From there she moved into the position of associate creative director and then creative director. Then she combined her love of creative and business taking up the general manager spot and then MD.
Today the agency in Uganda comprises 27 people. Muvumba says she still laughs when she tells people, “When Metropolitan Republic Uganda opened, I was one of the first people hired and I have been there ever since.”
She started as a copywriter. “I love words and as a copywriter, there are such different formats of writing… from radio to long form.”
What drew her to the industry was the people. “In general, you find the most interesting people in agencies and advertising”.
And then there is the work. “What I really love about the advertising world is the whole process of solving a problem for your clients or brands or businesses and doing it in a creative way.”
In Africa, this is even more so. “When I see what is being done across the continent, it blows my mind, shocks me, and surprises me."
Currently, Uganda is experiencing positive growth with a growing middle class and disposable income.
As a result, the marketing fraternity there is growing, with international brands entering the country. This has had the effect of lifting the country's standard of advertising.
“I like to say that we are creative first, even if we are a 360 integrated agency. It’s how we look at how we can do work creatively, even when it's PR or media work.
“Whatever we are doing we strive to keep that golden threat of creativity throughout. It makes us different and stand out.”
Uganda is also feeling the trend where spend is shifting from traditional media to digital media.
“Currently though there is still a focus on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, as opposed to digital. TikTok is growing but still now. Many brands in Uganda are still not sure what to do with it. Also growing are WhatsApp and Snapchat,” she explains.
But, she adds, the adoption also varies between brands and audiences with some brands getting it right.
“These brands know how to utilise the interactive nature of digital. Others are still only using it as a platform to push out their messages as opposed to create real engagement, real stories, and real two-way communication with the customer.”
With Africa experiencing a cultural renaissance she says it is still about being relevant.
“There has been that shift in that local fashion and music is appealing to our audiences. In the past, they wanted international music. Now it's African music as they want to hear things in their language."
The brands that are getting it right recognise that one size does not fit all. “We need to be bespoke in how we communicate to our target audiences."
In Uganda, there are 46 different tribes. “To communicate to the majority we need to have campaigns in at least seven different languages. The brands that care and want a return on their investment, take the time, and money, to do that granular level of advertising.”
Being part of Metropolitan allows them to leverage big group resources. “Being part of a larger network gives us the ability to find the expertise we need as there is always someone who has worked on, for example, a fragrance launch.”
It has also allowed them to do work in South Africa, do pan-African work, and work in Uganda for Kenya and Nigeria.
For her what is exciting moving forward is the dissolving of boundaries. “As Africans we are closer than we think. I have spoken about the nuances that separate us, but there are also many similarities; we are more the same than we are different.
“I would love to see us as African people living in Africa becoming closer and brands have a role to play in doing that.”
