[Interview] David Njenga, Creative Director, Nick Creations
David Njenga is Creative Director at Nick Creations, an Agency that specializes in brand development, market research and Public Relations. He talked to Africa Business Communities about brand development and diversification and Nick Creations’ role in positioning brands in Kenya and across the continent.
What is Nick Creations and what is your role in it?
Nick Creations is a Brand Development Agency that specialises in Creative design, Printing, Advertising, Public relations & Market research.
One of the key mantras of Nick Creations is diversifying brands. Tell us what that entails?
Diversity to us entails intimately understanding the local market’s tastes and preferences thereby working closely with our clients to ensure that their brand/image is clearly conveyed in all design work through-the-line, from the high profile above-the-line campaigns to unassuming below-the-line designs.
As a business what would you consider your competitive edge?
Big agencies are often cumbersome and overly process oriented - with Nick Creations, you will find an agency that understands the pace of your business, and can apply its strategic media and marketing knowledge to deliver what you need, when you need it, and manage all the details involved in making your efforts successful
Why does brand development matter to a business?
Branding is a kind of promise to your clients. Great brand development conveys a sense of your identity as a business, its what sets you and your business apart. It’s never just your logo, name or tagline. It has a real and distinct personality, an energy and attitude, character, behavior, value system, code of ethics. It reflects who you are, what you believe in, what you offer and why you do what you do.
How have businesses responded to your services? Is there appetite by entities?
There is a huge demand for brand development, businesses locally have embraced the need to have their brands clearly conveyed in all design work, especially on marketing collateral.
Closely related to this, how easy or hard it is to get businesses to see the branding sense?
It has become easier over the years to make businesses see the need to have their brands developed especially in light of the growing competition amongst them (especially in the digital sphere)...thus a stronger need to differentiate themselves in the marketplace
In the business of brand development, what would you point out as some of the interesting trends in the market in the recent past?
Businesses are now been pressed to deliver more personalised content delivered to their clients, based on their online activity or any other interaction with their brand
What would you consider as key milestones for Nick Creations since it set up shop?
Nick Creations was given an award at the Africa Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) Awards, an initiative of the Africa growth Institute, in partnership with governments and major organizations, which took place at the Gold Reef City Hotel, Gauteng, South Africa.
Which are some of the brands you have worked with?
We have been instrumental in successful brand development campaigns for our corporate & small and medium sized enterprises clients such as: Pacis Insurance Company, Universal Traders Sacco, E-Manage Africa, Chronicle Tours, MMH Sacco, Jamii Sacco, Abercrombie & Kent Kenya, Fairtrade Africa, KPMG, Sedco Group of Companies and Africa Fleet Management solutions amongst others. Our passion and attention to detail has seen leading companies such as Nation Media Group, Barclays Bank, ICC (International Christian Centre), Simba Colt Group, WOCCU(World Council of Credit Unions), AMREF and others utilize our services time and again.
What’s next for Nick Creations moving forward?
We seek to work so strategically and aggressively that we create a continental footprint.
