Speaking at YouTube PluggedIN in Lagos, Babatunde Olaifa calls for collaborations built around shared ambitions and investment
Brands need to move beyond using creators primarily to gain audience attention and build partnerships around shared ambitions, investment and original ideas, Babatunde Olaifa, Group Chief Executive Officer of Insight Redefini, has said.
He made the remarks at YouTube PluggedIN in Lagos on Thursday, October 22, where brands, creators and agencies gathered to discuss new opportunities for collaboration in Nigeria’s growing creator economy.
Olaifa said brand-creator relationships needed to evolve beyond the pursuit of audience attention towards partnerships in which both sides understand each other’s ambitions and invest in ideas that create value for everyone involved.
“I think brand-creator partnerships need to move from where they are right now, where brands are interested in accessing attention from creators. It needs to move to a place where they both understand each other’s aspirations. Brands can come in with the investment they need,” he said.
His remarks reflected a broader conversation about how brands can approach creator partnerships as long-term relationships rather than isolated marketing campaigns, giving both parties room to contribute ideas, invest in original content and build projects with lasting value.
The discussion also highlighted the changing relationship between creators and brands. According to the Chief Operating Officer of Insight Redefini, Tunde Shobanjo, creators now have greater access to brands than they did when traditional television was a primary route for reaching large audiences.
This shift has created new opportunities for creators to establish commercial relationships with brands, while giving businesses access to audiences and storytelling formats beyond conventional media channels.
However, the opportunity also places greater importance on how both sides structure their relationships, from identifying shared objectives to providing the investment and creative support needed to bring ideas to life.
The conversations formed part of the panel session, “Beyond the Post: What Brands Really Want to Build with Creators,” which examined how brands can work with creators as creative partners, storytellers and contributors to original intellectual property.
Hosted by Bisola Aiyeola, the event brought together celebrities and other industry stakeholders to explore the future of brand-creator collaboration.
Through its partnership with Woof Studios Africa, Insight Redefini is creating opportunities for brands and creators to discuss the commercial potential of the creator economy and how stronger partnerships can support the development of original content.