The Marketing Society of Kenya’s 2026 Annual Conference, held on 10‑11 September at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort in Mombasa, urged marketers to take a larger part in shaping Kenya’s economic future.

Chairperson Zuhura Odhiambo framed the two‑day event around the theme “Growth by Design: Marketing for a Changing Economy”, stressing that growth must be built on deep customer insight, clear value propositions and the integration of creativity, technology and commercial outcomes.

Speakers highlighted that marketers should move beyond communication to become designers of demand, conveners of stakeholders and stewards of long‑term value, aligning campaigns with the entire customer journey from discovery to advocacy.

Why a new approach is needed

John Paul Okwiri, CEO of the Technopolis Development Authority, warned that heightened competition and rapid technological change require organisations to use data‑driven design to earn consumer trust.

Beatrice Njiraini of Eskimi noted that 80 % of consumers now base brand choices on trust, making trust a critical growth asset rather than a simple metric.

Mark Kaigwa, founder of Nendo, highlighted AI’s role in cutting costs and speeding prototype development, while cautioning that human judgement and local relevance remain essential.

Implications for marketers and businesses

The conference urged marketers to adopt hyper‑personalisation, moving from broad segmentation to a “segment of one” through richer customer identity data and continuous learning technologies.

The Micro and Small Enterprises Authority emphasized measuring outcomes such as enquiries, orders and repeat purchases rather than vanity metrics like follower counts.

Overall, the Society called for marketers to blend creativity with data, technology with human insight, and short‑term performance with long‑term value to prove their contribution to Kenya’s growth agenda.

Next steps for the marketing community

Delegates left the conference with a pledge to design growth with evidence, imagination, attention and trust, and to embed these principles in future campaigns and business strategies.