Rahmotallahi Adeniyi: Fast-Rising Digital Amazon Shares The Story Of Her Five-year Journey In Marketing

Rahmotallahi Folashade Adeniyi, Marketing Communications professional with specialty in digital marketing. is a social impact enthusiast who loves to write and talk After five eventful years on the field, she feels compelled to share with Brand Communicator, those highlights from her experiences that can motivate other young professionals and inspire them to greater heights. How can a lady who ‘stumbled’ into marketing achieve so much in just five years? Read on.

How I stumbled into Marketing

 The funny thing is, I was a science student. I studied Estate Management at Federal Polytechnic, Ede and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I didn’t choose marketing. I think it is better to say I stumbled into it. I’ve always been a curious person, always on the lookout for opportunities for knowledge and growth. At the end of my service year in 2019, I got a free training opportunity called Digital Amazons organized by Street Project Foundation (a youth development NGO) where I was introduced to marketing communications skills. Fortunately, I was one of the lucky students who got an internship opportunity after the training. I interned at Nitro121 Marketing Communications Agency and that’s how it all started. I had no idea what marketing comms is before that training but it’s been over 5 years and I now call it a passion. I love it here.

The challenge switching from my Real Estate background to marketing communications

 I am a creative person who experiences a series of idea waves. When I was in school, I engaged in different things that helped me explore my creativity such as cake artistry, bead making, writing, etc. So, when I was introduced to marketing communications skills, my mind was opened to other ways to explore my creativity and I liked it. Then, I started investing in learning because I was in a hurry to adapt. I would jump from Google skills shop to Coursera to Udemy taking one course or the other. I would work during the day and take courses at night and my weekends were for physical classes.

Honestly, it was a struggle and was quite overwhelming. I am grateful that those sacrifices paved the way for my growth today.

 The Journey In The Past 5 Years.

 It’s been an amazing journey to be honest. I was retained after my 4-week internship at Nitro 121. From a Social media manager, I became a Digital Media Buyer and to a Digital Strategist developing and executing digital campaigns for some top brands in the agency. I worked there for almost 4 years.

The Movement from the Agency side to Brands

Later, I moved to Tolaram Group as a Digital Marketing Manager for Indomie Nigeria. Here, I lead digital campaigns for the various Indomie sub-brands: Indomie Core, Indomie Fanclub, Indomie Relish, and Indomie Café. I have worked on some cool brands like Molped Nigeria, GOtv (Multichoice), Arla Dano, BAJAJ, British Council, NEM Insurance, Twinku… and my current baby, Indomie.

Milestones and projects recorded in my career

Sincerely, I’m proud of the numerous marketing campaigns I’ve worked on or been part of across various brands over the years. Each one has taught me valuable lessons about what to do and what not to do. I could mention specific campaigns, but there are too many, so I wouldn’t want to overwhelm you. However, some of my favourite campaigns include those I did for Molped, GOtv, the British Council, and currently, Indomie.

Most Exciting projects since I joined Tolaram Group

 Indomie is such an exciting brand, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed all the projects I’ve worked on here. If I had to highlight a few of my favorites, they would include the Indomie Love Bowl Family Game Show (Season 1), the ‘Tis the Season’ Christmas 2023 campaign, the ‘Show Some Love to Mum’ Mother’s Day 2024 campaign, and the Indomie Flavor Fest, which won the ADVAN 2023 Experiential Campaign of the Year award. Another one was the Indomie Magnet Promo campaign, which won the ADVAN 2023 Consumer Promo of the Year award. I’m also proud of the fantastic work we did on the recently launched Mama Do Good Indomie Flavors TVC, and we have more exciting plans in store for it, alongside the ongoing Indomie X BBNaija campaign.

My achievements since I joined Tolaram Group

I was honored to receive my first personal award as the Future Leader of Marketing (second position) at The 2023 ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence, after just eight months at Tolaram. It was a great recognition of my work over the years. I also take pride in Indomie winning The Most Responsive FMCG Brand on Social Media at the Social Media Awards, 2023. We all know being a responsive brand to Nigerians online is not easy, Lol.

Are there other community engagements or some sort of social impact activities where you can give back to society in some way?

Yes, definitely. I like to say that what I do in a sentence is, ‘I help people and brands grow. It’s fulfilling to see people thrive, so I often take on the role of a growth strategist for my friends, family, and colleagues. I also extend this on a larger scale through my not-for-profit organization, Minds’ Companion Initiative (MCI). Through MCI, we sponsor young people to acquire in[1]demand skills and provide them with the mentorship needed for personal and career development. Additionally, I volunteer for social development projects. Previously, I served as the Global Communications Lead for The Development School, and I am looking forward to continuing and expanding my involvement in such initiatives.

Core values and operational philosophies that have kept me flying in my career.

Excellence and impact are some of my core values that consistently shine through in my work. If my name is on something, it has to be great. I don’t just aim to work hard; I strive to make positive impact. My operational philosophy is simple: ‘If it has to be done, do it well or don’t do it at all”

Individuals who have been instrumental in shaping my five-year career journey

Yeah! At the core of who I am is the love for people, and I have met really amazing people who played significant roles in my career growth in different ways. Some have become sisters, brothers, friends, and mentors. Big shout out to Muyiwa Aleshinloye, Adebimpe Susan Kujero, Oyindamola Fakile, Ndidi Obiwanne, Adedeoyin Jaiyesimi, Uchenna Innocent, Chukwuemeka Ayiam-Osigwe, Yomi Alake, Abiola Waltz, Eunice Odaise, Eniafe Salvage, Toin Osoaga, Ramanathan Solayappan… If you allow me, I will mention 50 names.