The Business of Tech by Dayo Adefila

Innovation Management: Design Thinking Is Not Enough (PART 2)

2017-05-15T19:00:00.000+01:00

Image Credit: www.torrentconsulting.com

Before starting Part 2, I would like to note up front that in business modelling and organisational design there is no one-size-fits-all-permanent-patch. There are only tools that fit at a given time and for a given purpose. This is because the variables in business and in an organisation constantly evolve and solutions also have to adapt to fit.

In PART 1 of this series on Transforming your business, we recommended expanding the design thinking approach by adopting a Systems Thinking approach to help provide a much-needed understanding of the underlying issues which often derail innovation agendas because they are ignored or not adequately framed and understood.

I received useful offline feedback from a few senior folk across different industries who showed business model fatigue having tried several over the years.

Most agreed poor implementation was a major cause of either lack of progress or partial success of their innovation agenda. Hopefully, the innovation management approach to business transformation which I will be referring to will be able to help provide needed guidance and course correction to re-energize your business transformation mission.

STEP 2: Learning to Innovate.

Innovation is probably even more of a buzz word than design thinking – everyone knows it but very few succeed at it. Often this is because the organisation is trying to do too many things at the same time and not ensuring the necessary structures and systems are in place to support the desired innovation. Thoughts of innovation and what it can achieve – especially when you see rapid and exciting innovation in tech-focused businesses or sectors.

From my experience over the past 17 years in marketing and business development and working with some of the biggest brands in the world I have seen and experienced the painful attempts at innovation some businesses go through. On a few occasions, I have also experienced the joys of successful innovation.

To take you my readers through the simple tool to guide your innovation process better (it's not easier but simpler) let me introduce you to the Innovation Ambition Matrix developed by Bansi Nagji and Geoff Tuff as shared in their Harvard Business Review article: Managing Your Innovation Portfolio.

Innovation Ambition Matrix developed by Bansi Nagji and Geoff Tuff

Having looked at the Innovation Ambition Matrix model you could get pumped up and want to deplore all resources to the segment called TRANSFORMATIONAL.

Not so fast.

Contrary perhaps to popular thinking about innovation, it does not always pay to aim straight for the stars with a radical transformative solution from the get go. 2 reasons:

1. Organisational readiness: Can your organisation’s systems and culture as is today, support and drive the high transformative agenda that will turn your business into a unicorn in the long term?

2. Critically, there is often huge untapped value in your core business which guided optimisation will unlock. This is called the CORE section in the innovation ambition matrix model.

Any tested approach to the innovation ambition matrix?

Bansi Nagji and Geoff Tuff in their article refer to a 70:20:10 ratio which their research suggests successful companies like Google use when implementing innovation agendas. However, they share some important caveats which have to do with desired goals – you decide what is important in the short term and use the appropriate strategy and resources and same for long term goals.

The innovation ambition matrix is not a prescriptive model but its beauty lies in its ability to liberate business drivers and owners to rally around what really is practical, necessary and to phase it. As the authors summarise in their article:

The power of the Innovation Ambition Matrix lies in the two exercises it facilitates:

“First, it gives managers a framework for surveying all the initiatives the business has under way: How many are being pursued in each realm, and how much investment is going to each type of innovation?” (This for me is why system thinking should be incorporated to ensure the implications of what is happening across the organisation or corporation are well understood).
“Second, it gives managers (importantly C-Suite – emphasis mine) a way to discuss the right overall ambition for the company’s innovation portfolio.”

Point No.2 above is critical to succeeding at innovation and especially with this model.

If the organisation agrees to pursue the CORE approach first and focus on optimising existing products, then it should not simultaneously attempt transformational innovation at the same time UNLESS it has the resources and capacity to take that on - since Transformational innovation will often require lots of R&D and capital for that R&D. Many companies and corporations often don’t go through these analyses thoroughly and end up stopping mid-way or even not long after leaving the starting blocks when the implication and requirements of going straight to Transformational Innovation hit home.

While not new, the advantage of the Innovation Ambition Matrix is that it allows the organisation, regardless of its size and scope, to identify what is CORE, what is ADJACENT and what is TRANSFORMATIONAL Innovation to it so it can move at a pace it believes it can execute well and timely.

These exercises alone are worth their weight in gold as they help create a sense of passion with strong purpose and focus. Innovation that almost everyone can rally around and implement. Innovation that works and is sustainable.

For the exercises and innovation ambition model to work however there are other important conditions that must exist within the organisation/corporation:

Willingness to unlearn and re-learn
Agreement that innovation processes at some measurable level are life or death for the organisation since change as we agreed earlier is relentless so innovation must be as well
Commitment to execute in a guided yet adaptive way - know what is possible in a time frame and execute it like hell. Don’t take on too much under the influence of innovation euphoria
Agreement at the C-Suite level that collaboration trumps confusion any day of the week

Read more about the Innovation Ambition Matrix by Bansi Nagji and Geoff Tuff at the link below: Managing Your Innovation Portfolio

Thank you for reading. I hope you find it useful as you try to chart your organisation's business transformation in today's ever-changing business environment. Please share your innovation stories and experiences so we can all learn more and keep transforming businesses in Nigeria, Africa and across the world.

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Dayo is an experienced business leader and consultant with extensive experience in marketing, technology for business and business development.

Design Thinking Is Not Enough: Transform Your Business with these 2 steps (Part 1)

2017-05-11T17:47:00.001+01:00

Image Credit: Shutterstock

If you are a C-level business leader or a middle-management manager, the chances are very high that you would have heard the phrase ‘Design Thinking’ at least 2ce in the last 5 years. The first time was probably while you were in the middle of a particularly thorny business review and one of your C-Suite leaders or very trend-savvy colleague suggested the company should try that ‘design thinking thing’ everyone is talking about as a way to re-think the business urgently.

So as a proactive leader, you may have authorised your people to set up a design thinking training session and got in an expert or two to review your business holistically and they ended up proffering either incremental changes or really radical and immediate solutions to turn around your business unit or the entire business. They would generally follow the format in the design thinking process flow below:

The challenge though is that design thinking as a method of evaluating business needs and determining direction is more often than not no longer enough due to the high level of complexity that corporations and businesses are facing today. As an innovation process design thinking is ok and has proven very useful in the past. The challenge is (and this article focuses on this) many organisations trying to adopt design thinking as a guide tend to ignore one crucial thing – the state and readiness of their organisation to implement.

One of the articles I will recommend below uses the analogy of the iceberg suggesting that design thinking helps businesses today look at the effect - the iceberg but misses the causative factors or the huge underlying issues beneath the iceberg.

This is why top executives often complain these days that after several wonderful and exciting sessions on design thinking at which everyone ‘feels on track and energised’ the innovation ship just refused to set sail. Yet, everyone knows there’s something AMAZING that can be done but HOW do you go about it in this super-connected and constantly evolving world where consumers now have so much co-creative power?

I will be sharing a 2 step approach which such companies will find useful in adjusting existing mindsets by providing a clearer and more effective approach to innovating and transforming their businesses. Approaches that will also re-energizing their workforce with a renewed sense of purpose and mission by introducing collaborative innovation and rapid experimentation.

STEP 1: Adopt Systems Thinking.

As a management discipline, systems thinking may be misunderstood as being too complex and also often not get considered by mid-sized businesses who think it is only fit for behemoths like Oracle, IBM and the like. I recommend it for mid-to-large sized organisations seeking to understand why they are stuck and not innovating anymore. Startups too can find it useful as a guide if they appear to suddenly be stuck after a promising beginning.

Quoting liberally from Steve Vassallo’s article, Design Thinking Needs to Think Bigger; “Systems thinking…is a mind-set—a way of seeing and talking about reality that recognises the interrelatedness of things. System thinking sees collections of interdependent components as a set of relationships and consequences that are at least as important as the individual components themselves. It emphasises the emergent properties of the whole that neither arise directly, nor are predictable, from the properties of the parts.”

Stop and think about it a little.

Organisations often, unintendedly morph away from original intentions and silos emerge that grow stronger than the collective organisation. In trying to innovate it helps to understand the threat and innate opportunity of the silos in an organisation to know how to harness their power. Or put differently, how to unlock and unleash their positive creation power.

The Iceberg Model

I referred to the Iceberg Model earlier as a key part of Systems Thinking. Still quoting Steve Vassallo, “The Iceberg Model is a helpful way to explain the concerns that drive systems thinking. Events are at the top of the iceberg. They’re incidents that we encounter from day to day—the hurly-burly of life. Patterns are the accumulated habits or behavioural “memories” that result from repeated, unconsidered reaction to events.”

Ask yourself, why is a particular business unit always somehow underperforming? What is it that it repeatedly does or is allowed to do (patterns) that leads to a certain undesired result (event)? Design thinking tends to focus the analysis on the effect – the iceberg.

Make no mistake, Systems Thinking is not a silver bullet.

It’s an analytical process that has been around for decades and is now more useful than ever in figuring out how a business got into a particular situation (good, bad or terrible) It encourages you to look not just at the parts but the effects on each other and the whole.

CAVEAT: The Systems Thinking process should be utilised in a way that your organisation can use as a springboard and not become something that bogs down your processes and takes too much time to conclude. Remember, People usually know the problems, they just need a structured way to articulate it. Identifying and effective articulation are key benefits of system thinking that help you not only figure out what happened, when but also how and why they happened.

Do you think your business can benefit from systems thinking today?

You can read more about Systems Thinking at this link: Design Thinking Needs To Think Bigger It provides good insights into the basics of Systems Thinking with some good examples. Be sure to check out the associated articles there as well as the following links to some useful VIDEO content:

I love Peter Senge’s simple intro to systems thinking video. Peter Senge: Introduction to Systems Thinking - Peter Senge is author of The Fifth Discipline, Senior lecturer at MIT and Founder of the Society for Organizational Learning shares his perspectives on leadership and systems thinking with IBM.

Also, check out Eli Stefanski’s TEDx talk. Start from 1.50 TEDxDirigo - Eli Stefanski - Making Systems Thinking Sexy

Now, after you have used systems thinking to figure out the present, how do you go from where you are to your next destination as a business? What guided approach to innovation can you adopt and transform your business? The phrase “innovate or die” is ringing in your ears daily with each new player that disrupts your industry or sector or each new poor financial result your business posts.

In Part 2 of this article, I will share an approach that has been found to be useful and which I believe organizations at any stage of their development can adopt to reset, re-think and grow from ok to good and then to great. After all, every leader wants to achieve sustainable business innovation.

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Dayo is an experienced business leader and entrepreneur with extensive experience in marketing, technology for business transformation and business development. Follow him on twitter @travelwithdayo or subscribe to his blog www.dayoadefila.blogspot.com for more of his views on business, innovation and humanity.

How marketers can co-create tomorrow by re-framing the questions better.

2017-05-10T08:16:00.000+01:00

Generally, we ask our kids about their future aspirations, either after having just read about some prolific 10year old novelist or 12year old First Class Mechanical Engineering graduate. Sometimes we ask while enjoying the closeness that blossoms soon after you and the family enjoyed a nice film or a nice dinner. Sure… I know we also ask them about their future aspirations if we notice their grades going turpsy turvy and as 21^st Century parents we start wondering if they might turn out, not as the next Elon Musk, Sheryl Sandberg, P-Square but into some perpetually confused kid who routinely joins the work-force without a vision of where they hope to be in a few years time.

Since this blog is generally about marketing you must be wondering about the preamble.

Ok, so I recently asked my son what he would like to become when he grew up. He looked a little vacant then…it hit me. Why was I asking him about the future when he already very likely had opinions and ideas about things affecting him today?

So I changed the question and asked him what he would like to do or become if he had the opportunity tomorrow. He still looked uninterested.

So I made a little adjustment. Replaced the word 'tomorrow' with 'TODAY' and the magic happened. His eyes lit up and he said 3 things right away:

“I will like to be a Ninja as soon as possible” Huh?

Ok he practices Taekwondo passionately and will soon be grading for his junior black belt. His original tutor is a TKD Hall of Famer, Grandmaster Emmanuel Ikpeme. 9^th Dan. Yet, Ninja was rather ‘out there’?

His 2^nd wish was radical.

“I will like to be able to re-create ShopRite here”. ‘Here’ meaning our living room.

Ok…??? So I nodded enthusiastically like I fully comprehended then he continued. “So I can..you know…get what I want when I want it.”

Let us discount the fact that much of what he buys is paid for by either of his parents directly or indirectly via allowances, there is something to note about the motive he expressed.

Re-create ShopRite here. In the living room.

To him, Shoprite is where he sometimes hangs out, plays games, watches movies, eats popcorn, buys Ninjago lego characters games and clothes and eats at Spar. The question he has is why can't he somehow have that recreated for him at home?

So my thought, using retail as an example is that the survival of retail is more integrated, real-time, portable customer interaction opportunities and it's not going to be happening only at the traditional retail store but also more of it will be happening at home or on the move.

So are marketers asking the right questions from the right sources? I think anyone who influences a purchase in today's connected world should be asked and we just may get some indication of where human expectation has reached and test to see if there is a real demand for the next innovation.

Let us imagine a not so distant (probably already exists in South Korea or japan anyway) scenario in which we have cool designer interfaces at home that allow home customers make premium subscriptions to watch movies same time from the Cinema. This same customer then makes an order for home delivery from the concession stand at the actual cinema. Now, what if this same home screen could depict the shopping aisle in real-time and offer a revolutionary home e-commerce situation? With just one screen multiple things can be done.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS:

What I project is that the next generation of retail will benefit closely from the unplanned intersection of different technologies seemingly separated by the original intent of their creators. From wearable projection systems (think 6^th Sense http://misy3310dogukan.weebly.com) to that interesting thing created by Sharp called the RoboHon. Yep. The Smartphone Robot that looks cute and may appear to actually be useless or another quiet indicator of the changes we are going through as humanity. Think of the confluence of Virtual reality in shopping. There is a race to deliver simple, reliable Virtual Reality shopping that truly works.

So, having hopelessly derailed the conversation from the original topic of framing questions, let us head back to that thought and encourage marketers to think about enhancing the NOW and not focusing so much on the future alone when thinking about how to innovate products and services.

Many of the answers are already with the consumers. We just need to ask them the right questions. A lot of the innovations that are needed will be incremental and address issues the consumers has NOW. Some other innovations will be more dramatic and some truly transformational and in the future.

It's a fine line really but there is some method to the madness of innovation and if the implementation of such initiatives is obsessively done...success can occur.

So yes, the Amazon Dash button may not be as crazy as it appears after all my son wants to replicate the whole of Shoprite in our home. Amazon Echo meets Netflix meets VR. LOL.

In my next article, I will share something I found really useful for guiding the innovation process.

Thank you for reading and do feel free to share your thoughts and input in the comment section below.

Dayo is an experienced business leader with extensive experience in marketing, technology for business and business development.

Do you have the Entrepreneurs Mindset?

2015-08-02T12:11:00.000+01:00

Did you laugh, or shake your head in some bemusement after reading the message "Keep Calm and be an Entrepreneur" courtesy TenFigures

I am interested in that involuntary response of yours. For sometime now I have meant to divert my content here from just addressing new tech to spotlighting those behind the tech and what makes them tick but it was while listening to Marek Zmyslowski CEO of Jovago yesterday at a Founder Institute Lagos event that I decided to put this together. Marek was there as the Guest Speaker addressing and interacting with an exciting and diverse group of people about his experiences as an entrepreneur. Quite a ride he has had as well. He isn't stopping anytime soon. He belongs to the Age we are in now.

Talking about Age, there was the Bronze Age, the Industrialization Age and now people say we are in the Information Age. Some also call this the Machine Age. I think we have however always being within an ever present, overarching Age. The Age of the Entrepreneur.

I say so because behind all these Ages are those intrepid souls who pursue a different set of goals often divergent almost always driven to cause and not just experience change. These are the entrepreneurs. Conscious or inventors who became entrepreneurs. You can read more about the origin of the word entrepreneur here

The thing though is that entrepreneurs often don’t even use a term to describe themselves. They just go about trying to make happen something they believe should happen. They bring things to life. Henry Ford, Edison. Zuckerberg.

If you are reading this the chances are most of you are already self-defined-and-comfortable-to-be-called-entrepreneurs while some are not yet comfortable enough. So here are a few questions for you:

What is your concept of an Entrepreneur?
Are you really ready to be an entrepreneur?
How scared are you to be an entrepreneur?
Worried you do not have what it takes?
Do you believe you can learn almost anything useful and new? Or you can’t
If you said NO to the last question…don’t proceed. STOP NOW and ride off into the KNOWN Sunset with your beliefs intact.
If you said yes I hope to be able to learn almost anything useful and new…then we can continue the next part.
If you said YES I CAN, then awesome. We will continue.

The thing with mindset is that it’s the key determinant. So if an individual prefers to identify as a worker and NOT a Creator (which is what an entrepreneur is) then there is really is no long lasting conversation to be had as the individual will examine the world from the point of view of a worker and make decisions like a worker. If the individual is undecided - they need to engage the company of entrepreneurs and SEE and FEEL what it is like. For some, an Executive Internship maybe a way for finally coming to REALIZE what entrepreneurship really is and not just from the sidelines.

For some however, they KNOW deep down they are entrepreneurs.

How do they know?? Take a glimpse at the next in our Building A Great Company Series: What do Entrepreneurs really want?

Entrepreneurs are driven…

To mold the world a bit into the way they see it
To create value that benefits more people than a few
To enjoy freedom of choice and deep financial freedom
To be recognized for their world changing ideas and thoughts

So did you pick No.5 or 6 or 7 in the above?

Watch out for my thoughts for those who picked 5 and 6

You should also do yourself some good and check out this blog by Mark Suster

http://bothsidesofthetable.com/ He is a 2x entrepreneur turned VC. He joined Upfront Ventures in 2007 as a General Partner after selling his company to salesforce.com. He calls it like it is.

To your success.

Dayo

Disclaimer: Dayo Adefila is a Co-Director of Founder Institute, Lagos Chapter which is currently being set up. Opinions expressed on this blog however do not not represent those of the Founders Institute and are entirely his.

2 freaking billion videos watched daily on Snapchat

2015-05-27T19:49:00.001+01:00

That is a lot. Averaging 20 videos daily per user or so. I guess the 13 - 34 year old do love their video watching. of course most of these are likely to be user generated videos.

Hold on though...how many videos do you watch a day? How many do you create? Maybe you are too old for Snapchat.

Catch the full story at the link below:

http://bit.ly/1HwsBj0

24 year old Nigerian Saxophonist shatters Academic records in Japan. Builds Eco Car.

2015-05-21T18:50:00.000+01:00

His name is Ufot Ekong. He has just broken a record that lasted 50 years in Japan.

Hurry on and read the full details at African Spotlight

Awesome! Lots of positive implications for science and technology in Nigeria and Africa if properly supported and advanced so he doesn't become another fine mind 'lost' to other countries.

Still here? Go read the full details at the link below!

African Spotlight

Picture credits: African Spotlight

NEW! Make a Video Call with Firefox Hello!

2015-02-26T10:20:00.004+01:00

The one thing you can be sure of in today's world is The Intersection. Where technology firms and any number of industries collide joyfully. In this instance, its a tech company Firefox combining with a telecommunications company - Telefónica to provide a cool new product. Firefox has for the past 12 years championed a free and safe to use internet and the success of their browser - half a billion users around the world as at December 2014 - suggests their cause is supported by many.

They are not however done with just making the internet free and safe, they now also want to make it more fun. Welcome Firefox Hello.

Firefox Hello is basically a Communication Plug in to the Firefox browser which allows users make and receive free video and voice calls. Neat right? Pretty much like Skype and Hangout.

It however does not even require that you have to sign up before you can use it as long as your friend is also online. It's light and easy to use. Only downside is you need to have a Firefox browser to use so its not universal access like Skype.

That however will likely not be a major stumbling block to millions of users who want to experience that quick video or voice catch up with someone - friend, client, business partners, journalists, activists, family. Screen shot below.

It originally came out in Beta mode October 2014 and this is still more of a beta version but is now ready for the public to test drive and enjoy. We expect updates to it will allow more than 2 people to connect simultaneously. Works well with mobile web browsers as well.

COST TO USE
Free. You wouldn't expect anything less from Firefox.

Try it and let us know what you think about it. It could open up a whole new tech race.

Looking for a digital agency? 4 types you should know.

2014-02-06T10:09:00.001+01:00

"So which digital agency should I hire for my business? What do you guys do at HotSauce?" I have been asked these questions often enough by friends in the marketing space that I had to answer it in an interview with BrandCrunch. Read it here I hope you find it a useful starting point.

Why storytelling needs to make a come back..in digital marketing.

2014-01-29T15:06:00.001+01:00

Hi folks,

Thenetworkone a leading independent Agency Network recently published an article by Dayo Adefila representing HotSauce Digital on Storytelling in digital marketing. It is part of 'A collection of essays from independent African Agencies' published by Thenetworkone and will be unveiled during the Africa Day event organized by Thenetworkone in London, 30th January, 2014.

The article was recently reproduced by BrandCrunch a top ad news and information platform. View it here

Hope it helps agency practitioners and marketers weave more substance into engagement concepts.

We don't really want privacy and the brands know it. Ask Amazon.

2014-01-23T12:13:00.003+01:00

I can't help feeling like the innocent looking cat in this meme from Knowyourmeme.com
See more on Know Your Meme

That's because I just read this story in Mashable about Anticipatory Shipping and I cannot help ask if I missed the boat on this one. Ship before I order? That means you know my secret shopping desires! No privacy. Ok fine..Anticipatory Shopping is actually not new. Ha! Well think about it, you are a regular at a bar or diner, you walk in and within 30 seconds your favorite drink is brought to you by a smiling attendant who knows they have fulfilled that fantasy businesses all want - exceed your expectations.

That's anticipatory shopping right..because you will pay for that drink unless told it's on the house right? Cool. If Google.com is a massive web advertising and seo business then Google Instant is really anticipatory shopping. So maybe Amazon's decision to go ahead and PATENT Anticipatory Shipping should have been expected? Well with the way consumers (yours truly included) talk grump about brands invading privacy, "where will it stop" etc one would have thought Amazon would not go all out to patent something like this.

Let's smell the roses together. What do consumers really want? We want satisfaction. We are lazy. We want convenience. We want brands to anticipate our needs. Brands and our partners at home right? (Ducks the pillow thrown at me by my partner) So this Amazon initiative really is tapping into something already latent. The question is will it mean too much of your habits are in the hands of Big Business? What is too much?

I imagine this will start to be implemented with the introduction of a retainer type service for niche customer segments covering specific type of products that are regularly ordered. Could it also mean Amazon shifting into new product or service areas? Well, one thing is sure, Anticipatory Shopping is going to be an active trend within the next 12 months. Especially via digital channels. If you think it (by clicking a product too many times on Facebook) it just may get sent to you. Watch out for that case of Heineken or wrist watch from Patek Philippe that gets delivered to you before you order it. Finders keepers right?

Anticipatory Shopping. Quite a thought. Right up there with concepts from Minority Report

Have you signed up for the 2013 Digital Marketing Conference and Exhibition, Nigeria?

2013-05-08T10:14:00.000+01:00

Well I have been off the grid for some time and am happy to return with news about DMCE 2013!

Easily a must attend for serious minded digital marketing practitioners and wanna-be practitioners looking to get a closer and hands on experience of digital marketing best practices.

The 2012 edition was facilitated by a group of exciting, experienced speakers from diverse backgrounds. This year promises to be even bigger so head on to the website and sign up.

Digital marketing Conference and Exhibition 2013 - http://www.digitalmarketingnigeria.com/attend2/register-now

According to Princewill Omoroguiwa the CEO of Simon Page Business School and organizer of this prestigious event, "people are going to have the wool removed from their eyes by the time the sessions are through. It will be a most useful learning experience for them sure to equip them with clearer tools and perspectives for developing and implementing digital marketing plans"

Some of the speakers for this year: Mike Berry, Bukola Akingbade http://digitalmarketingnigeria.com/the-event/speakers

See you there.

Dayo

Lessons for mobile platform creators: Cool infographic

2012-06-16T10:25:00.000+01:00

In the digital world, copying or enhancing an existing model is a very common occurrence. Sometimes it yields huge dividends when true gaps exist to be filled with innovation in user interface, crm and genuine new value added. More often than not though, copy and paste of someone else's platform bombs. Big time.

Check out the infographic below from Life and death of mobile platforms

Note: I was published November 2011 but we are yet to see the dead platforms roar back to life 6 months on!

You can check the story here http://ht.ly/bCsx7

Social media black hole, cabals and ROI at DMCE 2012

2012-05-25T19:17:00.001+01:00

It was quite an exhilirating end to weeks of preparation as co-sponsor of Ngeria's 1st ever Dgital Marketing Conference & Exhibition I spoke about the joys and perils of social media, introduced the world to a concept I call the Social Media BlackHole and oh yes, I brought Adolf Hitler back from the dead! Must have been some conference! Yes it was.

Idy Enang, the legendary marketing enthusiast (in my books you go from being an expert to an enthusiast when you live and breathe something) shared his thoughts on why creativity is responsible for true marketing success. And yes, he introduced the WOMB. More on that exciting concept later!

Jeremy Spiller...what can I say..he nailed it with his illustrative approach to digital marketing, SEO, mobile and online concepts and steps to start and grow a digital strategy. One that is integrated into the overall marketing plan. He got a standing ovation at the end of his final session. Awesome.

Social Media MBA session was loaded with practical simple steps and case studies by Chris Holloman I took a few pointers as well!

Africa: A Blank Digital Canvass

2012-05-05T16:11:00.000+01:00

Next week May 10 & 11 will hopefully be an opportunity to share and provoke some useful thoughts in the minds of attendees in 2 days at the Digital Marketing Conference and Exhibition being organized by Simon Page Business School.

I will be joining a bunch of great speakers like Jeremy Spiller Trainer and Consultant, Econsultancy, UK and Idy Enang a long time tech enthusiast and marketer and now MD, Samsung Nigeria Ltd.

What will we be exploring? Mobile, Social and Digital Advertising from a practical point of view.

Visit the website www.digitalmarketingnigeria.com for delegate details and find out what kind of additional benefits you can get by attending.

Disclaimer: My company HotSauce is the main digital marketing firm co-sponsors for the event.

Time to close your Facebook account for Pinterest or Google+?

2012-04-12T13:32:00.000+01:00

Like quite a number of you social digital marketers out there, I have tried to use both Google+ and Pinterest, trying to discover the sweet spots of the 2 relatively new social networks available.It has been interesting as I do love the visual driven nature of Pinterest while the (tongue in cheek) Return on Search advantage of Google+ also offers a compelling proposition. Yet, my overall active usage is at best minimal. Unlike continued and increased use of Facebook for brand activities.

I mean I had hoped for something quick fire, easy to use and get conversions flowing but alas it has not turned out quite that simple.
Well, when was anything that was marketing magic wand based? Smart thinking needed.

So, what should one know before putting a brand on either platforms? Any stats you should take into consideration like who has the most of a single gender? Read this before closing down that brand Facebook account. Complementary is the 'keyword'.

Take a read through this eBook by Hubspot - never mind the obvious pitches it's still got solid insights :-)

Check it out here Pinterest VS Google Plus: http://bit.ly/battle-pin-g

Dayo Adefila is a long time lover of tech related solutions and the plain wacky but eventually useful stuff out there. Presently he is COO of HotSauce a leading digital marketing firm in Nigeria

Mobile Money in Nigeria - what does branding have to do with it?

2012-03-21T08:55:00.000+01:00

Organizers of the Mobile Money West Africa Summit 2012

With the successful issuing of mobile money licenses in Nigeria, Africa's largest consumer market, quite a number of the operators have launched their services. Somewhat expectedly for me however has been the obvious low adoption of the service. Read some of my views about that on BrandCrunch.

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria 46.3 percent of Nigeria’s population remain financially excluded compared to South Africa, Kenya and Bostwana with 26.0 per cent, 32.7 per cent and 33.0 per cent, respectively.

Are the challenges only technical? Or is there something more than technology that the operators need to pay attention to urgently? With over 10 licensed operators jostling for space in a newly established field as mobile money brand differentiation does need to be a key element of the business strategy.

I shared my thoughts recently on the role of branding and digital marketing in particular in a presentation at the recently concluded Mobile Money West Africa Summit 2012.

Read my views about it in this article on Brandcrunch

Some of the current operators are PocketMoni by eTranzact, Paga and Fortis Mobile Money.

Facebook Fans and Brands: Is the relationship worth it?

2011-09-13T10:37:00.000+01:00

As one who actively works in the digital marketing space, the questions and research about use and efficacy of Facebook sometimes make you pause and ask yourself if user behaviour, in relation to brands, is similar or markedly different regardless of geography or ethnicity. The other question you try to answer in a practical way is how Facebook and Social Media deliver desirable ROI to brands. How important should Influence be considered? Of course, you then re-assure yourself that using social media is objectives driven and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to it for every brand.

One of the interesting points that came up in a recent study by Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, who analyzed the behavior of 1,491 Facebook users is that people interact more with brands on Facebook (34%) than other social networks (Twitter 4%) No surprise there. Some other interesting stats from a marketers point of view include:

56% of consumers said they are more likely to recommend a brand to a friend after becoming a fan on Facebook
51% of consumers said they are more likely to buy a product since becoming a fan on Facebook
78% of consumers who “Like” brands on Facebook said they “Like” fewer than ten brands

Recommending to others about a brand you fan on Facebook. Yes, I have seen and done that.

Brand Fatigue anyone?
Like fewer than 10 brands...hmmm..this may vary widely by age? The interesting challenge for brands if this is widespread though is can a fan like more than 10 brands and truly stay engaged with them all? I guess brands that want to stay friends and not just remain a must have but largely ceremonial 'like' have to work harder to fit into the fans Top-10-Brands-I-like space.

You can read more about the STUDY here http://www.slideshare.net/ConstantContact/10-quick-facts-you-should-know-about-consumer-behavior-on-facebook

If your experience with Facebook fans attitude to brands is similar or very different do share your opinion in the comments section.

Meet FORD's Social Networking Vehicle (literally) of the future

2011-09-01T09:48:00.000+01:00

Ford embraced the digitalizing of the consumer market a few years back and has not backed down. Recently they were one of the first major companies to create a Ford Motor Company on Google+ See here
More recently though, they displayed the Ford Evos: a concept car that will take the term smart car to brave new heights with increased levels of car-driver intimacy (ok, that did not come out right) or knowing what the driver wants and what his friends want and more.

We cannot help but feel that humanity and machines are sliding faster into a melting pot than we may not have believed possible 5years ago.

Goofy Prediction Time
Someday soon, before the DALEKS arrive, your car will be able to send hangout invites to those in your friend circle on Google+, record your outdoor hangout via video cams fitted in the headlights, edit and upload to YouTube while your in-brain embedded Android app flashes decoded barcodes before your eyes so you can discover deals along your drive to an event. Surely that would be an advertisers delight! Martin Lindstrom take note. Hrrumpp.

Science fiction? Probably, but the question to ask yourself as a brand builder/maketer: Is your brand preparing for life at deeper levels of social networking? Food for thought.

Check out the inside scoop on the Ford EVOS for some of its cool new features - thanks to the guys at Mashable http://mashable.com/2011/09/01/evos-social-networking-car/

Car image courtesy Ford

4 Reasons Nigerian Brands Should Hate D'Banj's Oliver Twist competition

2011-08-29T01:00:00.000+01:00

'A different kind of MJ and Quincy Jones'

Unless you just hopped off a shuttle that arrived from Mars the chances are high you would have heard someTHING about the D'Banj Oliver Twist competition. You could have heard about some of the ludicrous attempts by 1-day video director and dancers. Or the expertly done attempts by some other competitors complete with edited content that showed a professional touch or two.

So I will go to the point and state the 4 Reasons Brand People Should Hate D'Banj's Oliver Twist Competition:

TURNED EVERYONE ELSE INTO A ME-TOO BRAND
Innovation does have its risks but the rewards of calculated innovation does bear majestic returns.
Now any corporate brand that does any video competition in Nigeria will have to endure the side comments of "Yeah, D'Banj showed 'em how to do it"
Was this calculated innovation? To some extent yes. They had already tested the delicate yet tough nature of social media and fandom with #Enigma another activity they organized with Notjustok.com and seriously hyped via Twitter. With the success of that they decided to move things up a notch while that success was still fresh. Many brands go to sleep after 1 success with social media. Wrong move.

SHOWED THAT CO-CREATIVITY IS NOT TO BE FEARED
Some brand custodians on Agency and Client side still shudder at the thought of allowing their customers any degree of interactivity much less allowing them to co-create a wonderful and memorable experience. Well a memorable experience is what D'Banj, the irrepresible Don Jazyy and the Mohit Crew have created: A warm fuzzy feeling for their brand nicely nestled somewhere in the heart area of anyone who has either watched any of over 400 video submissions on YouTube or even toyed with the idea of doing their own version!
Co-creativity can be done in a fun but orderly way but we are dealing with human beings so human reactions to a brand should be anticipated (with reaction scenarios available) but not dreaded and blocked out. So, are you one of those brands who do not allow your fans say a word on your Facebook page? Better stay out of Twitter.

SOCIAL MEDIA IDEAS DON'T ALWAYS COST A FORTUNE

What did the guys behind the idea do? Shoot a video in one of the living rooms they occupy. Low budget video shot with the crew wearing homey dressing and having fun. Then off they go to their website. Then the social-mediaratzzi pick up the juicy details 1) D'Banj and co are at it again! Yipee! 2) They do not have too many rules for this fun game! 3) I can become a viral hit because of the Mohits crew! Awesome and still win cool stuff like $2500, Koko Mobile phone and even appear in the official Oliver video!

For the fans it is a win win. For the Mohits crew, super viral buzz pre-launch of the album.

Finally, brand folks should hate D'Banj's new viral video launch tactic because it:
KILLED THE MYTH THAT NIGERIANS ARE NOT WATCHING YOUTUBE
True, broadband is still a myth for large swathes of Nigerian with internet penetration but the quality of internet access has improved over the last 2 years significantly. So more people are watching YouTube but more importantly they are watching via their mobiles quite a lot too and not just via desktop browsers. Just so you know, YouTube is currently in the Top 7 sites most visited by Nigerians in Nigeria. See stats here

I love the sharp not-afraid-to-evolve-guys at Mo'hits Records and believe they can produce the first Nigerian to win a Grammy award. What do you think?

Time to wrap up:

Let us stop shutting down any idea that asks for co-creation with our customers and prospects.
Let us not be afraid to innovate (of course do test runs that make sense within your organization setting but test you must.
Let us not be afraid to come up with simple Ideas that actually have clear objectives attached to them.

Like Oliver Twist, I do hope you will keep coming back to my blog for more fun posts and analysis.

Dayo Adefila is the COO of HotSauce, a leading digital marketing firm in Nigeria.

State of the Internet: 2011

2011-08-22T11:48:00.000+01:00

Over 1,000 new internet users every 400 seconds, 35 hours of videos uploaded to YouTube every minute, 119million Tweets daily...help...Earth calling Milky Way we are overloading!

If alien historians were to visit Earth today and compare the stats above with those from a mere 10 years ago (never mind that we did not have YouTube or Twitter then) the massive growth in internet usage could leave them speechless. Ok, maybe not. Check out the full stats at the link below and let me know if they leave you feeling just a little bit speechless.

State of the Internet 2011

Google to laugh last as Yahoo is set to launch Android Phone

2011-08-21T10:36:00.000+01:00

The Android army just will not stop getting collaborators. With Yahoo teaming up with SoftBank, one of the leading telecom carriers in Japan I can be forgiven for saying that 2011 is the 'Year of the Android'. Mobile phone adoption surged as apps became a key driver with mobile phone/device Operating Software (OS) taking centre stage. This happened largely thanks to Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) creating a new world order in which they rock and the others well, don't rock. Ask RIM and the Symbian guys. The recent Yahoo move however also demonstrates that the drivers are now Apps and social networking.

So it was only a matter of time before the social juggernaut - Facebook took notice and we had the first ever 'Facebook phone' thanks to HTC Status http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/07/htc-status-facebook-phone/

YAHOO PHONE: 3 OBSERVATIONS:

SEARCH
It will be interesting to see if Google search will be allowed on the phone. Yeah right. There may not be a need for this as Yahoo is the largest website destination in Japan

MOBILE ADVERTISING
This could give Yahoo a chance to boost dwindling ad revenue by integrating definite mobile ad serving on the phone across its key platforms like Yahoo messenger.

COMPETITING SOCIAL NETWORKS OR ACQUISITION DRIVERS?
Will the new phone come with pre-installed social networks like Twitter and Mixi which represent some of the largest social networks in Japan? Will Facebook get to make a pre-loaded cameo on the phone? Facebook has not made quite a hit in Japan so maybe not. If one of the objectives is to boost use of Yahoo services then this will be an interesting scenario.

You can read the original story here Yahoo to launch Android Phone in Japan

What do you think will be the next big news in Mobile? A Bing phone? Looking forward to your comments. Thanks!

Dayo Adefila is a leading practitioner of digital marketing in Nigeria, a tech entrepreneur who loves to collaborate on cool start up projects. Follow him on Twitter or Google+

Digital media: Why your brand has to learn faster or suffer

2011-08-07T14:04:00.001+01:00

It has been quite a rush, this new year! New products and services being launched left right and center in the digital space. Phew! Each time I was about to make a 'successful' return to the blogging space some new entrant showed up demanding quick and detailed attention.

Starting with the smartphone wars which raged in the first half of the year amongst OS makers (Apple iOS, Android from Google, Symbian, BlackBerry) but also among handset manufacturers. Who moved the most smartphone units so far? For now that title goes to Apple with over 20m units for now with Samsung a close 2nd with +19m units and Nokia playing 3rd for the first time in years. Check out the Smartphone Stats and you will also find that Android OS by Google is marching on swiftly like a true cyborg, happily crushing all other OS to become the top OS (operating software for mobile phones) of choice globally.

Just before leaving the smartphone sector I should make a quick point about RIM, owners of the BlackBerry product. Great product but dying out in relevance in most parts of the world except a few places like Africa where it is enjoying a late resurgence thanks to telco networks willing (who wouldn't) to make very cool bucks from the high value that accrues from blackberry subscription.

Enter social media! Naturally, we have to mention the + factor now driving social media positively crazy thanks to the never say die never attitude of Google who seem to have found a formula that works for social media with Google Plus which has skyrocketed beyond most peoples expectations by hitting 10m users within 2 weeks of launching (check out the Larry Page announcement update at the end of the article)

Ok..just what does all this have to do with YOUR brand?

You still have Facebook right? I mean you have not even gotten round to understanding how to optimize your Twitter account and we are talking about Google Plus? Give me a break you may say. Well, we hope you notice when some of your target audiences start to say "Gimme a break ye old fashioned, brand" (In my next post: What old fashioned means in today's digital branding world - I'll share my cold thoughts on the re-definition of Old fashioned. Watch out!) So, you may be one of a few brands currently getting plenty good bang for your bucks as you use Facebook and you may not have found the right way to use Facebook, so why can't we just leave you alone and give you some time to perfect what you have learned about and on Facebook? Come on..you even paid some good money to attend pretty useful marketing courses, seminars on social media marketing with Facebook as lead subject.

GOOD NEWS!
Your money was not wasted.

ALSO GOOD NEWS!

Learning however cannot stop. The social dynamic, this massive interconnected construct that we are all creating in which billions of data are shared across the globe simultaneously would have made the Architect in The Matrix Trilogy proud but it is the very reason that you can not stay with what you learned yesterday and ignore what you have to learn today. You have to grab your testing boots, strap them on and get a good guide or two (including common sense of course) and explore.

2 TOP THINGS TO EXPLORE BETTER THIS AUGUST 2011

Mobile platforms

You just cannot ignore a platform estimated to have reached 5.3 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2010 Wikipedia Jump in but with a proper adoption strategy for you to make sustained entry and not just because your friend in another industry says mobile apps are guaranteed to create ROI. Think clearly about what your marketing and sales process are, what are YOUR own ROI's and company capabilities before coming up with a fancy QR code campaign. I love QR by the way.

Google Plus

I have to assume you already know about social media - surely even the yet-to-be-discovered life on Mars must know all about it by now. Despite experiencing some social media fatigue (ignore the 18 months it took to convince your CMO or CEO to allow your brand 'test social media') Google Plus is a top consumer magnet that you have to try to understand. Soon Google+ will roll out custom account profiles for businesses on its platform. Already some brands like Ford Motor Company have dipped in a toe or two to test out the features.

2 TOP G+ FEATURES TO TEST

Hangout with your customers/marketing team/brand ambassadors via video
Curated content sharing with better managed groups of customers via CIRCLES

DO YOU HAVE TO DUMP FACEBOOK OR TWITTER FOR GOOGLE PLUS?

Nope. Think of them as complimentary. 2011 promises to end with a few surprises in the mobile world and the social media world and I will be there to share it with you via my g+ account.

Join me on g+ for top insights and commentary on where social media and digital marketing are headed.

Dayo Adefila is a pioneer digital marketing practitioner in Nigeria and is Chief Operating Officer of HotSauce a leading digital marketing firm in Nigeria.

How Social Media networks have evolved over the years (INFOGRAPHIC)

2011-01-25T14:29:00.000+01:00

I think you guys will have a blast going down memory lane with this one. Talk about Geocities founded in 1994. Do you remember that after Yahoo bought Geocities they tried to 'own' user generated content like pictures etc? Of course, users promptly left in droves. How times change. No social media owner wants to outrightly own user generated content! How about Usenet.

I remember Usenet as having a forum structure. I just found out I opened an account on Myspace January 2007 and yes, that was the original Myspace logo courtesy of Wikipedia. My exposure to and active use of social networks dates back to 2003 when I served as a Community host on Beliefnet till 2006/7. I bet Beliefnet did not really think of itself as a social network.

Interesting and instructive how social media networks have evolved over the years. I will be working with Hotsauce - digital marketing firm in Nigeria on creating an infograph on social media in Nigeria - out before Valentine Day.

What does all this evolution mean for brands and what kind of evolution can we still expect in 2011 and beyond? That is what I will treat in my next post.

Meanwhile, head over to Mashable to see the infograph that shows the history of social media networks

Have a great week!

Dayo

http://linkedin.com/in/dayoadefila
http://twitter.com/travelwithdayo

What makes me tick and just what is my professional background?

2011-01-16T01:21:00.001+01:00

A few more people than nromal have, in the last few weeks asked about my professional background, how did I get involved with Digital Marketing? What are some of my views about the state and potential growth of advertising in Nigeria?

I would like to invite you to read this profile Interview by Elijah Balogun of News Star newspaper.

Your feedback would be most appreciated.

Have a great day!

Dayo

Dayo Adefila is a tech entreprenuer and COO of Hotsauce, a digital marketing firm in Lagos, Nigeria. A former ad creative and Head, Account Planning at Insight GREY Dayo enjoys discovering and sharing useful stuff about the predictably fast evolving world of digital media in Nigeria and globally. Catch me online at any of the following locations: Twitter Linkedin Facebook

Is there still any doubt that social media is here to stay? STATS

2011-01-13T03:38:00.005+01:00

4 years ago the social media phenomenon was something only early adopters were interested in and used like the true elite explorers they were. Afterall, how many of you my readers had a social media network account in 2006? Much less one that you checked and interacted with right after you woke up, on the way to work, school even while at religious places of work..and all on a daily basis? Don't even mention MySpace or hi5. Nothing personal but really how many times after your first 5 months of use did you stick with those 2 sites? How many months or years ago did you log into your Myspace account?

Fast forward to 2011 and only a few outnumbered members les forces de resistance du social media are NOT on or actively participating on a social media network. Especially on the undisputed King of Social Media in the Western Hemisphere - FACEBOOK.

In Nigeria the STATS are incredible. At the start of 2008 we had just 100,000 users thereabouts. I was one of them, so now you know President Goodluck Jonathan did not bring Facebook to Nigeria :-) This number shot up to 1m users in 2009 and closed at 2m at the end of 2010. As at today (13th January 2011) I can authoritatively tell you the number of active Nigerian users on Facebook is estimated at 2,508,720 people (who live in Nigeria)

Damn! Means I need to revise my predictions that Nigerians on Facebook will double in 2011 if less than a month into Facebook we are already doing 2.5m!

How do we use Facebook? How addicted are we? Feel free to mentally say 'aye' when you find common threads as you read the stats in US and global market on usage of Facebook in the infographic below. Facebook penetration numbers compared to overall internet penetration in Nigeria are still a far cry away (with over 43.9m with internet access as at 2010) but the gulf is certainly closing as far as usage once people sign up. Addiction sets in to some extent. For instance, what is the first thing you do when you wake up these days? Check your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Sigh. How sweetly tiresome.

Key though is the kind of user you find on Facebook. Generally smart, happy to share information and engage with brands and generally with more than average disposable income. This is good news of course to the smart brand managers and advertising agencies out there looking to include social media engagement as part of their digital marketing in Nigeria.When a brand relates to its customers in a way that connects, the customers remember the brand with affection and loyalty. And they reward the brand with their money.

Take a look at some really cool stats and illustrations below or via this write up on Mashable and see just how pervasive social media and Facebook in particular has become. Question some folks are asking -is it a welcome pervasiveness? I would love to hear some of your own experiences with social media in Nigeria. Ok, off to my next browser tab for a quick peek-a-boo at my Facebook...

Via: Online Schools

Dayo Adefila is a tech entreprenuer and COO of Hotsauce, a digital marketing firm in Lagos, Nigeria. A former ad creative and Head, Account Planning at Insight GREY Dayo enjoys discovering and sharing useful stuff about the predictably fast evolving world of digital media in Nigeria and globally. Catch me online at any of the following locations: Twitter Linkedin Facebook