At CreativeXone we bring something new to our clients – Adedoyin Adewunmi, MD
CreativeXone, one of the frontline advertising agencies in the country has a thinking that is exclusive, which it calls Clever Thinking. Accordingly, the Clever Thinking concept has put the firm miles apart from other agencies and guaranteeing it briefs from clients.
Through the right fusion of effective marketing communications and an understanding of the brands core values, the firm has been able to foster ground-breaking ideas that grow and define the performance of the brands it builds.
It prides itself as the agency of choice offering relevant and effective creative solutions to all marketing communication challenges with a view to ensuring good returns to all stakeholders.
In this interview with MediaConsortium, at its Ogudu, Ojota Office, Adedoyin Adewunmi, Managing Director of the firm, says it’s refreshing thinking has helped it to impact every brands it worked with. Excerpt:
Overview of IMC industry
The IMC industry is a reflection of the larger economy. Whatever affects the larger economy affects our industry. Remember we are coming out of the effects of Covid-19, which did a lot of damages to the plans and the progress in the advertising industry. A lot of clients could not do anything, some went bankrupt. Others stalled and stopped their advertising efforts. It affected our revenue so greatly, so much so that a lot of players in the market completely shut down for lack of activities. But, to the glory of God, we are coming out of it. The industry and the economy is growing back and things are picking up.
Also remember that there is a new government in place now. So, I expect that, there is going to be a turn of event as there will be new policies and new directions.
Let us see how far that takes us and how it will impact heavily on the industry in particular and the economy in general.
Expectation from the new government
As I said, we are a big reflection of the economy. When a new government comes in there will be new players and new policies and we expect that the new administration will pump up the economy in such a way that the growth is reflected on the people. During the electioneering campaign, a lot of things happened, especially with the naira redesign policy. It affected the economy and the people negatively and we are yet to ascertain the magnitude of the effect of the policy. At the end of the year when everything would have been completed that can be ascertained, because we are a cash-based economy and to remove everyday cash from people, of course, that, to some degree affected the people.
As an advertising agency we have clients that stopped production within FMCG space due to unavailability of cash, and imagine how many other people had similar experience. And that same company did business with us in millions last year. This year they have not done anything due to government policy. So, we expect government to reverse some of the harsh policies so that the industry can bounce back again and the expected growth will begin to be exhibited and seen.
Effect of brain drain
I hear everyday that brain drain has affected us as a people. However, I have a different perspective. I am of the opinion that the brain drain situation is positive for the country, and am saying it with all seriousness. People get train here when they see opportunity abroad and they move there, that, for me should be of advantage to us. The biggest one that I see, is the opportunities it gives to others to also come in because, we are a nation of more than 200 million people. If these people don’t move out, how will there be an opportunity for others to come in? We have the resources, capabilities and the people.
For me, it’s just opportunity to create employment for people in this country, so let people go, other people will come in to fill the vacated slots, nature abhors vacuum, we will always have them. As they go, others come in and so on. We are industrious people, and we have the brains that we are developing everyday. Our universities churn out graduates every year. So, people must be engaged. Even in our agency we have people who have left us for abroad and with time we got their place filled. We are recruiting by getting in new people.
Secondly, these people who are going to The USA, UK and are earning foreign exchange will send their money back home. Thirdly, whatever it is, they are doing there, they are still going to come back home. So, it is not as bad as people think. It is not a thing to fret over.
“Clever Thinking” concept
Clever Thinking concept for us, is all about differentiation. It’s true that everybody can think. But, for us it is how do we do it differently? How do we do something that is an everyday norm and bring something different from it? There is no point re-inventing the wheel, but you can refresh it and bring out something new. Every brief that we have, that is where our direction is, always thinking how to do it differently. Be it radio or TV commercials to create awareness and so on, but we do it in an interest way to get our target audience and the people into it.
Clever thinking has given us the opportunity to win a lot of pitches and accounts. We have pitched against big and established firms and went on to win the briefs. We were involved in the refreshing effort of Union Bank. We just recently left working for Keystone Bank haven been with them for years. We worked for Dangote Salt, Dangote Flour creating interesting commercials coming from different perspectives. At present, we are working for Spectranet, Lagos State Government and some FMCG companies and so on.
We are bringing something new every day. When people come in here, the question we ask everyday, is what can we do differently? How refreshing can we be? That is why we inserted the word Clever Thinking there, because you see everybody thinks, but how do we make it work? Let us remember that everyone’s effort is gear towards achieving a particular result. Either to sell more or create awareness or to push an idea across, and how do you do it in a refreshing way? That is the basis for our Clever Thinking, and for this year, we are hoping to align our services to the new thinking, the benefit of AI- that is where the world is going to now.
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