MTN Zambia

MTN Zambia required a communications partner capable of managing an integrated PR and digital programme that was genuinely effective in the Zambian market — not a global playbook applied without adaptation.

The formal media landscape in Zambia is part of the picture; the informal networks — WhatsApp communities, radio, and peer-to-peer communication channels — are where the majority of audiences receive and share information about brands.

Newmark mapped the full communications landscape for MTN Zambia, identifying the formal and informal channels through which target audiences received, trusted, and acted on brand communications.

An integrated programme was designed that combined formal PR with digital community management, influencer relations with authentic Zambian voices, and stakeholder engagement that reached government, regulatory, and community partners.

The programme covered social media management across all relevant platforms, email communications, influencer management (selecting influencers based on community trust and engagement quality, not follower count), and stakeholder engagement.

Communications were calibrated to the Zambian market's platform preferences, bandwidth constraints, and content registers — not adapted from international templates.