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?
Digital 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.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
“Focus on the things within your control, and don’t waste energy on forces or circumstances you ultimately cannot change.” It pushes me to concentrate fully on our mission and relentlessly iterate on solutions rather than ruminating on factors outside our sphere of influence. Whenever I catch my mind spiraling on external variables that are unsolvable in a given moment, I return to this advice as a grounding force. It has been instrumental for sustaining the intense focus, resilience and forward momentum required to scale our agency.
What inspires you, motivates you or helps you to move forward?
Ultimately, I’m inspired by our ability to create a positive impact – on our clients’ businesses, our team members, and the broader economic ecosystem. While that may sound lofty, it’s immensely motivating to see our work directly fuel our clients’ growth which creates opportunities for their employees and families. Similarly, being able to provide challenging and rewarding careers empowering skill development, wealth creation, and economic advancement for our team is incredibly gratifying.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
On a professional level, I’m proud of building Wow Effect Communications into a leading digital marketing agency with clients on three continents. However, our success extends beyond agency walls. We’ve built successful startups internally, in areas as diverse as DNA testing and International Telemedicine. These ventures demonstrate the power of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within our organisation. But most importantly, the work we do through ‘Giving Hands,’ our social impact NGO, brings me immense satisfaction. Giving Hands connects people who want to make a difference by donating their used items with those in need of those items. Knowing that we’re facilitating positive change in communities motivates me every day. Building a successful business is fulfilling, but giving back and empowering others is truly what brings the most pride.
If you weren’t the CEO of Wow Effect, what would you be doing?
I’d likely be working in another fast-paced, innovative field, perhaps in a tech startup or entrepreneurship development role. My passion lies in innovation and helping ideas come to life.
What would you regard as your greatest challenges so far, and have you been able to overcome them?
One of our biggest challenges has been finding, recruiting, and retaining skilled digital marketing personnel. This difficulty has further been worsened by Japa syndrome.
Who do you most admire in business, academic, or creative circles, and why?
As mentioned earlier, I admire Elon Musk immensely. At a more grassroots level, I’m consistently inspired by the ingenuity and tenacity of Nigerian entrepreneurs and small business owners who are redefining industries or driving socioeconomic mobility through sheer grit and creativity against all odds. Their hustle leveraging limited resources with exponential mindsets, is humbling.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have?
Outside of my professional roles, I’m an avid reader constantly immersed in books across genres like literary fiction, historical non-fiction, science, and of course business and marketing publications. I love how books expose me to diverse perspectives and allow me to constantly learn through the lenses of experts or imaginative storytellers.
Has the pandemic had a positive or negative effect on you and/or your business, and how did you manage it?
Overall, while the pandemic created immense challenges, it acted as a tailwind for our digital-first service offerings as enterprises were compelled to digitalise swaths of their operating models. We’ve emerged even more bullish on the indispensable role of digital marketing and technology in driving organisational resilience.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into digital marketing?
Develop a strong foundation in digital marketing fundamentals through online courses, certifications, or internships. Stay updated on the latest trends by following industry publications and thought leaders. Build a strong online presence showcasing your skills through a personal website or social media profiles. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to start small, gain experience, and demonstrate your value.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I believe the most common reason people fail or give up is a lack of perseverance and resilience to push through inevitable obstacles and setbacks. Many, expect overnight success or a smooth path, but building something of real value requires an extraordinary amount of determination to overcome challenges, especially in an environment like Nigeria’s with scarce resources. Those who succeed embrace struggle as growth opportunities and stubbornly persist despite setbacks. They cultivate the mental toughness and unwavering self-belief to adapt and incrementally progress even when circumstances seem bleak. In contrast, those who fail often succumb to disillusionment when the road gets rocky instead of digging deeper.
Is there a phrase, a quote, or a saying that you really like?
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker. This quote embodies our approach at Wow Effect. We don’t wait for trends to happen; we proactively explore new technologies and strategies to shape the future of digital marketing for our clients.
What companies or brands do you personally like or think are getting it right?
A few companies and brands that I admire for their innovative and customer-centric approach include Apple for their marriage of technology and intuitive design, Netflix for revolutionising streaming experiences, and Tesla for boldly disrupting the automotive industry. The commonalities I respect are continuous innovation, design-driven user focus, skillful storytelling to forge emotional connections, and an obsessive drive to raise the bar within their categories. These qualities of purposeful creativity and human-centric thinking are aspirations I have for Wow Effect’s own brand development.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our readers?
For me, true success goes beyond just professional accolades or financial achievements. While those are celebrated milestones, I define success as the ability to create positive, sustainable impact through your work while staying grounded in strong principles and values. It’s about building something enduring that makes a meaningful difference, not only for your own interests but for your team, clients, and the broader community. Some key lessons I’ve learned on this journey: Always prioritise integrity over shortcuts – your reputation and ethical core are invaluable assets. Continually invest in your team’s growth, as empowered talent is your greatest force multiplier. Embrace an insatiable learner mindset, because the ability to adapt is critical in our ever-evolving world
What do you think the future of digital marketing look like?
The future of digital marketing is a kaleidoscope of AI-powered personalisation, ethical data practices in a privacy-conscious world, and immersive experiences in the metaverse. Expect hyper-focused customer journeys, seamless omni-channel marketing, and the rise of micro-influencers building genuine connections, all while navigating the evolving landscape of the virtual world. It will be an interesting future!
