Francisca Udechukwu,Head of Brands and Marketing at Olive Family Restaurant,believes that many African businesses mistakenly chase flashy marketing tactics when the real challenge lies in lacking a clear, compelling meaning.
“Most African businesses think they have a marketing problem, but it’s often a meaning problem,” Udechukwu explains. She points out that global icons like Nike and Lego thrive not through constant reinvention but by consistently sharing a deep, authentic story across every touchpoint. “You can pour money into campaigns, hire top designers, and refresh visuals quarterly, but without a compelling narrative, audiences stay confused. Founders often believe the fix is ‘better marketing’—it’s not. It’s clear thinking.”
Udechukwu emphasizes the power of starting with a genuine origin story—the core problem that inspired a brand’s creation. “An origin story isn’t just ‘we started in a small office.’ It’s the frustration that annoyed you enough to build something better.”
She draws inspiration from Nike’s roots in empowering athletes to perform at their best, which shaped everything from product design to partnerships. Similarly, she highlights PiggyVest’s success in Nigeria: the brand addressed the broken, inconsistent habit of informal saving—often in hidden wooden containers prone to theft—by digitizing it into a reliable, behavior-changing platform.
“PiggyVest doesn’t just sell an app; they sell financial discipline. Their marketing quietly, consistently reflects that original problem, and it’s paid off with billions in payouts and millions of users.”
For Udechukwu, origin stories provide context, but true impact comes from building a disciplined narrative that guides every decision. She advocates for the PEACE framework—a simple yet powerful tool she discovered through extensive research and has applied in her work—to make brand narratives actionable. “PEACE stands for Problem, Empathy, Answer, Change, and End Result,” she says.
-Problem: Clearly define the customer’s real, human frustration—not just product features.
-Empathy: Show deep understanding so customers feel seen, not sold to.
-Answer: Demonstrate how the brand solves that problem, linking back to its origins.
-Change: Highlight the transformation customers experience.
End Result: Position the customer as the hero who emerges more capable and confident, with the brand as the trusted guide.
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Udechukwu stresses that this framework turns marketing from random activity into strategic direction. “Narratives guide tone, partnerships, campaigns—even what a brand should never say. Without it, everything feels random.”
At Olive Family Restaurant, Udechukwu applies this clarity daily to Spur and Panarottis, family-oriented brands that emphasize shared moments over meals. “We don’t just serve food; we create spaces where families connect, relax, and make memories,” she notes. By rooting campaigns in the problem of busy modern life craving meaningful togetherness, and showing empathy through warm, inviting experiences, the brands position themselves as guides to joyful family bonding. “The customer is the hero—they become more connected, happier, and fulfilled.”
Udechukwu offers a practical checklist for any brand builder: Before launching a campaign, ask if it ties back to the origin, addresses a specific frustration, keeps the customer as hero, remains consistent over time, provides proof through testimonials and results, and evokes the desired outcome.
In a market where noise often drowns out substance, Udechukwu is convinced that the winning African brands of the next decade won’t be the loudest—they’ll be the clearest. “Brand narratives demand restraint, consistency, and long-term thinking. Clarity always beats noise in the end.” Through her leadership at Olive Family Restaurant, she’s proving that when brands focus on meaning first, meaningful growth follows.
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