How I built a growth engine across two emerging markets — combining field research, agency management, PR, events, and performance marketing to generate $14M in loan volume and 2,000+ approved students.
Role: Campaign Manager — GTM & Growth, South Asia · Markets: Nepal & Pakistan · Sep 2025 – May 2026
Loan Volume Generated
Approved Students
Average CAC
Event Registrations
Campaign Reach Expansion
Female Share of Approved Loans
| Observations | Strategic Implication |
|---|---|
| Parents drive the financing descision | All nurture content needed parent-facing messaging |
| Education consultants are gatekeepers | Partnership strategy over paid-only acquisition |
| Fear of dept traps is the #1 barrier | “No collateral” stronger than “Get funded” |
| Students start financing research very late | Long lifecycle nurture required, not bottom funnel only |
| “Is MPOWER legit” was the top question | PR, media, and local testimonials were non-negotiable |
| Abroad education seen as migration pathways + education | Funnel distribution and messaging addressing life goals outperformed loan messaging |
| Dimension | Nepal | Pakistan |
|---|---|---|
| Gender ration (traffic) | 1:2 M:F | 2:1 M:F |
| Loan Deecision maker | Student (self) | Family (Joint) |
| Primary trust channel | Education consultants + peer | parents + media credibility |
| Social media peference | Instagram + Youtube + TikTok | Facebook/Instagram + Youtube + LinkedIn (higher lLinkedIn usage) |
| Competitive landscape | Limited non-collateral options/ high abroad going students seeking local loans | Local banks at 25%+ rates; cultural taboo around loans and interest payements |
| "For the privileged" perception | Low | High - key barrier to address |
| STEM share | 94% of applications | 85% of applications |
| Media & PR agency | Straw Holdings | Media Quotient |