Caroline Muia

A & C Active was a full service marketing and communications agency with a yearly revenue of USD 2,500,000 that was generated through various in market campaigns for clients including; Zantel Telecommunications, Visa, Master Card, Unilever and Tanzania Cigarette Company. As the general manager my responsibilities included;

• Business development and driving the organizations commercial agenda.
• Leading the team to achieve organizational goals through strategic career development and alignment of individual objectives via appraisal system.
• Managing the team and providing direction while developing and implementing impactful communication strategies that support tour clients objectives and goals.
• Campaign messaging – Providing direction in design of overall campaign messaging that will trigger the overall communication objective.
• Content development, management, and delivery
• Worked with the creative, media, digital and experiential marketing departments to develop, produce, and disseminate communications that included multi-media productions that provided for multi-channel, multi-format, and multi-audience communication for various brands with budgets exceeding USD 1,000,000 delivering measurable results such as double-digit net promoter scores for dozens of brands across Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa.
• As team lead for the Zantel brand, I drove the revival of the brand in Zanzibar by conducting perception research and leveraging insights to develop high-impact through-the-line thematic campaigns.
• Participated in building EzyPesa penetration in Zanzibar from 28% in Q4 2018 to 49% of the active Zantel users in mid-2022; a 21% increase over a period of 3 years resulting to an increase of 25.53% ARPU over same period – through tactical and thematic campaigns.
• Conducted research and evaluations to determine the effectiveness of communication for various brand strategies and campaigns and adjust strategies as needed
• Oversaw talent recruitment, onboarding, training, and conducted performance evaluations
• Formulated and executed annual business plans, identified growth opportunities, and adeptly managed budgets for successful implementation
• Fostered relationships with group companies, departments, and suppliers to ensure effective collaboration
• Implemented efficient working practices, systems, time management, and staff training
• Oversaw client relationships, directed project implementation, and ensured adherence to brand standards
• Headed various agency departments, including Digital, Traditional Media, Creative, Operations, BTL, PR, Health and Safety, and Finance
• Led the team in developing, implementing, and tracking the agency's strategic direction
• Developed and implemented agency policies, procedures, and guidelines
• Managed accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll processes, and prepared operating and capital budgets
• Created and implemented innovative business strategies to drive sales growth
• Addressed customer service issues with detailed and timely responses to escalated complaints
• Fostered an inclusive and progressive work culture to boost employee morale and satisfaction
• Ensured financial targets were achieved, and revenue from all accounts was successfully generated
• Led the team in developing project-based cost estimates, approved budgets, and maximized project profitability
• Monitored billings on a regular basis, revised annual income projections, and cash flow management
• Leveraged understanding of consumer behavior to develop through-the-line marketing and communication strategies for various brands
• Implemented proactive solutions to complex business challenges, improving productivity, reducing corporate risk, and driving overall organizational success.

Experiential marketing Tanzania is part of EXP Agency, the largest experiential marketing company in Africa with presence in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia & South Africa. As the business unit director of Tanzania, my responsibilities included;

• Achieving financial targets, generating revenue from all accounts while managing costs appropriately
• Developing consistent experiential strategies and cost estimates across participating countries for clients such as Coca-Cola & Baja Automobile limited that EXP managed across Africa, as pertains to experiential marketing, with annual budgets exceeding USD 2,000,000 cumulatively.
• Managing project gross profit, maximizing overall project profitability for all brands under the Tanzania portfolio including, Diageo, Bajaj Automobile Limited, Coca-Cola, DFID, World Bank just to name a few.
• In coordination with various project departments, I helped develop targeted messaging for several outreach activities as well as corporate activities to convey their impact and successes.
• Coordinated high profile events, delegations, and field visits by international organizations, and donors, regional economic opportunities, embassies, local partners, and stakeholders.
• I oversaw daily operations of an internal team of 26 people and project based teams exceeding 100 and any one time, focusing on efficiency, team collaboration, and process improvements.
• Provided clear strategic direction for agency accounts, ensuring proper coordination for client benefit to maximize value for our clients.
• Drove new business development through pitches and property development.
• Directed strategic development of clients' business in marketing communications
• Managed and approved all client issues related to creative and strategic direction
• Ensured profitable running of each client account
• Identified touchpoints to connect with consumers, leading strategic experiential activities amplification channels
• Identified suitable media and digital channels for client brands or products
• Collaborated with media houses to maximize campaign impact
• Developed and implemented media schedules, ensuring accountability and implementation
• Led the client service team in developing PR plans for key clients, including DFID, NBA Africa, Unilever, and Serengeti Breweries
• Prepared and executed roll-out plans, coordinating with associated agencies for implementation and monitoring
• Advised clients on outdoor and indoor advertising based on target market and location, enabling competitive positioning
• Understood different market segments to recommend effective outdoor advertising strategies
• Overall Key clients at EXP included: Coca-Cola, Serengeti Breweries Ltd, World Bank, Bajaj Automobile Ltd, Vodacom, Unilever, Zola, DFID, World Bank, NBA Africa.

As the business development manager at Swivel marketing, my key responsibility was to craft exceptional experiential marketing proposals, cost estimates, present and negotiate with client, as well as ensure excellence in execution, monitoring and reporting of all projects, ultimately leading to the growth and profitability of the agency.

Other roles included;

• Fostering client relationships, educating prospects on the company's value proposition
• Preparing and forecasted budgets and expenditures
• Researching market trends, staying current on customer preferences to lead sales operations effectively
• Projecting sales and identified less profitable areas by closely monitoring operations
• Collaborating with the project team to ensure seamless execution of projects
• Overall Key clients at Swivel Marketing Ltd included: Serengeti Breweries Ltd, Vodacom, Unilever, British American Tobacco (BAT).

• Conducted research on prospective accounts, identified market presence, and developed plans for market penetration
• Engaged clients to build relationships and educate prospects on the company's value proposition
• Qualified customers to promote products and services, securing new contracts
• Brainstormed decisions before committing company resources to respond to RFPs
• Guided long-term objectives and increased sales volumes to meet business needs and requirements
• Exceeded sales goals and key performance metrics through competitive pricing and value-based marketing efforts
• Determined price schedules and discount rates to maintain competitive positioning
• Researched market trends, staying current on customer preferences to lead sales operations effectively
• Engaged customers to quickly identify needs, negotiate contracts, and close sales
• Restored customer satisfaction by promptly resolving complaints with acknowledgment and tactful communication
• Prepared and forecasted budgets and expenditures.

• Managed new and existing accounts, providing excellent customer service and anticipating client needs
• Utilized cross-selling and upselling to enhance the value of customer purchases
• Drove business development focused on the sales of outdoor media
• Developed outdoor media proposals for clients and media houses
• Carried out presentations and negotiations on behalf of the business with both corporate clients and media houses
• Prepared reports for clients
• Monitored production operations for quality and compliance with standards
• Resolved customer issues quickly to recapture customer loyalty and prevent lost sales
• Understood the competitive landscape and the company's differentiators to effectively communicate the value proposition in competitive situations.