Tosin Adefeko: Courage to Make Tough Decisions, Deep Commitment Essential for Business Success

Tosin Adefeko is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at AT3 Resources – The MUVMNT Agency; an award-winning brand growth agency, focused on designing communications and creating movements that elevate brand experiences. Recently, AT3 launched its creative platforms called MUVMNT; a multiverse of brand experience platforms that include The Muvmnt Studio, The Muvmnt Experience and The Muvmnt Reports. The multi-disciplinary consultants at AT3 are the go-to specialists for creative storytelling, PR and media interventions. Key clientele include global corporates, local conglomerates and influential private clients. Adefeko, is a corporate executive and entrepreneur with over 25 years of multi-sectoral experience. In this interview, she speaks about her career journey and challenges in the marketing communication industry and also shares her success story. Excerpts:

Can you tell us about your career journey?

Prior to starting a career in marketing communications, I had worked in banking. It took me hopping from bank to bank in my twenties to realise by my fifth bank job in less than a decade, that, that was not where I wanted to be. I had always been a literary student so I quickly decided to transition through a master’s degree in Marketing Communications in England. After obtaining my Master’s at 31, I was eager to learn from the best in the industry; I worked with the publisher of THISDAY at Arise magazine, worked at the first Nigerian 24 hours news channel at the time called NN24, then, fortunately, got an opportunity to work with the doyen of Marketing, Dr Biodun Shobanjo. This turned out to be my ultimate breakthrough. I led client services at QuadrantMSL, managing communications for top global and local companies across various sectors whilst also managing a huge team of consultants. I rose through the ranks until I became the Chief Operating Officer before my exit to start my entrepreneurial endeavour. Dr. Biodun Shobanjo is still my mentor and greatest advocate till date and we talk a lot, I’m privileged to be one of the few people who can join the family’s Sunday lunches unannounced.  I discovered very many years after why I succeeded at being under his wings, it’s basically shared values. So many qualities that define him came naturally to me – that spirit of excellence, paying attention to detail, professionalism and integrity. Chairman will always call a spade a spade and I don’t like BS myself. Whilst immensely grateful for the experience and journey with his group, I spotted opportunities in the industry and decided to leverage my skills, knowledge and networks to launch AT3 Resources.

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced in your career?

I talk about my career in different decades and the challenges faced in each of these decades are quite unique to them. My early career, I already spoke about was my decade of discovery. Navigating excruciating work demands; managing a home and young kid, and staying afloat financially were all super challenging. Even though I found that decade quite daunting, I always insist the training I got in banking still serves me well till date but I learnt the hard way about the vagaries of life. It is only the grace of God, a resilient spirit and the fear of relying on anyone for survival that made me not to quit work then. By my thirties, I decided to take control of the wheel and I call this decade my rebirth. I went back to school, retrained, retooled and repositioned my self for new opportunities in a new industry.

In my life as an entrepreneur now, challenges still rear their head ever so often; the most significant one was the COVID-19 pandemic, which obviously caused a major disruption to all. My company was quite new then, so of course we took a major hit and we truly almost went under. Thankfully, we embraced the changes we had to make and even took up new opportunities to pivot. At the tail end of 2020, we got another major breakthrough which then helped us stay afloat.  We adapted very quickly to the new norm, changed our work processes, and created new business levers. So, as they say, challenges are truly opportunities waiting to be harnessed.

 Where do you see the advertising industry, its importance, and its influence going in the coming years?

In the coming years, advertising will continue to be a flourishing industry and a powerful driver of economic growth in Nigeria and globally. With the continuous digital evolution, advertising will continue to help businesses build awareness, influence consumer purchasing behaviour and connect brands to a vast audience; as such, the impact of the advertising industry will continue to increase. Though there is now an increased focus on regulating the industry, there are many opportunities for growth. The pandemic served as an exponential accelerator and new possibilities will continue to emerge.

What is MUVMNT and what motivated you to start this initiative?

MUVMNT is our in-house creative story-telling machinery. It is a multiverse of brand experience platforms comprising The MUVMNT Studio, The MUVMNT Experiences, and The MUVMNT Reports. These creative platforms aim to redefine brand experiences by fostering community, enabling interactions, and elevating culture. For many years we helped brands, corporates and influential private clients tell their stories, the inspiration behind MUVMNT stems from the need to tell stories from a consumer lens whilst still fostering ecosystems that generate business value.

We believe life experiences are constantly in motion and better experienced through channels connecting people, communities, and cultures. Our mission is to bring people together by connecting brands with their consumers and consumers with the brands they love and admire across Africa. We want to continually seek avenues to co-exist, co-create and engage with ourselves. We believe the recognition of this co-dependence makes us thrive better as humans. So, in essence, we are powering brand mobility in Africa through movements.

What has been the experience and followership since the MUVMNT commenced?

The MUVMNT platforms have hit the ground running since our January launch. Our signature podcast, ‘themuvmntpod,’ has taken centre stage with a transformative podcast, ‘L.I.F.E on the muvmntpod with SimiDrey which x-rays life from the lens of guests. This isn’t our only offering; the MUVMNT has expanded its reach with partnerships with Businessday on their Go Local Podcast and other in-house productions like ‘Duke Rants on the muvmntpod’ with Joseph Edgar a well-known social commentator and satirist, which caters to a unique audience that enjoys dissecting social issues in the most candid way. The experiential arm of the MUVMNT has also gone full flight with the creator’s edition we held in January with select talented digital creators. Through our unique experiences and content, we are building a unique ecosystem who are eager to join the MUVMNT.

 What steps do you recommend for startups, SMEs and corporates to create a unique image for a business?

My advice in simple terms would be – Define your brand promise, whatever that promise is ensure you can keep it – then tell the world about it. As simple as this sounds, this will be the bane of your existence the day you break it. It’s a silent covenant. If you say you will consistently deliver high-quality products, offerings and services, please do. Excellence is non-negotiable. You build trust and positive associations and generally speaking all other things fall in place.

What qualities do you think are essential for a successful leader?

Successful leadership rests on many qualities – but every leader must possess at the minimum; the courage to make tough decisions, deep commitment to work and ethical practices, empathy and the spirit of excellence.

Today, what advice would you give to someone starting their career in digital marketing?

I recommend self-development and self-motivation with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. This field thrives on curiosity, resilience, and staying ahead of the curve. Be a self-starter, take initiative – be your own driver, and constantly seek out new information to develop a well-rounded understanding of the digital landscape.

Where do you see AT3 Resources and MUVMNT soon?

When I started AT3 Resources I had the smallest vision, experiences over the last six years have opened my eyes so wide and all I see now is phenomenal growth. There is so much to be done and I am truly giving my vision the urgency it deserves. With the launch of MUVMNT we are still unpeeling so many layers and it is all so exciting.

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