Why Sustainability
Sustainability has a communication challenge. Across Africa, businesses are investing in cleaner technologies, improving resource efficiency, developing skills and supporting communities. Yet many of these stories remain untold, buried in technical reports or communicated in ways that fail to connect with the people they matter to. I believe sustainability communications should do more than celebrate […]
The Trojan Software Effect: The Ecosystem Strategy Behind Hardware Dominance
linkedin.com/alicengatia , Date: September 2026 In engineering and industrial technology markets, companies often believe they are competing primarily on technical specifications, hardware performance, or pricing, but history repeatedly shows that market dominance is rarely secured by the technicalities alone. More often than not, the companies that shape industries for decades are the ones that quietly […]
One Brand, Two Truths
linkedin.com/alicengatia , Date: September 2026 Marketing teams feel this tension before anyone else, because marketing is where contradictions become visible. Internally, you can run the numbers and accept a trade-off rationally. Externally, the market reads your decisions as signals, what you prioritize, what you sacrifice, and what you’re prepared to be held accountable for. When […]
Beyond ESG Theatre: Why the Future of Sustainability Will Be Measured in Evidence
Featured In: Marketing Africa Magazine, Date: August 2026 edition Sometimes the most significant changes in business do not announce themselves with dramatic headlines. They emerge gradually, almost quietly, until one day the conversation sounds completely different from the one everyone was having only a few years before. That is the crossroads that sustainability finds itself […]
If You Fear What Your Staff Will Say, You Haven’t Done Your Job Yet
Featured In: LinkedIn — Marketing Musings, Date: July 22, 2026 I recently sat across from a leader who told me their organisation couldn’t participate in a particular industry event. Not because of budget. Not because of timing. But because they were afraid of what their staff might say out there. Let that sit for a […]
Marketing’s Strategic Seat At The Table: Reframing What Marketing Really Does For The Organization
linkedin.com/alicengatia , Date: December, 2025 I once had a boss who, half-jokingly, referred to our marketing department as “X Outfitters”, X being the name of the company. It wasn’t meant to be unkind, just his way of describing what most people thought we did. Whenever someone needed branded T-shirts, a pull-up banner, or an event […]
The Brands That Win Long-Term Are Often the Ones People Learn First
Featured In: The Marketing Centre — Musings Newsletter, Date: May 2026 Many companies believe they are competing for customers….but some of the world’s most dominant brands are competing for something much deeper long before a purchasing decision is ever made: FAMILIARITY. In many industries, people rarely choose what is objectively “best”, they often choose what […]
The Sustainability Dilemma: The Rise of the Transition Brand
Featured In: Marketing Africa Magazine, Date: May 2026 edition There was a time when sustainability conversations felt relatively straightforward. “Good” companies were expected to reduce harm, protect the environment, and operate responsibly. “Bad” companies were those perceived to exploit resources with little regard for long-term impact. Today, however, the conversation has become far more layered. […]
The Cost of Selfish Leadership: When Systems Fail, People Pay
Featured In: LinkedIn — The Green Pulse, Date: April 25, 2026 Most leadership failures don’t begin with corruption scandals. They begin with small decisions that quietly shift risk onto someone else. Think of delayed maintenance on projects, ignored structure or forecast warnings, or simply prioritising short-term wins. Over time, these “small” decisions compound into some […]
The “Everything” Professional: Why Marketers are the Ultimate Intellectual Chameleons
Featured In: LinkedIn — Marketing Musings , Date: April 6, 2026 As I reflect on my journey through various industries…banking, telecommunications, and engineering, I am constantly reminded of the unique vibe that marketing professionals bring to the table. Unlike many other professions, our role demands adaptability and a thirst for knowledge that spans beyond traditional boundaries. […]