Carving a niche in trade exhibitions: Adenike’s Brandtell story
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Being on one’s own comes with challenges. From securing capital to achieving visibility and sustainability to ultimately making it big, can be quite tasking. Amidst these obstacles, few individuals who persevere eventually prevail. That is the story of Adenike Fagbemi, CEO of Brandtell Nigeria and Nixxhash Communications Pro.
Business niche
Driven by passion, Adenike built a thriving business, which has become a testament to her unwavering dedication and resilience.
Adenike leverages social media and multimedia technologies to help brands attain visibility and stage trade exhibitions. As she puts it, “My business deals with people and giving them solutions and helping out the best way I can. I have trained 2000+ SMEs on how to boost their brand through social media and online tools. It’s a thing of joy to see the growth and happiness that comes from these. That’s business for me.”
This young entrepreneur with skills for event coverage, social media management, community building, photography, and videography, officially started her business in 2019 with the idea of helping brands expand their reach through multimedia exposures and physical trade exhibitions.
“We pride on the mantra that we do it despite fear. I realised that SMEs are so squished and get frightened as well threatened by the success stories of competitors and brands. They have amazing stories but tend to compare and contrast and eventually lower their high esteem and deliverables,” she said.
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However, securing capital was not a walk in the park for Adenike. “It took months of saving up and meeting the right people. It was quite challenging because if you don’t have the money you tend to feel discouraged. People will size you up and down and tell you you’re living a pipe dream. But the zeal to make it happen was stronger than anything so I saved up and borrowed from family and friends, I didn’t do it all alone,” she said.
Gaining visibility
Adenike said market visibility took her years to establish; “from getting called out to being insulted down to issues with locations,” she told TheNiche while recalling the experiences she had struggling to establish her brand in 2021.
“Most clients had trust issues. They didn’t want to be disappointed. I understood that alright but it took time for them to warm up to me and I proved it with my expertise. It wasn’t easy but at the end of the day, you have to eat, you need to secure your position and put food on the table. You have to do what you have to do,” she added.
The challenges
In all the challenges Adenike encountered in building her brand, a particular experience stands out as it almost threatened to derail her team’s annual sales event.
“I remember about two years ago, my team and I had this annual sales event to organize and we booked a particular location. All of a sudden, the news came in that the location would be used by higher authorities and there was nothing we could do. We had to cancel our plans and consult our PR team to handle the media. It was really horrible. It was a last-minute issue and it felt like we were breaking down in spirit and body. But it got sorted out afterwards. Out of all the past experiences I’ve had, this particular one takes the cake,” she said.
Adenike credits her business breakthrough to her family, the brand’s community members and team. “Whenever I am at my lowest, I know who to turn to. And when I think about the people that look up to me, I feel rejuvenated, I feel instant relief and it prepared me ahead for tomorrow.”
She said the challenge of COVID-19 came with its opportunities for her. “It made us realise that collaboration is the new competition. Leveraging online and offline was the way, especially online. I mean I have had the privilege of speaking and rolling out conferences, symposiums, hangouts, virtual training for SMEs across the globe and one thing stands out… the zeal to create, innovative and yearn for more,” she said.
The harsh economy is already a peculiar challenge for a typical business owner in Nigeria so nobody is spared at the moment. Adenike said it takes toll on her too. “It discourages vendors from doing business because the first thing they assume is ‘that woman must be receiving hundreds of thousands from her community members.’ ‘She is too expensive’ and all that. So that alone is pretty discouraging to me already. This economy is depriving people of their health, joy and finances,” she said.
Japa out?
Adenike said while Japa may be the best choice for some young individuals, she strongly believes that supporting and cultivating the next generation of entrepreneurs is crucial for Nigeria’s economic growth and success.
Equipping them with the right tools and resources, she said would encourage more youths to pursue their dreams locally and help pave the way for a more prosperous future.
“I remain optimistic about Nigeria’s potential and firmly believe that the future of our nation lies in the hands of the enterprising youths who choose to stay and invest their talent, energy, and resources in the local economy. By empowering these young entrepreneurs through mentorship, skill development, and access to opportunities, we can foster an environment that encourages growth and innovation,” she said.
About Adenike
Fagbemi Adenike Moronkeji is a multimedia and publicity expert who has carved her niche over the years with different brands in the public relations industry.
She holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication at the then Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu now Lagos State University of Science and Technology.
As an undergraduate student of Mass Communication, she served as a freelance reporter with the Nation Newspaper. Was also a lead content specialist at Idea Media Ng in 2013, where she handled the back and front end of Telecoms mobile News platforms which includes: Airtel mobile Newspaper, Etisalat mobile magazine, GLOTotal entertainment and MTN mobile magazine and the director of Media & Events.
She has a staff strength of 20 with 75 per cent of them working remotely.
Come November 24, Adenike will be holding the 3rd edition of BrandTell fair and exhibition in Lagos. According to her, the event is set to bring together a wide array of brands and businesses, providing a platform for networking, showcasing products, and driving sales.