Marketing feels broken? You're not alone.

Here’s why most marketing advice doesn’t work for Africa — and what to do instead.

Author

Rahwa Gebremeskel
May 01, 2025

Hi friend,

Welcome to the very first issue of SMART Marketing. A newsletter for people who want to stand out and grow their business without a massive budget.

If you're here, chances are marketing has felt more frustrating than freeing. You’ve probably followed the “right” advice… and still felt stuck.

That’s not your fault. Most businesses struggle with marketing because they’ve been handed the wrong playbook.

The BIG corporation marketing playbook wasn’t made for those of us building in Africa and other emerging markets. It assumes you have:

  • Million-dollar ad budgets

  • Agencies running your campaigns

  • Celebrities casually promoting your brand

But let’s be real — most of us don’t.

So we hustle harder. We chase trends. We slash prices.
And we still stay invisible.

Over the years, I’ve worked with 100+ brands across Africa — from startups to social enterprises. And I’ve seen the same thing over and over:

“We have a great product. But no one knows who we are.”

That’s when I knew: it’s not just a marketing execution problem.
It’s a positioning and mindset problem.

So I shifted. I stopped chasing what wasn’t working and started creating what actually helps.

And now, I’m sharing it with you.

I call this new system SMART Marketing

SMART stands for a new way to think about marketing in emerging markets:

  • Stand out through positioning

  • Make constraints your advantage

  • Avoid competing on price — compete by being different

  • Relationships and trust > hard selling

  • Turn products into memorable experiences

If that sounds like what you need — you’re in the right place.

To kick things off, I’ve created a short, practical guide:
The Smart Marketing Shift

It covers 5 mindset shifts that will help you rethink your marketing, position your brand, and grow with what you’ve got.

The-Smart-Marketing-Shift.pdf3.95 MB • PDF File



Read it, apply it, share it. It’s free. And it was made for builders like you.

Got a marketing question or challenge you’re facing right now?
Hit reply and tell me. I read every message and it helps shape future issues.

See you in the next edition.
And remember:

You don’t need more. You just need to think smarter.

Warmly,
Rahwa