NIGHT TURNS TO DAWN: HOW NIGHT AMPURIRE’S SURPRISE BY MTN WAS EXECUTED
It is 8:15 AM, and when my boss Martin Sebuliba calls me to his desk, his voice is as low as a secret agent on a covert mission. My heart sinks – I know what is coming… He is going to ask for the presentation deck for the campaign we are working on – it is not complete yet! I take a deep breath, mentally gearing up for a heartfelt apology that probably will not even contain any actual feelings.
“Have you seen this video?” he asks, and before I can even gather my thoughts, he scrolls through his phone. Suddenly, we are both sucked into this emotional rabbit hole, a heart-wrenching story of a mother who defies all odds to keep her family afloat and has to drive a death trap while at it. Watching this video made my own tear ducts want to start a rebellion, I could feel them give up on me – like a rouge army invading my eyeballs – but like a true Ninja, I slapped the emotions right back down. This was not the time or place – at least not before my boss…
“Leadership has approved an Intervention – we are getting one of our fleet vehicles refurbished and it will be handed over to the mother of 5” he informed me. Deep inside, my heart melted – it was moments like these that made me so proud to work with a brand like MTN Uganda. Next, he instructed me to formulate a plan to execute this handover “and with IMPACT” he emphasized.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
Once again, the time had come for me to roll up my sleeves and dive into the wonderfully chaotic world of Marketing. But this time, dear reader, it was not just any other activation; this was uniquely special and, dare I say, Personal! Execution is a sacred key for any Marketer and 6 things stood out for me on this one.
#1. Do your Research.
Our first order of business was to uncover the Identity of Night Ampurire: Where does she stay?, Is she known by the LC Chairperson? how many children she has, are they really 5?, which schools do they attend?, what do her fellow market vendors know about her?, Since she is a roadside vendor, In which markets/space does she operate during the week? how long has she been in this business?, how long does she spend in the market every day? how much does she make on average? – mundane details so they seemed but all these collectively helped us understand who she was and what her lifestyle was.
Enter Stuart Ronald, our resourceful Regional Marketing Coordinator, who took on this covert mission. For 3 days, he disguised as a typical customer purchasing watermelons and pineapples from our target, and while at it artfully extracted this personal information. His findings were so precise that I now find myself questioning if he is, in fact, a secret spy masquerading as a Marketer. Thanks to his ‘undercover work’, we successfully planned and executed a surprise handover that left Night Ampurire utterly bewildered.
#2. Harness the element of Surprise.
In the grand theater of Marketing, surprise plays a role so crucial that it deserves a standing ovation. Why, you ask? Because surprise amplifies emotions – think about It for a minute, when we are surprised and angry, we are OUTRAGED so when it came to Night, the surprise just sent her spiraling on this streak of extreme happiness – a place we hope she remains for years to come!
There was a particularly delightful moment during one of our final preparatory meetings, just a day before the grand handover. Rhona Arinaitwe, our PR guru relayed the suggestion, “Guys, we need to get her a car baby seat.” My initial reaction? We had already finalized our plans & budgets approved, surely, we cannot introduce new expenses now! But then a flashback to the sight of Night wrestling with the steering wheel while at the same time cradling her baby just tugged at my heartstrings. It was time to get creative!
We needed to find a way to accommodate this pressing need without rocking the budget boat. It meant we had to sacrifice some of the more frivolous expenses, as the baby seat was non-negotiable! It was heart warming to know that her little baby will be comfortable & safe.
#3. Plans Will Change – be agile!
After establishing that Night sets up shop every Tuesday in Kitooro Market. It became clear that setting up the massive MTN truck at her usual sales point would be quite a challenge. To ensure a successful activation, it was crucial for us to secure another strategic spot and we find a way to move her too. Simple – we bought off her usual spot (yes, it sounds underhand I know, but the job had to be done). The ground team swiftly presented Night with another ‘appealing alternative’ location that would conveniently position her closer to our desired activation area. She allowed!
Using our MTN rig truck, we transformed the new area into a vibrant activity space. However, at about 11.30am, Night deemed our alternative activation area too noisy to attract customers and insisted on moving to another market all together. Panic ensued! We needed another Plan! We unleashed a swarm of ‘buyers’, strategically dispatched every 10 -15 minutes to buy her watermelons. This unexpected influx of ‘customers’ shifted Night’s perception. UGX100,000 down the road, she began to believe that our noisy truck was, in fact, attracting customers for her.
#4. The privilege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing.
As Night turned into a new dawn for Night Ampurire, let us be reminded that for brands to foster genuine connections, they need to think beyond what they sell and consider the needs and desires of the communities they operate. After all, connection is indeed the new currency! As the day came to a close, I received a heartfelt message that truly resonated with me, “…watching that video brought tears to my eyes today. You work for a great company that’s actively changing lives, one day at a time. You’re lucky to be there at this point in time.” I genuinely feel grateful to be a part of such a meaningful journey and couldn’t agree more with the sentiments shared. It is truly a privilege to contribute to something so impactful. 6/6.
#5. God First
Now, I could not help but be a bit curious about how MTN leadership had arrived at such a divine decision to proceed without a whisper of ‘formality’. So, I talked to Stephen Mutana, our astute General Manager Mobile Financial Services and asked him just how he found himself posting this video onto the leadership group and to what end he expected it to reach. His response? Simply “It was God.”
I must admit, I wasn’t quite ready to accept divine intervention as the sole reason, so I decided to give it another shot. “So let me get this straight, you mean to say leadership just casually agreed to do this without a business case presentation, ROI projections, brand affinity analysis, or even a cost-benefit analysis?” I probed him further. “JP, everyone was on board! It was God.” He affirmed!
And there it was – the realization that, indeed, God works in ways we cannot see. Clearly, there is an unseen power at play here, guiding things in ways that transcend our earthly understanding. All this was Indeed the Lord’s work, who was I to question heavenly logistics? It seems that sometimes Heaven has its way of making things happen, with or without a meticulously crafted business case presentation!
#6. Culture is the Unintentional driver of Strategy.
So, you may think that this act of generosity was just a one-off, huh? Wrong! This year alone, MTN Uganda has cranked up their generosity engine with the Y’ello Care campaign, injecting UGX 680 million into uplifting marginalized groups hit hard by economic turbulence – youth, women, and our differently-abled friends. And hold onto your hats, MTN Uganda has launched the 2nd phase of the MTN Change Makers initiative, committing another UGX 500 million into a pot to back 25 shiny new projects across 20 districts in Uganda.
But wait, there’s more! when the tragic landslide hit the Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso district, MTN Uganda didn’t just sit back and watch. They jumped into action, donating UGX 100 million towards relief and recovery efforts. And then enter Night Ampurire – and the love simply continues! So, what’s the magical thread driving all this? you may ask.
I will tell you… It is the CULTURE – it’s MTN’s corporate values, which are all about building shared value among stakeholders! You see, in MTN, growth isn’t just about the bottom line but it’s also about being a socially responsible business that connects with communities.
As narrated by John Paul Okwi, Manager Sponsorships & Events at MTN Uganda.
