As the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Maskvrade, I spearhead the development of innovative strategies that connect brands with the vibrant world of Afropop culture. With expertise in cultural dynamics and consumer behavior, I guide our team in creating innovative, culture-driven solutions that drive brand growth and profitability. My passion lies in helping brands authentically engage with their audience, leveraging the richness of Afropop culture to foster deep, lasting connections and unlock new opportunities for success.

The Bschool Academy curates bespoke training and mentorship programs for individuals, startups, agencies, and corporates. We facilitate practical and immersion sessions on Strategy, Consumer Trends, and Marketing Innovation. Some of our courses include:+ Business Strategy+ Marketing Planning+ Product Development and Marketing+ Consumer Trends and Cultural ForesightOur popular program packages include:+ Ministry of Strategy (MoS):: Beginners' study of strategic planning in marketing, brand management, and marketing communications.+ Mini MBA:: We run customised in-school programs for company delegates across 3 tiers - (i). Mini MBA in Strategy, (ii). Mini MBA in Brand Management, (iii). Mini MBA in Marketing Communications+ Masterclasses:: Product Design & Management || Marketing to Moms || Ecommerce Strategy+ Bootcamp:: Advanced Strategic PlanningOver the past 60 months, we have coached, taught, mentored, and advised 500+ marketing professionals across industries - FMCG, telecoms, advertising, financial services, and technology. Our Strategy programs are mostly in-demand all season, and we work closely with business and account leads, HR managers, CMOs, and managing directors to design bespoke curricula for employees that align with the organization's overarching business strategy.We don't practice nor encourage one-size-fits-all course modules, as every organisation has its own unique talent and skillset acquisition strategy. By working closely with line managers and management teams at the different organizations, we are able to develop and curate relevant and timely course modules, work notes, presentations, and local case studies that help to expedite the future-driven agendas of these organizations.

I'm dedicated to a super future mission: Designing better futures for brands and businesses in Africa by recording them for innovation.Identity is a rebellion against the traditional advertising agency model and its downstream practice. We collaborate with clients to re-engineer their business, brand, and customer growth models in the short, mid, and long term, making them adapt to the new by reimagining and elevating pop culture and technology as core strategic pivots.Our focus is on helping brands and businesses to navigate market complexities in Africa, whether their focus is in gaming, tech, music, retail, health, travel, or humankind.We develop:+ Strategy Playbooks+ Marketing Innovation Presentations/Keynotes+ Consumer Trends Frameworks+ Youth Futures, and + Lifestyle Reports.Our services include:+ Business Design+ Product and Service Design+ Behavioral Design+ Platform Strategy+ Go-to-Market We also train business and marketing teams on:+ Business and Growth Strategy+ Product and Portfolio Strategy+ Consumer Trends and Cultural Foresight+ Design Thinking+ Marketing Planning and InnovationOur service model allows us to work with clients from visioning to ideation, development, and implementation. During the course of development, we usually tend to design and launch multimedia programs and platforms that are part of our recommendations during the visioning stage.If you are looking to launch or rollout an innovative product or service, especially one that is targeted at Gen Zs and millennials, send me a note on how we might partner together to do things differently in the Nigerian market. Our initial solutions usually have nothing to do with advertising (even though, that's been my forte for over 15 years). We design bespoke solutions that address the immediate need of your brand, and shape a clear innovation agenda that will get your business ahead of market trends and technology.

My transition from advertising to tech didn't come unexpectedly, as I'd been consulting for leading fintech and food tech brands in Africa since leaving Insight. However, Vendease was a personal challenge for me, and I wanted to give it everything I'd got using quarterly milestones as the yardstick for growth.In 3 months: Brand Development- Developed Brand Strategy Playbook & Content Toolkit. Set the tone for Vendease's point of view, purpose, brand positioning, and engagement. Amplified the brand's credentials and scaled its internal and external marketing initiatives using PR, social media, and digital marketing.- Optimised the Marketing & Communications department's Way of Working by setting up a governance framework, internal monitoring system, and reporting structure: integrated market intelligence dashboard and a data, trends, and insights suite for general work output. - Launched a new Brand Book and Design Toolkit. Standardized visual and verbal language across platforms. Harmonized brand identity and credentials with the overall strategic thrust.In 6 months: B2B Digital Marketing- Increased Brand Share of Voice within the category by entrenching by developing data-led content themes and amplifying its origin story which resonates better with business partners, customers, and investors.- Grew the B2B and B2C Communities by launching Open Sauce, our lifestyle engagement platform in March. Open Sauce is a media product designed as an ecosystem engagement to discover and celebrate the best of food, drink, and travel. In 5 months, Open Sauce is an ongoing and massive success (180x growth in mentions, interactions, and social media reach).Next 3 months: Growth Strategy- Celebrate the food, the process, the design, the style, the thinking, the newness, the origin, and the next phase. Make food the hero, and design a belief system co-created with our customers that will upturn the food tech sector.

+ Head of Strategy @Insight Publicis+ Head of Digitas, Publicis' digital arm+ Head of Group Strategy @Redefini/Publics GroupStarting in January 2020, I was given additional responsibilities to head the strategy and digital functions at Insight Publicis, one of the creative agencies within the Publicis Group, with oversight on 22+ creative minds and talents to manage, mentor, inspire, co-design, and create awesomeness for clients in West and Central Africa (WECA).In this role, I was responsible for strategic leadership, visioning, and agenda-setting for these three business arms of the agency group, as well as collaborating, co-creating, and championing new thinking - ideas, insights, and innovation - on campaign development, trends, and research, data, and analytics, at both the planning and digital levels, while working closely with the heads of creative and account management to develop and implement award-winning works and marketing solutions for clients. My mandate included the following:1. Help clients to better understand consumers (behaviors, attitudes, influences), trends, movements, and evolving markets.2. Collaborate with clients to create new products, services, touchpoint, delivery systems, applications, and processes that connect better with consumers.3. Create and stage unique and differentiated experiences right through the purchase cycle that connect better with consumers and make them loyal and passionate advocates of our client's brands.Some of the brands we have built are:Visa, Heineken, Star, Star Radler, Desperados, Tiger beer, Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Greenwich Merchant Bank, 2Sure, Quaker Oats, AXA, and NestleLet's talk strategy 100%.http://insightpublicis.com

The last 38 years have seen Insight evolve from an advertising agency to become one of Africa's most sought-after marketing communications groups - Redefini/Publicis Africa. A conglomerate with interests that span marketing communication, media planning & buying, digital marketing, experiential, and public relations.Insight Redefini (IR) is part of Publicis Groupe, the 3rd largest global communications company with a very strong footprint in Africa - SADC, Francophone, East Africa, and West Africa - a network of experts that includes 46 partner agencies in 34 countries. This network includes global agency brands like Saatchi & Saatchi, DigitasLBi, Arc, MSL Group, Publicis Worldwide, ZenithOptimedia, Leo Burnett, Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, and Starcom MediaVest.The Nigerian operation - Insight Redefini/Publicis One comprises six global agency brands - Insight Publicis, Leo Burnett, All Seasons Zenith, Media Perspectives StarcomVest, The Creative Counsel (TCC), and QuadrantMSL - operating as 'a Connecting Company for the Connected Age' by leveraging the Publicis One "Power of One" philosophy.As the chief strategy officer and group planning director, I collaborate with the planning, digital, creative, and media directors across the group to guarantee optimal local insights and global perspectives while collaborating with them on tools, resources, and talents in order to drive profitable growth and create value in today's hyper-competitive business landscape. Insight Redefini/Publicis One is a Business Transformation and Solutioning Enterprise, offering 360-degree end-to-end solutions for brands. The advertising agency group is driven by a common purpose, a powerful spirit, shared behaviors, great character, and a relentless focus on our clients.

TINK is a consumer insights platform that helps brands innovate at the speed of culture.Frustrated with the limitations and sameness of industry reports from traditional research companies, we decided to launch a trend and intelligence platform that provides local insights to brands and advertising agencies. Our services also innovation reports that map out the future trajectory of a market or industry segment.Since our setup, we have collaborated with advertising agencies and marketers on successful projects and campaigns. Our clientele includes Pernod Ricard, Nike, TBWA, Liberty Group, McCann Erickson, Multishield, Quadrant MSL, and the Metropolitan Republic. What we do:+ Consulting for agencies and brand custodians on trends research, consumer intelligence, and cultural insights which are applied to kickstart creativity and innovation within their companies.+ Designing innovation toolkits and business frameworks for future-thinking brands looking to understand emerging consumer trends within sub-Saharan Africa, and applying them as a foundation for creating, developing, and launching new products and services. + Advising marketers on new innovations, technologies, and trends driving change in Africa; delivering keynote presentations and facilitating innovation workshops that firmly establish the various dynamics to understudying Africa’s business landscape, consumer cultures, visual languages, cultural codes, and lifestyles.

My very good friend and senior colleague, Sam Osunsoko, lured me back into advertising in June 2016. I was immersed in building a consumer intelligence platform, TINK, and wasn't feeling like doing the same 'ol stuff over and over again. On second thoughts, I decided to see how I could harness the global might of one of the most renowned global creative agency brands in the world (@Leo Burnett), and by extension, its holding company - Publicis Groupe - to renew my excitement in the future of advertising, and to help design a way forward for the Nigerian marketing communication landscape.Truly, I must admit that it has been a wow experience thus far. In less than 6 months of rejoining the Publicis Nigeria family, and with access to over 4,000+ marketing case studies, planning tools, creativity blueprints, research, and insights planning frameworks, my little-sized planning team kind of caused chaos within the industry. Leo Burnett was less than 18 months, and we were already the agency to beat in strategic planning, creativity, and return on investment for clients. In 2017, Leo Burnett Lagos was one of the most awarded agencies in Nigeria (and rated Top 4 by Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival [LAIF]) based on the effectiveness of our campaigns for clients within the period in question - Konga ("Happiness #FoundonKonga", and Heritage Bank "IamProudOfMyHeritage - The New Kings & Queens of Africa", - that epitomized our HumanKind approach.We also amassed a bucketload of prestigious A-list clientele after multiple and one-on-one shootouts with other leading ad agencies. Our aggressive business drive won us top brands like Leadway Assurance, Chi Foods, Jac Motors, Crusader Sterling Pensions, and World Bank/IFC.http://leoburnett.com

Head of Marketing and New Business at Insight, Nigeria's No. #1 Advertising Agency.A new hybrid role focused on the intersection of business strategy, technology, brand management, innovation, trends marketing, transmedia communication, and business development.Responsible for nurturing a culture of innovation within the agency that integrates our values, beliefs, knowledge and behaviour into transferable and credible assets.Promoting the Insight brand to stakeholders (employees, management, media partners, sister agencies, suppliers) and clients by ensuring the brand maintains a clear, consistent positioning; and remains agile and on the cutting edge of innovation.Identifying and executing new ideas that helps the company broaden its reach and influence; and to focus on opportunities for growth in areas of company's brand expertise.Co-working with the technology team to incubate new models for working and collaborating with partners and affiliates within our local and global networks. Championing new and efficient ways of communicating with employees; and leveraging digital platforms, social media and real-time tools to engage clients, consumers and other stakeholders.Providing inspirational leadership to a brilliant, dynamic and vibrant young brand management team.About Insight PublicisFounded in 1980, Insight is the most awarded agency in West Africa for Creativity, Quality Commitment & Excellence, Client Satisfaction and Brand Innovation, with works spanning across the telecoms, financial services, food and beverages, mobile payments, transportation and government services sectors.Over the years, the agency has created an aura of invisibility by leading in thought leadership, pioneering new thinking, and advocating change in the Nigerian marketing communications industry.Insight has over 100 employees, and is part of Publicis Groupe, the 3rd largest global communications group: http://www.publicisgroupe.com/enwww.insightpublicis.com

Driving brand strategy, consumer insights, and business intelligence across the agency's accounts portfolio. Developed B2C integrated marketing solutions for PepsiCo [Pepsi, 7up, Mirinda, Mountain Dew & Quaker Oats], Visa, Total Oil, Access Bank, Emirates Airline, and Vitafoam.Provided in-depth category analysis of the mobile telco market, target market analysis and creation of differentiated strategic solutions + launch plan implementation for Visafone.Drove new business deals to fruition: Honeywell Foods IPO, Candia and NN24 [Private news station]. Advised NN24, Mohinani and Vitafoam on alternate route-to-market platforms, business strategy ideas and brand identity development.Collaborated with executive management to draft, recommend and approve Insight's corporate strategy. Provided strategic insights for the agency's future growth model, and assisted in shaping agency culture and vision.Leveraged planning tools and market intelligence to track and convert new business opportunities: Eaton, Chams, and ETranzact. Analyzed consumer trends and category performance across multiple sectors [Automobile, FMCG, Financial Services, Technology, Telecoms, Pharmaceuticals, Oil & Gas].