The April 2020 Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) cohort at Strathmore produced a 100% pass rate in the Mastering Metrics, a 15-credit mandatory module which sits within the suite of Level 6 modules. Leading the group was Peris Gitau, Sales and Marketing Manager Domino’s Pizza & Cold Stone Creamery – Omnomnom Africa.

Founded in 1911, The Chartered Institute of Marketing is a professional marketing body with over 30,000 members, including more than 3,000 registered Chartered Marketers. CIM offers 130 study centres in 36 countries, and exam centres in 132 countries.

Locally, CIM Kenya was launched in Nairobi in September 1998 to aid marketers to elevate themselves in their professional careers while creating value and fostering excellence in Kenya’s business landscape by harnessing marketing knowledge and building world class competencies. Strathmore’s Institute of Management Sciences is one of the few study centres offering CIM.

 

Prior to joining the CIM course, Peris obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Strategic Management. The strong sales professional and a member of the chartered institute of marketing returned to class in 2019, this time in Strathmore, seeking quality education and human networks.

She is keen on creating networks through experiences and misses the one on one interaction that physical class sessions bring. “I attended two classes in April before we sat for the exam. It was professionally handled, the lecturer kept time and delivered the course content professionally, as always. But there was something different; the screens limit human interaction.”

For her, CIM class sessions are more than classes. They are an opportunity to network and build relationships with other class participants. She speaks of her Strathmore experience, Covid-19 and the future of marketing.

What are some of the highlights of your Strathmore experience?

I appreciate the exposure CIM gives and the ability to put theory into action. I learn something today and tomorrow I am able to put it into action at my place of work. The practicality of the course calls for students to analyze different topics based on real company issues in order to find solutions.

What impact would you like to make with the knowledge you acquire from the course?

What’s important is to see the measure of all marketing activities, added value to the customer and to integrate all marketing channels with the change of consumer behavior through tangible data collected in the market. I’d also like to effect a systems upgrade; digital is big, unlike before.

What impact has COVID-19 had on your marketing techniques?

During this pandemic, we’ve seen a reduction in BTL (below the line) advertising. We’ve had to maximize on online platforms in order to reach our consumers.

Due to the measures put in place to combat the pandemic, we’ve had to reduce human interactions. Kenyans are sanguine by nature. We love to get together, tell stories, share experiences. But we are also highly adaptable. We now have zero-contact deliveries. Before, cash was basic. Now, we have more PDQ machines so that the consumer doesn’t need to handle cash.

What do you see as the future of marketing post Covid-19? 

The future belongs to those who adapt and to those who are brave. The faster you adapt, the better. Constantly check on consumer patterns. Learn them so that you find innovative ways retain your consumers. People are now discovering they can do without some items; Zoom parties are now a thing. Will your product or service remain relevant?

What recommendation would you make to Strathmore in order to improve the learning experience? 

There are networking opportunities that the University offers. However, I would encourage the University to take them a notch higher through an increase in alumni engagements and exposure to industry for students in professional courses.

 

The article was compiled by Wambui Gachari.

 

Would you like to share your experience of living through the circumstances brought by the Covid-19 pandemic? Kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu