AI reshapes digital marketing as brands rethink growth strategies – Businessday NG

Tracking Trends | Informing DecisionsWelcomeLog in or create a free account to get started.Welcome back, WelcomeLog in or create a free account to get started.Welcome back, With a background in Economics and an MBA from the University of South Wales, Modupe Sanni has built a careerWith a background in Economics and an MBA from the University of South Wales, Modupe Sanni has built a career around understanding how businesses grow, how consumers make decisions, and what it takes for brands to succeed in competitive markets. As Managing Partner of Digital Square Limited (DSL), a marketing and digital strategy company with a presence in Nigeria, the United States, and Canada, she has worked with local and international brands, including Gokabet, Branch, and FXCG, helping businesses enter new markets, connect with consumers, and drive measurable growth. Her approach to marketing goes beyond advertising budgets and creative campaigns. For Moe, understanding a company’s business model, commercial objectives, and long-term ambitions is just as important as understanding its target audience. Now, as artificial intelligence reshapes the marketing industry, she is challenging traditional agency practices, embracing automation, and rethinking what businesses should expect from their marketing partners. In this interview, Modupe Sanni speaks about the realities of building brands in Nigeria, her unconventional approach to leadership, the growing influence of AI, and why she believes good marketing begins with understanding the business behind the brand. Digital Square Limited (DSL) has become a go-to growth powerhouse for top corporate brands in Lagos and beyond. What is that core “digital magic” you perform that takes a brand from obscurity to market dominance? I think the magic is understanding that marketing is not just about visibility. Visibility is important, but what happens after people see your brand is even more important. At Digital Square, we approach marketing from a business perspective first. Before we talk about campaigns, creative ideas, or advertising budgets, we want to understand the business itself. What are we selling? Who are we selling to? Why should anyone choose this brand over its competitors? And most importantly, what does success look like for the business? I have a background in Economics, so I’ve always been interested in understanding consumer behaviour, market dynamics, and how businesses grow. That thinking influences how we approach marketing. We combine data, technology, consumer psychology, and creative storytelling to build strategies that don’t just attract attention but actually influence purchasing decisions and drive growth. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); And I think that’s where a lot of brands get it wrong. They confuse being popular with being profitable. You can have millions of impressions, thousands of followers, and beautiful campaigns, but if none of that translates into meaningful business results, then we need to question what we’re doing. For us, the real magic is connecting creativity to commercial results. That’s what we do at Digital Square. Many business owners complain that digital agencies burn through ad budgets on Meta and Google without bringing tangible sales. How does Digital Square ensure that every Naira spent translates to high Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)? First, I think it’s important to understand that good marketing results are a combination of several factors. You have to get the product, pricing, positioning, audience, and timing right. Advertising is just one part of that equation. We’ve actually had to turn down a few brands at Digital Square because, after evaluating their products, we didn’t believe they were ready for the market. But the business owners wanted to go straight into advertising and start generating sales. The truth is, marketing cannot fix every fundamental problem with a product or business. That’s why we do a lot of research before developing a strategy. We want to understand the market, consumer behaviour, the competition, and what will genuinely motivate people to buy. Another thing I’ve learned over the years is that marketing requires experimentation. You can spend months developing what you believe is the perfect campaign, launch it, and the results are underwhelming. Then someone creates a simple, spontaneous piece of content, and it goes viral. I’ve seen it happen. That’s the interesting thing about consumer behaviour; you cannot always predict what people will respond to. The real skill is knowing how to combine different approaches, test ideas, study the results, and recognise when to change direction. At Digital Square, we monitor everything from customer acquisition costs and conversions to return on ad spend. We scale what works and rethink what doesn’t. But there’s also the issue of patience. Some business owners want immediate sales without investing in building a brand. They don’t want to tell their story, establish trust, or give customers a reason to choose them. They simply want to run ads today and start making money tomorrow. And while performance marketing can certainly deliver quick results, sustainable growth often requires more than that. People are more likely to buy from brands they know, understand, and trust. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); So when clients ask us how we ensure every Naira generates a return, my answer is that no serious marketing professional can guarantee that. What we can do is make informed decisions, minimise wasted spending, keep experimenting, and build a strategy that gives the business the best chance of succeeding. For me, effective marketing isn’t about having one brilliant campaign. It’s about understanding how all the different pieces work together to produce results. As Head of Strategy, when a corporate brand approaches you with stagnant growth or low online visibility, what is the first critical diagnostic test you run on their business funnel? The first thing I want to understand is where the business is losing opportunities. Because stagnant growth and low visibility are two different problems, and you cannot solve them with the same strategy. I usually start by asking questions. What does the business consider growth? Is it struggling to attract customers, convert enquiries into sales, or retain existing customers? Sometimes, a brand believes it has a visibility problem when, in reality, people already know about it but aren’t convinced enough to buy. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); Then we look at the entire customer journey. How are people discovering the brand? What happens when they visit the website or social media pages? Is the value proposition clear? How easy is it to make a purchase or contact the business? And importantly, what happens after that first interaction? I also like to look at the data. Where is the traffic coming from? At what point are potential customers dropping off? What are competitors doing differently? What are customers saying about the product or service? These things tell us a lot. But one thing I’ve learned is that data alone doesn’t tell the whole story. You also have to understand people. Why are they buying from competitors? What concerns do they have? What would make them trust this brand? Sometimes, having actual conversations with customers reveals more than hours spent looking at an analytics dashboard. I believe you have to diagnose a problem properly before prescribing a solution. Otherwise, you could spend millions of Naira driving traffic to a website that isn’t converting, or increasing awareness for a product that hasn’t found its market. So, my first critical test is really identifying the biggest gap between customer interest and business results. Once we understand where the problem is, we can start making informed decisions about how to fix it. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); From SEO and Google Search to TikTok and programmatic advertising, algorithm changes happen overnight. How do you keep your clients ahead of digital platform shifts without losing audience trust? One thing I’ve learned in digital marketing is that you cannot afford to get too comfortable. What worked six months ago might not work today, and what is performing exceptionally well today could become irrelevant tomorrow. But while algorithms change, the fundamentals of marketing remain largely the same. People still want value, they want to be understood, and they want to trust the brands they’re spending their money on. At Digital Square, we invest a lot of time in research, studying consumer behaviour, monitoring industry developments, and experimenting with emerging technologies. We’re interested in understanding not just what’s changing, but why it’s changing and how it affects consumer behaviour. For example, the way people discover products is evolving. We’re no longer looking at Google alone. Consumers are searching on TikTok, asking AI platforms for recommendations, and making purchasing decisions based on conversations in online communities. We have to understand these shifts and position brands accordingly. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); However, I don’t believe in chasing every trend. Not every platform is right for every brand. We also encourage clients to build assets they control, such as their websites, customer databases, and communities, rather than depending entirely on social media algorithms. I believe a good strategist must know what to change and what to preserve. We can change our channels, tools, and tactics, but the brand’s values and the trust it has built with its audience should remain consistent. My philosophy is simple: adapt to the technology, but never lose sight of the people you’re trying to reach. You hold a degree in Economics. How much of economic theory supply, demand, consumer psychology; actually comes into play when designing digital strategy for corporate organizations? Quite a lot, actually. I think my background in Economics has played a significant role in how I approach marketing and business strategy. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); Economics teaches you to understand how people make decisions, how markets behave, and how resources can be allocated efficiently. And when you think about it, that’s essentially what marketing is about. Take consumer behaviour, for example. People don’t always make purchasing decisions based on logic. Their decisions are influenced by emotions, perceived value, pricing, social influences, and even the economic situation around them. Understanding these factors helps us develop strategies that connect with consumers beyond just selling a product. Some clients are actually surprised when they approach me for advertising or marketing advice, and I start asking questions that seem completely unrelated. Where do you see this business in five or ten years? Are you building something you eventually want to sell, or is this a legacy business you intend to pass down? What does long-term success look like for you? But these questions are important because the direction of a business should influence how we market it. A company building towards an eventual acquisition may have different priorities from one focused on building a lasting family legacy. Marketing shouldn’t exist in isolation from the bigger business strategy. Then there’s resource allocation. Every business has limited resources, whether it’s money, time, or manpower. My job is to determine how best to deploy those resources to achieve the greatest possible return. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); I also pay attention to broader economic realities. You cannot develop a marketing strategy for Nigerian consumers without considering purchasing power, inflation, and changing spending habits. So, I would say Economics gave me the foundation to think analytically, question assumptions, and understand the relationship between consumer behaviour and business growth. Digital marketing simply gave me the tools to apply that knowledge in real time. Sitting in the Managing Director’s chair of a fast-growing digital strategy firm comes with intense pressure. How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you foster innovation inside the Digital Square team? I would describe my leadership style as collaborative, flexible, and quite different from the traditional corporate approach. I believe that if you want people to deliver their best work, you have to create an environment that allows them to thrive, both professionally and personally. We work in an industry where creativity and critical thinking are essential. And I’ve always questioned how we expect someone who has spent four hours navigating Lagos traffic to arrive at work with the same level of energy, focus, and creativity as someone who hasn’t. I think good leadership requires being realistic about these things. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); That’s why we’ve adopted a flexible working structure at Digital Square. Our employees can work from home, and those who live far from the office can choose to work from a coworking space closer to them on certain days. We also have designated days when everyone is required to be physically present at our main office because collaboration and human connection are equally important. This approach has worked very well for us. I’m also very conscious of the fact that everyone is on a different journey. Not everyone who joins Digital Square will spend their entire career with us, and I’m perfectly comfortable with that. Some people are furthering their education, taking professional courses, or even building businesses of their own. I recognise that Digital Square might be a chapter in someone’s journey rather than their final destination. What matters to me is that while they’re here, they’re learning, contributing meaningfully, and growing. I want people to leave Digital Square better than they were when they joined, whether they stay for two years or ten. Of course, flexibility doesn’t mean a lack of accountability. I have high standards, and I expect people to take ownership of their responsibilities. I encourage my team to challenge ideas, including mine, experiment with new technologies, and find better ways of doing things. I don’t want people who simply wait for instructions; I want people who think. I believe leadership is about creating the right conditions for people to do their best work. When people feel trusted, supported, and challenged, innovation becomes a natural part of the culture. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); As a global business strategist and consultant, what do you think is the biggest mistake West African corporate brands make when trying to scale their market footprint internationally? I think one of the biggest mistakes is assuming that what worked in your home market will automatically work elsewhere. A lot of businesses approach international expansion as simply entering a new country, rather than understanding an entirely new market. Consumer behaviour, purchasing power, cultural influences, competition, and even the way people respond to advertising can differ significantly from one country to another. You cannot simply replicate your Nigerian marketing strategy in the UK, Canada, or the United States and expect the same results. I also think some brands are too quick to pursue international visibility without first asking whether their business is operationally ready for that market. Can you deliver your product or service consistently? Is your pricing competitive? Do you understand the regulatory environment? Can your customer experience meet the expectations of that market? These things are just as important as marketing. Another mistake is trying to expand everywhere at once. I believe in being strategic about market entry. Research the opportunities, identify where there’s genuine demand, test your assumptions, and learn before committing significant resources. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); And there’s something else I always emphasise: being an African brand is part of your identity, but it shouldn’t be the only reason you expect international consumers to buy from you. Your product still has to solve a problem, deliver value, and compete on quality. Having worked across different markets, I’ve come to appreciate that international growth requires a balance between maintaining your brand identity and adapting to local realities. For me, successful expansion isn’t about how many countries your brand operates in. It’s about how effectively you can compete, create value, and build a sustainable business in each market you enter. Digital Square has played a strategic role in introducing several international brands into the Nigerian market. What does it take to successfully launch a foreign brand in Nigeria, and how does your team help these businesses navigate the market? Nigeria is a very interesting market. We have a large, youthful population, a vibrant consumer culture, and significant commercial opportunities. But it’s also a market you need to understand before entering. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); One mistake international brands make is assuming that because a strategy worked in Europe, Asia, or North America, it will automatically work in Nigeria. Our consumer behaviour, purchasing power, cultural nuances, and even the way we communicate are different. At Digital Square, we’ve had the opportunity to work with brands like Lavyanna, Gokabet, Branch, FXCG, and several others on their entry into the Nigerian market. And one thing these experiences have reinforced is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to market entry. We start by understanding the business, researching the competitive landscape, identifying the right audience, and determining how best to position the brand. Sometimes, that involves rethinking the messaging, pricing, communication strategy, or even the product offering to better suit the Nigerian consumer. One thing I always tell international brands is that Nigerians speak a different kind of English, one that sometimes only another Nigerian can truly understand. It’s not just about language; it’s about context, humour, expressions, and shared experiences. You can communicate in perfectly polished corporate English and still completely lose your audience because you’re not speaking in a way that resonates with them. And that’s where local intelligence becomes extremely important. You cannot simply take an international campaign, change the currency to Naira, run some digital ads, and expect Nigerians to connect with it. You have to understand the culture, the conversations, buying behaviour, and what genuinely influences trust. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); Our role is to combine that local market intelligence with global marketing standards, helping brands build awareness, establish credibility, acquire customers, and grow sustainably. I always say that entering a market and winning a market are two different things. Our job is to help brands do both. With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, there’s a growing belief that AI could eventually replace marketing agencies and even marketing professionals. Do you share this concern, and how is Digital Square preparing for this shift? AI has already taken over a significant part of marketing, and I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. If we’re being realistic, a lot of what marketing agencies charge clients for today can already be done with AI, sometimes faster and at a fraction of the cost. Content creation, research, reporting, campaign optimisation, and even certain aspects of strategy are becoming increasingly automated. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); So the question is no longer whether AI will change marketing. It already has. The bigger question is what value marketing professionals bring when everyone has access to the same technology. At Digital Square, we’ve already changed how we work. For instance, I expect my team to deliver five times faster because of AI. You cannot spend five days doing something that technology can help you accomplish in 30 minutes. That doesn’t mean compromising quality. It means using the tools available to work smarter and spending more time on things that actually require human thinking. I also believe that regardless of your role in a marketing agency, you should know how to use AI to get work done beyond your immediate responsibilities. Whether you’re a strategist, account manager, content creator, or designer, you should be able to write effective prompts, develop content, generate creative concepts, produce videos, or even put together an advertising campaign using AI tools. I’m not saying everyone has to become an expert in everything. But you should understand what’s possible and know how to use these tools when the need arises. There’s a difference between someone who knows how to do marketing and someone who knows how to do marketing in a world where technology is constantly evolving. Interestingly, we also help clients set up AI automations within their businesses. And I’m very open about this: if a client has someone in-house who can manage those systems and their marketing effectively, they may not need us anymore. I don’t see anything wrong with that. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); The way I see it, agencies should exist because they provide value, not because clients are dependent on them. Some businesses have the expertise and time to manage their marketing internally. Others would rather focus on running their businesses and have experienced professionals handle that responsibility. That’s where we come in. I also think AI is going to expose a lot of people in our industry. If your entire value as a marketer is knowing how to use an advertising platform or create social media content, then yes, you should be concerned. But if you genuinely understand consumers, business strategy, positioning, and growth, AI becomes an incredibly powerful tool in your hands. Five years from now, I don’t think the most successful agencies will necessarily be the ones with the largest teams. They’ll be the ones that know how to combine technology, creativity, and good business judgement to deliver results. How do you avoid burnout and stay grounded amidst demanding schedules? I wish I could tell you I’ve mastered the art of avoiding burnout, but I haven’t. It’s something I’m still learning, especially because I genuinely enjoy what I do. Sometimes, the problem isn’t that I have too much work. It’s that I have too many ideas I want to explore. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); One thing I’ve come to understand about myself is that I need variety. I get bored doing the same thing for too long, so I enjoy working on different projects, learning new things, and challenging myself. But I’ve also had to learn that just because I can do something doesn’t mean I have to do it myself. I’m becoming more intentional about building teams, delegating responsibilities, and creating systems that allow things to run without my constant involvement. Outside work, I enjoy the simple things. Going for walks, spending time in nature, getting some quiet time to myself. Walking, especially, helps me think. Some of my best ideas come when I’m away from my desk, not when I’m staring at a screen trying to force a solution. I also try not to measure my productivity by how busy I am. There was a time when being constantly occupied felt like an achievement. These days, I’m more interested in what I’m actually accomplishing and whether I have the freedom to enjoy my life while doing it. I love building businesses, but I don’t want to build a life where I’m too busy to enjoy the things I’m working so hard for. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); What is your message to young Nigerian women who want to excel in corporate leadership, technology, and the arts without compromising their personal values? My advice would be to define success for yourself before the world defines it for you. I think women, especially in our society, grow up with so many expectations about who they should be, how they should behave, what they should prioritise, and even how ambitious they’re allowed to be. And sometimes, without realising it, we start making decisions based on those expectations rather than what we genuinely want. I’ve never believed that you have to fit into one box. You can be interested in business, technology, creativity, and a hundred other things. You don’t have to limit yourself because someone thinks you should choose one path and stick to it. But I also think ambition must be backed by competence. Learn your craft, develop your skills, stay curious, and be willing to start again when necessary. The world is changing too quickly for anyone to assume that what they know today will be enough tomorrow. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); And please, don’t compromise your values just to get ahead. There will always be opportunities that look attractive but don’t align with who you are or the kind of life you want to build. Learn to recognise them and be comfortable walking away. I would also encourage young women to become financially independent. Having your own resources gives you choices, and having choices gives you a certain level of freedom. Most importantly, don’t spend your life trying to become someone else’s definition of a successful woman. You can be ambitious and still want a peaceful life. You can build businesses, pursue a career, have a family, explore your creative interests, or choose a completely different path. It’s your life. Make sure you’re actually living it, not just meeting other people’s expectations.   $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); Advertisement Share Follow us on Google News and never miss breaking stories, market insights, and in-depth reporting. BusinessDay, established in 2001, is a daily business newspaper based in Lagos — the only Nigerian newspaper with a bureau in Accra, Ghana. It publishes both daily and Sunday titles, circulating across Nigeria and Ghana. Read more Scan to downloadsource