The new growth playbook: How modern marketing drives profitability in emerging markets

By Edidiong Ekong

For a long time, when people mentioned “emerging markets,” what they meant was “somewhere we haven’t figured out yet.” They referred to places we watched from a distance, places we marketed to, but never from. However, in recent times, that’s changing. Or do I say—it’s already changed.

Cities like Nairobi, Lagos, Dhaka, and Jakarta aren’t just “up-and-coming” like they used to be. They’re setting the pace. They’re where the future of commerce is being rewritten. And if you pay attention, you’ll realise that the old marketing rulebook doesn’t work here anymore. We need a new one. One that isn’t copy-pasted from the West but built around the pulse of people who live differently, earn differently, spend differently, and think differently.

This is that playbook.

The big question on every marketer’s lips is: how can I successfully tap into a new market and drive profit?
To answer that, let’s start with something simple: geography. We used to treat countries like a single monolithic market. “Launch in Nigeria.” “Expand into Kenya.” But anyone who’s stepped foot in these places knows better.

Lagos and Jos might be in the same country, but they are worlds apart—economically, culturally, and even in how people shop. Nairobi doesn’t behave like Eldoret, just like Accra doesn’t think like Tamale. The smart brands? They’ve stopped going national. They go hyperlocal. They cluster around cities where per-capita income and mobile penetration are high.

According to Euromonitor (2023), urban areas account for over 80% of total consumer spending in emerging markets. Urban expenditure has more than doubled since 2015, while rural growth has been significantly slower.
That’s the start of profitability. You must adapt or get ignored

You can’t just drop a global product in an African city and expect magic. That strategy expired a decade ago.
Modern marketing here begins with listening, watching, and adapting. In Nigeria, Ariel discovered that many households hand-wash clothes using little water. So, they reworked their detergent to foam faster, even with minimal water. Not a huge R&D leap, but a huge cultural win.

Unilever did something similar when it released Vaseline Cocoa Butter for darker skin. That wasn’t a trendy “diversity” move; it was functional. It met people where they were, and addressed a real need.

You see the same story across Asia. In India, single-use shampoo sachets turned global FMCG brands into household names. Accessibility doesn’t always mean wide availability; it sometimes means meeting your customer’s wallet where it is.
This is where the 4 A’s of marketing earn their keep.

In markets where infrastructure is patchy, incomes vary wildly, and brand trust is still developing, the 4 A’s matter more than ever: Affordability: Your product must make financial sense. A $40 serum with no $2 starter option? Good luck. Accessibility: If it’s not in the neighbourhood kiosk, it doesn’t exist for half your audience. Acceptability: If your brand tone sounds like a foreigner talking at locals instead of with them, you’ve already lost. Awareness: If your name can’t be easily remembered or pronounced, you’ll get skipped for the one that is.

This isn’t theory. A 2022 study from Ghana found that affordability and accessibility were the top two reasons consumers tried a new Chinese product. However, acceptability and awareness were what drew them back. It’s the full equation, not just one or two of these.

Presence Equals Speed. And Speed Wins.

If you’re trying to break into an emerging market from a boardroom in New York or Paris, you’re already slow.
Coca-Cola figured this out early. Instead of simply exporting products to Africa, they built bottling plants across Nigeria and South Africa. That gave them price control, local jobs, and faster response times to market shifts.

General Electric (GE) moved its Africa HQ to Nairobi because proximity matters when you’re pitching infrastructure projects and trying to close billion-dollar deals. Not everything can be sent in a deck. Sometimes, trust needs boots on the ground.
Being here, physically and mentally, means you can react faster. And in markets that change fast, the fastest brand usually wins.

Digital is a Rocket. You Just Need the Right Coordinates.

Look at this growth curve: In 2020, Africa’s digital ad spend was just over $5 billion. In 2024, we hit $11.5 billion. By 2030? Projections show we’ll cross $17 billion. And it’s not slowing down. But here’s the catch: it’s not about how much you spend. It’s how you spend.

In Nigeria, TikTok has become a go-to search engine for Gen Z. WhatsApp groups drive word-of-mouth faster than paid ads. In Kenya, mobile gaming ads are picking up traction. And in Ghana? YouTube shorts are outperforming static banner ads by miles.

If your digital strategy is still built around Facebook-only or website SEO, you’re not just late; you’re invisible.
Modern marketing in emerging markets means understanding which digital spaces people trust, which formats they enjoy, and which platforms match their lifestyle.

Belonging > Branding

This new generation of customers doesn’t just want stuff; they want stories. They want meaning. They want identity.
In Lagos, local brands like Orange Culture go beyond selling fashion. They sell self-expression. In Kenya, Safaricom runs digital literacy programs that help customers use their data meaningfully. In South Africa, Yoco acts more than a payments company; it’s a movement supporting small business freedom. That emotional connection? That’s a distinct advantage.

Flywheel Marketing.

When you market right in emerging markets, when you start small, think local, build community, and go digital in the right way, you stop simply making money. Instead, you build a system that keeps making money.
It looks like this: Happy customers recommend you → your acquisition cost drops. Local partnerships open doors → you scale faster. Adapted products build loyalty → customer lifetime value shoots up. It’s not a funnel. It’s a flywheel. And the more you feed it, the faster it spins.

Finally, emerging markets don’t need to be “developed” to be profitable. They just need to be understood. The people here aren’t waiting for aid or charity. They’re waiting to be seen, heard, and respected.
So, if you want to win in emerging markets in 2024 and beyond, you must come in, listening.
Because the brands that care the most win the most.

Edidiong Ekong is a Growth Marketing Leader known for driving strategic expansion across high-growth startups. With a track record of leading marketing at Alerzo and advising fintech and SaaS companies, he blends data-driven execution with visionary leadership.