Rotimi Bankole, founder/CEO of SBI Media, has been inducted into the Marketing Edge Hall of Fame as the youngest inductee in recognition of his contribution to the growth of the advertising and brand management industry.
The induction ceremony was organised by Marketing Edge, the marketing industry journal to cement its leadership position.
John Ajayi, the publisher of Marketing Edge, said the induction identified leaders, titans and gurus who have contributed immensely to the growth of the advertising, public relations, and brand management industry in Nigeria.
Ajayi said the inductees were made up of industry leaders in the pre-and post-digital age, adding that their lifetime of achievements has inspired and defined the best ideals.
After receiving the award, Bankole said that just like all the previous honours he had won in the industry, the credit must be given to the talent that his company has been able to attract.
“I owe this massive recognition to the board, management, and team at SBI Media and Streams because, without them, all the accomplishments for which we are being celebrated today would not have materialised,” he said.
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At the end of 2021, Bankole’s firm, SBI Media, was named Media Agency of the Year at the BusinessDay Nigerian Business Leadership Awards.
Earlier last year, SBI Media and Bankole won 10 awards at the Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Awards of Excellence. At that event, Bankole was voted Marketing Edge Outstanding Media CEO of the Year.
According to Bankole, SBI Media, which is only nine years old, has recorded significant wins that may account for the various awards the company has been receiving from diverse platforms.
SBI Media, Bankole said, has been expanding internationally to countries like Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
“This expansion is client-led, as some of our clients require us to bring the timelines, a profound understanding of African cultural touch, digital aptitude, and budget-intelligence into the other markets where they have presences outside Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, the award inspires the coming generation of professionals that it is still possible to make an impact in an old industry.
Other notable personalities inducted into the Hall of Fame include Steve Omojafor, chairman of STB-McCann Lagos; Udeme Ufot, group managing director of SO&U; Jimi Awosika, vice chairman of Troyka Holdings; and Iquo Ukoh, first female executive director at Nestle Nigeria and CEO of Entod Marketing.
Others include Bunmi Oke, former president of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN); Garba-Bello Kankarofi, former registrar/CEO of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON); Dozie Mbanefo, CEO of New Crystal Communications, the digital out-of-home agency; Ayo Oluwatosin, managing director of Rosabel group; Lanre Adisa, founder and CEO of the creative agency Noah’s Ark; Yomi Badejo Okusanya, CEO of the public relations firm CMC Connect; John Ehiguese, CEO of the PR firm, Mediacraft Associates; and Steve Babaeko, CEO of X3M Ideas and current president of AAAN.
