Late 2018, a new experiential marketing and activation agency joined the ranks of players in Nigeria’s integrated marketing communications industry. Soon after, the agency began to disrupt the industry with its creative innovations. Several months down the line, it has become clear to all that the agency has indeed come to stay and position itself as emerging game changer in the Nigeria’s competitive IMC industry.
Founded by Tolulope Medebem, Aster Integrated Marketing Limited is a full-service experiential marketing, Public Relations and events agency that offers tailor-made solutions to clients for the realization of marketing goals through exciting activities. AsterIML’s commitment to its clients’ success as well as its standards set it apart as a world-class professional services organisation.
According to her, Aster Integrated Marketing Limited (A.I.M.L) is an ‘unplanned’ but such a blessed and fruitful child, born out of the need to do something different, and this has enabled the agency to build passion in listening to clients’ ideas, thinking through challenges and coming up with creative solutions by keeping it simple.
The name ASTER is a curious sounding one which is bound to arouse the interest of people who may be coming into contact with the company for the first time because no immediate meaning is suggested at its mention. Is the name Greek, Latin or English? Or is it an abbreviation or an acronym? Medebem explains: “basically, the meaning of ASTER is simple and stands for Aster – A Star (we are ‘stars’ hopefully delivering A’s always, not in a prideful manner but in knowing and understanding that we have something to offer and in offering, we would ensure that we offer A star quality) and two – it’s a specie of flower which is known as a symbol of patience.”
Aster, being a comprehensive, full-service experiential marketing, PR and events agency was established in Nigeria, with footfalls Pan Africa. The agency has an experienced team with years of capabilities doing this business. The team at Aster is efficient and reliable; this is achieved by staying focused, brainstorming, innovating to help grow client’s business / brand. Interestingly, the agency is blessed with young professionals who are highly motivated to deliver top-notch project execution within the shortest time possible.
It also has a close working relationship with third party suppliers across Africa. Aster believes its personalised services ensures and guarantees success that can be enjoyed with / by the client always. At Aster, there is a long standing relationship/partnership with clients. The agency believes in client management as well as paying attention to every minute detail from concept to execution.
The agency proffers and implements cutting edge strategies, capable of profitably achieving clients’ marketing needs without compromising on quality and best practice. The agency remains a unique one among others basically due to the pedigree of its team that comprises people who have been fortified with skills that are indispensible for successful project management. The agency is also known for its ingenuity and resourcefulness in facilitating the delivery of clients’ brief by paying attention to detail.
The vision at Aster Integrated Marketing is to provide the clients with results-oriented experiential experiences, public relations, and total marketing support. The agency is committed to providing products and services that benefit it clients while maintaining a financially strong, growth-oriented company for the protection of its employees and clients.
It also has the mission to provide innovative and effective integrated brand marketing and public relations solutions which help its clients grow their businesses and realize their marketing goals. At Aster, the methodology revolves round listening, thinking, designing, refining and implementing.
ASTER has been ranked among the emerging game changers in this edition as a result of it performance in the short period of its existence. When asked about the achievements recorded so far Medebem said,
“Our success can be attributed to our clients, for believing in us and the team, their professionalism, dedication and passion to making sure we ensure professionally executed outings always.
We won’t necessarily be specific but, we can say within this short period, we have had the fortune of getting a couple of new clients (through pitch processes) as well as being retained by an older client from the former dispensation and activities have been carried out with all these clients successfully and with measureable results in terms of numbers as well as market share, thus reaffirming their belief in what we have to offer as well as our capacity.”
The agency further prides itself in understanding the basics of the experiential business, making it the toast of clients. This edge it has over competition also defines the modus operandi of the agency.
This Medebem put succinctly, “we honestly all have our strengths and we can only speak for ourselves. The constant key word for us is that you are only as good as your last outing, so we constantly need to keep reinventing who we are and what we offer but never deviating from the essence of our business (who we are) – Professionalism, Integrity and Passionate.
“At Aster Integrated Marketing, we consider ourselves innovative and forward thinking, always in search of every opportunity to ensure our clients succeed. We are also in collaboration with some of our colleagues as the truth is, not one agency/person can do it all, so, it might just be bigger and better sometimes working in collaboration.
Interestingly, Aster has deployed creative innovations that have improved the market share of some of its clients. Also, through dint of hard work and tireless dedication, the agency has continued to command the respect of some of its clients by increasing their bottom line through elimination of variation and waste. She said, “We can confidently say that for a new brand (one of the clients), our initiatives were able to not only create awareness for the brand but also penetrated into the market with an increased market share of between 3% – 5% pan Nigeria having started at 0. We hope to see a lot more of this especially as the brand is within a clustered market but we believe in the brand and look forward to celebrating more victories.
“Another client got global recognition based on the successes of our activities this year which were measurably by mechanics deployed, reach, engagement as well as sales. The accolades started with a Sub-Saharan award and went Global”
For the agency that got EXMAN certification during the last Annual General Meeting held at The Lilygate Hotel on the 13th of July 2019, all these are no mean feats. Aster remains a go to agency because of its passion, creativity, professionalism and dedication.
Worthy of note is the qualification of Aster IML as an emerging game changer which was propelled by its creative innovations and executions. According to her, “one of such innovations is The Nature2Nature initiative which we launched in March this year in Lagos and Abuja. Mandela said ‘It’s in our hands to create a better world for all who live in it’ and that’s the mission.
“The Project as indicated by the title is an opportunity for us to nurture young ones and assist them to develop a nature that serves them for the future, developing human beings for a great life, not male, not female but human beings who care for and understand one another.
“We have 12 schools signed-on already and it’s still an on-going project which we hopefully look forward to expanding over the years.”