What was the brief like?
The one campaign I am stoked about is one I can’t discuss due to its confidential nature.
Well, what about Project SafeUp?!
I had just gotten into ID Africa when the execution of this campaign began. A luxury leather company, MWOB, conceptualised the SafeUp project to help raise awareness while developing over 2.5 million COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) to be distributed in South-West Nigeria. And it was all free!
Let’s talk about the role you played during the execution of the brief.
I was leading the team responsible for executing the campaign, and due to the region of distribution, we had to focus on indigenising our approach especially during the height of COVID-19 apathy.
It was the first time I worked so extensively with Yoruba and Pidgin radio stations and storytellers. It also involved brand positioning for our clients, media briefing and management, multimedia content creation and deployment in print, online, radio, and social media platforms.
We had to develop some content in Yoruba and pidgin. At first, I nearly broke my teeth. I thought my Yoruba was great till I sat down to develop a radio script in Yoruba language. Oh wow!
I worked with Sharon Grey, Darafunmi Olanrewaju, and the full force of our editorial team to execute the campaign. And it was a ride! Don’t get me started on how I had to learn a bit of Ekiti and Ondo dialects.
PS: Thank you, Grams, for all those times your radio was blasting away!
Can you share some of the results or outcomes from this campaign/project?
Oh, it was a success! The client returned for a second phase in Q2 2021 *grins*
During the campaign period:
- We recorded over 300 media mentions in 60 days on print, online, social media, and radio platforms across the country
- Our stories appeared on online platforms with a readership of over 100 million
- 4 indigenous radio jingles that we worked on were broadcast on 10 indigenous radio stations with 184 rotations reaching an estimated 2 million people in the target states
- 22 radio OAP ‘conversations’ on radio stations in Lagos and Osun state over the course of a month
Social media conversations with third-party platforms such as Netng, Neusroom, and from other media houses.
Really, beyond these figures, it was the impact that mattered the most. In addition, speaking with COVID-19 survivors in the second phase opened our eyes to factors we would usually not consider.
Have you got any key lessons from this campaign/project that is worth sharing?
Yes, two of them!
- There is a need to capture the impact made in the Nigeria media space, especially radio. Things need to be documented and updated in a more systematic manner. During this campaign, we needed a lot of data but it was almost impossible to access them because there wasn’t an archive or proper retrieval system in place.
- Also, we need to keep wearing our nose masks and washing our hands frequently. Yes, it has been nearly two years since COVID-19 showed up and its multiple variants invaded our space, but we can’t let complacency set in. Save yourself and your family, please!
What’s next for you over the next three months?
I see a lot more opportunities for us to grow as a company and obviously, I am very excited. Also, the expansion happening within my team and our portfolio is something I’m thankful for.
In the coming months, I look forward to telling stories with more brands and advising more companies, as well as working with even more unusual minds.
While working on this campaign/project did you ever get to a point where you questioned if this career path was for you? If you did, can you share what made you feel this way and your motivation to keep going?
*smiles*… No, it never works for me that way.
Although it was my first time working with non-English speaking storytellers, we had to find our way around conveying our messages effectively and not allowing for language barriers. This looked like a big deal in the beginning but became the very least of our worries as we progressed. Don’t forget I am a Yoruba lady with legs in about three states, so of course, we found a way around the dialects.
Hehehehe… I once had to stay on a 30-minute video call with a prominent Yoruba Facebook community to prove that I was human, of the Yoruba nation, and that I was a responsible woman. Really?! Was it necessary? No. Did I learn from it? Of course, I did!
Was there any feedback from the client or your boss(es) that you are going to be holding on to for a while?
I had to consult with some of the best minds in the entertainment industry while developing the radio jingles and drama skits (local Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, and Ijesa dialects) and I was reminded that you can never skimp on quality if you want the best. No matter what it is, work with the very best.
Did you acquire any new skill as a result of this task?
Apart from improving my management and people skills, speaking Yoruba has now become my super-power! *hides face from my parents*
If you had a choice, what’s that one task you never look forward to doing when handling a project/campaign of this nature?
Hmmmmn… I am a start-to-finish person, so I can’t really think of any task in this category. Well, does the back-and-forth with clients count?
My moods during the campaign:
At the beginning: 🙄
Midway: 😎
At the end: 🤯
