Digital marketing is displacing traditional marketing in Nigeria – Ademilua

David Ademilua, Head of Digital Business at Classic Ads Solutions, Lagos, in an interview with Mike Bamigbola, explains how digital marketing has displaced traditional marketing in Nigeria.

What is digital marketing? 

 I will simply say it is the use of digital channels to expose products and services. Digital channels include websites, mobile apps, phones(SMS, MMS), etc.

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What are its strengths and weaknesses?

The strengths will include ease of targeting and reaching more audience at a cheaper price. You can reach people anywhere in the world where there is an internet presence.

On the flip side, the weaknesses will include the challenge of how to reach members of the population who do not yet have access to the internet. There is also the challenge of target humans, whose behaviours are continually changing.

What is the stage of development of digital marketing in Nigeria?

The number of current internet users in Nigeria is bigger than the population of many countries like the UK, or Russia, and this has really contributed to the rise in the use of digital marketing as a marketing means. Digital marketing has long left its infancy stage and taken its place as a way Nigerians promote their businesses. There has been a continued increase in the number of adverts through the digital channels.  

How is digital marketing contributing to branding in Nigeria?

It has really increased competition. Businesses into branding before now are now using digital channels also to enhance their work.

Do you want to cite some cases?

Many agencies now offer both services.

 Is it true that digital marketing is displacing traditional marketing and what is the trend?

 Yes, it is. Globally, print ads in newspapers have reduced and online ads have increased.

What share of the market does digital marketing control in Nigeria?

Findings show it is already over 50% but I may not be able to give an exact figure, right now. Keep in mind that the growth keeps increasing.

Let’s go international…What is the impact of digital marketing in the international market?

The world is now a global village and the experience is similar in most places, though the internet penetration differs from country to country. Digital marketing has further helped to make the world a smaller place as you can advertise to people who are in countries you may never visit. Practitioners in developing countries have found it easy to catch up on new technologies and new digital marketing practices.

What trend do you see emerging in 2020?

I see many countries in Africa catching up in the use of mobile internet. Same with many European countries. Online ad costs for tier3 and tier4 countries like Nigeria will surge because the traffic quality is increasing in this part of the world.