Omotola here, Content Manager at Marmalade 👋
It's been two years and 4 months since I joined Marmalade Collective and through these years, I have seen my idea of media and its importance transform from just sharing information to building something that feels like you belong.
And over these past couple of years, we’ve slowly but surely peeled back the layers of what makes Marmalade special. And what we’ve found at the core, time and time again, is community. That’s where it started and where we always return to.
In a bid to own it fully, we started first by reshaping our newsletters to be more than just curated stories. We made space for personal notes, insider guides, and recommendations worth bookmarking; the kind you’d want to share with a friend.
Then we brought that same energy to our content: creating member spotlights, rolling out community-led guides, and interviewing African creatives across film, art, photography, design, music, food, fashion and more; my favourite part. We’ve spotlighted the voices and visions that deserve to be seen and celebrated. And everytime I go back to any of these interviews, I get a renewed sense of hope and inspiration.
We also revamped our website with this in mind; to feel more welcoming, more intentional, and more like home. But there was still something missing. Visually, we wanted everything to speak in one clear voice; one that reflects who we are as a collective.
"I'm deeply moved by how my team has embraced and elevated our core mission of community-first cultural connection. This brand refresh isn't just a visual evolution, it's the foundation for our next chapter. As we transform Marmalade into the ultimate lifestyle super-app, we're taking everything we've learned about fostering belonging, curating authentic stories and celebrating African creativity, and amplifying it through technology.
Where once we connected people through newsletters and guides, soon we'll empower our community to connect directly with each other, discover experiences in their own cities and access a universe of African culture at their fingertips. This visual identity refresh represents our commitment to coherence as we expand - ensuring that whether you're reading our guides, attending a Marmalade dinner, or exploring our upcoming AI-powered content feed, you'll always feel that unmistakable sense of belonging that defines us. The future of Marmalade is about taking the warmth of the community we've built and scaling it globally, one meaningful connection at a time." - Tola Alade, Founder & CEO
So, we got to work. And now, we’re proud to roll out our new visual identity across all our channels: the website (guides), Instagram, YouTube Shorts, Newsletter, and WhatsApp community.
Our brand playbook
This isn’t just a rebrand. It’s a doubling-down on our purpose. A creative North Star. A way to bring more cohesion and clarity to how we show up.
We’ve got exciting interviews lined up along with publishing evergreen articles. We want our content to be easy to access, share, and enjoy.
I'm super proud of what we have in our hands now; all of us. We’re here, rooted, and growing — with and for our community.
Written by Omotola Saba