Tunji Adeyinka, the MD of Connect Marketing, has been in the business of marketing for some years now, having worked with clients like Coca-Cola, GSK, Mastercard, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Samsung, Sports Federations in Nigeria and Ghana.
Innovative Village (IV): It has been in the news lately that the Williams sisters are coming to Nigeria and you are behind this. Why are they coming to Nigeria?
Tunji Adeyinka (TA): The William sisters are coming to Nigeria as part of an initiative called “Breaking the Mould”. This initiative is really looking at women and how they have been seriously discouraged in our society. The Sisters are Mould Breakers, people who have shown that you can grow beyond the limitation that the society imposes on you. If you look at the background of the girls, they grew up in a crime-ridden Los Angeles suburb called Compton. Their 31 year old sister, Yetunde Price was killed in the neighbourhood. However, despite all of these, they have continued to confront the status quo to exhibit their talent.
IV: Please tell us more about the “Breaking The Mould” (BTM) initiative.
TA: The BTM message is not only for women, it is for everyone, especially young people who may for one reason of the other believe that they have genuine excuses to go into crime or keep complaining about their background or their parents or their school or even their country. For women, seeing people like Serena and Venus and indeed other Mould Breakers in Nigeria sends a strong message to others that they can also break the mould.
TA: The Sisters will run a tennis clinic for students between the age of 8-14 years old, boys and girls. They will not only meet these young people but they will also show them a few things that they need to do to make it in the world of sports. They will also be hosting a dinner where they will be talking about their experience and they will be meeting Nigerian women who have broken the mould. Finally, they will be playing an exhibition match against each other and that match will be broadcast all over Africa. This is the first time the sisters will be playing tennis on African soil.
This visit presents a big opportunity for companies who are looking for engagement platforms for their brands. The activities provide ample opportunities for brands to leverage the popularity of the Sisters to sell their objectives.
IV: Are the Williams the first famous personalities that you are bringing to Nigeria under this initiative?
TA: Yes they are.
IV: Who should we be expecting to come to this country next?
TA: Watch this space
Check out the video for the Sisters announcing their upcoming trip to Lagos
Connect Marketing Services is a Consumer Engagement Company with expertise in the areas of Sponsorships & Activation,Content Management and Field Marketing Services. We employ our deep understanding of the consumer to develop passion-driven Marketing solutions that deliver on key client expectations. Our Consumer Engagement solutions are insight-driven , media neutral and result-driven. Connect Marketing Services is affiliated with Octagon Worldwide and is a member of the European Sponsorship Association.