BRIEF BIO
Titilola is a dynamic and versatile marketing professional with 18+ years’ experience in Brand Management, Brand Operations, Trade Marketing, Digital Marketing, Project Management and Customer Relationship Management, having worked for renowned companies like Procter and Gamble (P&G Nigeria & West Africa), Office One Ltd. (Ireland), Nigerian Breweries Plc and Feedex Nig. Ltd., in building leading brands across several product categories. Her expertise lies in developing and implementing winning brand strategies that deliver sales and profit growth. She is currently the Head of Growth and Strategy at Hazina Ventures; a technology and distribution agency focused on improving on the quality of Insights on FMCG companies’ product sampling campaigns.
Tell us a bit about yourself
My background is in Marketing and I have over eighteen years of experience in this profession of which nine is in brand management. I am a Certified Advertising Practitioner with an Executive MBA from Lagos Business School. I earned a lifetime membership of the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) society, an international business honour society that recognizes the most outstanding students of business at institutions accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Leveraging on my vast experiences, my interest now lies in developing business for SMEs by designing their marketing strategies, guiding implementation and overall, contributing positively towards the growth and expansion of such businesses.
What made you choose to choose your specialization in Marketing?
Funny enough, I only applied for Marketing as a third choice on my JAMB form when applying to a higher institution then. I had wanted to study Accounting but I figured, if the pressure was too much on Accounting and I couldn’t get in, maybe I could get into Marketing instead and I won’t stay a year at home. That was how it all started. I realised early in my career that I could never stagnate but will be at the forefront of new and exciting trends because Marketing was such a fast-paced and vibrant industry. The dynamics of this industry has kept me on my toes, as I needed to be completely up-to-date with everything that is happening in the world of brands, sales, and technology. It also provided a stimulating and challenging environment, perfect for someone like me who enjoys learning new things and meeting difficult situations head-on. I have always been a creative person and that has been a major asset for me as a marketer. I get to use my creative thinking to come up with innovative solutions. I like to meet new people and connect with them on a social level, being a marketer gave me that opportunity to deal with new people on a regular basis. Another thing is, I am a very curious person. I like to know the ‘whys’. I do a bit of talking as well. These are qualities that have come through for me in my Marketing career – getting my message across to my audience and convincing them to buy products, being able to understand and relate to consumers etc. So, it just made sense to continue in a career path that brings out my qualities and, take it to a higher level by consulting for SMEs who need my expertise to grow their business.
Why did you choose to register as marketing consultant on Kleos Africa?
Kleos Africa was launched while I was studying for an MBA at the prestigious Lagos Business School. I registered immediately. I had always been looking for an opportunity to consult for SMEs, supporting them with my knowledge and experience. Kleos made that possible with its platform. Secondly, I figured it could be a platform that could help me stay close to local trends in consulting.
What is the role of a Marketing Consultant?
A marketing consultant works with firms to create and implement marketing strategies. A marketing consultant is an external advisor who provides a broad range of services like creating detailed marketing plans, determining a business’s marketing message, and identifying the appropriate marketing mix to get the message out to the target market.
Why are Marketing Consultants important?
Along with lightning-fast changes in technology comes quickly, evolving marketing practices. It always probably seems nearly impossible to keep up. No matter what sector an SME is in, the business landscape will be very competitive. There is always the challenge of finding new customers and/or retaining customers. This can only be done via marketing, and depending on what sector a business is, potentially lots of marketing will be required. Marketing costs money and time to effectively deliver, it is so easy to waste money with average, mistargeted, or inefficient marketing. My role is to provide the full suite of marketing services; from developing the business into a brand to media reporting and analysis and/or creating a digital marketing strategy to optimising your website for conversions. Overall, I fill a key role that is challenging for SME owners to spend time on; bringing a fresh set of eyes to identify marketing gaps, give valuable insight and perspective.
What are the features of a good Marketing Consultant?
I will touch on three elements I believe are key. Experience is the most important element, others are being analytical and data driven as well as being creative.
- Experience – A good marketing consultant will have expertise in diverse areas, with a track record that proves their methods are effective, and must have successful case studies from previous works. The whole point is that you’re able to be an objective expert that a company brings in to address a specific issue. You’ll be expected to have seen similar issues in a variety of companies so that you can quickly get to the heart of the matter, which you just can’t do unless you’ve been around the block.
- Good marketing consultants take advantage of the data provided in marketing software and analyze it to see what strategies were effective for your business, where improvements should be made, and what techniques need tweaking. A data-driven trait is very necessary. You must be able to interpret the data at hand to improve decisions and implement the best strategy.
- Creativity: A good marketing consultant thinks outside of it; have the creative skills to come up with innovative campaigns and tactics that attract audiences in a new way. The first step will be to work with SMEs to get a good understanding of the business, and then develop a marketing strategy that gains attention.
What advice do you have for an entrepreneur who is considering a marketing consultant?
Any entrepreneur considering the services of a marketing consultant should make sure that they follow some basic steps. Have a very detailed communication brief prepared to set expectations and sent out to at least three candidates. Set a pitch meeting where each consultant can present their proposal. Ask questions; an ideal candidate will have experience of working in your industry or your target-market sectors so that they do not have to spend too much time just learning about your business. Make sure the consultant you select has a skills profile that matches your requirements. If you need to develop a strategy for growth, ask about the consultant’s strategic capabilities. If you want to improve the results from your marketing communications budget, look for a consultant with experience across all the main communications media. It is very important to set the right expectations
Like what you see thus far? Then, book Titi for your marketing plans and strategies on Kleos Africa today!
