Lorna Khakasa

About Me

Hi, I’m Lorna, a Marketer living in Nairobi.

My Interests

• Brand Marketing
• Digital Marketing & Communications
• Creative Strategy
• Community Building & Brand Growth

I have over six years of experience building brands, driving digital growth, developing integrated marketing strategies, and creating meaningful connections between brands and their audiences..

I am passionate about building brands that people want to engage with, communities they want to belong to, and marketing experiences that create meaningful and measurable impact.

I am an expert in digital marketing, integrated communications, brand strategy, performance marketing, e-commerce, email marketing, content development, and community building, I have built my career around creating digital experiences that drive engagement, strengthen brands, and deliver measurable business impact.

In my current role as Head of Marketing & Creative at African Originals, I lead marketing and digital initiatives across a portfolio of brands, including Kenyan Originals, 5.8 Gin, and Mara Gin. Over the past several years, I have been responsible for developing and executing integrated marketing strategies across social media, paid media, email marketing, e-commerce, influencer marketing, content, trade and brand communications.

A significant part of my work has involved building engaged digital communities around the brands I manage. Through strategic content, storytelling, community engagement, partnerships, influencer collaborations, and paid media, I have helped grow African Originals' social media following from approximately 50,000 to over 100,000 followers across platforms. I have led digital initiatives that have generated millions of impressions and significant engagement, while ensuring that community growth is supported by meaningful brand experiences and consistent audience engagement.

My experience also includes developing and executing email marketing strategies designed to drive engagement, nurture customer relationships, communicate brand and product updates, and support conversion. I have worked across customer journeys, campaign planning, audience communication, and performance analysis, using insights to improve future activity and make digital communications more effective.

I bring strong hands-on experience across Meta's digital ecosystem, including Meta Business Suite and Meta Ads Manager. I have independently planned, launched, managed, monitored, and optimized paid media campaigns across Meta platforms, using audience insights, performance data, creative testing, targeting, and budget optimization to improve campaign effectiveness. I have also managed campaigns across other digital channels including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Google, and programmatic advertising.

While I currently actively lead teams and work across multiple stakeholders, my leadership has been built on years of hands-on execution. I have personally developed digital strategies, planned content, managed campaigns, executed media buying, analyzed performance, coordinated email marketing, supported e-commerce initiatives, and worked closely with creative teams to deliver campaigns from brief to execution and optimization. This combination of executional experience and current leadership responsibility gives me the confidence to both lead strategically and get into the detail when required. I understand what it takes to execute effectively, and I am equally comfortable guiding teams, managing stakeholders, and maintaining accountability for delivery.

I have also worked extensively across creative and cross-functional environments, partnering with designers, content creators, photographers, influencers, commercial teams, senior leadership, and external partners to deliver high-quality, on-brand marketing communications. I am experienced in translating business objectives into clear digital priorities and ensuring that strategy, creative, execution, measurement, and optimization work together.

My approach to digital marketing is grounded in both creativity and data. I believe strong digital communications should not only look and feel distinctive, but should also create meaningful engagement, build communities, support customer journeys, and contribute to measurable business outcomes. My background in Business Analytics and Data Science has further strengthened my ability to interpret performance data and use insights to inform marketing decisions.

I’d love to connect and explore ideas, opportunities, and collaborations. You can reach me via email at [email protected] or find me on Instagram and Facebook at @nova_prime_digital. Let’s talk!