Advertising, they say, is the art of the possible and no one knows it better than Stella Mpora Khan, an outstanding practitioner of that art, who can easily be called Uganda Advertising’s smart worker.
The seasoned advertising practitioner, team lead at Ntinda-based Maad Advertising is the new Chairperson for the Uganda Advertising Association, nominated and elected unopposed during the Annual General Meeting held in Kampala over the weekend.
Needless to say, she has 17 years of experience in the local advertising industry having started off as a junior executive at Lowe Scanad managing global accounts like Coca Cola, Unilever, Bank of Baroda and Celtel.She was one of the 5 start-up members at MetropolitanRepublic and was tasked to set up a PR and BTL department. Stella led her team to win new PR and BTL clients like Google Uganda, MTN Uganda, VIVO Energy Uganda, Uganda Waragi and UHMG.
Having also served in the outgoing Muhereza Kyamutetera’s executive as the deputy Secretary General, conversely, Mpora must ensure that the association stands out as a starting point for engagement on regulation in an industry where non-paying clients and pitch idea theft continue to hold indigenous agencies back.
Given the unprecedented prominence of global agencies and negotiating for fat retainers, Mpora’s team faces major challenges in a fast growing and rapidly changing industry and voters felt that Mpora has both the passion and competence for the role.
“It is true that our association’s road has been a wavy one due to factors that we can work on together to straighten,” Mpora said in her acceptance speech at Kati Kati restaurant where Fireworks Advertising’s General Manager, Frank Muthusi was chosen as deputy chairperson.
“It is time now to work even harder, smarter and more fiercely towards building solid relationships that will help us deal with these challenges one at a time,” she added.
“If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language in which they think.” – David Ogilvy
A brief by Allen Ssempa, UAA Program Manager lists other members on the Executive Committee as Brandvision DDB’s Hellen Bwengye, serving as the Secretary General, LiveWorks’ Thomas Walusimbi, as Deputy Secretary General, Havas Africa’s Ashraf Kasango, as Treasurer and Maad’s Annette Sebba, as Deputy Treasurer.
The Association was formed on 1st April 2011 and has since grown to over twenty corporate members.
Politically, 2019 will be an extraordinarily important year for the UAA, weakened by its lack of regulatory capabilities – becoming more difficult for agencies to break even.
