African Businesses are late to Digital marketing, says Ayeni

By Goddie Ofose (The Niche Newspaper)

 

Genesis of BHM Group

BHM Group started in 2006 from my two-bedroom flat in Akute, Lagos while I was a reporter. My wife and I had no furniture so I bought a small chair and table, and could only afford to pay someone to assemble a computer.

We started out working for musicians, actors, and record labels that had small budgets. It was a tough but fulfilling work.

A few years later, my friend, Ayo Animashaun, gave me a desk in his office from where BHM operated. Eventually, we rented our own office space and today we have 60 employees and consultants across the world.

In 2009, we began working for corporates, and they tapped into the experience we had built with entertainers and young people.

It had never happened in Nigeria that an organisation comes from entertainment – working for artistes and actors – to work for multinationals.

That’s our story and we are proud of it.

Exploring digital marketing

With digital marketing, disparate uptake rates exist. Brands across regions in Africa are very late to the party, while those trying to get in are not in the appropriate attire; I mean they are not using the right tools to speak to or listen to the people.

Africa is a continent of up to 2,000 languages from numerous tribes – with over one billion people becoming increasingly globalised, yet retaining the peculiarities that categorise their individual heritages. The status quo is changing.

The latest arrivals to a party can still make the atmosphere electric, so this is an opportunity for practitioners.

We are fortunate to have an extensive understanding, based on our PR background, about people who consume and publish content on the internet.

We know what they are looking for, so we have an understanding of how to use that social space better to create the kind of conversations that can help people meet each other and have a nice time, whether it’s a brand meeting the consumer or just consumers interacting, or even brands needing to engage with one another.

ID Africa is the digital agency that can make this happen because it is not just a service agency; more of Africa’s audiences need to be communicated with and listened to via channels and outlets that best conform to their social, cultural, and personal proclivities.

Observing the space

I cannot divulge research data we obtained at prohibitive costs, but I will share some insights.

To successfully communicate with the diverse audiences and demographics that constitute Africa’s cities and navigate the sociocultural nuances therein, all brands – entertainment or corporate – must treat the term ‘media’ very loosely.

 

Read full interview on thenicheng.com