a shorter newsletter)
Mark and Team Nendo.