In a move to deepen knowledge in the industry while creating an environment for nurturing solutions to marketing problems, experts converged at the prestigious Oriental Hotels in VI, Lagos, recently to chart the course for marketing beyond the Limit at the Markhack 3.0 conference.
The event, themed “Beyond Limits: Unleashing Creativity with Emerging Tech,” brought together experts from martech, marketing communications, and technology sectors to explore the intersection of creativity and emerging technologies in marketing.
Organized by the Eko Innovation Centre (EIC) in collaboration with the GDM Group and Brand Communicator, the MarkHack 3.0 served as a platform for discussing the future of marketing in a tech-driven world. The event featured a conference with keynote addresses, panel discussions, and a startup pitch competition.
Olugbolahan Olusanya, Nigerian Country Director for Teknowledge, set the tone for the event with his keynote address, focused on the theme of the event. He emphasized the merger of marketing and technology, urging marketers to understand customer needs before adopting new technologies. Olusanya highlighted key emerging technologies reshaping the industry, including AI, automation, augmented reality, internet shopping, big data, machine learning, and 5G/IoT.
The conference featured several panel sessions that explored various aspects of marketing’s technological future. The first panel, moderated by Tobi Ayeni (Miss Techy), focused on “The Future of Marketing and Media in a Tech-Driven World.” The panel included Jimi Taiwo, General Manager of PepsiCo Nigeria who was the lead discussant; Stanislaus Martins, Managing Director, West Africa for the Aleph Group and President of the Advertising Digital Marketing Professionals (ADMARP); Oluwadamilola Adams, Founder of SocialARAAfrica; and Oyebowale Akideinde, Head of Digital Products & Innovation at Airtel Nigeria. They discussed the evolution of traditional marketing and the growing importance of data analytics in shaping business strategies and consumer management.
The second panel, led by Kemi Alonge, Head of Marketing for PZ Cussons, explored “Digital Transformation in Industry: Marketing, Media and Technology.” Alongside Alonge, the panel featured Sam Immanuel, Founder/CEO of Semicolon, and Itohan Izugbokwe, Country Manager of Futuretech Media. Moderated by Yinka Obebe, CEO of Pop Central, this session explored how companies are adapting to the digital age and leveraging technology to enhance their marketing strategies.
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A breakout session on “Emerging Technologies shaping the Future of Media and Marketing” provided deeper insights into specific technological trends. Segun Ogunleye, General Manager of Marketing for SBC, highlighted the rapid shift to digital platforms, and how a brand like Pepsi is integrating digital elements like QR codes into its branding to enhance customer interaction. Other panelists are Ibirogba Lara, Marketing Manager at Stanbic Bank who stressed the importance of personalization in driving result-oriented businesses and Dr. Ifeoluwapo Odedere, Senior Brand Manager at Guinness Nigeria who focused on the pervasive influence of AI, particularly its generative aspects.
Speaking on the rationale behind Markhack, Victor Gbenga Afolabi, the convener and visionary behind MarkHack, explained, “at a time where the marketing and media landscape is rapidly evolving, staying ahead of the curve is essential for businesses and organizations. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the landscape of marketing, pushing businesses to adapt rapidly to new realities and accelerating the adoption of technology in unprecedented ways.”
A key component of MarkHack 3.0 was its startup pitch competition. Afolabi revealed that the competition received an overwhelming response with 2,733 registrations and 75 startup submissions from four countries. The competition focused on four primary areas shaping the future of marketing: E-Commerce Evolution, AI-Driven Personalization, Blockchain for Business, and Localizing XR.
The rigorous selection process involved 19 jurors and mentoring from 15 industry experts. Ten finalists were chosen to present their solutions to a panel of seven distinguished final jurors that included Joshua Chibueze, Cofounder and CMO, Piggytech; Tolulope Medebem, President, EXMAN and CEO, Aster Marketing; Ilyas Kazeem, Marketing Director, Food Division, Flour Mills Nigeria; Seun Adaramola, Marketing Director, Visa West Africa; Mabel Adeteye, Head, Brand & Marketing Comms.; Kayode Oladapo, CEO, West Africa, Godrej Consumer Products Limited and Atim Ukoh, Creative Director, Afrolems Culinary Services Limited.
Joshua Ajayi, Publisher of Brand Communicator and organizing partner of MarkHack 3.0, emphasized the event’s significance in his welcome address. He noted that marketing and media are evolving at an unprecedented pace, with technologies like AI, big data, and immersive tech reshaping the industry landscape.
Speaking on the partnership for Markhack 3.0, he remarked, “For over 15 years, we have been an integral part of the integrated marketing communications industry. Throughout this time, we have been fortunate to be part of numerous partnerships that span local, continental, and global spheres. However, I must say that our partnership with MarkHack this year holds a special place in our hearts. The reason for this is that MarkHack embodies the very essence of what we believe is the future of our industry – a fusion of creativity, technology, and innovation. It represents a paradigm shift in how we approach marketing and media challenges, and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this transformation. This aligns with our vision which finds expression in our payoff line: “Linking the Future.”
All participants at the pitch grand finale were part of the top ten teams that qualified for the grand finale of the event after a pitching process that lasted months. They all join to enjoy from a pool of USD 20,000 for the competition. Second runners up winners are Team Converse AI. They are followed by the first runners up, Team Market AI. And the winning team is Team Chao. Asides the cheques received by the top three winners, a breakdown shows that all teams get to benefit $10,000 in AWS credits, laptops for the winning teams, access to the EIC Accelerator Program valued at $10,000, and the opportunity for seed investment from partnering investors.
