#BehindtheBrandManager: Charlotte Nsubuga-Mukasa, head of brand marketing at Momentum

Charlotte Nsubuga-Mukasa fills us in on Momentum's recent brand campaigns and the rationales behind them.
#BehindtheBrandManager: Charlotte Nsubuga-Mukasa, head of brand marketing at Momentum

What does your job entail, and what does your average workday look like these days?

Igniting passion for the Momentum brand and inviting South Africans to re-consider Momentum as it repositions itself as a in – touch, progressive modern story telling brand, that enables success however you define it.

A typical work day includes coaching, mentoring and inspiring young minds believing that they have so much more to unlock - to become the world class marketers - which the world will look to for creative solutions in years to come.

We all have unique qualities and often times, as colleagues sharing ideas, one is able to turn another’s weakness around - by sharing a different perspective of their ability, thus releasing their capability. This of course turns that weakness into a superpower.

Can you tell us a bit about your career journey prior to your current role?

I started off my career at FNB in an innovation business unit called D – Business. Tap as a Kovsie graduate from the University of Free State, but then found myself in the advertising industry working on the ABSA small business, Scooters Pizza, and eventually the BMW South Africa brand. My love for premium car brands stems from their strategic competitive nature and my respect for their genius comes from how far they can look into the future and the why not - it's fascinating!

I then began my marketing career as a project manager for the MTN Group - for their flagship project the 20210 FIFA World Cup. It is here that my marketing career began to take shape as I got exposed to the best marketing minds on the continent as well as the Middle East. This is also where I began to see how a deliberate investment in career development and a care for people’s growth - could literally change lives. They shared advice that enables me to be successful in executing daily tasks. A ‘Can do’ attitude and the relentless pursuit to learn and become your best – was part and parcel of the tapestry and the culture of the team at the time.This is some of the advice they shared during the time and it is the power of this advice that gives me the confidence to pursue greatness.

How would you define your brand?

Polished but progressive. Agile and audacious. Contemporary and confident. A good corporate citizen with heart that meets you where you are without judgement.

As a brand, we are confident and good at giving sound financial advice. We are also diverse in our product range and our people. We are always ready to defy the odds. Relatable and Real. Lastly, an enabler of success.

Which consumer sector does your brand predominantly play in? What other sectors impact on your industry?

We play in the financial services sector and banking and telecommunications impacts our industry.

Can you share with our readers about your recent brand campaigns and the rationales behind them?/strong>

#SheOwnsHerSuccess

Women form 51% of South Africa’s population and 60% of Momentum’s workforce. In order for our nation to reach its financial aspirations, the needs of women have to be tabled and actively pursued. Women face a plethora of socio-economic barriers which limit and decelerate their journeys to success. Research has shown that women shy away from boldly claiming their achievements for a number of socio psycho and economic reasons.

In the month of August, Momentum creates their highly anticipated platform to empower women with networks, tools and resources to own their success with confidence. As calls for women to take up more space gains traction, Momentum believes that this is the opportune time for South African women to recognise their strength and take action to shatter barriers to success. This is done through #SheOwnsHerSuccess events that are open to the country with the lead the support of local and international speakers and workshops.

The month then culminates in the Momentum gSport Awards which aims to celebrate South African woman sports athletes and sports media who excel in their various categories - in partnership with the Department of Sports, art and culture.

#ForcesOfMomentum

People need to rebuild what the pandemic has affected, same way people need to pick themselves up after every financial difficult time. It’s all about hope for economic recovery.

We have the innate ability to succeed, but when constantly faced with difficulty, it becomes hard to see the potential inside us. It is when you partner with the right people, your momentum becomes unstoppable.

The power of advice, underpinned by the right financial solutions, can allow people to accelerate their momentum – offering them bespoke solutions on their journey to success.

Momentum believes that by joining forces with people and providing the power of advice, they are enabled to achieve the success they are striving for – in whatever form it takes for them.

Tell us more about #AdviceForSuccess and #BornwithMomentum

Forces of Momentum: The story of Matt the Giant and Alice

This magical story starts off with the birth of two young infants (Alice and Matt) in a private hospital. Their lives are destined to meet and impact each other, but the story does have poignant points within the narrative, that manage to depict the reality of how our differences, can sometimes make us lose our momentum in fulfilling the potential that is already in us to become great. Until of course, one of the characters in the story takes the time to show us that our differences and uniqueness can actually be turned into a strength – with acknowledgement, advice and support.

Matt the giant is a representation of our external challenges and our own internal insecurities. We all have moments where we feel awkward and struggle with a sense of belonging. Our insecurities and fears are what hold us back from achieving what we strive for.

Alice is a feminine, strong, bold, down to earth, curious, intelligent Bohemian high-school teenager. In the story she is depicted as a polished young girl with an uncharacteristically beautiful red hair. She represents Momentum in the story as they solve and the adviser to her friend, Matt the Giant.

She may be young, but she is mature enough to notice the innate potential in Matt. Furthermore, she sees what others can’t see and where others see Matt as awkward and somewhat unusual, she finds him interesting and observes his life as it unfolds throughout primary and high school.

She helps Matt discover his magic i.e. his “superpower” (when she intervenes and gives him a pop-up book which depicts a shared school play experience). This intervention then makes him realize that with the right advice that his momentum can be unstoppable.

Tell us about your most successful marketing campaign

Momentum has showcased its commitment to women through various platforms such as its sponsorship of the Momentum Proteas Women and the gSport Awards; a specific focus on understanding women’s financial success barriers through the Momentum Unisa Household Financial Wellness Index which inspired the Science of Success Festival; is injecting over R1 million into five woman-led businesses as part of the Budget Speech campaign for two consecutive years in a row.

#SheOwnsHerSuccess is another way that Momentum continues to create enabling environments that propel women forward, encourages them to boldly claim their success and shatter the barriers to success. This equity building campaign starts with the flipping of our M to signify our commitment to women in SA, but it seems to resonate with both men and women of all walks of life. It allows us to push and experiment with new ideas, but it also pushes our brand resonance and sentiment scores up in wide strides – that makes us successful in the eyes of the business we serve and the consumer we champion for daily.

What do you think are the most successful channels for getting your brand out there?

TV definitely, but with a healthy mix of new media innovations, and a constant presence on digital and social media.

What career advice would you give to aspirant young marketing and branding professionals?

Stay true to your core and colour in that definition with a raw intention that suits why God made you, nobody else. You are bigger than what you think. All it takes is an intervention by one person, one coach, one expert - to acknowledge our external challenges and our own insecurities - to make you see that success is as unique as a fingerprint, and that how you define success will always be unique to you.

What do you love most about working in the brand management space?

Telling the stories of ordinary South Africans, not because we are looking to be different, but because we put the spotlight on how they pivot, recover and pursue their journey to success.

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