KINGSTON, Jamaica — Marketing strategy and creativity was on full display at BrandCamp last Wednesday as Flow’s Head of Marketing, Latoy Lawrence, took communication and marketing students on a journey of creating a successful brand campaign.

The event was held at the University of the West Indies on Wednesday, May 7.

Hosted by Chaynge Co, in partnership with the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), the event connected communication and marketing students with professionals to explore the evolving landscape of brand building in Jamaica.

Lawrence’s presentation offered students a rare behind-the-scenes look at the strategic thinking and cultural relevance that power some of Flow’s most resonant marketing campaigns — in this case, the award-winning Ya’ad & Road.

Lawrence’s presentation, titled “Bringing Cultural Relevance to the Boardroom”, spotlighted Ya’ad & Road as a case study in blending strategic insight with authentic Jamaican storytelling.

“Marketing that resonates starts with understanding who your audience is and reflecting their lived experience back to them in a meaningful way,” said Lawrence. “Cultural relevance isn’t a trend—it’s a strategy rooted in data, language and respect for the people you serve.”

She explained how Flow’s team embraced both success and failure during the campaign’s development, using research and real-time insights to shape the final creative. A standout example was the use of rising content creator Deno Crazy in the campaign’s early stages— an inclusion that generated a surge of positive engagement.

“We didn’t anticipate the overwhelming feedback of using Deno and the Mitchells, but it revealed something powerful about how our customers see themselves and who they listen to,” Lawrence said. “That moment reminded us that influence often comes from the people shaping culture online.”

Kalando Wilmoth, co-founder of Chaynge Co and BrandCamp conceptualiser, praised Lawrence’s session for its practical takeaways and strategic depth.

“Flow’s presentation had everything that we imagined BrandCamp would offer to students and professionals. Latoy took us on a journey, comparable to a master class of strategy done right — experimentation, data-driven creative, customer insight, media and audience segmentation, strategic planning and phased implementation that were used to deliver on the success of ‘Ya’ad & Road’. The goal of BrandCamp — to facilitate learning and dialogue among students and professionals about outstanding marketing campaigns implemented in Jamaica — was achieved emphatically,” Wilmoth said.