Founded ten years ago by the influential Winnie Gor, the firm will now be known as Winnie Gor Communications Africa, a statement positioning for the ambitious company that seeks to be a catalyst for communication and business transformation for clients across the continent.
Currently, the agency has affiliate and partner offices in 17 countries across Africa including key markets of Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa among others.
“Our vision ten years ago was to become a beacon of creativity and trust for corporate and individual brands including business giants and emerging champions of change across Africa. We have been blessed to work with many of these diverse clients over the last ten years and who we aim to continue working with as we build our footprint in the continent”, said Winnie Gor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Founder.
Marked with pomp and elegance, the milestone celebration casts a new light on boutique small office business consultancies that have sprouted from the gig economy that has taken shape in Kenya over the last ten years.
The event was attended by communications industry and other business sector luminaries including chief guest, Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert, Founder and CEO, PMS Africa, Patricia Ndede, Vice-President, Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), and Joram Mwinamo, Co-Founder and CEO, The SNDBX (pronounced Sandbox), a business incubation and entrepreneurship support platform.
“Building a business from the ground up is never easy. To see a home-grown brand succeed year on year amidst all the turmoil and challenges of entrepreneurship including the effects of Covid 19 and even the current tough economic times is a fete to be celebrated and emulated”, said Mwangi-Yelbert, who in her key note address touted the importance of business mentorship and peerage, especially for budding women entrepreneurs.
Mwinamo, a business strategy and entrepreneurship expert noted that a business re-branding should not only reflect the change of name or visuals but also embody key factors of success such as innovation, creativity, and trust and which form some of the key pillars of marketing and communication practice.
“Reaching this kind of milestone in business, is not an end in itself but just an indicator that you are doing something right. To grow and surpass this achievement requires even more dedication and focus in developing operational efficiencies, processes and continuity plans, the lack of which has led to premature deaths of many SME dreams”, he said.
Driven by the growth of digital communications and business demand for agile reputation and brand management solutions, the Kenyan marketing and public relations (PR) industry remains one of the most vibrant and competitive markets in the continent with many global consultancy giants having a presence in the capital, Nairobi.
“As the industry continues to evolve, professionals in PR are essential in shaping narratives, building relationships, and driving communication strategies”, said Ndede, while championing for PR practitioners to familiarize themselves with the Institute or Public Relations and Communication Management Bill that seeks to set standards and regulations for the profession.
According to the State of Public Relations in Kenya Report released by PRSK in 2019, the market value of the PR industry in Kenya is approximately KES 2.42 billion, taking into account budgetary allocations and agency income in the country.
Winnie Gor Communications Africa counts among its stable of past and current clients, SportPesa, The Aga Khan Foundation, The European Union, De Heus Animal Nutrition, The World Bank Group, Mastercard Foundation, Habitat For Humanity, GSG-UK, Luminate and Technology for Education (T4E), among others.