Abayomi Ayoola, chief executive officer and managing director, Exposé Marketing Solutions, has challenged brands operating across multiple markets to move beyond simply replicating global campaigns and instead focus on meaningful localisation that resonates with local consumers.

Speaking during an EXMAN Learning Session on the theme, “Thinking Globally, Executing Locally,” Ayoola raised concerns about how many international brands approach market expansion, particularly in emerging markets such as Nigeria.

According to him, the success of a campaign depends not only on the strength of the original idea but also on how effectively it is interpreted and executed within the local context.

“One question has stayed with me: when global brands enter local markets, are they truly translating the idea, or are they simply copying what worked elsewhere?” he said.

Ayoola noted that campaigns that perform strongly in one market may deliver entirely different results elsewhere, despite using the same creative assets, budgets, or execution models.

“The same campaign, budget, or creative asset can perform very differently across markets. Many times, the problem is not the original idea. It is how the idea is interpreted and brought to life locally,” he stated.

He argued that while creative concepts may travel across borders, their meaning does not always travel with them.

“The creative may travel, but the meaning does not always travel with it,” he added.

Focusing on Nigeria, Ayoola described the country’s consumers as young, digitally active, culturally diverse, and increasingly deliberate in their spending decisions.

According to him, today’s consumers are evaluating brands through a series of practical questions that influence purchasing behaviour and loyalty.

“They are asking simple but important questions: Does this feel like it was made for me? Is the value clear? Will I remember the experience? Can I trust the brand to deliver what it promised?” he said.

Ayoola stressed that effective localisation extends beyond superficial changes such as adapting names, faces, language, or music. Rather, it requires a deeper understanding of how consumers live, think, spend, connect, and make decisions.

“Localisation must go beyond changing names, faces, music, or language. It requires a real understanding of how people live, think, spend, connect, and make decisions,” he explained.

He observed that some of the most successful brands operating in Nigeria have distinguished themselves by adapting not only their messaging but also the broader consumer experience.

“Some of the strongest brands understand this. They do not just bring global ideas into Nigeria. They adapt the full experience from the message and pricing to access, partnerships, payment options, and on-ground execution,” he said.

Ayoola also urged marketing teams to adopt a more rigorous approach before launching campaigns, encouraging them to evaluate whether their ideas genuinely connect with consumers rather than merely achieving visibility.

Among the questions he recommended brands ask before deployment are whether campaigns have been tested with real consumers, whether partners understand the brand story, whether every touchpoint communicates a consistent message, and whether success metrics go beyond reach to measure actual consumer connection.

He outlined what he described as a practical framework for effective localisation: “Global idea → local insight → local adaptation → on-ground execution → measurable impact.”

While describing the process as straightforward, he acknowledged that execution remains the biggest challenge.

“The difficult part is having the discipline to do each step properly,” he noted.

Ayoola concluded by urging marketers to critically assess whether they are genuinely adapting ideas for local markets or merely reproducing campaigns developed elsewhere.

“Before the next brief moves into production, ask one honest question: Are we copying, or are we translating?” he said.

According to him, the distinction is critical in a market such as Nigeria where consumer attention is increasingly difficult to earn.

“Because copying creates noise. Translation creates meaning. And in Nigeria, the brands that win are not always the loudest. They are the ones people understand.”