Dear Brands on a Mission community,
It’s hard to believe that another year has flown by. This one has been a game-changer for us, personally leaving its mark on me in more ways than one. Apologies for the lack of Substacks - we’ve been very busy and I’ve been navigating the complexities of being a female African entrepreneur, including the toll it can take on personal life.
Yet, amidst the challenges, 2023 stands out as a year of significant elevation for Brands on a Mission. We've not only taken our partnerships to new heights, delving deeper into public health issues, but we’ve also refined the quality of our offerings and strengthened our position on the global thought-leadership stage.
A Dynamic Team
This year’s elevation is all thanks to the incredible team. With steady growth, we welcomed new senior-level managers, promoted dedicated team members, and we’ve thought deeply about our organisational structure. Delivering across various projects, our lean team has been hailed as a powerhouse of innovation and impact. Our unique offering lies in the dynamic convergence of private sector acumen and deep credibility in public health.
As we set our sights on 2024, we recognise the need to continue to invest in our adaptable and committed team. Just as we strive to accelerate impact in health and well-being with our client partners, it's time to honour that commitment internally by focusing on supporting the health and well-being of our own team.
Focusing and Deepening our Impact
This year marked the completion of one of our most impactful projects to date - the National Business Compact on Coronavirus (NBCC). In partnership with Amref Health Africa, we surpassed our goals, reaching over 100 million people across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania with crucial behaviour change messaging, healthcare training, and WASH products. The success of this secretariat-led multi-stakeholder platform driven by the private sector has prompted us to explore how we can replicate this model for diverse public health issues and across a range of geographies.
In a similarly successful vein, our partnership with AB InBev has entered new dimensions, reflecting our ongoing commitment to tackling the harmful use of alcohol. Expanding our efforts strategically across both global and local markets, we've addressed binge drinking in South Africa, supported the annual social norms marketing competition, and created a cross-sector open access social norms measurement toolkit with the AB InBev Foundation.
However, the project that stretched us the most and fills us with immense pride is our deep involvement in shaping a holistic approach to combating illicit alcohol in Zambia. This project, a testament to the new depth and scope of our partnership, adopts a comprehensive three-pronged approach that aims to drive down demand and supply of illicit alcohol in the landlocked nation, building integrated solutions for regulators, consumers, and retailers. Leveraging our unique ability to bring diverse stakeholders together, we recently established the first-ever Coalition Against Illicit Alcohol in Zambia. Moreover, we’re thrilled to have collaborated with the Centre for Primary Care Research (University of Zambia) on a novel scientific study on the public health impacts of illicit alcohol. Looking ahead to 2024, our focus on Zambia will continue, including support for social norms campaigns as well as retailer programmes. Additionally, we’re excited to play a role in scaling this holistic approach to tackling illicit alcohol in other markets.
On the topic of impactful African projects, African Voices, an advocacy project to uplift the profile of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been a cornerstone of our endeavours this year. Helmed by the distinguished Dr. Ekua Yankah, the African Voices advocacy project has catapulted Brands on a Mission into a new area of impact, reaching an exceptionally high level. This project has provided us with unparalleled opportunities to engage with heads of state, first ladies, and ministers - in addition to grassroots organisations, media partners and activists - in every country we have visited, from Namibia to Niger, Cape Verde, and beyond. It has also resulted in us being invited to speak at some of the biggest global and health conferences around the world, including Women Deliver in Kigali, the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting (hosted by the Grand Challenges network, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) in Dakar, the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York with the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, and the International Conference on Public Health in Lusaka.
Furthermore, African Voices, in collaboration with Tanzanian-based Songai, has produced an innovative short AI animation film in three languages that will be disseminated next year. Beyond being an exciting new project, African Voices has personally been a highly rewarding and educational experience. Through its unique lens of spotlighting intergenerational conversations, it has provided me with the opportunity to be accompanied by, and put into conversation with, my esteemed father and Senior Advisor of the African Voices project, Dr. Michel Sidibe. We are thrilled to announce the extension of this project into 2024 – stay tuned for a dedicated Substack on African Voices in the new year.
In addition to 2023’s flagship projects, this year has marked a return to familiar terrain. We’ve dipped our toes back into oral health advocacy with Pepsodent, a core brand within Unilever’s smile portfolio, and we’ve recently reconnected with UNFPA to collaboratively address gender-based violence in South Africa through a multi-stakeholder coalition.
As we transition out of 'start-up' mode, we find ourselves at a juncture where we can adopt a more intentional approach. Rather than navigating an expansive array of health and well-being issues, we're honing our efforts towards prioritising deeper engagements with client partners around a select few public health issues. Guided by our slogan, 'changing the world, one brand and one public health issue at a time,' our commitment is to invest in substantial, long-term partnerships that yield holistic, people-centered solutions. Positioning ourselves as a boutique B Corp consultancy that delivers tailored solutions is ultimately where we thrive. We hope to continue this trajectory, building deeper connections with our clients while improving health and well-being across the globe.
Operational Milestones
It would be remiss not to highlight the huge strides we have made operationally this year. In addition to embedding principles of knowledge sharing and inclusive feedback cycles, we are thrilled to announce the recent establishment of our operating company in Dubai. By complementing our core African operations with Dubai operations, we hope to cement our global footprint. We’re also deeply proud to have crossed some significant financial milestones, contributing to a level of financial stability that indicates we are on the right track.
Looking Ahead to 2024
As we close out 2023, we're proud to have set up a clear pipeline of work awaiting us in 2024. While our focus on SRHR and addressing harmful alcohol use remains unwavering, we look forward to seeing what other issues we can partner around. If you are interested in collaborating, we’d love to hear from you – reach out to us at mission@brandsonamission.com.
Investing in our team also remains a top priority, and we're thrilled that we will be hosting our second official team meet in Zambia next year.
As we wrap up this year of elevation for Brands on a Mission, it's high time we all rest and recuperate. Happy holidays to all; we'll be back in the new year, ready for the exciting challenges and opportunities that 2024 holds.
Co-authored by Myriam Sidibe and Matilda Crowfoot