Ozekhome charges brand handlers to be consistent, adaptable

Any brand that will stand the test of time, the brand handlers must be consistent, adaptable and be purpose driven.
This position was made by Franklin Ozekhome, Vice President, Strategy and Innovation at Chain Reactions Africa, at the Creative and Branding Icon Award (CBIA) held Thursday, December 18, 2025 in Ikeja, Lagos.

Ozekhome, was the keynote speaker at the event organised by Marketing Space Magazine. The event pulled professionals from the creative industry.

Speaking on the title: “Beyond creativity: building timeless brands in a transforming world,” Ozekhome urged brand leaders to embrace purpose, adaptability, and consistency as the pillars for building brands that stand the test of time.

According to him, iconic brands are not created by budgets, awards or fleeting visibility, but by time, meaning and consistency.

While thousands of campaigns are launched every year, only a handful endure. Likewise, countless brands enter the market, but only a few evolve into symbols that live across generations.

“What truly makes something iconic?” he asked.

“Is it creativity, visibility, awards, money or followers?”

In response, he said, the answer lies deeper. “An icon is not the result of a single campaign or viral moment, nor is it merely a success story. Icons are built by three enduring forces: meaning, memory and momentum”.

Ozekhome explained that iconic brands stand for something larger than themselves.

They live in people’s memories, not just their awareness, and they retain relevance even as culture, technology and society evolve. This, he said, applies not only to brands, but also to people, movements, cities and nations.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s advertising and marketing ecosystem, he noted how certain names, colours, slogans, sounds and rituals instantly come alive in collective memory. This is no accident, he emphasized, but the product of time and consistent meaning.

He challenged the audience to look beyond surface visibility and ask deeper questions about who the real icons in the industry are, the brands on billboards, or the people and teams who quietly reshape thinking, language and culture.

While visibility is often celebrated, Ozekhome argued that true icons are those who change how people think, decide, feel and live.

“They include strategists who redefine how categories understand consumers, creative leaders who shape the language of a generation, brands that alter self-perception, and movements that shift societal conversations,” he noted.

Speaking earlier, Lukman Ishau, Convener and Publisher, Marketing Space, organiser, CBIA says, the platform was conceived as a platform to honour the thinkers and builders behind the scenes, those who challenge norms, invent new paths, inspire culture, and shape narratives that stand the test of time.

The event also featured the honouring of over 30 individuals from the creative and allied industry, whose body of work have shaped the marketing communications industry making it as vibrant and attractive as it is today.

Among them were Yinka Adebayo of Media reach, Francisca Ikediashi of Ajinomoto, famed adman, Udeme Ufot and a host of others.

The ceremony concluded on a reflective note with a tribute to the late Mr. John Tolulope Ajayi, Publisher of Marketing Edge, whose mentorship and contributions to brand journalism were acknowledged. The event ended with a call for continued collaboration in nurturing a vibrant, innovative, and future-ready creative and branding industry in Nigeria.

*Photo shows Award recipients.

Do you have a compelling story to tell? Contact us via our email: espinewsng@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp on 08032519246.