#12: Hauwa Yakubu—How Social Media Passion Shaped a Global Marketer
Hauwa Yakubu is an award-winning marketer driving global impact with expertise in media innovation and product growth across industries.
This is the African Growth Marketers Spotlight series for the Marketing In Action Newsletter where we interview diverse marketing practitioners who are putting marketing into action. Share it with your network! ~James
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Can you tell us a bit about your background, education, and how you got into marketing?
My undergraduate degree was actually in Real Estate, which had nothing to do with marketing. I spent five years in university studying Estate Management but never ended up practicing it. For my postgraduate studies, I pursued a master’s degree in Digital Video Production and Marketing, which at least aligns with what I’m doing now.
Marketing, for me, started more as a hobby rather than a career. You know how hobbies sometimes take on a life of their own and grow into something bigger? For me, it all began back when Facebook was just starting out.
I also remember using MySpace, where we’d post things. I noticed I had a knack for it, especially because I garnered a lot of engagement. Eventually, someone asked me if I did it professionally, and that’s when it hit me—it could actually be a job. Fast forward a few years, and here I am. That’s how it all began.
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How do you define growth marketing?
The thing is, a lot of companies now come up with their own terminologies, similar to how you hear terms like product marketing or product management. You’ve probably come across these as well. Again, it depends on the context and the industry.
For instance, in tech or tech startups, it’s often referred to as growth marketing. However, to make it more aligned with their industry, they might choose to call it growth marketing, product management, or something else entirely. At its core, though, it’s still about growth, especially since there are different aspects and layers to it.
In the tech industry, which is a very niche space, there are unique factors you need to consider beyond the general principles of digital or growth marketing. That’s why these roles may appear distinct but are still very similar in essence—it all depends on the context in which they’re applied. I think it’s because I’ve worked in different places.
Currently, I work in tech, and I also work in a nonprofit for the government. Balancing both sides has been interesting because they are two very distinct markets—completely different in terms of demand, supply, target audience, and even business reach.
Coming from these two different aspects and wearing these two distinct hats has given me a broader perspective. It’s like when people say, “Experience gives you a more balanced view of things.” It goes beyond what you read in school or study at the master’s level. Once you’re in the field, it’s a totally different ballgame.
What are your key areas of expertise within marketing?
For me, I’d say the first is data analytics, and the second is paid advertising. This includes everything around Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and LinkedIn messaging—essentially all those automation and outreach strategies on social media platforms.
I also think SEO has been a significant part of my work across different organizations, whether in the public or private sector. It has played a crucial role in driving visibility and engagement. If I were to add one more, it would probably be email marketing. Email marketing has evolved beyond just sending Mailchimp campaigns. It’s become much more personalized and capable of reaching a larger audience without necessarily coming across as traditional marketing.
One thing I haven't really mentioned is that one of my strong suits is strategy and storytelling, which I believe are very important. I don’t think any marketing effort can be complete without the power of storytelling and a solid strategy behind it. You can have data analytics, A/B testing, copywriting, design, and all the technical elements, but it all falls under the umbrella of storytelling and strategy.
I just wanted to highlight this because it's crucial. The strategy will help you understand the behavioral psychology of the people you're targeting. People often tell you, "You need to know your target audience, you need to do this, you need to do that." This is where everything comes into play—understanding who you're trying to reach.
Which marketing channels do you prioritize, and have you found to be effective?
I prioritize partnerships, digital campaigns, PR, and data-driven strategies. Social media; particularly for interactive and immersive content, drives engagement, while PR ensures credibility and visibility. Finally, using data and trends informs targeted, impactful campaigns that deliver measurable results.
What roles have you held in your growth and marketing career?
Currently, I am the Chief Digital Officer at Kugali, and I also lead content, marketing, and strategy on the non-profit government side.
At Kugali, I’ve managed projects in PR, including our collaboration with Walt Disney on the animation Iwaju, which was released in February 2024. I previously served as Head of PR before being promoted to Chief Digital Officer. I’m one of five executives at the company and the only female executive on the team.
We’ve also collaborated with Snapchat, especially here in the UK, as we are an official lens partner for Snapchat. For example, we executed projects at Wembley Stadium where, through augmented reality, you could use the lens to see statues of giant Black footballers and Black athletes in the UK. Previously, I’ve had to wear different hats, such as product marketing.
Beforehand, I was with a tech company, and we had to develop products. This entailed, beyond marketing, using trends, data, and analytics around marketing to create software and tools. During my time there, we developed an advertising engine and a platform for e-booking. As a Nigerian company, we faced challenges with the conversion rate being too high—we were paying Google in dollars but earning revenue in Naira, essentially operating at a loss.
To solve this, we created a pricing strategy that would help more marketers. That’s how we came up with the ad engine, which brought advertisers and publishers together on a single platform, with all transactions conducted in Naira. This approach bridged the gap in pricing and product market strategy.
Which companies have you worked with?
Kugali Media: A digital entertainment company for global audiences, creating African-inspired stories through comics, animation, and AR experiences.
West London Business: A business membership organization for SMEs, startups, and large corporations in West London, providing networking, advocacy, and support services.
Cyberspace Nigeria: A technology solutions provider for businesses and government institutions in Nigeria, offering services like networking, cybersecurity, and enterprise software solutions.
Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself that most people don’t know?
I do a lot of volunteering and mentoring, and I have mentees across 14 different countries. As much as possible, I try to do this for free. It really depends on where they are in their career stage.
I use my marketing background to assist people who are just starting out in tech or launching their companies. My mentees are at different stages with their marketing strategies, depending on the companies they work with. I try to help them come up with solutions or strategies for implementation.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I watch a lot of animations, as you can imagine. It's how I unwind. I also listen to a lot of music and watch movies as well.
Can you share a resource or template that has been particularly valuable in your work?
I would say mentorship platforms. I always encourage people to seek out mentorship, even though it may sound unfamiliar to some or like therapy to others. To be fair, I have mentees who just want to vent sometimes.
I recommend using platforms like ADP List, which is free. You just need to sign up, and you’ll find thousands of mentors—around 30,000 on the platform. It’s completely free, and no matter what branch of marketing you're interested in, you’ll find people who can support you.
I’m in the top 50 group of marketers on the platform, but there are still many others, located in different parts of the world. You’ll find people in Nigeria and abroad. It connects people via video calls, so you can easily book a one-on-one session. I’ve had conversations with people on the platform, and some mentors even help you grow your career by recommending you for jobs.
I think platforms like ADPList provide great opportunities for people to tap into mentorship, and I highly recommend using it. There are also other platforms out there besides ADP, like micro-mentoring networks, which are also valuable depending on your industry or field.
What advice would you give to someone starting their career in growth marketing?
One thing I would say to people is to trust your instincts and use your brain. In marketing, there is no right or wrong answer; you just keep testing things until you find what works. Even when you find something that works, there’s always room for a better alternative—A/B test everything. So, trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to go wild or try something different.
Crazy ideas are a big part of marketing. Ask yourself, "What’s the worst that can happen?" Worst case, they fire you (just kidding), but the point is to keep trying, be smart, and dare to be different. Crazy ideas are what have shaped my career today. I don’t think I would have made it this far without having those difficult conversations and pushing the boundaries.
Also, the most important resource in marketing is your mind—trust it and follow it. I didn’t have a lot of mentors starting out, and I didn’t have many people who were like me, but I relied on my instincts at different points in my career.
In addition to this, understand that people don’t always expect you to speak up, but you need to learn how to advocate for yourself—nobody will be a greater advocate for you than you. You have to package and sell yourself. In doing that, you need to explore your limits, and you won’t find them until you try. So, in marketing, just keep pushing and trying until you reach that point. Keep experimenting—that’s the key.
Give us two marketers that you would like us to interview in this newsletter
Dara Treseder- Chief Marketing Officer at Autodesk
Bozoma Saint John - former Chief Marketing Officer at Netflix
If you have a recommendation for who we should be speaking to, or who you would like to see in this interview series, reply with their names, marketing specialty, and how we can reach them (LinkedIn, Email, Phone, Home address 🙂).