What Does Virality Really Mean?

Everyone wants to go viral.

Say those four words in any marketing meeting and watch what happens. Heads nod. Eyes light up. Someone opens a Canva tab. The conversation shifts from strategy to speculation, ‘What if we did something like the Dollar Shave Club video?’ or ‘Can we make a meme out of this?’

Thing is, most marketers have confused virality with luck. They treat it like lightning; unpredictable, uncontrollable, and something that just happens to better-funded teams with more creative agencies.

That is not what virality means in marketing. At least, not if you’re doing this seriously.

This piece is my attempt to unpack what virality actually means; the mechanics behind it, the frameworks you can use to engineer it (yes, engineer), and why product-led virality is the most underrated growth lever in B2B right now.

Let’s get into it.

First, Let’s Agree on What Virality Actually Means

Virality, in its truest marketing definition, is not about a video racking up a million views in 48 hours. That’s the distribution. Sometimes the two overlap. Often, they don’t.

What does virality mean in marketing? Here’s how I define it:

Virality is the condition in which your existing customers systematically generate new customers without you paying for each one individually.

Notice what that definition is not saying.

It’s not saying the content has to be funny. It’s not saying you need to go trending.

It’s saying: does your product, your content, or your community create a self-replicating acquisition loop?

That’s the distinction that matters. Virality most of the time is structural, not spontaneous.

When Dropbox gave you extra storage for referring a friend, that was virality. When Slack’s free plan let your team invite colleagues, that was virality. When Flutterwave’s payment link shows ‘Powered by Flutterwave’ every time a vendor sends an invoice, that is virality - quiet, unsexy, and incredibly powerful.

None of those required a viral moment. All of them required intentional design.

The Viral Coefficient: The Number That Actually Tells You If You’re Viral

If you want to talk about virality with precision, you need to understand the viral coefficient also written as K.

The viral coefficient (K) measures how many new users each existing user brings in. The formula is simple:

K = (Number of invitations sent per user) × (Conversion rate of those invitations).

What does that mean in practice?

• If your average user invites 5 people, and 20% of those invitations convert, your K = 1.0.

• K > 1 means your user base grows exponentially without additional spend. Every user brings in more than one new user.

• K < 1 means you’re still growing, but you need consistent input (paid acquisition, content, partnerships) to fuel it.

• K = 0 means your users are not bringing anyone in at all. You are a tap-dependent business.

Most businesses sit between 0.1 and 0.5, and honestly? That’s fine as long as you know it and are building toward improving it. The danger is not having a low K. The danger is not knowing your K at all.

Most marketing teams have no idea what their viral coefficient is. They track CAC, they track MQLs, they track impressions but they’ve never sat down to calculate how much of their new user growth is being driven by their existing users. That gap is a missed opportunity, especially in markets like ours where trust-based referral and word-of-mouth are still disproportionately powerful acquisition channels.

The viral coefficient tells you whether you have a growth engine or just a growth channel. The difference matters enormously.

Viral Marketing Strategy Is Not a Campaign. It’s a System.

Let me say this clearly: a viral marketing strategy is not your Q3 campaign. It’s not a hashtag challenge. It’s not one post getting major distribution and then visibility plateauing after 2 weeks. It’s not a referral code buried in your onboarding email that nobody reads.

A viral marketing strategy is the deliberate design of loops; product loops, content loops, community loops that make your growth compound over time.

There are three types of viral loops worth understanding:

1. Inherent Virality (The Product Loop)

This is when the product itself cannot be used without involving someone else. WhatsApp is the canonical example. You downloaded it because someone you wanted to message was on it. Your download then gave someone else a reason to download it.

In B2B fintech, payment tools are the clearest version of this. Every time a merchant using your infrastructure processes a transaction, the product touches the end consumer. That consumer is now a potential user. That’s inherent virality; the product is the acquisition engine. You now have to figure out how that end consumer can be pulled into your ecosystem too.

2. Incentivized Virality (The Referral Loop)

This is the classic refer-a-friend mechanic. You give users a reason to share - cashback, premium access, extra credits and you track how many new users that generates.

Done well, it’s an efficient CAC reduction tool. Done poorly, it attracts low-quality users who churn after the incentive runs out. The key variable is whether the incentive aligns with genuine product value. If I refer a friend to a trading platform because I get ₦500 and they get ₦500, that’s fine but if neither of us would have used the product without the incentive, the referral loop is masking a retention problem, not solving an acquisition one.

Design referral loops that reward the behavior you actually want. Reward users who bring in users that stay, trade, transact, not just users who sign up.

3. Content Virality (The Amplification Loop)

This is the one most marketers think of first and should probably think of last. Content virality happens when the ideas, frameworks, or stories you put out get shared beyond your existing audience.

The mechanism is different from product virality. Here, your distribution expands because your content earns attention - someone (an influencer, a customer, etc) shares your post, a newsletter curator features your report, a podcast host quotes your framework.

Content virality is powerful and real. It’s also the most unpredictable of the three. What you can control is the quality of the thinking, the specificity of the insight, and the consistency of distribution. What you can’t control is which piece lands. So you ship more than one bet.

For a B2B audience, which is most of what I work in these days, content virality tends to happen at the intersection of data and opinion. Data gives people something to share. Opinion gives people something to argue about. Both drive amplification.

Product-Led Virality: The Most Overlooked Growth Strategy in African B2B

I want to spend a minute on product-led virality specifically, because it is drastically underutilized in African markets.

Product-led virality means your product creates its own distribution. Not your sales team. Not your performance marketing budget.

THE PRODUCT.

We talk a lot about product-led growth (PLG) in the abstract, but the virality component of PLG is where things get interesting. In PLG, the product is the primary driver of acquisition, retention, and expansion. Virality is what happens when the product’s usage naturally exposes it to new potential users.

Here’s what that can look like:

• Watermarking and co-branding: Every invoice, payment link, or document that leaves your platform carries your brand. This is what Canva did brilliantly - ‘Made with Canva’ on millions of social graphics is worth more than most paid campaigns.

• Collaborative workflows: When your product requires multiple people to use it (signing a contract, reviewing a budget, approving a campaign), each new collaborator becomes a potential user. DocuSign is built on this.

• Network effects in marketplaces: Every seller on your platform attracts buyers. Every buyer increases the value of the platform for sellers. Virality is embedded in the architecture.

• API integrations: When your API is embedded in another company’s product, you are acquiring users through their distribution. This is one of the most underrated growth strategies for fintech infrastructure businesses.

The question to ask of your product is this: who sees it in use that isn’t yet a customer? That person is your next acquisition opportunity. The job of product-led virality is to make the path from ‘sees it’ to ‘uses it’ as short and frictionless as possible.

Product-led virality asks: who sees your product in use that isn’t yet a customer? That gap is your acquisition opportunity.

Organic Growth Loops: How They’re Built

A growth loop is a self-reinforcing cycle where one cohort of users creates the conditions for the next cohort to discover, join, and use the product.

Organic growth loops are loops that do not require paid input to sustain. They’re the dream of every growth professional and the reality of very few because most teams build funnels, not loops.

The difference:

• A funnel is linear. Awareness → Consideration → Conversion → Retention. Each stage consumes the one before it. It stops when input stops.

• A loop is circular. Users create outputs (referrals, content, usage data, integrations) that become inputs for the next cycle of user acquisition. It self-fuels.

Building organic growth loops requires you to answer three questions honestly:

• What does my product produce that has value beyond the user who created it? (Shared content, a payment link, a completed profile, a published listing)

• Who sees that output, and does it create a reason for them to engage with the product?

• What’s the conversion path from ‘seeing’ to ‘using,’ and how long does it take?

If you can answer those three questions with specifics like user behaviors, data and conversion rates, then you have the foundation of an organic growth loop. If you can’t, you’re probably optimizing a funnel when you should be designing a loop.

One of the most effective organic loops I’ve seen fintech is the invoice-to-signup loop. A small business owner sends a digital invoice to a client via a payments platform. The client pays and in doing so, encounters the platform. The platform makes it easy for them to create their own account, because the payment experience was smooth and the UI was clear. No ad was bought. No referral code was used. The product just worked, and the next user was embedded in the use case.

That’s an organic loop. And it compounds.

What Most Viral Marketing Strategies Get Wrong

Mistake 1: Optimizing for shares, not for qualified users

A post that gets 10,000 shares from people who will never use your product is a vanity metric. Virality only matters if it generates the right users - people who will stay, activate, and ideally bring others in.

Always ask: what is the quality of the users this loop is generating?

Mistake 2: Treating virality as a channel, not a system

You cannot ‘run a virality campaign’ the way you run a Facebook Ads campaign. Virality is a property of your product and your growth model. It’s the output of good product design, smart incentive structures, and deliberate loop architecture, not a line item in a media plan.

Mistake 3: Ignoring retention in the virality equation

Your viral coefficient is worthless if the users it generates churn before they bring in the next wave. Retention is what turns a short viral spike into a compounding growth loop. A product that acquires well but retains poorly will never achieve true organic growth. Fix retention before you try to scale virality.

Mistake 4: Building loops for the wrong stage

Early-stage products often focus on virality before they’ve validated core value. If the product isn’t solving a real problem clearly enough, no amount of referral mechanics will save it. Virality amplifies what already exists; if the core experience is weak, virality just accelerates churn. Get to strong retention first. Then engineer the loop.

A Practical Starting Point

If you want to put this into practice, start with a simple audit of your current product and marketing motion. Ask your team these questions:

• What percentage of our new users came from an existing user in the last 90 days? (This is your starting K estimate.)

• Does using our product naturally expose it to non-users? If so, where and how?

• What does a user ‘produce’ with our product that has external visibility?

• Do we have a referral mechanism? If yes, is it working? If no, should we have one?

• What is the average user’s path from ‘first value’ to ‘first referral’? How can we shorten it?

These questions don’t require a data science team or a complex attribution model to answer. They require honest observation of how your product is actually being used, and a willingness to build around what you find.

Start there.

Let me tell you about two marketers I know…………

The first one, let’s call her Amaka, spent 2025 crushing it. Hit every KPI. Managed campaigns that brought in a 6-figure pipeline. Her boss loved her. Her team respected her. She was good at her job.

The second one, we’ll call him Tunde, also had a solid year. Hit his numbers. But, Tunde also spent 30 minutes every week updating his LinkedIn. He made sure his skip-level manager knew about his wins. He learned marketing automation even though it wasn’t in his job description. And he had coffee chats (virtual, of course) with three CMOs outside his company.

Now, fast forward to January 2026.

Amaka’s still waiting for that promotion her manager “promised” her last April meanwhile Tunde just accepted a Director role at a competitor with a 35% salary bump, equity package; the whole deal.

Same talent. Same work ethic. Wildly different outcomes.

All this to say that just being good at your job is table stakes. It’s the bare minimum. It won’t get you promoted, and it definitely won’t get you paid what you’re worth.

If you started 2025 thinking “this is my year” and you’re ending it in roughly the same place you started; same title, same salary, same frustrations then this one’s for you.

I’ve spent over a decade in marketing. Worked across fintech, SaaS, crypto, AI, e-commerce. Four continents. Built teams from scratch. Scaled campaigns from zero to nine-figure transaction volumes. And I’ve mentored enough marketers to spot this unmistakable pattern.

The marketers who advance treat their careers like a marketing campaign.

They have a strategy. They track metrics. They optimize relentlessly. They know their audience (leadership, recruiters, their network) and they position themselves accordingly.

The ones who stay stuck are running campaigns with no targeting, no measurement, and no clear objective. They’re just hoping.

Hoping their manager notices.

Hoping HR remembers them when that new role opens.

Hoping hard work alone is enough.

But hope is not a strategy.

And 2026 is shaping up to be a year where strategy matters more than ever. AI is automating the tactical stuff. Companies are consolidating middle management. The gap between “good marketer” and “indispensable marketer” is widening.

Why Your Marketing Career Is Stuck in Neutral

I see the same four patterns over and over.

1. The Skills Trap

You got really, really good at the thing that got you hired.

Paid ads? You’re a wizard.

Email marketing? You could do it in your sleep.

Content strategy? Chef’s kiss.

The problem is the role you want next requires completely different skills.

That manager role that you are eyeing isn’t about running better campaigns alone. There’s stakeholder management, budget allocation, team development, and cross-functional influence.

That Director role is about org design, strategic planning, executive communication, and revenue attribution.

You’ve optimized yourself for your current role so well that you’ve accidentally made yourself unpromotable.

When’s the last time you learned something that wasn’t directly required for your current job?

If the answer is “I can’t remember,” you’re in the Skills Trap.

2. The Visibility Problem

Your manager knows you’re brilliant.

Cool!

Does their manager know?

Does the CMO know?

Does anyone outside your immediate 5-person radius know your name?

Because promotions don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen in rooms you’re not in, during conversations you’re not part of, between people who may not even know you exist.

The truth is, if leadership doesn’t know your name, you’re not getting promoted. Period.

3. The Compensation Complacency

What was your salary increase last year?

3%?, 5%? ,”We’re freezing salaries due to market conditions”?

Meanwhile, that new Marketing Manager they just hired is making 20-30% more than you for the same role.

Marketing professionals who switch companies earn an average of 15-20% more than those who stay put. External candidates consistently out-negotiate internal promotions.

Why?

Because companies budget differently for retention vs. acquisition. Just like we do with customers, ironically.

If you’ve been at your company for 3+ years and haven’t had a significant salary increase (I’m talking 15%+, not 3% cost-of-living adjustments), you’re probably underpaid. And the longer you wait, the worse it gets.

4. The Strategy Vacuum

Most marketers manage their careers like this:

• Work hard

• Hope manager notices

• Wait for promotion

• Repeat

That’s not career management.

You need to go the extra mile to;

• Identify the specific role they want next

• Reverse-engineer the skills, relationships, and positioning needed

• Systematically build those things over 6-12 months

• Create the opportunity (or negotiate for it) when they’re ready

See the difference? One is reactive. The other is strategic.

Your manager isn’t going to “develop” you. That’s not their job. Their job is to get results from you in your current role.

Career development is 100% your job.

Look, I could tell you “AI is coming for your job” and scare you into action. But that’s not helpful, and it’s not entirely accurate.

What’s actually happening is that the tactical stuff is getting automated. Basic campaign setup, reporting, simple content creation; AI tools are handling more of this every month. Which means that strategic thinking is becoming the differentiator.

Can you design a marketing system? Can you influence cross-functionally? Can you tie marketing directly to revenue in a way executives understand?

If your value proposition is “I execute campaigns really well,” you’re in trouble. If it’s “I architect growth strategies and build systems that scale,” you’re golden.

Compensation structures are also shifting. Base salaries are growing slowly, but total comp packages are getting interesting. Equity, performance bonuses, revenue share; these are becoming standard even at manager level, especially in tech and SaaS.

If you’re still negotiating purely on base salary, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.

Geographic arbitrage is real. Remote work means a marketer in Lagos can command San Francisco rates if they position themselves right.

But it also means you’re competing with marketers globally, not just locally.

The bar is higher.

The Career Readiness Test

Let’s get practical. I’m going to ask you five questions. Answer them honestly. Not how you wish things were, but how they actually are.

1. Pull up three job descriptions for the role you want next. Read them carefully.

Now ask yourself:

• Do you have 70% of the required skills listed?

• Have you developed any new high-value skills in the past 12 months?

• Can you speak credibly about marketing attribution, automation, and cross-functional strategy?

If you answered “no” to two or more, you have a skills gap. And ignoring it won’t make it go away.

2. Close your eyes and imagine leadership having a conversation about marketing talent.

• Would your name come up?

• Does anyone outside your immediate team know about your wins?

• If you left tomorrow, would leadership be surprised?

If you’re not sure or the answer is “probably not” then you have a visibility problem.

3. Go to Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, or Payscale right now. Look up your role, your level, your geography.

• How does your compensation compare?

• When was your last significant raise (10%+)?

• Can you quantify your business impact in dollars?

If you’re more than 10% below market or haven’t had a real raise in 18+ months: You’re being underpaid. And it’s costing you more than you think because every year compounds.

4. Could you text five people right now who would make an intro to your dream job?

Not “people you know.” People who would actually vouch for you and make that intro.

If you hesitated or came up short then your network needs work.

5. Answer these truthfully;

• Do you have a written career plan for the next 1-3 years?

• Can you name the exact role you want next and the 3-5 steps to get there?

• Are you actively working toward that role, or just hoping it happens?

If you answered “no” to any of these, you’re managing your career reactively, not strategically.

So……Is Your Marketing Career Ready for 2026?

You’re ready if:

• You can articulate your career strategy as clearly as you articulate your marketing strategy

• Leadership knows your name and your impact

• You’re paid at or above market rate

• You’re building skills for the role you want, not just the one you have

• You have a network that opens doors

You’re not ready if:

• You’re waiting for someone else to develop your career

• You’re invisible outside your immediate team

• You’ve been underpaid for 18+ months and haven’t done anything about it

• Your skills are optimized for your current role but irrelevant for your next one

• Your “plan” is “work hard and hope”

Now, not being ready now doesn’t mean you can’t get ready. But it does mean you need to be honest about where you are and strategic about where you’re going.

If this article made you uncomfortable, good!

That means you’re paying attention.

Now, I need you to;

• Identify your biggest gap from the five questions above

• Write down three specific actions to address it in the next 90 days

• Schedule one conversation with someone who’s where you want to be

• Update your LinkedIn with quantified results

• Research market compensation for your target role

• Pick one new high-value skill to start building

And if you need to be handheld to do all these then the Career Mapping Masterclass for Marketing Professionals is for you.

I came up with this masterclass after so many people have reached out to me to mentor them in marketing. It’s taken me the entire December and January to curate this course and I am so proud of the impact it will make.

You’ll learn:

• How to build a personalized career roadmap

• The positioning strategies that get you noticed and promoted

• Salary negotiation tactics that actually work

• How to navigate cross-functional politics without losing your mind

• The specific skills to prioritize in 2026

Early access + special pricing for people on the waitlist.

Secure your spot

Look, I’m not going to lie to you and say having a strategy guarantees success.

Markets shift. Companies restructure. Life happens.

But every marketing professional I know who’s actually thriving right now got intentional about their career years ago.

They didn’t wait for permission. They didn’t hope their manager would figure it out for them. They treated their career like their most important marketing campaign; with strategy, measurement, and relentless optimization.

You’re talented. I know that because you read this far.

The question isn’t whether you’re good enough.

The question is: Are you strategic enough?

Last week, I told you about Lola’s home and how it reminded me that authenticity matters; whether you’re choosing platforms for your business or decorating your living room.

And incase you missed it, go read it!

Go read it NOW!

This week, I need to talk about something that’s been sitting heavy on my chest since November 5th.

Something that connects to that same theme of authenticity, but goes deeper. Much deeper.

We need to talk about how marketing lost its soul.

And before you roll your eyes thinking this is another “back in my day” rant, hear me out. Because this isn’t only about nostalgia (though there will be plenty of that, I promise!). This is about what happens when we prioritize speed over substance, conversions over connection, and metrics over meaning.

This is about what we’ve lost. And more importantly, what we can still get back.

Fair warning: This newsletter is saturated with extreme levels of nostalgia that will make you sit for the next hour reminiscing about your childhood and calling your siblings, parents, and childhood first loves.

You’ve been warned!

On November 5th, I spoke on an X (Formerly Twitter) Space hosted by Founders Connect, a sequel to conversations sparked by the Unsung Architects of Growth documentary.

And if you are wondering what that is, well, that’s the documentary below;

Mid-conversation, Tega Gabriel said something that stopped me in my tracks:

“We’ve lost the golden era of marketing. The era where creativity was the soul of marketing, and marketing had... well, soul.”

Now, if you know Tega and I, you know we’re sparingly ever on the same side of a discussion. So when I found myself nodding so hard I nearly gave myself whiplash, I knew this was something bigger. It was a truth bomb that exploded in my chest and transported me back to December 2024 when I was planning the launch of Tochy’s POV.

One of my planned articles was titled ‘Marketing Has Lost Its Soul’.

I never finished writing it then. But after that conversation? I knew it was time.

Tega, if you’re reading this enjoy this rare moment of us agreeing. Grin all you want. You’ve earned it.

Let Me Take You Down Memory Lane

I know what some of you are thinking: “Tochy, marketing in our childhood served the demographics and distribution channels available then. Things have changed.”

And yes, I see your point.

But I’m also telling you: Marketing has lost its soul.

Let me show you what I mean.

Now, remember...

“B without BB is like a train without an engine.”

What’s the first word that came to your mind?

Blue Band

Shout out to my cousin Favor who refused to bathe at night until this advert started playing around 8 PM on NTA. That’s how powerful it was. A butter spread was dictating bath time in Nigerian households.

“Pikolo, I know say one day, you go make us proud.”

First word? Peak Milk.

The milk of the rich and bougie. If you know, you know.

And if you grew up in a middle-class household like mine with civil servant parents, then you always had “Cowbell, awa milk!” because who no get Peak Milk go get wetin? Cowbelllll!!!

“Mama do good ooo, mama wey cook for us.”

I just had goosebumps run down my spine. This is a LOT of memories.

Hey God! Indomie gave us back-to-back-to-back HITS:

“Indomie, Indomie, Indomie noodles, parampam!”

Chillllsssss. Literal chilllssss!!!

Hold on, hold on, how many of you saw your names on Coca-Cola bottles?

I never did, but I sure spent a lot of money buying Coca-Cola trying to find either my name or the name of someone around me. That campaign had me in a chokehold.

That, my friends, was marketing with soul.

And so I went searching for a video that had some of these clips online and this particular clip seemed to hit the most because I shed a happy tear watching it. After watching, come back and let’s dig into how we killed marketing and made it so soulless and linear.

Marketing Is Culture. When Culture Dies, What Remains?

Yes, distribution channels have evolved. Yes, we have new platforms and technologies. Shouldn’t this encourage creativity and enable virality as against stifling it?

Marketing at its core is culture.

Just like how a house becomes a home when it embodies the personality of the people living in it, marketing becomes culture when it embodies the soul of the people it’s meant to serve.

And when the soul of a people, their culture dies, what really remains?

Why should the advancement of technology strip away the emotional connection that marketing should build?

Why should every single campaign be reduced to lead generation alone?

Why have focus groups and core market research become extinct practices, dying a slow, natural death?

I know what you’re thinking. A lot of you marketing folks and new-age founders who’ve never worked with legacy companies are reading this like:

“Huh? You’re saying we should pay a research agency or commission an internal user research team to assemble focus groups, read video scripts, elicit reactions, and THEN determine which videos to shoot before launching a campaign?”

YES!!!

THAT IS HOW IT IS DONE. THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE.

And if technological advancements have changed anything, it’s that those focus groups can now happen on a virtual Google Meet. The method evolves. The principle doesn’t.

A/B tests are only 10% of market research and should be done AFTER the core research process. But that’s a story for another day.

Speaking of Doing Things Right...

While we’re on the topic of all of us collectively murdering marketing, let me tell you about something that gives me hope.

The team at TEMSI, a talent accelerator and insights platform dedicated to empowering the next generation of African tech marketers, just launched the Tech Marketing Pulse 2025 Survey.

This is their annual research project that brings together the voices of marketers across Africa and this year, they’re expanding to include freelancers, founders, investors, and marketing teams. Because telling a complete story requires hearing from everyone in the ecosystem.

This is exactly the kind of research-driven, insight-focused work that marketing desperately needs right now.

For founders, the report offers an inside look into how leading startups and scaleups are building marketing teams, driving brand growth, and attracting top talent.

For investors, it provides a data-driven perspective on how marketing innovation and storytelling are shaping business performance across key African markets.

For marketers like us? It’s a mirror. A way to see where we stand, what’s working, and what needs to change.

You can check out last year’s Tech Marketing Pulse 2024 Report to get a sense of the insights and impact that came out of the project.

And if you want to add your voice to this year’s report,

Take the survey by clicking on the link below;

Take survey

Your experiences and perspectives matter and they could shape how the industry evolves.

This is the kind of foundational work that can help us rebuild what we’ve lost. So let’s support it.

So Why Has Marketing Died a Natural Death in Our Generation?

Let me start from the root causes. The structural failures in the corporate world that have led to the murder of marketing and growth.

This is going to sting.

1. The Education Problem: We’re All the Blind Leading the Blind

How many secondary schools and universities; public or private have adjusted their curricula to suit the current job market and knowledge needs?

Where can one get a proper degree in:

• Digital marketing

• Product management

• Entrepreneurship and tech leadership

• Technical human resources

Nowhere. Or at least, nowhere substantial with an end-to-end structure.

While we’re lamenting that marketing has lost its soul, we need to acknowledge that marketing doesn’t work in silos. There are multiple stakeholders and decision-makers who end up having the final say.

And most of those people? They have absolutely no idea what they’re doing.

Most of us stumbled into our current roles. Even those who studied marketing have now stumbled into it like it was from outer space, with little to no relatability to what they were taught in school.

Most CEOs have no idea what the job description of a CEO actually entails and go about doing “oga-led marketing,” insulting professionals along the way because “na me be founder.”

Worst of all? There are no core Learning & Development (L&D) structures to ensure employees get the right training for every stage of their careers.

Why? Because “if we pay for training, they’ll leave us and go to another company.”

This silly, short-sighted attitude is killing businesses.

We are all the blind leading the blind. And a lack of structured learning has made us unaware of the very foundation for success in our respective fields.

It’s one of the reasons I want to retire and become an adjunct lecturer in a business school someday. I want to contribute to advancing education by helping revamp its core structure for the next generation.

Yes, things will change. But how will they build when there’s no foundation?

2. Regulatory Madness: The Agencies Killing What They Were Built to Protect

We don’t call this out enough, but the regulatory bodies in the marketing sector are on a madman’s rant, ensuring that marketing is completely dead and buried.

Government agencies that were established to enable growth have turned into Peter the Tax Collector, only interested in fining marketing professionals and organizations while charging unrealistic amounts for courses that have absolutely no value.

It’s a shame. The decay these agencies have reduced themselves to is embarrassing.

I recently saw the curriculum of one of them and hissed in utter disgust at the illiterate madness they claim is aimed at educating marketing professionals.

And the policies they churn out? Completely cut off from societal, technological, and market realities. Lacking any form of nuance.

Agencies that should be creating policies to protect individuals and organizations from dubious behavior have now reduced themselves to witch hunting companies and bullying them into paying millions for not submitting their social media calendar before posting.

It is a shameful circus show, and it needs to be addressed.

3. Our Unwillingness to Actually Sit Down and Study

We could blame everyone else for the death of marketing and creativity in our sector.

But at the end of the day, the onus falls on us to chase and attain excellence in any and every way possible.

A wise man once said: “Whatever you want to hide from a Black man, write it down.”

And that is so, so true.

As a generation and as a people, we have grown averse to education despite being the most advantaged generation in terms of access to free information and learning.

A lot of us have lost the zeal to:

• Pick up a book and read

• Read the newspaper

• Listen to the news

• Research a topic or even verify a claim

We have outsourced our brains to the streets of Twitter, TikTok, and AI so much so that we’ve grown extremely deficient in critical thinking.

We spend hours daily doom-scrolling utter rubbish, with little to no zeal to dedicate even one hour a day to studying our craft and the world in general.

It’s safe to say that despite our access to education, we are slowly becoming the most illiterate generation on planet Earth. And it’s getting alarming.

When I say education, I mean education in EVERYTHING:

• Life

• Religion

• Health

• Innovation

• Our line of work

• Everything

We’re at an all-time low when it comes to research, personal development, and upskilling.

Despite seeing every part of the world from our phone screens, we still think like we’ve yet to experience electricity for the first time.

4. The Get-Rich-Quick Scheme That Has Hijacked Marketing

Organizations have now adopted a desperate approach that has reduced marketing to a frantic race: “Who can onboard customers the fastest?”

Only lead generation matters.

We’ve forgotten that awareness done well and consideration done well will convert better because of the level of connection they build.

We’re now plagued with systems where:

• Teams work in silos and on sprints, only aiming to be fast-paced

• Entire organizations don’t educate employees on how each person’s KPI connects to the next

• Working like a well-oiled engine and being jointly responsible for growth is now a foreign concept

This is the only reason a product manager would tell a marketing manager: “Your KPI does not concern me.”

We’ve niched things up so much that people now have a narrow outlook on what work and cross-functional collaboration should be.

Moreover, if founders and C-suite execs sit down and decide which products and features to build without the right data backing it up, how will they justify the build without customers trooping in per millisecond?

This is why they’re stuck in the lead generation cycle for years and years on end, forgetting that soulless marketing only brings short-term loyalty.

The result of all these structural failures?

• Societal decay

• Less and less creativity

• The death of marketing

• The lost skill of building beloved brands

Marketing campaigns today rarely make us feel anything. They don’t create culture. They don’t inspire connection.

They just exist. And then they’re forgotten.

Just like a house that doesn’t feel like home, marketing without a soul is just……there. Functional at best. Empty at worst.

This Is a Wake-Up Call (For All of Us, Me Included)

We need to do better. Be better. Aim for excellence, not by mouth, not by LinkedIn thought leadership posts or Twitter hot takes, but by actually doing our bit to resuscitate culture and the soul of marketing.

Because marketing done right:

• Makes us all smile

• Makes us all connect

• Makes us all more fulfilled

• Makes us all more human

And honestly? That’s what the world needs right now.

Not another lead generation campaign. Not another growth hack.

But marketing that feels like something. Marketing that builds beloved brands. Marketing that creates culture.

Marketing with soul.

If you’re reading this and feeling called out, good. I’m calling myself out too.

Let’s commit to:

1. Educating ourselves relentlessly. Read books. Study campaigns. Understand human psychology. Support research initiatives like the Tech Marketing Pulse Survey.
   
   

2. Pushing back against regulatory nonsense. Advocate for policies that actually help the industry grow instead of stifling it.
   
   

3. Demanding better from our organizations. Cross-functional collaboration isn’t optional. It’s essential.
   
   

4. Creating marketing that connects. Not just marketing that converts.
   
   

Because at the end of the day, beloved brands aren’t built on lead generation alone.

They’re built on connection. Culture. Soul.

And it’s time we brought that back.

One Last Thing

Remember how I told you about Lola’s home last week? How it embodied her personality and made me feel something the moment I walked in?

That’s what marketing used to do. And that’s what it can do again.

Whether you’re building a home or building a brand, the principle is the same:

Authenticity matters.

Soul matters.

Connection matters.

So let’s stop building houses and start building homes.

Let’s stop creating campaigns and start creating culture.

Let’s bring the soul back.

What do you think? Has marketing lost its soul, or am I being too nostalgic?

Reply to this email and let me know. I genuinely want to hear your thoughts because if we’re going to fix this, we need to do it together.

Love, light, and everything in between,

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV

P.S. Next week, I’m diving into something lighter (I promise). We’ve had heavy conversations two weeks in a row, and we all need a breather. Stay tuned.

P.P.S. To everyone who sent me messages about the Platform Mastery video and Lola’s home story: Thank you. Your responses remind me why I do this work. Keep them coming.

So remember last week when I told you that some of you would watch the Platform Mastery video and have an existential crisis?

Well.

The comments are in, and I severely underestimated the situation.

Brothers and sisters, there was a full-blown reckoning. A marketing awakening. A “wait, I’ve been doing WHAT for how long?!” moment captured in real-time across YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

And honestly? I’m here for all of it.

(If you’re wondering which video I’m talking about,

Here it is

Go watch it if you haven’t already. I’ll wait.

But before I dive into the platform pivot confessions that flooded my notifications, let me tell you about something that happened this week, something that reminded me why authenticity matters, whether we’re talking about social media platforms or the spaces we call home.

A Home That Taught Me About Authenticity

I visited someone on Saturday, and I instantly fell in love with her home.

Note that I said home, not house.

The space had character. You could tell her personality from every corner. Her cherished memories were visibly scattered all over the place, in the best way possible and it was genuinely refreshing to see.

I constantly say this: We’ve gotten so carried away with what’s “popular” that we no longer curate things to fit who we are, to fit our own worlds.

People are turning their homes into Airbnbs to fit a lifestyle content creator’s aesthetic, forgetting that the space they’re mimicking is, in fact, that person’s office. Their set. Their stage.

If that house isn’t your definition of “cozy” so much so that you want to leave it often, you don’t smile while walking around it, you don’t feel completely and utterly at peace and in tune with its elements in a way that warms your heart, then maybe it’s time to rethink that decor.

Home isn’t perfect. Home is clean, warm, and a little messy.

The bookshelves aren’t filled with fake books.

The mirror might have a small crack from the time you tripped and hit it a bit.

The couch has your scent.

The walls show your memories in paper form.

The center table is chipped on the edge from all the beer you’ve had to open on it because you keep forgetting to buy a bottle opener every week when you visit the supermarket.

All the live plants are outside because you’d rather your room is dark, and this means the plants might die inside.

Your Christmas decor is still up in April because you love the reds and the lights.

And so, I always say: My home is my home. I have made it mine. It embodies MY personality.

And I can afford to do this because I can afford to rent out a hotel suite or an Airbnb whenever I feel like being aesthetic, for whatever length of time that may be.

This newsletter is dedicated to Lola. Thank you for making your home authentically yours and reminding me that authenticity isn’t another random buzzword, it’s a way of life. Thank you for reminding me about what a home should feel like at the exact time that I am redecorating.

Why Am I Telling You This?

Because the Platform Mastery video sparked the exact same realization for hundreds of you.

You’ve been building your “home” (your brand presence) on platforms that don’t fit who you are or what your business needs. You’ve been mimicking what looks popular instead of curating a strategy that actually works for your audience, your product, your goals.

And just like trying to live in a house that doesn’t feel like home, it’s exhausting. Unsustainable. Soul-crushing.

Let Me Show You What Happened

After posting that video breaking down which platforms Nigerian businesses should actually be using (and which ones are bleeding their budgets dry), my notifications went absolutely insane.

But these weren’t the typical “great video!” comments. These were confessions. Revelations. Entire strategy pivots happening in real-time in the comment section, my email and my DMs.

Let me share some of my favorites:

The energy? Chef’s kiss.

The vulnerability? Unprecedented.

The realization that platform psychology is real and they’ve been fighting against it? Priceless.

And if you haven’t watched the video yet, rush to YouTube now and do so:

Watch here

After all these comments, DMs, and emails, one question keeps coming up:

“Tochy, I’ve already spent months/years building an audience on the wrong platform. Should I start from scratch on a new platform or try to migrate my audience?”

My honest answer is:

It depends on your business goals and how wrong the platform fit is.

Let me break it down:

Scenario 1: The Fit Is Completely Wrong

If you’re a fashion brand with 10,000 followers on LinkedIn but zero sales, yes, start fresh on Instagram and TikTok.

Your LinkedIn audience was never going to buy party dresses anyway. Cut your losses and redirect that energy to where your actual customers are.

(Unless you’re looking for VC funding, in which case, keep that LinkedIn polished. But still, get your sales machine running on Instagram and TikTok.)

Scenario 2: The Fit Is Just Misaligned

If you’re a B2B service provider with 5,000 followers on Instagram and some engagement, you don’t need to abandon it completely.

Just shift your primary focus to LinkedIn and Twitter while maintaining a minimal presence on Instagram.

The key phrase here is primary focus.

You can’t be everywhere. But you can be strategic about where you invest your time, money, and energy.

Think of it like your home: You don’t have to throw out everything and start from scratch. Sometimes you just need to rearrange, reprioritize, and make intentional choices about what stays and what goes.

Part 2 Is Coming (And Your Industry Might Be In It)

A lot of you asked about industries I didn’t cover in the first video.

I heard you loud and clear.

Part 2 is coming, and I’m covering:

✅ Photography/Videography
✅ Event Planning
✅ Interior Design
✅ Legal Services
✅ Consulting
✅ Logistics/Delivery Services
✅ Beauty Products/Cosmetics
✅ And a few others based on your requests

If there’s a specific industry you want me to break down, comment on the YouTube video with your request. I’m building Part 2 based entirely on what you need.

So, something to bear in mind all week;

Authenticity isn’t optional. It’s essential.

Whether you’re choosing which platform to invest in or how to decorate your living room, the principle is the same:

Stop chasing what looks popular. Start building what actually fits you.

Because at the end of the day, a house that doesn’t feel like home will never bring you peace. And a platform strategy that doesn’t align with your business goals will never bring you sales.

You deserve better than both.

If you watched the video and realized you’ve been on the wrong platform, don’t panic. Don’t beat yourself up. Just pivot.

If you visited someone’s home recently and felt like yours doesn’t reflect who you are, that’s okay. Start small. Add one thing that makes you smile.

And if you’re reading this newsletter and feeling seen, whether in your marketing strategy or your personal life, know that we’re building this together.

Based on these comments and conversations, we’re about to see some serious transformations in 2026.

Let’s keep going.

Love, light, and everything in between,

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV

P.S. If you haven’t watched the Platform Mastery video yet, what are you waiting for? The comments section is turning into a masterclass on its own. Watch it here.

P.P.S. Next week’s newsletter drops on Saturday evening (new schedule!). Mark your calendars. I’m cooking up something good.

P.P.P.S. To Lola: Thank you for the reminder that our spaces; physical and digital should reflect who we actually are, not who the internet thinks we should be.

October tried to break me.

Four weeks of back-to-back events and activities with barely enough time to breathe (let alone create content), and the peak of tech event season in Lagos doing exactly what it does best; demanding that marketing babes like me show up, do chochocho, and keep building personal agency for the work ahead.

I will infuse my October experiences this year in multiple newsletters because reflection na waterrr!!!

I will be starting with Moonshot because it reminded me why I started this whole thing in the first place.

Moonshot Day 1- When “Hello” Becomes Overwhelming

Day 1 almost made me run.

I’m not exaggerating. It took me 90 minutes to walk from the entrance to the other side of the hallway because I couldn’t take five steps without someone stopping me to say hello, share how they leveled up in marketing with my content, or tell me they looked up to me. It was this or me seeing an old friend and getting mushy.

My cousin Favor genuinely looked confused: “Hey Aunty Too, who are all these people?!”

If not for my friend Felix who spotted my distress and staged an intervention, I might have actually fled the venue. We literally RAN to the poolside for lunch and some much-needed respite.

And there, in those few quiet minutes between the hellos and the hot gist Felix and Ama were serving, something hit me:

Tochy, you really just decided you wouldn’t be the victim of your story.

You dove headfirst into building a great foundation for your personal and career brand. You didn’t have to build it on negative sentiment or contradictions. You didn’t have to do anything you weren’t comfortable with. You simply showed up as Tochy Emereole, sharing your Point Of View and people love you like that.

I’m not going to lie, if not for my hard girl persona and Felix’s distraction, I would have shed more than a few tears right there by the pool.

If I ever doubted the value my tiny platform brings or the impact I’m making in my little corner of the internet, Moonshot erased every single doubt.

After all that introspection (and after pulling myself together), one question kept replaying in my mind:

What if I didn’t start?

What if I didn’t build that website during Christmas 2024 while working on my MBA, renovating and moving houses and trying to get some well deserved sleep? What if I didn’t write that first article? What if I didn’t shoot that first video? What if I let fear, imposter syndrome, or the noise convince me to stay comfortable?

I wouldn’t have been at Moonshot speaking on both days, feeling overwhelmed by genuine love and appreciation. I wouldn’t have built a community of incredible people who actually care about marketing excellence. I wouldn’t be here, writing this to you.

So now I’m turning that question to you:

What if you started today? Right now?

Not tomorrow. Not when you feel “ready.” Not when the timing is perfect.

Today.

Because one thing I’ve learned: There is no such thing as perfect anything. The person you’re becoming starts with the decision you make right now. And you don’t need permission, perfection, or a perfect plan. You just need to start.

Speaking of Starting: Go Watch This Video (I’m Serious)

Before I continue with the Moonshot tea, let me interrupt this newsletter to tell you about the new YouTube video I just dropped.

It’s about how 87% of Nigerian businesses are marketing on the wrong platforms and burning money in the process. I break down which platforms are actually right for your business type, platform psychology, and content strategies for over 11 sectors (yes, yours is probably one of them).

Watch it here:

Trust me, it’ll save you from making expensive mistakes.

Now, back to Moonshot……..

On stage with me were fintech heavyweights: Roosevelt Elias (Payable), Osa Odiase (9PSB), and Sidney Igidi (ALAT by Wema) and we dove deep into how API-driven solutions are democratizing access to digital financial services. To better understand why this discussion was so important, I’d paint a picture;

Before APIs: Building a fintech product meant navigating complex licensing requirements, high costs, and months (sometimes years) of infrastructure development.

With APIs: Startups can now plug into existing banking infrastructure and launch products in just one month.

These banking-as-a-service APIs are driving financial inclusion by connecting traditional banks with innovative startups that serve both banked and underbanked communities. Non-financial businesses can now integrate payment services seamlessly without becoming banks themselves.

You will agree with me that a panel session is only amazing if the panelists are chased off the stage by the host for abiii. But before they chased us away, we agreed on one thing- Achieving true interoperability across Nigeria’s siloed payment rails remains a challenge. We need to balance standardization (for easier integration) against competitive differentiation (which drives innovation).

It’s a delicate dance, and we’re still figuring out the choreography.

Anyways, the good people at TechCabal wrote a detailed article on this session, and you should absolutely read it here

Read the article

Day 2 Moonshot- My Baby: The State of Crypto Adoption in Nigeria 2025

Day 2 was more bearable because I figured out the art of navigating to my hideout in under an hour (personal growth, guys).

I had come in to present a report that my Oga referred to as “my baby.”

He wasn’t lying.

And when the time came, I climbed the main stage and presented The State of Crypto Adoption in Nigeria 2025 report.

This project, this 100+ page beast of market intelligence is something I’m genuinely proud of. My team at Quidax and I poured everything into it, and calling it “my baby” is the most accurate description possible.

I hope to write a full case study on this project soon (with permission from my Ogas at the top, of course), but for now, here’s what you need to know:

If you do any form of business, product, or marketing strategy in 2025/2026 especially in fintech, e-commerce, import/export, crypto, traditional finance, or policy-making, this report is for you.

The feedback so far has been praises on the quality of data and market intelligence. And honestly, that’s all I could ask for.

Download it here

One More Thing: Tochy’s POV is Evolving

Here’s some news from my recent reflections:

A big part of the brand I’m building goes beyond “marketing professional” (yes, that’s the star of the show). But there’s also a human element; the unfiltered part of me where chaotic thoughts happen about reflections, hot takes on digital discourse, books I read, movies I watch, all the works.

I want to build a community that doesn’t need to see me only from one POV.

So after giving this much thought, I’ve decided to play around with the Tochy’s POV newsletter format and see where it leads, starting with this one.

I want this space to be more than just marketing insights. I want it to be real, messy, thoughtful, and human.

Consider this edition the beginning of that experiment.

Thank You (I Mean It)

So yes, this is me rounding it all up by saying:

Thank you. Gracias. Unu emeela. Eshe.

I am grateful. I am humbled. And I am so glad to have you all in my corner.

Moonshot reminded me that showing up authentically, building without burning bridges, and creating value without negativity actually works.

And if you’ve been waiting for a sign to start your own thing? This is it.

What if you started today?

Love, light, and everything in between,

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV

P.S. - Seriously, go watch that video. And download the crypto report. Both will change how you think about your strategy in 2026!

P.P.S. - If you were at Moonshot and we crossed paths, thank you for the love.

Today, I come bearing bubble busters aimed at ensuring you are doing the right thing online.

Question number 1: Are you 100% sure you’re on the right platforms?

Because I just spent weeks auditing 500 Nigerian businesses across 12 industries, and 87% of them are creating content for audiences that will never buy from them.

Not because their content is bad. Not because their products aren’t good enough. But because they fundamentally misunderstand what each platform actually does for human psychology. My eyes saw plenty things and I had to set ring light to lament so you people can sell on the right platforms in 2026.

Watch it here

See, everybody thinks it’s the same people on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. And technically, you’re right.

But is it the same frame of mind? The same buying intent? The same behavior?

The person scrolling LinkedIn at 9 AM is not in the same headspace as the person scrolling TikTok at 9 PM. They’re not looking for the same things. They’re not ready to buy the same products.

Every social media platform has a primary psychological function:

• Some platforms are for discovery (finding new things)

• Some are for research (evaluating options)

• Some are for validation (seeking social proof)

• Some are for transactions (actually buying)

• Some are for relationships (building connections)

• Some are for pure entertainment

Most businesses assume all platforms do all things. They don’t. And fighting against a platform’s primary function is expensive and soul-crushing.

And so, I went on a rather long rant explaining platforms, what they do, what you should do on them, who you will find in them and at what times of the day you will find them.

This video is packed I tell you! I break down:

✅ The 6 primary platform functions that determine where people actually buy (not just scroll)

✅ Complete platform psychology for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp Business, Pinterest, and Snapchat

✅ Exact platform strategies for various business types: Fintech, E-commerce, Fashion, Hair/Beauty, Food, Crypto, Real Estate, Education, Healthcare, Automotive, and Fitness

✅ Peak activity times for Nigerian users on each platform (because timing is everything)

✅ The common mistakes that are bleeding your budget dry

This is based on actual audits of real Nigerian businesses and what’s actually working (and what’s spectacularly failing).

If you’ve ever wondered:

“Why am I getting likes but no sales?” (or maybe no likes ef)

“Why does my competitor’s content perform better when mine looks more professional?”

“Why am I working so hard on social media with nothing to show for it?”

This video has your answer.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: Some of you will watch this and realize you’ve been wasting months (maybe years) on the wrong platforms. That realization will sting.

But better to know now than to keep burning money, right?

Watch the full breakdown here:

Trust me, 30 minutes watching this video will save you millions in wasted ad spend.

Let me know in the comments which platforms you’ve been using and whether this video made you rethink your entire strategy. I have a feeling some of you are about to have an existential crisis (the good kind).

Love, light and everything inbetween,

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV.

P.S. If you’re in a business type I didn’t cover in this video (there were 11, but I know there are more), reply to this email and tell me. I’m doing a Part 2, and I want to make sure your industry is included.

As a marketing professional or business owner, I am sure that this question has crossed your mind at some point.

For me, it’s kept me up at night for years until I went on a quest to better understand why the Nigerian market is seemingly so ‘difficult to penetrate’. I did this by analyzing hundreds of Nigerian businesses across different industries, I discovered something shocking: The digital era has enabled most businesses to reach millions of people from the comfort of their homes but businesses are creating content for the wrong stage of their customer’s buying journey.

They’re trying to sell to people who haven’t even realized they have a problem yet. Or they’re educating people who are already ready to buy. It’s like serving appetizers for dessert; good ingredients, wrong timing.

The result of this is wasted ad spend, low engagement, and frustrated business owners wondering why their “amazing content” isn’t converting.

Later today, I will be sharing something called “The Nigerian Consumer Psychology Map” with members of The Business Growth Network and the response has been overwhelming.

“This explains everything! I finally understand why my previous campaigns weren’t working.” – Fashion Brand Owner

“This is the missing piece I’ve been looking for. My content finally makes sense to my audience.” – Real Estate Agent

Introducing: The Complete Nigerian Buyer Psychology Content Template

I’ve just released my most comprehensive content strategy resource yet: A complete buyer psychology template covering 5 major Nigerian business segments across all 7 stages of customer decision-making.

What’s Inside:

• 50+ content ideas for businesses operating in Fashion, Food, Real Estate, Fintech, and Jewelry industries

• 7 buyer psychology stages mapped with specific content for each

• Platform-specific recommendations for these businesses (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, WhatsApp)

• Content type specifications (talking head videos, carousels, blog posts, etc.)

• 30-day content calendar template

Now, the thing is, this content pack is only available to members of the Business Growth Network (STOP HISSING AND EYEING ME JOOORRRR, MY INNER CACUS ARE MY GOONS!) but I have something for you that is so well curated, you’d get massive value from it!

The YouTube Deep Dive

I’ve just published a comprehensive video breakdown of the psychology behind the template on my YouTube channel. In 33 minutes, I walk you through:

The 7 Stages of Nigerian Buyer Psychology:

1. “Wahala Recognition” Phase – When customers realize they have a problem

2. “Exploration Without Commitment” Phase – Research mode with zero buying intent

3. “Social Validation Seeking” Phase – Consulting friends, family, and reviews

4. “Price Justification Wrestling” Phase – Internal cost vs. value calculations

5. “Trust Before Transaction” Phase – Evaluating you as a service provider

6. “Final Negotiation Dance” Phase – The cultural expectation to negotiate

7. “Post-Purchase Validation” Phase – Confirming they made the right choice

Because I love you, yes you (rolls eyes at your surprise!)

You can watch the episode here;

Exclusive Access for Business Growth Network Members

Non-members watching the YouTube video get the strategy.

Members get the complete implementation toolkit.

So if you want to join my inner circle and access everything, this is your chance!

For now, this community is strictly for business owners, HOWEVERRR, I am working on launching a community for marketing professionals seeing that the ones on here and on my socials are about to tear me to shreds.

So, if you are a marketing professional, don’t worry, I’ve got you, your community is cooking! This one is for the business owners amongst us.

Join The BGN Community

Your Next Steps (Choose Your Level of Commitment)

🎥 Level 1: Get the Strategic Foundation

Watch the complete 33- minute YouTube breakdown where I explain every stage of Nigerian buyer psychology with real examples and implementation guidance.

Watch the video

📊 Level 2: Get the Complete Implementation Toolkit

Join The Business Growth Network and get immediate access to the downloadable template with all 350+ content ideas, calendar templates, and implementation guides.

Apply to become a member

🎯 Level 3: Get Personalized Strategy Development

Book a 1-on-1 consultation where I analyze your specific business and create a customized buyer psychology content strategy for your industry and target market.

Book a strategy session

🎓 Level 4: Master the Complete System

Enroll in “The African SME Social Media Playbook” – my comprehensive course that teaches you not just content creation, but complete marketing systems that generate consistent revenue.

Get the course

Listen, content creation without psychological strategy is just expensive entertainment.

Most Nigerian businesses are creating beautiful content that nobody buys from. They’re posting consistently but not strategically. They’re getting likes but not leads.

This template changes that equation.

When you align your content with how Nigerians actually think and make buying decisions, something magical happens: resistance disappears, engagement increases, and conversion becomes predictable.

Here’s to business growth and closing 2025 strong!

Love, Light and Everything Inbetween,

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV.

Simplifying Marketing for the Modern Business

The Call That Changed Everything

So, this Tuesday afternoon, my phone buzzed with a call from an old friend. His voice carried that familiar weight of corporate frustration, you know the one. The kind that says "we've tried everything and nothing is working."

"Tochy, I need your brain on something big," he said, skipping the usual pleasantries. "I'm working with Temu now, and we're trying to crack Nigeria. But honestly? We're lost."

He painted a picture I'd seen too many times before: endless strategy meetings, expensive consultants throwing around buzzwords, campaigns that looked good on PowerPoint but fell flat in the real world. The team was burning through budget faster than a generator burns fuel during a NEPA strike, and the results? Crickets.

"Send me everything," I told him. "Let me see what you're working with."

What I discovered next would become one of the most interesting market entry challenges I'd tackled in my 9+ years of helping brands navigate complex African markets.

The Diagnostic

Three days later, I'm staring at a folder full of strategies that read like they were copy-pasted from a Silicon Valley playbook. Beautiful documents. Impressive frameworks. One tiny problem: None of it was built for Nigeria.

The assumptions were wild:

• "Nigerian consumers behave like American consumers"

• "Price sensitivity is the only barrier to adoption"

• "English-language campaigns will work across all demographics"

• "If it works in Kenya, it'll work in Nigeria"

Omo. Where do I even start?

I called my friend back. "We need to talk. And bring your team leads."

The diagnosis was clear: Temu had a brilliant global product trying to squeeze itself into a Nigerian box using foreign tools. It's like trying to eat pounded yam with chopsticks, technically possible, but why make life harder than it needs to be?

A week later, the call came: "Temu wants to bring you on as a Go-To-Market consultant. We need your help building the market penetration strategy for Nigeria."

Now we're talking.

The brief was refreshingly honest about the challenges:

The Fears

• Fluctuating FX rates: How do you price products when the naira changes mood faster than Lagos weather?

• Reducing purchasing power: Inflation was hitting everyone, and disposable income was tight

• Trust issues: Nigerians had been burned by too many "international" brands that took their money and disappeared faster than you could say "Yahoo boy"

The Strengths

• Subsidized products: Temu could offer genuinely competitive prices

• Optimized logistics: Their supply chain game was already strong. They’d partnered with and onboarded logistic companies and wayhouse outlets all over the country and in diaspora. This ensured that their logistics for shipping into and around Nigeria was tight.

• Tech-savvy young demographic: Nigeria's youth were hungry for convenience, speed, and that "I saw it on TikTok and now I need it" experience.

Looking at this brief, I saw something everyone had missed: This wasn't a product problem. This was a trust problem and as I always say ‘trust builds conversion because people follow people and not brand logos’

When Data Meets Culture

You can't solve problems you don't understand, and you can't understand Nigerian consumers by reading reports written in London or New York. So I did what I always do when the stakes are high: I went straight to the source.

I designed and executed the most comprehensive consumer research study Temu Nigeria had seen. We're talking thousands of respondents across all six geopolitical zones, cutting across demographics, income levels, and shopping behaviors.

I asked the questions that mattered:

The Pain Points Deep Dive:

• "Tell me about the last time an online store disappointed you. How did it feel?"

• "When you see 'international shipping,' what's the first thought that comes to mind?"

• "If your friend recommended an app you'd never heard of, what would make you trust it?"

The Cultural Context Probes:

• "How do you usually pay for things online, and why?"

• "What does 'good customer service' look like to you?"

• "When do you feel comfortable giving your personal information to a brand?"

The Behavioral Reality Checks:

• "Show me the last five things you bought online and where you bought them"

• "What makes you download a new shopping app versus just visiting their website?"

• "How do you decide if a price is 'fair' or 'too good to be true'?"

While the survey was running, I set up something I call "The Reality Check Chamber", a systematic testing ground for every visual element, product category, copy style, and video format we were considering.

We tested everything:

• Product imagery: Staged vs lifestyle vs user-generated content

• Copy tone: Formal business English vs Nigerian pidgin vs conversational English

• Color psychology: What colors made people feel "this is trustworthy" vs "this looks cheap"

• Video formats: Talking heads vs product demos vs lifestyle montages vs user testimonials

The results were fascinating and completely different from what their global team expected.

Three weeks later, I had a 47-page report that read like a psychology textbook meets marketing strategy meets cultural anthropology. Here are the insights that changed everything:

Trust Isn't Built, It's Earned (One Naira at a Time)

Nigerian consumers don't have a "trust problem", they have pattern recognition. They've been burned before, so they've developed sophisticated defense mechanisms:

• Social proof over brand promises: "My neighbor bought this and loved it" beats "Award-winning international brand" every time

• Gradual commitment scaling: Start with small purchases, earn trust, then go bigger

• Transparency as currency: Show them exactly what they're getting, when they're getting it, and how much it really costs

The Social Media Economy is Real

While global Temu was focused on app downloads and website conversions, I discovered something crucial: Nigerians research on apps but validate through WhatsApp and X (Formerly Twitter).

The customer journey looked like this:

This changed everything.

Price Sensitivity Has Layers

Everyone assumed Nigerians just want "cheap." The truth was more nuanced:

• Value consciousness: They want to know they're getting their money's worth

• Comparison shopping: They'll research across 5+ platforms before buying

• Payment flexibility: How you can pay matters as much as how much you pay

• Hidden costs phobia: "Free shipping" that becomes expensive at checkout kills conversions instantly

The Strategy That Moved Mountains

Armed with these insights, I built what I called "The Bridge Strategy", a framework designed to connect Temu's global strengths with Nigerian market realities.

Phase 1: The Trust Foundation

Objective: Build brand equity and trust without aggressive sales pitches.

I initially wanted to go down this route first; The Cultural Conversation Approach: Instead of launching with "Buy from Temu!", we started conversations around topics Nigerians actually cared about:

• "How to spot quality products when shopping online"

• "International shipping myths vs reality"

• "Your money, your choice: Payment options that actually protect you"

And then go on this;

The Twitter PR Playbook: We hijacked trending topics and cultural moments to insert Temu into conversations naturally:

• When #NaijaTwitter was discussing expensive local alternatives, we'd drop thoughtful threads about global options

• During major shopping festivals, we'd share educational content about making smart international purchases

• When consumers complained about poor service from competitors, we'd offer helpful alternatives (without directly promoting Temu)

The Influencer Authentication Strategy: Instead of paying big influencers for obvious ads, we identified micro-influencers who were already talking about e-commerce, international shopping, and consumer rights. We gave them early access to products and let them share authentic experiences, no scripts, no forced enthusiasm.

Phase 2: The Engagement Amplification

Everyone who engaged with our PR content on Twitter got retargeted on Facebook and Instagram with more specific, product-focused content.

But this wasn't your typical "Buy now!" retargeting. This was contextual nurturing:

• If they engaged with content about phone accessories, they'd see curated phone accessory collections

• If they shared our posts about home decor, they'd get home styling inspiration featuring Temu products

• If they commented on posts about tech gadgets, they'd receive tech reviews and comparison guides

Phase 3: The Conversion Catalyst

The Warm Audience Activation: By month 3, we had built an audience of over 100,000 engaged Nigerians who knew about Temu, trusted the brand, and were primed for purchase.

Now we flipped the switch to conversion campaigns.

But even our sales campaigns were different:

• First-time buyer insurance that guaranteed satisfaction or full refund

• Local pickup points in major cities for people who didn't trust home delivery

• Home delivery options

The Results Tracking System: We tracked everything:

• App downloads (obvious)

• Time spent in app before first purchase (trust indicator)

• Cart abandonment reasons (trust vs price vs logistics)

• Customer service inquiry themes (product quality, shipping, returns)

• Word-of-mouth mentions on social media (organic advocacy)

• Repeat purchase rates (long-term satisfaction)

The Results That Broke Records

Ninety days after we launched the strategy, the numbers told a story that even I found hard to believe:

• Temu became the #1 most downloaded app in Nigeria, overtaking established players like Chowdeck, Jumia, and even some social media apps. But downloads were just the beginning.

• App retention rates: 68% of users were still active after 30 days (industry average: 32%)

• Session duration: Average of 12 minutes per session (industry average: 4 minutes)

• Social media mentions: Over 25,000 organic mentions in the first quarter, with 78% positive sentiment

• Customer service ratings: 4.7/5 average rating

• Return/refund requests: 12% lower than projections

• Word-of-mouth referrals: 43% of new users came from friend recommendations

• First purchase conversion: 34% of app downloads resulted in purchases within 60 days

• Average order value: ₦8,400 (15% higher than initial projections)

• Repeat purchase rate: 56% of customers made a second purchase within 90 days

The Lessons That Changed How I Think About Market Entry

1. Culture Isn't a Nice-to-Have, It's Everything

You can have the best product, the biggest budget, and the smartest team. But if you don't understand the cultural context you're entering, you're just throwing money into a black hole. The moment I discovered this, I went ahead to get an MBA in International Business. The aim was to better understand cultural nuances so as to better penetrate various markets.

Nigerian consumers aren't "difficult" or "price-sensitive", they're experienced. They've learned to protect themselves in a market where consumer rights are still evolving. Respect that experience, and they'll reward your brand with loyalty that lasts decades.

2. Trust Is the Only Currency That Matters

In mature markets, brands compete on features and benefits. In emerging markets like Nigeria, brands compete on trust. Every touchpoint, every interaction, every piece of content either builds trust or destroys it.

The brands that win are the ones that understand trust isn't built through advertising, it's built through consistent, authentic experiences that prove you're worth the risk.

3. Platform Strategy Must Match Behavior Patterns

Global brands often make the mistake of assuming their preferred platforms are where local consumers want to engage. In Nigeria, the customer journey is multi-platform by nature:

• Discovery happens on Instagram and TikTok

• Research happens on Google and YouTube

• Validation happens on WhatsApp and X

• Purchase happens on apps and websites

• Support happens on WhatsApp, emails and phone calls

Your strategy needs to work across this entire ecosystem, not just the platforms you prefer.

4. Patience Is a Competitive Advantage

Most brands want immediate results. They launch with aggressive sales campaigns and wonder why Nigerian consumers run away faster than people hearing "there's no light" during a Netflix binge.

The brands that win in Nigeria are the ones willing to invest 3-6 months in relationship building before expecting significant sales. It's not slower, it's strategic.

The Framework You Can Use

Based on the Temu success, I've developed what I call The Cultural Bridge Framework for international brands entering African markets:

Stage 1: Listen (Month 1)

• Conduct deep consumer research focusing on emotions, not just behaviors

• Map the real customer journey, not the ideal one

• Identify cultural touchstones and conversation themes

• Test all visual and copy elements with real users

Stage 2: Learn (Month 2)

• Analyze research findings for cultural insights

• Develop locally relevant messaging and positioning

• Create content that adds value before asking for sales

• Build relationships with local influencers and community leaders

Stage 3: Launch (Month 3)

• Start with educational and entertaining content

• Focus on building brand awareness and trust

• Use organic social media to start conversations

• Collect feedback and iterate quickly

Stage 4: Leverage (Months 4-6)

• Retarget engaged audiences with product-specific content

• Introduce sales campaigns to warm audiences

• Scale successful content and ad formats

• Build customer service and community management systems

Stage 5: Lead (Months 6+)

• Activate conversion campaigns for proven audiences

• Launch referral and loyalty programs

• Expand product categories based on performance data

• Document learnings for future market entries

What This Means for Your Business

Whether you're a local Nigerian brand looking to scale or an international company eyeing the African market, the Temu case study offers some clear takeaways:

For Local Brands

• You have a cultural advantage – don't throw it away by copying foreign strategies

• Build trust systematically – Nigerian consumers will reward authenticity with loyalty

• Use local platforms strategically – WhatsApp isn't your regular communication tool, it's a business platform, treat it as such

For International Brands

• Budget for relationship building – plan for 3-6 months of trust-building before expecting significant sales

• Hire local expertise – cultural fluency isn't optional, it's essential for success

• Adapt your entire approach – from payment options to customer service to content creation

For Marketing Professionals

• Data without context is dangerous – always combine analytics with cultural insights

• Platform strategy must match user behavior – not your preferences or global best practices

• Patience is a competitive advantage – slow, strategic approaches often win in emerging markets

The Bigger Picture

The Temu Nigeria success story isn't a one off success for me making an app popular. What I did with the brand is something that I have done over and over again that shows what happens when you approach market entry as a cultural bridge-building exercise rather than a product-pushing campaign.

Great marketing isn't about selling products. It's about building bridges between brands and the people they want to serve. In Nigeria, those bridges are built with trust, maintained with consistency, and strengthened with authentic value.

Every market has its own language; linguistic, cultural, emotional, and behavioral. The brands that learn to speak that language fluently are the ones that enter those markets.

The question isn't whether you can succeed in a market. The question is whether you're willing to do the work to earn that success.

What's Next?

The strategies that worked for Temu can be adapted for almost any brand looking to crack the Nigerian or broader African market. But adaptation is key; what works in e-commerce might need modification for fintech, edtech, or B2B services.

If you're working on market entry, expansion, or just want to understand how Nigerian consumers really think and behave, the lessons from this case study are your starting point.

The bridge between your brand and your target consumers is waiting to be built. The question is: are you ready to put in the work?

Love, light and amazing marketing,

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV.

Simplifying Marketing for the Modern Business.

I promised you consistency, and one thing about me? I don't go back on my word. Abi no be so?

This edition is specifically for my business owners and founders simply because hiring the wrong marketing talent is literal business suicide.

Here's my hot take👉🏾 HR and recruiting agencies should ONLY handle culture-fit interviews and have zero stakes in final hiring decisions in terms of technical skills.

Why? Skills can be taught. Bad character? That one no get cure.

Most startups lack senior marketing professionals internally, which means you're flying blind when evaluating candidates. And when marketing goes wrong it becomes a cost abyss that keeps taking without giving back.

You're brilliant at building products and running operations, but marketing? That's not your lane. So you fall for the shiny presentations and buzzwords.

And guess what marketing, comms, and sales folks excel at? Selling themselves. Some will wash you clean with premium-grade BS and before you know it, you've hired vibes over value.

💡 My advice: Invest in a senior marketing consultant to support your hiring process. The money spent here saves you from expensive hiring mistakes and months of lost momentum.

I do this for a couple of organizations by the way and you can reach me on tochyspov@gmail.com

🛠 Your 2025 Marketing Hire Checklist

1. Always Tie Something to Revenue

Ask: "Walk me through how your work moved the bottom line."

Not every marketing effort directly generates sales, but any serious marketer should show you at least one campaign or initiative that drove measurable business impact. No exceptions.

2. Test for Strategy, Not Just Execution

Don't get hypnotized by pretty Canva designs and viral TikTok edits.

Instead, ask: "How would you grow our product with a ₦2M monthly budget?" Their clarity of strategic thinking is just as good, if not better than their technical skills every time.

3. Spot the Jack-of-All-Trades Red Flag

A strong marketer goes deep in at least one specialized area (performance marketing, content strategy, brand building, or product growth) while understanding how the pieces connect.

If they claim to be equally amazing at everything but can't back any claims with specific results or metrics? 🚩🚩🚩

📌 Founders: Bookmark this as your hiring guide.
📌 Marketers: Consider this your interview prep cheat sheet.

✨ Your Business Growth Lifeline

Speaking of getting marketing right, I just launched the Business Growth Community, your direct access to pick my brain on marketing strategy and learn from guest professionals across Africa.

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Request to join my community

🎯 For Business Owners: Stop "Posting and Praying"

You know I couldn't end without the main event.

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Secure your spot here

Hiring marketing talent doesn’t start and end with finding someone who can post pretty pictures or run basic ads. It involves finding strategic thinkers who understand that every marketing dollar should work toward growing your business.

Get this hire right, and marketing becomes your growth engine. Get it wrong, and it becomes your biggest expense with nothing to show for it.

Love, light & laser-focused marketing,
The Tochy of Tochy's POV 🖤

I know, I know, I disappeared on you for a whole month.
Not even a ghost emoji 👻, not a whisper. And I deserve that side-eye you're giving me right now😒.

But hear me out.

July came with fire in its bones🔥.
And let’s just say Tochy’s POV didn’t just grow; it exploded. I had to pause, breathe, recalibrate, and build the kind of capacity that can carry what’s coming next. Because if there’s anything 9 years in the marketing trenches has taught me, it’s this:

“Growth unmanaged is just a slow-burning collapse in disguise.” 💥

Every single KPI I mapped out for Tochy’s POV in 2025?
Smashed. Crushed. Obliterated. Some by over 300% already🚀.

And while that may sound like champagne-popping news (and it is), it forced me to hit the brakes, not out of fear, but out of strategy. I needed time to rework systems, secure the foundation, and gear up for scale the right way.

I stayed active on socials, but when it came to writing you all here, the words just wouldn't form. Until now✍🏽.

🗓️ July Highlights – Let’s Catch Up!

1. The 10-Minute Fix to Your Workflow Woes
I dropped a super practical video showing you how to set up an automated CRM workflow in just 10 minutes.
Someone shout “no more tech anxiety!”
Marketers, we’re licking plates this year. 🍽️

See the video here

2. My Hot Take on Overproduced Videos
We’re obsessed with perfect lighting, crisp sound, and 4K everything. But I said what I said

"Sometimes, too much polish kills the magic."

In two short videos which you can find 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

Here

&

Here

I unpack why done is better than perfect, and why your content doesn’t need to look like a Netflix production to convert.

3. I’m Launching My First Course in August!

Yes, I said it. A whole course!
For business owners and newbie content queens/strategy kings ready to shake the table. 🙌

Let me be honest with you, the imposter syndrome has been eating me up. But you know what’s louder? The need to ship this value to people who need it.

This course is my baby.
It’s jam-packed with real lessons:
✅ How to automate your content like a pro
✅ What to post, when, and why
✅ Content calendars, captions, video tips, editing tricks
✅ Building your first online store
✅ E-commerce tools that slap
✅ Creating photos/videos that actually sell

Basically, if you own a business and you’re still winging your digital presence, this is your cheat code. 🔑

I’d share the waitlist link soon!

💡 July Marketing Takeaway:

Control your growth.
Scale isn’t sexy when it’s chaos.
Build small systems, test small experiments, then grow with intention. Fail fast, move fast, learn faster.

💭 July Life Nugget:

KWECHIRI.
Stay standing, no matter what.
Even when life feels like it’s collapsing in Dolby Surround Sound, don’t bow out. Your joy is coming.

August is here in a few hours. I’m recharged. And I’m promising you now, I’ll be more present this month.
(Or at least I’ll try. A babe is tired, but determined.)

Catch you next week (maybe? definitely? 😅).

Sending love, light, and all the “you’ve got this” energy you need.

Always rooting for you,
The Tochy of Tochy’s POV💛

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a Gen Z intern’s Slack message that ends in “lol,” or wondered why your Gen X manager refuses to turn on their camera during Zoom calls, congratulations , you’ve experienced the joyful chaos of a multigenerational workforce.

Here’s a summarative version of the research 👇👇

Generational Cohort Analysis Pdf

3.11MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

This Generational Cohort Analysis Template is your cheat sheet to decoding humans across five generations; from the analog-loving Baby Boomers to the metaverse-native Gen Alphas still learning to tie their shoes but already fluent in YouTube algorithms.

Download the template here

Who is this for?

• HR professionals building retention strategies that don’t start workplace wars.
  
  

• Marketers crafting messages that land with Boomers and bounce with Gen Z.
  
  

• Founders & team leads who are tired of miscommunications disguised as “personality clashes.”
  
  

• Product managers looking to design features that don’t alienate half the user base.
  
  

• Brand storytellers who need to write for five generations at once and still sound human.
  
  

• Career coaches, consultants, educators, and even parents who want to understand what makes each generation tick (and talk back).

Because beyond age, context matters. What shaped them, what drives them, what work feels like to them and how they interpret “respect,” “hard work,” or “I’ll circle back.”

So print it, share it, adapt it. Frame it if you’re dramatic like me. This template doesn’t just help you work across generations, it helps you lead, sell, hire, retain, collaborate, and communicate better.

Understanding people = your unfair advantage.
Let this be your decoder ring.

Love, light and everything inbetween,

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV.

My People!!!

If you thought “Ada, 25, Lagos” was enough to really understand your customers…well, let’s just say it’s time to retire that relic 🗑️ because we all know that it did not work last year.

Sometime in February and May, I spoke extensively at the Tech revolution Africa event and the Marketing Analytics Africa events respectively about how user personas, when done right, form the foundation of your marketing and product strategy because it gives you an insight into your audience’s psychology.

Introducing my User Persona Template, your all‑in‑one blueprint for profiling, psychographics, daily routines, cohort insights, and so much more!

I even made a tutorial video attached to the template to help you master user personas for life!!!💡🔥🙌

Download my free user persona template

For Marketers: Say goodbye to spray‑and‑pray ads. Nail your audience’s peak scroll times and emotional triggers by mapping daily routines and channel preferences.

For Sales Reps: Ditch generic scripts. Personalize every cold email and discovery call with the template’s “Objections & Triggers” section, just like Raj, my friend who doubled his demos after pivoting to persona‑driven outreach.

For Product Managers: Stop building features nobody uses. Follow the “Pain Points & Aha Moments” guide by solving a real need, not a random idea.

For Founders: Impress investors with crystal‑clear customer insights. Ahmed, my guy, literally retooled his pitch using the “Cohort & Cultural Context” module and closed $500K in seed funding by showing exactly who pays and why.

For Growth Hackers: Craft referral loops that resonate.

Ready to transform your strategies?

Download my free template

And it’ll be in your inbox in under a minute (spam/socials/promotions, too)!

Your customers aren’t generic, your personas shouldn’t be either. 😉

To smarter growth,
Love, light and everything inbetween,

Share Tochy's’s Substack

The Tochy of Tochy’s POV.

P.S. Hit “Reply” with the persona you’re most excited to build!

9 years, 50+ docs, and countless marketing campaigns later… I finally did it.

The only marketing strategy document template you’ll need in 2025 (and beyond) is here and it slaps!

We've all suffered through strategy docs that felt like an episode of "Guess Who?" . You open them up, and instead of clarity, you’re left decoding vague goals, messy metrics, and tactical chaos.

I've been there.
And I said, never again.

So after weeks of digging through dusty folders, dissecting old campaigns, and extracting every lesson I’ve learned on this rollercoaster ride of a marketing career, I created the holy grail of marketing templates.

✅ Plug-and-play format
✅ Works for any industry
✅ Designed for clarity, not confusion
✅ Built for founders, marketers, creatives, everyone

You can grab your copy here!!!

So whether you’re a solo marketer wearing 12 hats, a founder tired of vague slides, or someone who just loves a solid framework, this one’s for you.

Forward it

Download it

Share it with your crew!

Let’s make 2025 the year we retire bland strategies for good.

'Til next time,
With love, light, and solid templates,
The Tochy of Tochy’s POV ✨

The hottest take? "Zap is just OPay with more swag." Some have even argued that Zap’s emergence is proof of how "classist" Nigerians are in their approach to financial services.

But let’s take a step back.

Is this really classism, or is it just the power of branding at play? As a marketing professional, I see a bigger conversation happening here; one about brand perception and how it influences user behavior.

Zap vs. OPay: The User Perception Game

First, let’s establish the facts.

• Zap’s Unique Value Proposition (USP): Paystack positions Zap as a fast, reliable, and secure way to make transfers in Nigeria and Nigerians can integrate all their bank accounts in the app (some say it's a Mono plus Opay play), with a long-term goal of expansion across Africa.

• OPay’s Market Position: OPay has been a dominant force in financial inclusion, catering primarily to the unbanked and underbanked.

• Market Perception: While OPay has built a solid reputation as a financial services giant, many see it as a platform for the "mass market." In contrast, Zap’s association with Paystack, a company known for working with high-end businesses and tech startups, gives it a premium feel.

Who Is Using OPay?

To understand why the Zap vs. OPay debate even exists, we must first analyze OPay’s core user base. OPay primarily serves Nigeria’s underserved populace; people without access to traditional banking services. This includes small business owners, transport operators, and everyday Nigerians seeking affordable and fast digital transactions.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), about 40% of Nigerians lived below the poverty line as of 2020, earning less than ₦137,430 per year (or roughly ₦11,452 per month). While OPay is used by people across income levels, its focus on affordability makes it the go-to option for those prioritizing low transaction fees over premium service experiences.

And it’s been wildly successful!

OPay boasts over 50 million downloads on the Play Store, ranking among Nigeria’s top apps. This tells us something: affordable, accessible financial services have massive appeal.

Zap’s Market Appeal: Why the "Classism" Argument Misses the Point

Now, let’s look at Zap.

Paystack has long been associated with high-growth startups, tech companies, and multinational businesses. Even though Zap is a consumer-facing product, its credibility is drawn from Paystack’s existing brand equity, an equity built with a largely middle to upper-class business clientele.

This is where branding psychology kicks in and how branding influences user behavior.

People follow brands they trust. More importantly, people also follow people!

Paystack’s founders, Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi, have built a brand that is synonymous with excellence in African fintech. Their track record gives Zap an instant credibility boost, making it an easy choice for professionals and businesses already familiar with Paystack’s standards.

When a person sees Zap, they’re not just seeing another fintech app, they’re seeing a product built by people they respect and trust. That’s a powerful force in marketing. It’s also why Zap’s early adopters are more likely to be young professionals in tech, finance, and corporate sectors rather than small business owners or transport operators.

Is this classism? Not necessarily. It’s brand perception at work.

The Branding Triangle: Why Perception Drives User Choices

I remember first coming across the branding triangle in a youtube video from Wharton Business school a few years ago and I was impressed!

So, this Branding Triangle is a framework that explains why consumers gravitate toward different brands.

1. Product Excellence – Innovation and reliability.

   • OPay is a tech disruptor in mobile payments, offering fast, low-cost transactions. Something that traditional banks and most fintechs do not currently have. This was their selling point.

2. Pricing Strategy – Affordability vs. exclusivity.

   • OPay is known for its low fees, making it highly attractive to cost-conscious users who are their target audience in the first place.

   • Zap, even with slightly higher transaction fees, attracts users who prioritize experience over price; a demographic completely different from Opay's primary target audience.

3. Customer Success & Experience – Post-sale engagement and user satisfaction.

   • OPay focuses on financial inclusion but may not necessarily offer premium customer support.

   • Zap leveraged a year-long product testing phase, signaling a commitment to a refined user experience (no, this information was not released for fun, vibes and inshallah, it was targeted at earning your trust).

For people in lower-income brackets, affordability is the dominant factor in choosing a financial service. That’s why if in future, Opay has any shortcomings in user experience, this may not significantly impact its retention rates unless a cheaper alternative emerges.

For middle-to-upper-class users, user experience and product quality matter more. A seamless interface, better customer support, and brand credibility justify paying slightly higher fees.

Branding Is Everything! Take It Seriously!

This whole Zap vs. OPay conversation is a case study in branding, not classism.

The difference in user demographics isn’t about looking down on one product over another, it’s about how brands position themselves and the psychological triggers they activate in consumers.

So, if you’re building a product, never underestimate brand perception. Your audience isn’t just choosing based on function; they’re choosing based on how your brand makes them feel.

And as we see with Zap and OPay, perception can be the single most powerful factor in market success.

Till next time,

Love, light and everything inbetween,

The Tochy from Tochy’s POV.