The Uganda Marketers Society (UMS) has challenged marketers to shift from short-term campaign thinking to strategic commercial leadership, stressing that marketing must reclaim its place at the centre of business decision-making.
Speaking at the first #UMSIgniteSession of 2026, held at the Saladin Media Offices, panelists called for marketers to abandon siloed operations and “vanity metrics” that fail to demonstrate tangible business outcomes.
Rommel Jasi, General Manager at Saladin Media Uganda, urged marketers to adopt a commercial mindset, saying, “You must be comfortable in conversations with the CFO and CEO. Marketing must prove it is an investment, not just activity.”
Macklean Kukundakwe, Trade and Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda, added that cross-functional collaboration is essential.
“Marketing cannot operate as an isolated function,” she said.
John Earnest Ssekisonge, Managing Director at Kasi Insight, highlighted the importance of data-driven brand building.
“Whatever you do must be backed by budget and data,” he said, warning against superficial differentiation.
The session emphasized accountability, with Jasi outlining three critical shifts: moving beyond vanity metrics, testing what truly drives performance, and aligning reporting to an organisation’s profit and loss account.
Entrepreneur David Okayan of Colorsy Coatings Ltd shared lessons from missteps, cautioning marketers to “first ensure the fundamentals are right” before investing in brand building, and highlighting the importance of relevant partnerships.
Effectiveness, panelists agreed, is the ultimate differentiator. Kukundakwe said, “What sets a marketer apart is delivering value consistently… agencies must carry the same commercial KPIs as their clients.”
Racheal Musiima Senyondo of Prudential Uganda echoed the sentiment: marketing must translate into “money in the bank” and measurable business outcomes.
The discussion also focused on real-time use of consumer data. Earnest Ssekisonge urged marketers to move from recycled reports to real-time insights, while Jasi cautioned that “data without proper interpretation can mislead,” underscoring the need for collaboration with data scientists.
Closing the session, Charity Winnie Kamusiime Asiimwe stressed that marketing must reclaim its strategic authority, describing it as “the ignition point of growth” that drives revenue, protects margins, and anchors the voice of the customer.
The event was supported by Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda, Uganda Breweries Limited, Bavaria, CoCREATE Advertising, and Hedge Marketing.
The session signals a call to Ugandan marketers to embrace measurable business impact, commercial discipline, and strategic integration, moving beyond the traditional activity-driven approach.
