By: Agosu Omoleye
I started out well on the copy desk and soon grew to become the copy head in no time although I had to pay my price heavily to achieve this mark. Constant drills from my creative head would not let even the dullest brain lag. Researches and days of in-house creative critiques before client presentation is still green. Much so that my mouth curls in a smile when the memories sweep in.
I recall that fateful afternoon when I was served a creative brief and behold it was a client trying to penetrate the Nigerian market with software. Sage pastel is accounting software and does not look like any of the Brands I have worked on in my early days as a copywriter. I knew at that instant that I was in for some “fun time” with the big boss himself.
It did not come as a total surprise because the MD did the same when I was to be interviewed. He gave me a curt good morning with a nod, slapped a brief on the table right in front of me and said “hey, let’s see how good you are with words bro”. And that was the end of my interview!.
Expectedly, I was summoned to the boardroom and staring me in the face was the creative head, the MD and head of clients’ service. "Bro you think we can pull that through?" asked the MD in his usual serious semi-formal tone. I was not sure of the response I gave then but I heard him say “because this is not a plate of jollof rice”.
That was the statement that changed the course of my career, I went back into the studio, started my research about the brand and made some disturbing discoveries which later proved to be blessings in disguise.
The events leading to the actual presentation were quite daunting mixed with fear and apprehensions but at the end of the day it toughened me creatively and for that am grateful today.
The client was Dafinone consulting Limited a firm of chartered accountants. The firm is made up of seven siblings all chattered accountants and was recognized by the Guinness book of records as the black family with the most number of chartered accountants.
My young ambitious mind told me “Bobo you just landed yourself a big one”, while my brain told me “mehn wahala dey”.
Following day at lunch client service guys took turns to discuss how am doing with sage pastel etc, some of them looked at me with doubt and pity boldly written on their faces but I presented my usual cool mien, they spoke about how that could be the biggest for the agency in years and how proud they are to have brought such a huge account and how unfair it will be to allow any loopholes since we know the caliber of client we are dealing with.
All these on my young shoulder? Appetite disappeared and I made up my mind to man up to my side of the bargain. Strolling back into the studio I was met by the MD with a copy of a book “How Advertising work in the multimedia age”. That should help you bro he said.
It actually did because by the end of the following week I had internalized the core tenets of accounting and how I can effectively communicate to accountants and payroll officers who are the major targets of the Brand.
We had series of in-house presentation and it was no fun as the client service guys took their time to grill me on the hot seat on how I arrived at the copies. Why the designer had to input this or that but in the end, we settled for the options to be taken for the grand presentation.
My happiness at this initial success was cut short a few days later when the MD announced during our weekly progress meeting that I am presenting to the Dafinones!, I thought my ears were playing tricks or I was sleeping. How would I face a panel of seven fellows of chattered accountants! I had sleepless nights but each morning brings about its own confidence as I discovered that the MD is not ready to change his mind for reasons I would not understand until later.
I prepared and read about presentations as if I was new to it. This one is a different ball game entirely I kept telling myself until I was given wardrobe allowance to further prepare me for the grand presentation which would be taking place at the CEDI PLAZA in Apapa Lagos. Again, I lost my sleep, I envisioned a very big boardroom with a long table and the great team staring me in the face to tell them what strategy I as a creative person will use to sell the accounting software in Nigeria. I dreaded the question-and-answer segment too.
Soon the day came and I came to the office looking so confident to the amazement of my colleagues and to the admiration of the big Boss himself. We had coffee and he gave me a lot of pep talks as usual but at that point my mind was made up to deliver nothing but excellent presentation and also give brilliant answers during the question and answer segment even though I was just a copy head seconded to do the job.
We arrived at the plaza early enough and the ride was miraculously smooth on that Monday morning. In no time we checked into the board room and the action started. Adelani a client service lady, Dapo Sodehinde a graphics designer, and Henrysam will remember the silently tensed atmosphere that greeted us immediately we got in. With shaky hands, I shook our client and the presentation started in earnest. Somewhere into the second slide, I got my confidence back and I ran smoothly throughout. All I can recall now was my MD nodding and smiling as I deliver. Waoo! I made him proud. It was so smooth that even the clients clapped at the end of the presentation.
I was basking in the euphoria until I was jolted back to life during the tea break when I realized I will also be answering the questions which the “almighty” Dafinones might have concerning the campaign strategy I did for the sale of Sage pastel in Nigeria and how my strategy will impact on their market acceptance, penetration and Brand relevance.
The “weldone” voices faded and I was thrown into another fit of fear but it was too late to turn back.
The MD probably saw how unsure I looked but as usual, gave me a thumb up from afar and continued with his cigarette. I got the message and immediately the break was over the unexpected happened. The head of the Dafinone group got up and spoke for a while and commended my delivery and prayed for me. “I see this small oga flying high, but be careful not to be distracted by ladies. They like fancy things”. There were laughter and I smiled. As I was about to start loosening up, he hit me so hard that I will never forget. “so all this grammar will translate to sales to market penetration and sales in the Q1?” Young man you must have over-prepared for this meeting but I already got my points. All I want to see is how you want to penetrate the market and your plans to help with awareness which you have done already. Now can we all go the other way and get entertained while I have some discussions with your leader?”
Moral: Nothing is impossible in this line of business. You may think it is not your job to do it but if the boss suddenly sees the potentials in you it will be wise of you to run with the dream by preparing and immersing yourself in the whole operations otherwise you will soon become stale.
I would have remained a studio rat heading the copy desk but that singular push changed the course of my Advertising career.
It exposed me to various Branding strategies, taught me how to marry Public Relations and Advertising, public speaking, writing for different materials, book writing, and social media optimization.
In this trying period of lockdown experienced all over the globe, please make good use of the “holiday” to give yourself that extra push because quite a lot of competition will take place as soon as normal business life starts. A lot of quoted names will be shocked as new or unpopular names will become the high flyers in the coming business era overtaking them with their obsolete ideas.
It is only a lockdown and not a knockdown.
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