Digital marketing Summit set for Nairobi in June 2011

By James Ratemo

Nairobi is all set to host a historic summit in June 2011which will see the gurus and pioneers of digital marketing convene under one umbrella.

The focus of this landmark summit will be on creating a collaborative platform for both the experts and the African business owners.

With deepening Internet penetration in the continent, the summit is expected to provide an opportunity to investors in exploiting new marketing frontiers.

"The preparation for the meeting is complete. Key technology gurus have confirmed their participation. Certainly, it is a big chance for Africa to learn from developed economies," said Bernard Sanganza, the chief executive officer of Afri-Tech Group, a global digital and † Internet marketing firm.

He added: "This historic summit will not only provide unprecedented business opportunities for the participating brands, but will also create noble synergies in transforming the economy of one of the most resourceful regions of the world."

The four-day exhibition and "highly engaging" conference will be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) and will provide the attendees with a mass of new knowledge and new contacts.

It is projected to feature more than 150 leading minds from the local market, most of whom are brand advertisers, traditional and interactive agencies, portals, on-line publishers and technology providers.

According to Mr Sanganza, marketing executives from brand organisations, agencies, publishers and solution providers "attend our events in order to stay on top of the most important content, and also to network with industry leaders."

"The conference will also provide understanding on how firms can work with the latest technology and media. Our events truly answer the needs and wants of those passionate about digital media," the firm’s Senior Marketing Manager Itai Chando said.

Statistics show that Afri-Tech is†Africa’s first and most established Internet and Digital Media institution. Marketing experts say the June summit is timely, especially at this time when the continent is fast†embracing technology.

Key subjects of discussion include the future innovations in Digital marketing technologies, Social media marketing, Mobile web & commerce and conversation-centric†marketing strategies.

According to McKinsey Quarterly survey, companies that make the deep strategic and operational shifts required to become effective digital marketers can become more agile, more productive, and accelerate revenue growth.

"Since the dawn of the Internet, marketers have regarded it as a vast laboratory, launching experiment after experiment to crack the code that generates sales and customer loyalty. Not surprisingly, most have failed," said the Afri-Tech President, adding: "Consumers adopted digital technology as they themselves saw fit, in the process fundamentally altering the way they make purchasing decisions."

The survey shows that companies that understand this evolution are now moving digital interactivity toward the centre of their marketing strategies, rethinking their priorities and budgets and  substantially reshaping their processes and skills.

"Through our work with dozens of companies navigating this shifting landscape, we have found that the most successful digital marketers focus on managing four core sources of value as they increase the percentage of marketing and channel spending that is directed to digital activities," the McKinsey Quarterly reports.

Only recently, the firm opened its first branch in Africa. Speaking after the opening ceremony, the firm’s chief executive officer Bernard Sanganza said the branch will act as a focal point of operations in the continent.

"We chose to set our African base in Kenya because of its extremely vibrant technology and business culture. Our next plan will be to see that we cover the entire continent," said Mr Sanganza.

According to Mr Sanganza, three more branches will be set up in Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa before the end of the year. "Time to cement our†operations in the continent is now. This can only happen once we set our tentacles on the ground," he said.

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