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INTRODUCTION
Are you aware, that if you ask ChatGPT 4.o for the definition of "Social Enterprise, Africa", a description of Musana's work is its first response? I would call that a very good starting point.
The company operates two sibling entities in a greatly troubled, greatly misunderstood region of the world —
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Musana Enterprises:
Literally building schools, hospitals, and businesses that generate sustainable revenue streams —and reinvesting the subsequent profits to fund charitable local initiatives, generate paying jobs, and facilitate the replication of more, which produces more.
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The Musana Foundation:
A community-led charity focusing on the work of education, local healthcare, and targeted relief programs for vulnerable populations, supported by the success of Musana Enterprises and with the view that all those in need might transition to a state of full self-reliance.
Working in parallel and symbiosis, this dual model produces a whole product far greater than the sum of its parts. However, as Musana’s operation has expanded, its brand and messaging deployment have not evolved or adapted to best inform the outside world of their work and successes — there's a disconnect between Musana’s astounding on-the-ground achievements and the efficacy with which their ongoing needs and successes are communicated to those who might be in a position to further its cause.
The following proposal outlines a bespoke and candid assessment of the changes and pivots that I believe — as a specialist in engagement realignment — are necessary in order to revitalize and reconnect Musana’s brand, narrative, online presence and heard voice. Changes that will properly convey the importance and success of Musana's humanitarian endeavors.
It would be my mission — working closely with the stakeholder team — to position Musana as the consummate beacon of sustainable and enduring development, capturing the imagination — and winning the trust — of a diverse, global audience of donors and advocates.
But the synergistic loop that should be allowing each of the sibling companies to fuel the other, is broken, disconnected. The two ends do not meet as they should, and this is almost exclusively a Marketing issue. Making that working connection and allowing the flow to resume is the job of work I provide. At this time, significant, critical opportunities are being wasted — allowed to evaporate and dissipate into the ether.
All this, imho, is all emminently fixable.
Practicing what I preach, I will lead with what I believe are the four cornerstones of a new engagement architecture for Musana 2.0:
Let the results lead your pitch
Euphemistic promises, the strained language of compassion and CTAs that pounce on a visitor before they've even found their bearings... these well-intentioned, but essentially inert devices are doing you more harm than good. A visitor's arrival at your site, or exposure to your printed literature, or wander past your 8x10 booth at an expo, should stop a person in their proverbial tracks.
18,000,000
meals served, profits reinvested
in infrastructure
$1,947,867
local revenues generated
$2,772,161
invested in infrastructure,
this year alone
266,609
patients treated
18,000,000 meals served, profits reinvested in infrastructure
$1,947,867 local revenues generated
$2,772,161 invested in infrastructure, this year alone
266,609 patients treated
THESE are are your ambassadors.
These data points are the bricks that build headlines.
These realities prove that you warrant attention.
These are your hard-earned, irrefutable credentials.
Yet they're buried inside your annual report
Behind a tiny, tiny HTML link
At the foot of the page
That very few will ever even notice, nevermind click.
Disambiguate your core narrative
That means a rewrite. Everything's known. Everything's understood. It's the emphasis and order and phrasing that needs some love. We HAVE to ensure that the words and phrases Musana uses, are not "dead-speak", cliche or in any way delaying what you need and want people to hear. People don't have the staying power to try and decipher the meaning and message you already have embedded in your psyche. What's obvious to Musana, isn't as obvious to the first time site visitor.
Musana has easily-identified speaking points;
Musana has clear differentiators;
Musana has a refined and easily understood offering.
Yet it seems there's it's somehow wrong or unethical to say what you need to say, in the way you need to say it. With respect.
Break from charity branding traditions
It's a regrettable fact that most "charity" websites look approximately the same. Certainly their literature does. And their social media tends to be safe, gentle or just insipid.
“Building communities that thrive for generations"
“Social enterprises do not depend on donations"
“Full of dignity”
There are no rule books that limit the creativity and audacity that one may use to relay a message to an audience. There is no one checking to make sure Musana's presentation fits the norms of ostensibly charitable businesses.
If Musana chooses to unshackle itself from "tradition" — AS IT ACTUALLY HAS IN ITS PHYSICAL BUSINESS — then there is a brave new world of fresh, intriguing, utterly ethical, imagination-stirring opportunity just waiting to be put to work.
Musana 2.0
NEW BranD AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
