Any successful business knows the importance of strong marketing campaigns to get key messages to customers and connect them to brands and services. One Kenyan company, Round Square Marketing Limited, founded by entrepreneur Fidelis Wanjiku, is demonstrating a powerful track record in creating campaigns and solutions that delivers to its clients.

LoA had the pleasure of speaking to Fidelis Wanjiku, about her company, what makes it different, and her ambitions for the future.

What does your company do?

We offer marketing solutions for businesses focused on three areas: Strategy, Campaigns and Creative solutions. In strategy, we work with clients to create winning solutions for their businesses and develop concepts for implementation, together with providing business analytics to help in decision making. We hold campaigns that mobilise people and resources on behalf of clients. We provide creative solutions for promotions and corporate communications.

"We offer marketing solutions for businesses focused on three areas: Strategy, Campaigns and Creative solutions."

What inspired you to start your company?

There is a huge gap in the market when it comes to actually delivering real solutions for businesses - both big and small. With my networks and experience, it was just a natural move to convert this into a business model that works and works well. At the same time, it became easier to bring in other people - with different expertise and experiences - in order to offer full-service business solutions across the marketing function.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Because we deliver - we work very well with clients to understand their needs. In some cases, we peg part of the payment with the results - that is how much we trust our methodology and our ability to deliver. We've developed capabilities to be able to meet client expectations and are flexible enough to work with clients from all sectors and of different sizes. We never take more than we can deliver, but we deliver what we take on.

"We've developed capabilities to be able to meet client expectations and are flexible enough to work with clients from all sectors and of different sizes."

Tell us a little about your team

The main team comprises of myself and my partner, Grace. Our individual experience makes us a complete team. We have other staff who execute social media, communications, sales and creative. I bring in lots of market-place experience dealing with many sectors and in business; while Grace has been a consultant in marketing & strategy. We combine this to bring real value to the client.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

My mother stopped working to start her own business, and I picked up that approach from her. My entrepreneurial journey started at school, where I was buying small items to sell at a margin. After school, I got employed but realised I was an entrepreneur at heart, and hence started my own business called Kenya Kids limited - a kids-products company. It was both a physical and online shop. It did very well. I then got attracted to the international market and started Trade Assist International, a company that links local products to the international market. In all that time, I was always aware that my passion is still in marketing and that I am very good at building relationships for businesses. It was therefore a great opportunity and advantage when I teamed up with Grace to house all these under Round Square Marketing.

"We are positioning ourselves as the company that offers real-value solutions for any company or campaign, by taking on more challenging and bigger projects that are placing our name and building our reputation."

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

We want to be the top marketing firm in Kenya within the next 3 years... and the journey has already begun. We are positioning ourselves as the company that offers real-value solutions for any company or campaign by taking on more challenging and bigger projects, that are placing our name and building our reputation.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Managing myself, the exposure and the self-drive to gain the extra mileage giving me lots of satisfaction and pride in my work.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Take care of yourself, your health, and your relationships so that you don't lose yourself in the maze of start-up. Take the power - be responsive to the clients as you need them: be the best you can. Do not waste their time with false promises. Have a plan, just in case - for example a financial back-up because when things go wrong, as they likely will, you will go down. Have structures in place and most of all, be passionate.

Contact or follow Round Square Marketing

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | EMAIL fidelis@roundsquarem.com

Why LoA loves it….

It takes knowledge, specialist skills and huge amounts of experience to successfully build brands and position companies in the marketplace, and for many entrepreneurs, these are skills that have to be brought in from others who are vastly experienced in these areas. Fidelis Wanjiku and her team at Round Square Marketing, are providing the right kind of specialist support and extensive know-how to their clients, helping to put them on the map. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and CEO of Lionesses of Africa