Finding success in brand management

In 1986, when his family returned from exile in Tanzania, Kamara Ariho attended a village school in Bukinda, Nyakitabire in Kabale District. Although he owned shoes, he chose to walk to school barefooted so that he could fit in with the other children. Ariho believes the sharp stones along the village paths gave him the grit to adapt to different situations — a necessary ingredient for a career in brand management. The 39-year-old co-owns Nomad Advertising Limited, a regional marketing and communications agency.

How did your education prepare you for today?
I do not think what I studied is informing what I am doing today. Education just pointed me in a direction but it was the experiences I had and the people I met that prepared me to be who I am.

Who influenced you the most?
A businessman called John Kato. In 1998, while in my S.6 vacation, he owned a design and print company. The storekeeper was going on maternity leave and they needed a stand-in. I was paid Shs150,000 a month. Soon, I fell in love with the design component and Kato said, “If you can design, then start working”. I jumped into the deep end.

What experiences built your career?
I worked for Kato for a couple of years and then I did a gig in another place while studying Marketing at Makerere University. I got an opportunity to study Digital Media at London Metropolitan University. I spent five years in the UK and they were an eyeopener. So many things were thrown at me that required passion, determination and grit. I was homeless at some point and I had to live in a church building. Friends fleeced me and court bailiffs came looking for me. I had to work myself out of that situation. The UK was testing ground.

What does your role at Nomad entail?
As the chief executive officer, I oversee a team of nine people. Anyone can be a CEO; but, fitting into the role is a journey.

How did the idea of starting a brand company come to you?
It is one of those things where you have a skill and feel you can apply yourself. If you are the kind who gets low grades, you are a born entrepreneur. This is because we are not conformists. Another ingredient is passion. When I returned from the UK, I worked at an advertising agency for three months, and then I set up a partnership with a friend for four years. In 2011, I started Nomad with my partner, Jeremy Byemanzi.

How can one be a disrupter in the brand management sector?
People need to attach value to you. You need to bring unique value to the market. Do not be conventional in your thinking and always be ready to learn.

What skills and attitudes do someone considering a career in brand management need?
I think this applies to any field. You need to be a blank canvas. Zig Zigler (American author) said in this world that is ever changing, the learner will inherit the earth while the learned will be well poised to handle a world that no longer exists. When we came into advertising, there were things that were done a specific way, but then, the tide shifted with the digital age. Now, you can have a one-man agency because with technology you can work smart. You can work in a café with free WiFi. So, one needs the ability to mutate, remain hungry and teachable.

Is being tech savvy a must?
Yes; you need knowledge to dig out the information on the Internet. My dad is 78 years yet he typed his autobiography (Learning. Leading. Legacy) and he still asks relevant questions about crypto currency. When my mother started out in business, she used to fly to China and Dubai but now she conducts her business on Skype. If she could adapt to technology in her 60s, everyone else needs to.

What has been the most compelling campaign you have worked on?
It was called Big on Business but it never saw the light of day because our clients choose what they put out there. However, in terms of effectiveness, the Hand Washing campaign we did for the World Bank five years ago was quite successful on both sides.

What are the challenges of managing brands?
There is a lack of processed data about our markets so it is extremely difficult to measure success. We do not have good demographic data in Uganda and what is available is very expensive and not in real time. Another challenge is the unstructured population. With no clear demographics, most adverts are one-size-fits-all, hoping to target the right audience.

Who inspires you?
Paul Kagame. I do not know if it is politically correct to say that. I have visited Rwanda and I do business there. Kagame literally took nothing and built something from it. He shaped the thinking of the people of Rwanda. My pastor, Moses Mukisa (Worship Harvest Naalya) also inspires me.

What business do you do in Rwanda?
We have Nomad in Rwanda. We exported the brand and looked for people to take it on.

Recently, you authored books on brand management.
Live Your Brand talks about the things that form who you are; the might that you have. Do not try to grow muscles if you do not have them because it is in your weakness that God has deposited the stuff that is going to make you who you are supposed to be.
Mind Your Brand is a collection of 100 thoughts. It talks about having the audacity to think — not conformist.

What does the future hold for you?
I see our business becoming multi-generational, and I see myself retired from active work.