Williams Popoola: With ‘Japa,’ Digital Agencies’ Biggest Challenge is Retaining Skilled Personnel
Managing Director, Wow Effects Communications, Williams Popoola, is one Nigerian entrepreneur, redefining the marketing communications landscape across three continents. Driven by vision, strategic thinking, analytical skills, creativity and a passion for consistently delivering exceptional results for his clients, he has built a team committed to impacting Nigeria’s Digital marketing landscape over the years. In this encounter with Adedayo Adejobi, he speaks about how and why he’s built Nigeria’s coveted digital agency, his love for books and continuous learning. Excerpts:
How do you see digital marketing impacting enterprises in Nigeria and what are the top trends you see in the marketplace?
Dgital marketing is rapidly revolutionising how Nigerian enterprises engage with customers and drive growth. As smartphone and internet penetration continue rising, businesses are prioritising digital channels to capture this increasingly digital-savvy market. Key trends we’re seeing include the surge of social media marketing on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok that allow precise micro-targeting. Influencer marketing, leveraging trusted voices to authentically promote brands, is also rapidly gaining traction. Within Nigeria’s unique market landscape of over 200 million people, 60 per cent of whom are under 25 years old, early digital adoption is crucial for enterprises to capture market share. The appetite for digital experiences combined with the infrastructural challenges of offline retail makes digital marketing indispensable.
There is the notion that digital doesn’t necessarily translate to sales. Is your skepticism towards creativity about whether creativity itself can help a business grow, or just towards the way agencies package and sell that creativity?
Creativity is the heart of effective digital marketing. It’s about crafting compelling messages that resonate with audiences. At Wow Effect, we believe creativity rooted in strategic insights, is vital for driving business growth, but it must be purposeful, data-driven, and measured rigorously. In the Nigerian market where consumers are bombarded with brand messages across channels, it’s creativity that allows campaigns to break through the clutter and forge emotional connections. Ultimately, unbridled creativity untethered from performance metrics is something we’re skeptical about. But we fundamentally believe that creativity, when thoughtfully blended with data-driven execution, is one of the most powerful assets for Nigerian enterprises to unlock growth.
What do you like most about digital marketing?
The constant evolution. Digital marketing is a dynamic field, always adapting to new technologies and consumer behaviours. It requires continuous learning and innovation, which keeps things exciting. Plus, the ability to measure results in real-time allows for constant optimisation and improvement.
What skills or qualities do you feel helped you in building your digital marketing agency?
Key qualities include strategic thinking, analytical skills, creativity, adaptability, and a passion for consistently delivering exceptional results for clients. Building a talented and driven team has also been critical to our success. Ultimately, it’s the combination of strategic vision, creativity, analytical depth, technical excellence, and an exceptionally talented team committed to impact that has propelled our agency’s growth.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Looking back, one of the biggest lessons I wish I had understood from the start is the importance of establishing robust processes, systems, and operational infrastructure. In those early days, we were hyper-focused on crucial client delivery, but I underestimated how critical foundational elements like workflow management, knowledge sharing, professional development, and human resources frameworks are for enabling sustainable expansion while maintaining quality standards. As we grew quickly, there were growing pains around maintaining consistency and operational excellence during periods of hyper-growth. Of course, while it’s true that you can’t fully prepare for the inevitable curveballs of entrepreneurship, having the right processes and systems in place early creates a scalable foundation to capitalise on opportunities from a position of strength.
Is the growing importance of the digital world a threat to traditional advertising?
I don’t necessarily view the ascent of digital marketing as an existential threat to traditional advertising channels. However, it is inarguably disrupting the landscape and forcing a rethink of how brands approach offline channels in complementary ways.
The most effective marketing strategies intelligently combine the precise targeting and measurability of digital with the mass media impact of traditional channels. That said, brands will increasingly need to integrate digital at the core of their marketing mix and shift investments, operating models, and measurement frameworks accordingly. Those that fail to evolve risk being left behind as consumers’ attention is split across an ever-fragmenting array of digital platforms and experiences take precedence over push advertising.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
There isn’t one single person. I draw inspiration from various leaders in the digital marketing space who constantly push boundaries and redefine what’s possible. It’s difficult to pinpoint one single source of inspiration. I find myself motivated by a variety of individuals who excel in different areas. In the digital marketing world, Will Reynolds of Seer Interactive and Michael King of Ipull Rank constantly inspire me with their innovative approaches and data-driven strategies. Their work demonstrates the power of combining creativity with a deep understanding of customer behaviour. Beyond digital marketing, figures like Elon Musk inspire me with their audacious vision and relentless drive to push boundaries. His ability to think big and disrupt entire industries is a powerful reminder to never settle for the status quo.
If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be?
Develop a genuine passion for the ever-changing world of digital marketing. Be curious, experiment, and always be willing to learn and adapt. My advice would be: Immerse yourself in a mindset of continuous learning, curiosity and adaptation. The digital marketing landscape and the broader forces shaping consumer behaviour never stop evolving. What may be the leading edge today can become obsolete tomorrow. Constantly invest in expanding your knowledge – not just around marketing tactics and technologies but also creative ideation, strategy, data literacy, and horizontal skills like communication and critical thinking. Read voraciously, take courses, attend conferences, and join communities of practice. Never be complacent.