By Anita Thuku
I am human and with that in mind, I am a complicated one. I remember the first time I heard about digital marketing I had a hullaballoo imagination of what that is. I was born in an era which marketing was either fliers or posters reason being that one television served a whole village luckily or merely just a radio. Off with the donkey years, came a time when it marketing was done through the ‘mainstream media’. Here I am along Kimathi Street far behind the long snake of traffic. Impatiently, I leave the car telling the driver, “Go back home. I will call you to come and pick me for the next meeting.” Off I left for a meeting with Mr. Francis Waithaka, a digital Marketer from Digital 4 Africa.
I entered through the Rosewood doors, which I thought was inimitable other than the habitual ‘mahogany-steel’ doors. I was warmly welcomed by a young lad who looked seemed to have manicured behaviors. Unlike places I have been to where the receptionist seems to be terrifyingly uncultured and wears a pliable smile which looks stiff like a board. “What can I get you ma’am?” he interrupted my chain of thoughts as I was admiring the immaculateness of the office. “I am okay. Thank you for the gesture.” Inwardly, I was warming up to the ambience and looking forward to meet the guru. I did not want to let my guard down, I had early gone through a catastrophic ordeal that almost brought by business to its knees from mambo-jumbo of marketing.
“It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. My son says with you, I will stop squabbling for the East African market but I will find bigger fish to fry in the remaining regions of Africa and be able to reach to the overseas,” I tell that to Mr.Francis Waithaka as he welcomes me to his office. I thought he would be taken back with my remarks he turned out differently. He jutted out his chin with confidence and said, “You are the center of our business. I will design and personalize your experience to a je ne se quoi achievement.” I could not help it but only express a bashful smile. I finally settled into a soft cushioned maroon leather chair. He offered me some tea which I declined. I must say coaxing and wooing a 60 year is not a walk in the park but moreover of a herculean task.
He started off by asking how my day was so far. I was actually surprised a tad. Many at times people start off with selling out their product or service without even exchanging any form of pleasantries. He continues, “What exactly do you want to see in your business?” I relished with happiness trying to down play the card. Many at times I have experienced seller selling to me without knowing what I would want or maybe awaken my desires. “Honestly we were the key supplier of grains and cereals in the east and central of Africa. With the changing times a lot of people have gone into our line of business. However in the past one year, we have made terrible losses that have made sit in silence like soldiers wounded from a lost war dragging carcasses of disappointment and dashed dreams,” I sighed and finished off.
The look on his face looked mint and happy. He had a seamless way of expressing and being empathetic with the situation at hand. He showed me what kind of kindness if we embraced technology it would hoist our business and give us a facelift. I am not fan of numbers, but the way he expressed himself he swept me off my feet. He seemed to crunch the numbers and express with ease the kind of future my business would have. When it come to the digital marketing, let me not let the cat out of the basket. For me, his a brand I want to associate my business into soaring beyond the sky scrapers.
