Insight Publicis is one of the largest advertising agencies in Nigeria and West Africa. It is wholly owned by the Troyka Group. The company was affiliated with the Grey Group EMEA for several years, but is now a member of the Publicis Group. In Nigeria, Insight pioneered the integrated marketing communications approach, a management concepts that ensures all communication channels work as part of a whole.
History
Insight Publicis was incorporated in 1979 and commenced operations in 1980 as an integrated marketing communications group. The company was co-founded by Biodun Shobanjo, who served as the chairman of Troyka, and Jimi Awosika, the managing director and CEO. Biodun Shobanjo was the CEO of Insight for 25 years before he stepped down at the end of December 2004. In 2015, the director of strategy and planning, Feyi Olubodun, was promoted to the role of General Manager and COO of the company. Feyi was later elevated from the position of general manager and Chief Operating Officer to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Insight Publicis on 1 October 2016. Feyi Olubodun however resigned as the third Managing Director/CEO in the history of the company in December of 2018 and was replaced by Dr. Tendai Mhizha who became the first female Managing Director/CEO of the company. Sinmisola Hughes who was appointed Creative Director of Insight Publicis in January 2017, becoming the first female to hold the position later moved on to joined Leo Burnett Lagos as Creative Director in March of 2018 and was replaced by Chuka Obi as Creative Director at Insight Publicis.
Notable works
Notable amongst many of their recent works are the Pepsi Long Throat campaign, the NASCO cornflakes Whole Flaked campaign, Heineken Shazam scan a bottle campaign, Yudala Yu Live Well campaign, Scanfrost December Special campaign, the Pepsi Naija All the Way Campaign, Castrol Oil Nigeria launch campaign and many others.
Awards
Both Biodun Shobanjo and Jimi Awosika are the recipients of several local and international awards. In 2013, the Sun newspapers honoured the chairman of Troyka, Biodun Shobanjo, with the ‘Advertising Man of All Times’, their highest award so far, in recognition of his contribution to advertising profession in Nigeria. In 2013, the World Confederation of Businesses USA honoured the agency with the BIZZ 2013 Award for Excellence. In 2012, Insight came tops at the annual advertising awards in Nigeria carting away 25 medals in total. Insight emerged at the biggest winner also at the 2013 LAIF awards carting away the bulk of the awards. In 2015, Jimi Awosika, one of the legends of advertising on the continent, bagged the award of "Outstanding Advertising Personality of the Decade". Also in 2015, Biodun Shobanjo received the Manager of the Year award at the International Achievements Forum held by the Europe Business Assembly at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London, UK.
LAIF - Nigeria's advertising awards
At the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival, widely considered to be the "Cannes" of Nigeria, Insight has won numerous medals and awards. Notably, in 2012, 2013, and 2014, Insight was the most awarded agency.
In 2013, Insight was voted as one of the top 100 places to work in Nigeria by Jobberman, a Nigerian job-hunting website. Insight was the only advertising agency that featured on the list. Later, a 2015 survey conducted by Jobberman in partnership with Ventures Africa voted Insight as the third-best place to work in Nigeria for millennials.
Services
Insight Publicis operates as a fully integrated marketing communications agency. Insight offers the following services : Strategy and Planning, Multimedia Creative Solutions, Brand Development, Digital Marketing, Brand Consultancy, Digital Content Creation and general creative services.
