Building a trusted fintech brand across six African markets

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Wave Mobile Money is revolutionizing financial access in West Africa, providing digital wallet and payment solutions across Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Uganda. As Head of Brand Design & Creative, I led the charge in scaling Wave's brand presence and creative operations to serve 10M+ users across six African markets. During a critical expansion period, I also stepped into the role of Interim Head of Marketing, directing go-to-market strategies that drove significant transaction growth across multiple markets.

Role: Head of Brand Design & Creative (2022-2024), Interim Head of Marketing (2023)

Responsibilities: Brand Communications & Architecture, Creative Systems Design, Go-to-Market Strategy, Cross-Functional Team Leadership, Marketing Operations & Process Design, Cultural Intelligence & Market Expansion

KEY IMPACT

40% YoY user acquisition growth and 30% transaction volume increase in Senegal through payments product launch strategy
43% QoQ transaction surge in Côte d'Ivoire following go-to-market launch
49% transaction uplift in The Gambia post-launch through advertising campaigns
70% boost in creative capacity through rebuilt brand production infrastructure
4-day to 4-hour reduction in support resolution time through TOV and messaging framework

CHALLENGE

Expanding financial inclusion across West Africa required overcoming entrenched cash-based habits, varying levels of digital literacy, and diverse media consumption across different markets. Trust, simplicity, and cultural relevance were critical in shifting behaviors. Wave also faced the operational challenge of scaling marketing and creative production across multiple countries with diverse languages, regulatory environments, and varying levels of political volatility, while maintaining brand integrity during crisis periods.

AUDIENCE INSIGHT

Financial transactions in West Africa are deeply tied to social relationships, meaning trust and word-of-mouth influence are essential. Successful adoption of digital wallets required marketing strategies that spoke directly to these cultural dynamics. Storytelling through video, local languages, and peer-driven endorsements proved key to building credibility and encouraging widespread adoption across diverse markets with varying levels of digital literacy.

STRATEGY

I developed a marketing and creative framework that struck a balance between scalability and regional relevance. By rebuilding brand production infrastructure and implementing streamlined processes, Wave's campaigns could maintain a unified identity while adapting to local market needs and compliance requirements. The approach centered on flexible design systems that enabled rapid execution without sacrificing quality or cultural authenticity. A multi-channel strategy spanning social media, influencer marketing, OOH, TV, and radio ensured broad reach across diverse media consumption patterns. Crisis-resilient workflows maintained brand integrity and team productivity during periods of volatility.

PROJECT EXECUTION

Leading Wave's marketing transformation across key markets and channels, I implemented a comprehensive approach through specific initiatives that drove measurable business growth. The execution involved building creative infrastructure from the ground up, managing agency partnerships, and delivering targeted campaigns that achieved significant transaction growth in multiple markets simultaneously.

System-Led Scale and Creative Operations

I rebuilt Wave's brand production infrastructure from the ground up, implementing streamlined production processes that boosted creative capacity by 70%. The new system featured modular design frameworks that struck a balance between consistency and regional nuance, as well as compliance requirements. Additionally, it included a new briefing system and an automated intake process across marketing and brand design. Weekly creative reviews—a new process introduced by the company—propelled work forward and enabled streamlined collaboration across functions, allowing the team to execute quickly across six markets without compromising quality or cultural relevance.

I developed a comprehensive design language system that unified Wave's visual identity across digital and print channels while maintaining the flexibility needed for local adaptation. This systematic approach reduced production timelines, improved creative quality, and supported multiple content formats simultaneously, from social media assets to television campaigns to out-of-home advertising.

Market Expansion & Campaign Leadership

As Interim Head of Marketing, I directed comprehensive expansion strategies across multiple markets, each requiring distinct approaches based on local media consumption, regulatory environments, and cultural preferences.

Côte d'Ivoire Launch: I led the go-to-market advertising strategy for Wave's payments product, developing culturally resonant campaigns that positioned Wave as both trustworthy and innovative. The strategy integrated influencer partnerships with traditional media, leveraging local celebrities and financial experts to build credibility. This comprehensive approach achieved a 43% QoQ transaction surge and 22% MoM growth.

Senegal Growth: I implemented an integrated advertising strategy for the payments product launch that combined product education with social proof messaging. The creative execution spanned multiple touchpoints, from TV commercials featuring local celebrities to traveling road shows and radio campaigns to targeted print campaigns in regional hotspots, contributing to 40% YoY user acquisition growth and 30% transaction volume increase.

The Gambia Entry: I directed targeted advertising campaigns that overcame initial market skepticism through strategic messaging focused on community-based endorsements and transparent communication about Wave's security. These campaigns drove a 49% increase in transactions post-launch.

Team Development & Crisis-Resilient Operations

Team Building & Operations: I built and scaled both marketing and design teams through rapid organizational expansion while establishing systems that maintained operations during periods of unrest and leadership turnover. This included structured onboarding programs, performance frameworks, and cross-functional collaboration systems that improved efficiency and sustained team cohesion.

Customer Experience Impact: Creating comprehensive TOV and messaging frameworks dramatically improved customer experience, cutting support resolution time from 4 days to under 4 hours—directly impacting customer satisfaction and retention across all markets.

Cultural Intelligence: To enhance our team's cultural intelligence, I co-hosted a speaker series with the Dakar Design Hub, bringing insights about African design, craft, and culture directly into our creative processes. This initiative led to more authentic and effective creative work.

RESULTS AND IMPACT

My leadership at Wave demonstrated how strategic brand systems drive measurable growth in complex, multi-market environments. By building scalable creative infrastructure and adaptive teams, Wave achieved significant transaction growth while maintaining brand consistency across six African markets during rapid expansion and volatility. This combination of systematic operations and culturally intelligent strategies positioned Wave for sustained growth while building genuine trust across diverse West African communities.

Head of Brand Marketing and Design: Meredith Ann Brooks; (Design and Creative) Art Director: Zach Adell; Design Manager: Viola Taffarel; Brand Designers: Melvin Asiedu, Victor Galvao, Margarida Chincho. (Global Marketing) Brand Manager: Diariatou Sarr; Brand Communications Manager: Brice Koue; Partnerships Manager: Mariama Sall; Product Marketing Manager: Ibrah Gabriel Mall. (Digital Marketing) Digital Manager: Check Coulibaly; Social Coordinators: Ahmed Tidiane Diouf, Amsatou Gueye, Anne Francoise Hyjazi, Malika Aka, Gedeon Dognin, Marabi Amfaal Hydara. (Local Marketing Ops) Marketing Managers: Maimouna Mbow, Oumar Coulibaly, Salif Doumbia, Brice Aubierge. Marketing Coordinators: Mathiew Brou, Dedilha Gbehe.
Motion Design: George Weatherhead; Production Design: Hammed Okunade.
(Dakar) Les Barbus: Creative Director: Tiana Ramiandrisoa; Advertising manager: Kapha Sakho, Conceptual Editor: Fabintou Ndaw; Art Director: Jérémie Bassène; Production Agency: TIMIS; Producer: Romain Lucchini; Production Director: Abdoulaye F. Kane; Director: Boubacar Woyo Traore; assistant director: Mohamed Bachir Sylla; chief camera operator: Mandione Laye Ka; Stylist: Alassane Ndiaye.