Teaching and Brand Communications are Interrelated

Edward Ezewele studied English Language and started his career as a teacher before switching to become a brand strategist. He shares with Ralph Tathagata his experiences as a secondary school teacher turned brand strategist.

My name is Edward Ezewele. I am a graduate of English Language from Edo State University. I did my national youth service in Jos, Plateau State in 1992. I took up my first job, a teaching appointment at Ifako International Secondary School, Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos State. In 2002, I left Ifako International and joined TQA Communications as PR executive.

While in TQA, I worked on different accounts. I was the Account Manager for Gulder lager beer on Gulder Ultimate search and also handled Star Quest. I have equally worked on the Maltina brand. While at TQA, I was handling the ADVAN account as well.

In fact, my formative years in the marketing communications industry were at TQA and I owe a lot to some of the best minds I met there.

I joined Neo Media in 2009 and right now I am working on Ovaltine. On the beer brands from Nigerian Breweries, I am handling the Gulder Ultimate Search and Star Quest together with other activities centering on the two brands.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have gone into teaching because I didn’t study education but the experience I gathered while teaching has really helped me because both involve communication. In fact, I will say teaching and brand communications are interrelated. I was always telling myself that I was not going to end up as a teacher because I had the vision that one day, I would be involved in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC).

As for my role models, the late MD of TQA, Osainde Odeinde, was one of the people I was looking up to and my immediate boss who is now in Canada. When I started this job, I used to have some kind of complex. Whenever I saw the creative works of brand strategists, I would be wondering how they managed to write such volumes. But they made me believe in myself and overcome this complex.  Of course, my present MD,  Ehi Braimoh, is also instrumental to my growth in the industry. He would correct a particular document as many times as possible. All of these people have played one role or the other in the success I have accomplished so far.

As for where I would like to be in the next few years in this industry, well I will say that I have just started. I also believe that the Nigerian IMC industry is growing very rapidly too. So for those of us who want to grow with the industry, the sky is our limit.

However, let me emphasize that the government has to make some basic things available if we must aspire to have a vibrant marketing communications industry like South Africa.