The founder of the digital marketing agency, Suss Digital Africa, Dennis Maina, has been named among the Fourty under 40, 2024 under the Media (Digital and Social) category hosted at Radisson Blu, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya. The event saw about 119 nominees from 26 countries, including Kenya, vie for recognition of their remarkable contributions to various sectors.
The Forty Under 40 Africa Awards, now in their third edition identifies, honors, and celebrates a cross-section of the continent’s most influential and accomplished young business leaders under the age of 40 from a wide range of industries who are committed to business growth, professional excellence, and community service and have risen the ranks of their industries at a relatively young age.
Speaking during the award ceremony, the founder of the Forty Under 40 Africa Awards, Richard Abbey, said they believe in the value of recognition and the drive for performance.He noted this to be the third edition of the continental award ceremony in Kenya after great success in Ghana over the last seven years.The rigorous selection process involves public nominations, data collection, and vetting by a competent jury, ensuring that only the most deserving candidates receive recognition.
Launched in 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Suss Ads, a 360-degree marketing and communications agency rooted in technology and data, provides more than traditional advertising approaches. The Suss Ads programmatic was ignited by the commitment to revolutionize brand connections in the evolving landscape of information consumption.
The agency’s success can be attributed to the Suss Ads Programmatic Platform, a full-stack demand-side platform that is developed by the agency’s in-house team of developers. The platform prioritizes data in marketing, analyzing the Suss Ads data library to glean insights into consumer behavior and trends.
Maina saw a gap in the digital advertising landscape while working as a Digital Marketing Professional with some brands across Africa. Marketers have challenges as well as opportunities in the constantly evolving and dynamic world of digital marketing, and his objective was to leverage these.
Suss Ads has adopted Artificial intelligence (AI) that ensures real-time brand safety through robust algorithms and precise distribution based on demographics and interests for maximum effectiveness.
The platform serves over 100+ brands across 54+ markets across diverse sectors globally and has flighted 10,000+ campaigns, served 40+ billion impressions, and delivered 500+ million clicks.
Suss Ads has served some of the top brands including the Government of Kenya (Ecitizen), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Bio foods, SportPesa, Betika, Nivea, Unilever, Mozilla, LG, and Huawei among others. Suss Ads’ innovative ad formats and precise targeting capabilities have set it apart in the competitive digital marketing landscape.
Maina expressed his gratitude and credited the agency’s success to the dedicated Suss Digital team, clients, and partners.
“In the ever-changing digital world, Suss Digital Africa is driven by innovation and creativity. We are thrilled to be recognized for our significant contributions. It means there is something are doing right. Being listed as one of Africa’s top 40 under 40 is a wonderful distinction. This honor demonstrates that the possibilities are limitless when passion meets creativity. As Suss Ads’ managing partner, I am committed to pushing boundaries and keeping the digital media sector innovative.”
The founder’s inclusion in the Top Fourty under 40 aligns with the increasing impact of local innovation on the global digital stage.
As Kenya continues to make strides in the digital landscape, individuals like Maina and agencies like Suss Digital Africa play a pivotal role in shaping the industry’s future, bringing innovation, creativity, and recognition on both national and global scales.
“Our journey does not end here as we remain committed to continually develop media and marketing technologies from Kenya that set new standards worldwide. Let’s continue pushing boundaries and shaping the future of digital and social media in Africa and beyond. Innovation serves as our compass while excellence remains our destination.”
Suss Ads recently partnered with 1Stop Translations, a premier provider of translation and localization services, with a common goal of supporting iGaming, sportsbook, and online casino companies that are interested in expanding into the African market. 1Stop Translations and Suss Ads joined forces through a collaborative partnership; offering new entrants a seamless entry into the African iGaming landscape.
The establishment of Suss Ads was a calculated decision to close the gap and build an ecosystem of digital advertising specifically for the African market, not only a reaction to a market necessity. The platform is on pace to transform advertising in the future with its creative approach, benefiting both consumers and brands.