In a bid to advance industry knowledge and develop innovative marketing solutions, experts gathered at the prestigious Oriental Hotels in Victoria Island, Lagos, for the MarkHack 3.0 conference. The event, themed “Beyond Limits: Unleashing Creativity with Emerging Tech,” explored the intersection of creativity and emerging technologies in marketing.
Organized by the Eko Innovation Centre (EIC) in collaboration with the GDM Group and Brand Communicator, MarkHack 3.0 served as a platform for discussing the future of marketing in a tech-driven world. The event featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, and a startup pitch competition.
Olugbolahan Olusanya, Nigerian Country Director for Teknowledge, set the tone with a keynote address emphasizing the merger of marketing and technology. He urged marketers to understand customer needs before adopting new technologies and highlighted key emerging technologies reshaping the industry, including AI, automation, augmented reality, internet shopping, big data, machine learning, and 5G/IoT.
Panel discussions covered various aspects of marketing’s technological future. The first panel, moderated by Tobi Ayeni (Miss Techy), focused on “The Future of Marketing and Media in a Tech-Driven World.” Panelists included Jimi Taiwo, General Manager of PepsiCo Nigeria; Stanislaus Martins, Managing Director, West Africa for the Aleph Group; Oluwadamilola Adams, Founder of SocialARAAfrica; and Oyebowale Akideinde, Head of Digital Products & Innovation at Airtel Nigeria. They discussed the evolution of traditional marketing and the growing importance of data analytics in shaping business strategies and consumer management.
The second panel, led by Kemi Alonge, Head of Marketing for PZ Cussons, explored “Digital Transformation in Industry: Marketing, Media and Technology.” Alongside Alonge, the panel featured Sam Immanuel, Founder/CEO of Semicolon, and Itohan Izugbokwe, Country Manager of Futuretech Media. Moderated by Yinka Obebe, CEO of Pop Central, this session examined how companies are adapting to the digital age and leveraging technology to enhance their marketing strategies.
A breakout session on “Emerging Technologies Shaping the Future of Media and Marketing” provided deeper insights into specific technological trends. Segun Ogunleye, General Manager of Marketing for SBC, highlighted the rapid shift to digital platforms and how brands like Pepsi are integrating digital elements like QR codes into their branding to enhance customer interaction. Other panelists included Ibirogba Lara, Marketing Manager at Stanbic Bank, and Dr. Ifeoluwapo Odedere, Senior Brand Manager at Guinness Nigeria, who discussed the pervasive influence of AI.
Victor Gbenga Afolabi, the convener and visionary behind MarkHack, explained the rationale behind the event, emphasizing the need for businesses to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving marketing landscape. He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of technology in unprecedented ways.
A key component of MarkHack 3.0 was its startup pitch competition, which received 2,733 registrations and 75 startup submissions from four countries. The competition focused on four primary areas shaping the future of marketing: E-Commerce Evolution, AI-Driven Personalization, Blockchain for Business, and Localizing XR. Ten finalists presented their solutions to a panel of seven distinguished final jurors, including Joshua Chibueze, Co-founder and CMO of Piggytech, and Tolulope Medebem, President of EXMAN.
Joshua Ajayi, Publisher of Brand Communicator and organizing partner of MarkHack 3.0, emphasized the event’s significance, noting the rapid evolution of marketing and media driven by technologies like AI, big data, and immersive tech.
The competition’s top winners were Team Chao (first place), Team Market AI (second place), and Team Converse AI (third place). All finalists benefited from a prize pool of $20,000, AWS credits, laptops, access to the EIC Accelerator Program, and potential seed investment opportunities.
For more details on the event and future initiatives, visit the MarkHack website.
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