At the heart of Nendo’s work lies a powerful philosophy: marketing is only as effective as the insights that drive it. In this candid conversation with Francis, the dynamic force behind consumer research at the Nairobi-based marketing and research agency, we dig deep into why research is not just a side activity but the foundation of everything they do.

 Who are you and what do you do at Nendo?

My name is Francis Gikaru, and I handle consumer research here at Nendo. We’re a research and marketing company based in Kenya, and our work revolves around insight-driven marketing. That means we don’t just create marketing campaigns for the sake of it, we use real data and behavioral insights to guide our messaging and strategy, ensuring everything we do is grounded, relevant, and effective.

What role do consumer insights play in your day-to-day work?

They're absolutely central. Our vision as Nendo is to provide grounded African insights to Africa and to the world. And I really emphasize “grounded,” because in today’s digital world, anyone can pull numbers from the internet. But the real value lies in understanding the context: the why behind the data.

Insights shape everything from audience segmentation and understanding perceptions, to knowing which keywords resonate and which ones to avoid. When we understand people’s lived experiences and preferences, we can tailor campaigns that don’t just make noise but actually connect.

You’ve been using our platform—LOOKA Research—for some time now. What made you turn to us in the first place?

(Laughs) Oh, that’s an easy one. We’d tried doing surveys on our own Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, even building our own survey tools. But the completion rates were terrible. People would drop off midway, or worse, we’d realize the responses came from the wrong demographic.

With LOOKA Research, we found a tool that made our lives a whole lot easier. The quality controls, the ease of targeting the right people, and the higher completion rates were exactly what we needed. I actually sleep better at night now literally because I’m not chasing down respondents in Uganda at 2 a.m. trying to fix regional access issues!

That’s music to our ears. Beyond convenience, how has working with us shifted your approach to projects?

It’s changed a lot. For one, we don’t start any major project without first understanding the landscape through research. One example that stands out is a six-month behavior change campaign on femicide. We grounded the entire strategy on consumer research from LOOKA Research and because of that, we were confident in our messaging, the segments we targeted, and the change we were hoping to influence.

Now, that’s our default approach for large projects. Before we present any solutions, we make sure we’ve mapped out the context, the pain points, and the likelihood that people will actually adopt the behavior or service we’re proposing.

A lot of agencies in Africa still rely heavily on instinct or experience. Why do you think research hasn’t been adopted more widely?

I think it’s a perception issue. Many people believe, “I know my audience. I know my customer.” They equate familiarity with insight. But as markets mature and competition gets tighter, that approach will start to fall short.

We’ve seen it firsthand, clients used to shelve research reports. Now, they’re turning our insights into workshops, internal training, and long-term strategy. They ask us, “What else can you tell us about this audience?” That shift speaks volumes.

Have you seen any measurable outcomes or ROI shifts since using our tools?

Absolutely. Beyond the projects becoming more actionable, the impact has increased. Clients actually use the data. They bring their teams together to discuss it, plan with it, and often refer us to others based on the depth of insights we provide. Before, research would sit in someone’s inbox. Now, it’s driving conversations and decisions.

From your regional research, have you stumbled upon any surprising insights?

Yes! One that stands out is the difference in digital content consumption across East Africa. In Kenya, people are text-first. We love our thumbs, we thrive on WhatsApp, Twitter (X), and anything text-heavy. But in Uganda and Tanzania, video rules. People there are more likely to engage with visuals and videos than lengthy texts. That one really opened our eyes to how different the same region can be.

If you were to recommend LOOKA Research to another agency, what would you say?

I’d tell them: if you want peace of mind, use LOOKA Research. If you want data that doesn’t just look good but works. That, actually tells you something meaningful about your audience, then it’s a no-brainer. It’s not just about running surveys; it’s about getting quality insights without wasting time, energy, or sleep.

Any final thoughts?

Just that marketing in Africa is entering a new phase. The brands that thrive will be the ones who understand, not just guess what people want and need. And for us at Nendo, that journey starts with insight.