Uro: AI Tools Will Replace Some Human Skill Sets in Advertising

Four years after launching Sharebeta with clear ambition to transcend old and traditional advertising and provide digitally-driven marketing solutions, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Sharebeta Limited, Mr. Martin Uro, believes the firm has recorded extraordinary performance and wild innovations. Dike Onwuamaeze brings the excerpts:

Let us begin this conversation by asking you to introduce yourself and your role at Sharebeta?

My name is Mr. Martin Uro. I have almost two decades of experience in marketing communications and audio-visual productions. I am the MD/CEO and co-founder of Sharebeta Group. I’m excited about the achievements of the organisation so far and the future is ours to grab. I provide leadership to my team in the most convenient manner that enables them to effectively deliver value and results from any part of the world.

I have a growth mind-set and a vertical thinker. I intend to build one of the most sorts after creative hubs in Africa with our well-nurtured digital natives.  I rely on my very young and innovative team to navigate through creating marketing solutions for our amiable clients.  

Can you briefly describe Sharebeta and the services it offers?

Sharebeta is a multidisciplinary, digitally driven creative agency. We offer through-the-line marketing solutions for products and brands in Nigeria and across the globe.  We have Sharebeta Limited, which handles through-the-line campaigns- traditional advertising, brand identity, corporate branding/acculturation, digital marketing and experiential marketing. We also have our production arm that creates powerful content and brand assets in videos and stills. We also produce films, documentaries and animations including managing talents. Finally, we have Sharebeta Tech that caters for everything Tech like IDDM, UI/UX, Cyber security, DevOps engineering, artificial intelligence, online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing etc.

What are the unique selling propositins that differentiate Sharebeta from other advertising agencies?

We go the extra mile to satisfy our clients beyond their expectations, we seek clients’ feedback, we stand for quality results, and we seek to beat our personal best so we are wired not to see competition but to keep beating our previous records.Finally, we have a unique team of young digital natives who operate from all over the world and we give them the liberty of working on briefs from their comfort zones our results have been phenomenal.

How has Sharebeta used digital technology to create a successful advertising campaign?

So many exciting examples but I will talk about the brief from a premium restaurant/lounge that wanted something different and more scientific that is not just about geo-targeting. So we created a proprietary tool using geo-fencing technology and GPS, and linked it up with Opera ads to alert people around that geographical location during their lunch break to go try out their best seller and in four months their sales quadrupled and human traffic also increased by 67 per cent. Some customers were bold enough to ask the client how they knew the exact times they were hungry and when they were preparing for lunch break

Can you explain how important user experience (UX) is for advertising?

UX is all about how a person feels when interacting with a system, like a website, mobile app, or even a physical product. In advertising, good UX means creating campaigns or platforms that are easy, enjoyable, and effective for the audience to interact with. If the audience finds an ad confusing or hard to navigate, they’re likely to lose interest quickly. The same goes for user interface (UI) that refers to the specific elements that people interact with on a digital platform such as buttons, screens, and icons. In advertising, UI plays a crucial role in making sure the ad is visually appealing and easy to use. The colours, layout, and typography all contribute to catching the viewer’s eye and making the information clear and accessible. In today’s digital age, where so much advertising is online, both UX and UI are crucial. They ensure that advertisements are not only attention-grabbing but also provide a positive and seamless experience to the audience. This increases the likelihood of the audience engaging with the ad, understanding the product or service being advertised, and ultimately making a purchase.

How does Sharebeta stay at the forefront of innovation in the advertising industry?

Sharebeta is one of the leading forces when it comes to futuristic innovations and global evolution of the industry in Nigeria. Apart from our style of storytelling, we are aware that the advertising industry will be 85 per cent automated, immersive and above all personalised in the future. This awareness keeps us focused on the aspirations of the consumer to hack into their emotions when we tell our stories.

Mention some of the latest trends in advertising that Sharebeta is excited about?

We are extremely excited about the rapid technological advancement and evolution that is now available in advertising like IDDM, SEM, SEO, AI tools like ChatGPT, geo-targeting of ads, geofencing, programmatics and social listening. These are smart tools that complement traditional advertising but we must remember that smartphones are fast replacing every home and mobile gadget. The sad news is that some AI tools will replace some human skill sets in advertising.

What does the future looks like for Sharebeta in the advertising industry?

Sharebeta is the hope and future of advertising in Nigeria. The ambition is clear; to transcend old and traditional advertising and provide digitally-driven marketing solutions with native advertising and the roadmap is moving from zero to one on a vertical progression … (laughs).

What are your thoughts on the advertising industry’s future in Nigeria and Africa?

Nigeria’s creative industry is super blessed with the smartest brains in the world and the advertising industry that leads today’s marketing will continue to make significant progress both in Nigeria and globally. However, this progress can only come to fruition for companies that are awake to take those massive opportunities. I repeat the sad news is that some AI tools will replace some human skill sets in advertising. But marketing budgets will continue to grow despite the current environmental forecast and decline in sales for most multinationals. The truth is that marketing is a leaking basket that organisations must continue to refill to be relevant to the consumer’s subconscious.  

Can you share insights about Sharebeta’s company culture, team, and clients?

I can tell you that Sharebeta leads in the new generation’s Cultural Revolution. Our team structure and work culture is a merger of Facebook and Google culture but we must have the SBFactor, which comes with empathy and the “Xtra” factor. The comfort of our young dynamic and innovative team (digital natives) is our priority. Next is our pool of wonderful clients, we operate the Japanese system of Client management we deliver the extra in the ordinary that makes our solutions extraordinary we do everything to keep you with us. We currently work with brands like Heineken, Tiger, Life beer, Goldberg Legend extra stout, 33 beer, Zagg energy drink, Fan Ice, Fanvannile, Super yogo, Go slo, Polo Luxury, Danone, Terraform Restaurant & lounge and some members of our Tech team are providing solutions for S&P global 500, NHS, Bank of America, London Stock Exchange to mention a few

In a very short period of existence, you have been able to carve a niche for yourself in the industry. What is your staying power?

Next year we will be five and apart from the God factor, which is top on our favour list, we fundamentally understand that times are changing and consumer behaviour is fast changing and getting more personal. So, we at Sharebeta go the extra mile to evolve with our client, the consumer and technological evolution. The future is for those who move to take.

Lastly, we have our staff across Nigeria, Africa, USA, and the UK, and distillation of brief is always a global standard because our insights from all over the world and makes our solutions global with local relevance. Our affiliation with M&C Saatchi has also contributed to setting an edge for us. Sharebeta operates with the growth mindset.