#18: Ibrahim Owodina—From Mass Communication to Senior Content Manager
Ibrahim is a senior content strategist known for developing cross-functional content systems and shaping messaging that connects brands with the right audience.
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?
I’d say it was all fate. I never had a plan to go into marketing. For a long time, I was just the regular kid in secondary school who didn’t really stand out. But fate reveals your path in unexpected ways.
One morning at assembly, our notoriously strict literature-in-english teacher suddenly called out, “Who is Ibrahim Owodina?” I thought I was in trouble. But to my surprise, he held up my article for an inter-school essay competition titled “My Blueprint for a United Nigeria” and praised it as the perfect template for everyone else. It was the first time anyone had publicly recognised my potential and was my first nudge toward communication.
The second turning point came after secondary school. I was to study law and scored 258 in UTME and 86% in Post-UTME. But a mistake in my subject combination cost me admission. What felt like a devastating setback at the time was actually fate redirecting me.
I ended up studying mass communication, majoring in public relations and advertising. After NYSC, I started as a communications associate at Truppr, had brief stints in journalism both locally and abroad, and eventually found my way into agency marketing, where I am to date.
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How do you define growth marketing?
Growth marketing, for me, is the sweet spot between creativity and performance. It’s not just about running ads or posting content; it’s about building systems that make people care and then act. It’s iterative, insight-driven, and deeply connected to understanding human behaviour.
What are your key areas of expertise within marketing?
I’m a π-shaped marketer with deep expertise in content strategy and brand storytelling, and strong capabilities across multiple functions. My strengths lie in translating brand and business goals into creative, structured content systems that drive awareness, engagement, and conversion.
Strategically, I focus on content strategy, campaign planning, brand positioning, and audience research. On the creative end, I bring strong skills in copywriting, tone of voice development, creative direction, and scriptwriting across formats like radio, video, and social media.
From a performance perspective, I’m experienced in optimizing for engagement and conversions, running growth campaigns across B2C, B2B, and personal brands, and measuring success through performance reporting.
My channel experience spans social media (Meta, X, TikTok, LinkedIn), websites and blogs (with SEO and CMS tools), and email/SMS. I also work fluently across tools and platforms like Meta Ads, WordPress, Metricool, Google Analytics, Capcut, and Adobe Premiere Pro.
Which marketing channels do you prioritize, and have you found to be effective?
My key channels are:
Social Media (Meta, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, TikTok) – both organic and paid.
Content & Email Marketing – for long-form storytelling and customer nurturing.
Website & Blog (via CMS tools like WordPress & Wix) – for SEO and brand authority.
What roles have you held in your growth and marketing career?
Over the course of my marketing career, I’ve held a range of roles that have helped shape my approach to strategy and storytelling. I started out as a communications associate, then moved into social media management before transitioning into more strategic roles.
I spent time as a news and feature writer, which sharpened my editorial instincts, and later became a content strategist working across various industries. Currently, I serve as deputy content lead, where I help drive brand narratives and oversee content systems at scale.
Which companies have you worked with?
Together with wonderful teams, I have over the years managed growth and content strategies across various industries, working both in-house and through agency partnerships.
Interactive CT (B2B/B2C, Marketing Agency) – Managed campaigns and growth strategies for brands across FMCG, QSR, banking, and health. Notable brands include KFC Nigeria, McVitie’s, Hollandia, Sensodyne and more.
Amplify Africa (B2B, Media & Events) – Developed content and digital campaigns that amplified African creatives and connected diasporic audiences through culture-led experiences.
Truppr (B2B/B2C, Fitness/Wellness) – Drove content and community growth for fitness users while also supporting corporate wellness programs for businesses and teams across Nigeria.
I’ve also supported personal brands in entertainment - like Simi, Skales, Pheelz and more, with content strategy and brand positioning. Additionally, I’ve consulted on fintech projects (e.g., Pecan Bank) and collaborated on growth campaigns for other brands over the years.
Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself that most people don’t know?
I spent two full years on walking aids and only recently started walking freely again. It was meant to be rough but I stayed chilled and now, I am looking forward to sharing my toxic positivity survival strategies on a podcast or maybe even a TED Talk.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy swimming, catching up with friends, and curating playlists for every mood.
Can you share a resource or template that has been particularly valuable in your work?
Man, read HubSpot blog twice, every day.
What advice would you give to someone starting their career in growth marketing?
Start with curiosity. Then build range. Understand storytelling, consumer psychology, and data. The best growth marketers are part strategist, part psychologist, and part builder. You don’t have to master everything, but you do need to understand how the parts connect.
Give us two marketers that you would like us to interview in this newsletter
Nauteeq Bello – Marketing Professional
Olakunle Sanni – Business Lead, Red for Africa
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 🙂).
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