Airline body urges African governments to act on opening market access
‘Strategies don’t move people. Now it is time to make the difficult decisions and execute them,’ senior executive stresses.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PR company Edelman unveils new pan-African regional advisory service
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025
New business offering to be steered by senior executives in four regions and will provide high-level support to clients.
PR company Edelman has launched an Africa-wide Regional Advisory team to provide high-level support to clients on public affairs and crisis communications, as well as deliver regional insights.
To build upon Edelman Africa’s already established teams in both Southern and East Africa, the regional advisory team will be co-led by two external advisors from other regions on the continent: Kwame Senou, Executive Director of The Holding Opinion and Public (THOP) in Cote d’Ivoire, and Kamal Taibi, founder and CEO of Stratëus Group in Morocco.
Karena Crerar, Edelman Africa CEO. Photo: LinkedIn
Other executives who will steer the team are Corazon Sefu, Edelman Kenya Managing Director (East Africa Advisor) and Geraldine Mamburu, Edelman Africa Business Development Director (Southern Africa). Heading the business offering is Karena Crerar, Edelman Africa CEO.
A focus on increasing optimism
“As our Trust [Barometer] research has shown, when institutions can’t be trusted to do what is right, levels of grievance arise. That’s why we must focus on increasing optimism, helping organisations cultivate and rebuild trust in local communities where they operate. This is especially true for those building their presence in Africa,” says Crerar.
“Multinational corporations and other institutions can no longer afford to be out of touch. Nuanced, regional strategies must be in place to reflect Africa’s complex socio-economic environments. You can’t transplant multinational business and communication models into a given country and hope they’ll stick. You need a top-down understanding of every market.”
Adds Justin Westcott, COO of Edelman EMEA: “This launch marks a significant step forward in how we support our clients’ ambitions across Africa. It’s a strategic move that reflects both the growing importance of Africa in global growth plans and our commitment to being a trusted partner on that journey.”
The 2025 Edelman Global Trust Barometer, launched early this year during the World Economic Forum in Davos, highlighted increasing market volatility, institutional failures pushing people to the brink, and growing mistrust of leaders in government, business and media.
Uganda Tourism Board partners with major European ice hockey league
UTB says its ambition is to turn the visibility into interest, bookings and more visitors choosing to explore Uganda.
Researchers explain why 10-second micro ads outperform longer spots
Short ads shown on TV increased website visits within five minutes of airing by 10-40% compared with longer advertisements.
Competition continues to grow in the Moroccan supermarket sector
Supeco’s rapid expansion shows how the discount model is becoming a bigger part of grocery retail in the North African country.
Study identifies harmful paradox behind well-meaning green efforts
Consumers reward visible eco-friendly additions such as reusable bottles, but give little credit to businesses that reduce or remove products.
President Mahama commissions expanded evaporated milk facility in Ghana
Nestlé believes Ghana will continue to play a leading role in the future of Central and West Africa.
Momentum beginning to build for 2027 ACCS gathering in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia’s marketers gather to celebrate hosting next year’s conference – but with an eye on the hard work ahead.
PwC report examines the future of African entertainment and media
Tech is creating more ways for audiences to connect, but lasting value will come from understanding the people behind those connections.
Unilever investment expands its Vaseline production capacity in Africa
The new production line at the historic Maydon Wharf facility in Durban will address growing international demand.
World MICE Awards in Jamaica honour best African and global achievers
Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and South Africa all feature in the African meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions awards.
AI won’t replace market research. But it will expose weak strategy
Much of the broader conversation around AI in market research assumes conditions that do not consistently exist across many African markets, writes Soyinka Witness.