For Anthony Chiejina, Global Recognition is Confirmation of Strong Brand Equity

Since the Global PR firm, Provoke Media, listed the Group Head of Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, as one of the “100 most influential communications and marketing executives in the world 2024,” the recognition has continued to provoke conversations around the Anthony Chiejina brand. Raheem Akingbolu writes

In dissecting the brand personality of Anthony Chiejina, the Head of Corporate Communications at Dangote Group, one may be compelled to list out his attributes and go back to those thoughts of former dot.com executive and best-selling author, Seth Godin, while defining what a brand is.

According to Godin “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

When people talk about brands, they think primarily of visual representations like logos, colours, and all those outward elements put together by brand and marketing experts.

But what of the human elements? How do the people who set up and run companies as well as those who work in those companies affect the way consumers and the general public perceive their companies and the products they produce?

People matter and the way they conduct themselves affects their brands products and companies for good or ill.

There is no better way to define Anthony Chiejina as a spin doctor, colossus, and brand manager extraordinaire, than mirroring him in the light of the above definition by Godin and by the appraisal of a few Nigerians intellectual powerhouse, who have studied Chijiena for decades like a book and pass their verdict.

Chiejina’s recognition as one of the “100 most influential communications and marketing executives in the world 2024” didn’t come as a surprise to many considering the success he has made out of many brands. Besides, Provoke Media as a rating platform has consistently been endorsed as a credible brand that is committed to excellence and transparency.

The Influence 100 is PRovoke Media’s annual compilation of the most influential in-house communicators around the world: the chief communications officers and chief marketing officers who have the most clout in terms of their personal voice, the status of the companies they work for, and the PR agency hiring decisions they make.

Of course, the organisation admitted that corporations and brands continue to face intense consumer, media, and stakeholder scrutiny against the “permacrisis” backdrop of major geopolitical, economic, societal, cultural, and environmental upheaval around the world but pointed out that the time for brands’ handlers to display strengths is when the heat is on.

“And their senior communications and marketing executives are expected to deliver more than ever, faster than ever. Meanwhile, smart CEOs recognise that trusted communications counsel is not only integral to reputation and transformation but is business-critical in such uncertain times — and the 100 names on our 2024 list provide ample evidence of this recognition,” it added.

Considering the success of the Dangote brand in Nigeria of today despite the odds, one can now understand that Chiejina was selected alongside 99 other communications and marketing executives of highly rated government agencies, global corporations, and conglomerates.

Chiejina made the enviable list alongside Zenia Mucha, Chief Brand & Communications Officer, TikTok; Vanessa Broadhurst, EVP, Global Corporate Affairs, Johnson & Johnson; Valerie Tan, SVP Corporate Communications, CSR & Media, Emirates; Steve John, Chief Communications & Brand Officer, HSBC; Sally Susman, EVP, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Pfizer, and Sandy Rodriguez, Global Chief Communications Officer, McDonalds.

Also on the list are Abhinav Kumar, Global Chief Marketing Officer, TCS; AJ Jones, EVP, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Starbucks; Alex Aiken, Communications Advisor, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Allyson Park, Chief Communications Officer, Walmart; Amy Bonitatibus, Chief Corporate Affairs & Communications Officer, PayPal; Andreas Bartels, Head of Communications, Lufthansa, and Bea Perez, EVP, Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer, Coca-Cola, among others.

The promoters of the honour list have also indicated that “European leaders constitute 28%, (including 11% from the dominant regional UK market), and Middle East and North Africa representation at 10%,” the PR firm said, explaining that “Overall, 20 countries are represented in the 2024 data, demonstrating the global reach and power of the communications industry.”

The gender ratio of the 100 influencers for 2024 is 59% female and 41% male.

Anthony Chiejina graduated from the University of Lagos in 1981 with a B.Sc (Hons) Degree in Mass Communication (Second Class Upper). He has thereafter bagged various other academic degrees, including an M.Sc in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management University of Lagos (1984), an M.A. in Organisational Analysis & Behaviour University of Lancaster, UK (1988), and an M.A. Development Studies, Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, Netherlands (1994).

He served variously as Associate Editor & Deputy Editor of both African Economic Digest, London, and African Concord, Lagos. He has worked with Zenith Bank Plc as Assistant General Manager (AGM) and Oceanic Bank International Plc as Deputy General Manager (DGM) where he was the Group Head, Corporate Communications.

He is currently the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Dangote Industries Limited overseeing all communications strategies across Business Units and Pan-African operations.

Speaking with THISDAY on the recognition, Founder and Chairman of Proshare Limited – Nigeria’s foremost Financial Information Hub, Femi Awoyemi, spoke glowingly about Chiejina and concluded that to measure the equity of his brand, an analyst may need to take a glimpse at the success story of the brands he has built over the years.

]He said, “Anthony Chiejina is well known as the spokesman of the Dangote Group. What is often lost in this description is the value of Tony as a first-rate scholar, speechwriter, and communications strategist, who has earned his reputation having built up a first-class track record of achievements managing the Zenith Bank and erstwhile Oceanic Bank global footprints.

“Tony is deliberate and intentional about his actions and has a work ethic that is grounded in professional excellence. In our dealings over decades, he has nudged, encouraged, and challenged us to observe first principles, clarity of thought, and credibility in communications – breaking down the value chain and ecosystem in all engagements.

“He prioritizes the country’s interest in his engagements, be it within his group, his faith, and his devotion to learning as a basis for interventions. Such clarity of thought and purpose makes him a leader of leaders in the industry.” Awoyemi said.

A former Managing Director, Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Dr. Uche Nworah, summed it up differently when he declared; “Tony Chiejina has a beautiful mind”. Nworah went on to reel out some hidden attributes that stand Chiejina out.

“He is quiet but very intelligent, efficient and effective. I see him as a thought leader. I worked under him at Oceanic Bank Int. Plc, in the Corporate Affairs Department, before I was made Head of Training. 

“I used to write speeches for the MD/CEO, Dr. Mrs Cecilia Ibru. Tony will brief me and I will spend days and nights working on the speech. In the end, I will feel very proud of myself that I have done a perfect job. That’s when Tony will bring in new textbooks and materials and tell me to read the materials as my perspectives will change after reading them, and they did.  Tony is a voracious reader and has a very sharp mind. He is a leader of men and shows empathy on the job. I consider him a friend and a senior colleague and we still share ideas on several subjects.”

Ask the CEO, Top50 Brands Nigeria, Taiwo Oluboyede, who Chiejina is a 100 times, he will be hammering on the fact that he is a consummate professional whose influence in the industry is undeniable.

According to Oluboyede, “Chiejina exemplifies a rare blend of intelligence, wit, and approachability, combining a sharp mind with genuine kindness—an uncommon trait in his position. His willingness to contribute and support others makes him a standout figure in his field. Having had the privilege of interacting with him a number of times, I’ve found each encounter to be truly inspiring. His recognition as one of the world’s top 100 corporate communicators is a well-deserved one, considering his exceptional career and significant contributions to the communications and marketing profession,”

This is also the position of Commissioner for Industry, Government of Anambra State, Christian C Udechukwu, who described Chiejina as a living legend in strategic branding and reputational management. 

“He is probably the most insightful, sophisticated foresight communications and crisis management expert in the world today. His capabilities are vast and deep. Tony moves very deftly and efficiently at the speed of thought to deliver exceptional solutions in any environment.  

“I dare say that Tony Chiejina has immensely contributed to the rising, shaping, and sustainable building of some of Africa’s best-known global business brands today.  Tony has repeatedly, over many years, delivered outstanding excellent performance results that many peers will consider impossible to do. 

“Tony is the stuff of rare legends and iconic masters of the science and art of strategic communications only,” Udechukwu said.

A practical evaluation of the Dangote brand under Chiejina’s watch can be inferred from the emergence of the brand as the most admired/favourite Indigenous brand on the continent for the last six years by Brand Africa. This year it came second in a newly introduced sustainability category for “brands doing good for people, society, and the environment.”

With various endorsements and testimonials about the brand Anthony Chiejina, and as Dangote Groups strides forth on its march to the next decades as a leading Nigerian brand, Chiejina has re-written brand management while the brand is clearly staking its claim as one of Nigeria’s heritage brands defined by its longevity, adherence to its core values and intentional preservation of its brand essence and reputation.