In this exciting interview, Bidemi Zakariyau Akande – the visionary founder of LSF PR, a Pan-African Public Relations (PR) agency with core competencies in corporate communications, tech and consumer brands – takes us on a whirlwind journey through the agency’s remarkable decade-long evolution.
Starting in 2012 as a fashion-focused entity in Nigeria to serve businesses within the corporate, tech and consumer sectors, LSF PR has since expanded its reach to the UK and EU – driven by organic growth and glowing referrals. Bidemi reveals how the PR landscape has shifted toward a digital and social media extravaganza, emphasising the need for adaptability in this dynamic industry. The keys to LSF PR’s success are laid bare and the challenges are not hidden.
As they expand into the United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) markets, their commitment to excellence remains unwavering. Bidemi’s vision for the future of PR encompasses a data-driven world, powered by AI with a dash of virtual and augmented reality – promising exciting adventures ahead.
So, get your popcorn ready and over the next 10 minutes dive into the incredible world of LSF PR with Bidemi Zakariyau Akande (BZA) in this exclusive with the Business and Financial Times (B&FT). It’s a wild ride of growth, challenges and futuristic PR adventures!
History, overview and sector transformation
B&FT: Can you provide an extensive overview of LSF PR’s history and journey so far?
BZA: I founded LSF PR in 2012, working with fashion brands in Nigeria. Within three years, we started diversifying our client base to include retail and lifestyle. By our fifth year, our base changed and we started representing brands and businesses within the corporate, consumer and lifestyle sector. We are constantly adapting based on the demand for our services, and since year-seven our core focus has been corporate, technology and consumer PR.
Reflecting on the journey and our growth so far, it’s been very organic. We’ve thrived on referrals and recommendations – which has led to our growth as a Pan-African agency. Right now, our client base consists of local and global brands with PR needs, and target audiences that span several African regions. We recently expanded our services to the UK and EU market, and our office in London became fully operational on September 4.
B&FT: How has the public relations landscape transformed since LSF PR’s establishment a decade ago?
BZA: A decade ago, the public relations landscape was undergoing what you’d call a tectonic shift. At the time, digital trends were already emerging, and companies and brands were transitioning from communications plans that were heavily dependent on celebrity endorsements to plans tailored to fit budding digital trends and platforms. Back then, Facebook was the biggest social media platform; Twitter and Instagram were still emerging, and platforms like TikTok didn’t exist. As a result, content was designed predominantly for traditional outlets.
With the growth of digital and social media platforms, and the advent of video content as well as a host of other forms of content, all of that changed. Content has become nuanced and dynamic; companies have started engaging influencers with niche communities to promote their brands, as opposed to top-tier celebrities. Social media has become ubiquitous and is now a major communication touchpoint for brands and a much faster way to get news. On the flip-side, this has also rippled into a rise in fake news, as there are no systems to ensure that the information peddled on social media is verified.
In addition to these developments, in recent years there has been the growth of artificial intelligence – particularly with the rise of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and other AI-powered tools that influence culture and business decisions.
Uploading standards and talent acquisition
B&FT: Maintaining high standards after achieving success can be challenging. How has LSF PR upheld these standards?
BZA: I believe achieving and maintaining high standards starts with having a clear focus. For us at LSF PR, that focus has always been providing world-class service delivery and impact. We give great thought to the services we include in our offerings and the impact we want to have, both as a company and as a business servicing other businesses. Focusing on these two things helps us stay in touch with our core – who we are and what is important to us as a business.
All of that influences the decisions we make when deploying strategies and delivering services – and quite naturally, we end up delivering the best services and achieving remarkable results for our clients. So, really, the high standards and delivery of unparalleled results stem from our brand DNA.
B&FT: To what extent has recruiting the right talent played a pivotal role in LSF PR’s success?
BZA: There is a sizeable list of things that have made and are still making LSF successful. At the top of that list is our people. The people of LSF are an integral part of who we are. Over the years, based on how hard we’ve worked with passion and dedication as well as team-members who bought into the LSF vision, this has contributed to our success.
Now, how have we been able to attract these amazing people? I think the answer lies in our DNA. When a company has specific standards and values that are integral to its core, it attracts talents that identify with those values and standards. This has been the case with LSF PR for the past ten years.
Uniqueness
B&FT: What distinctive factors set LSF PR apart from other public relations firms in the industry?
BZA: What sets us apart is what we do and how we do it. At LSF, we are very passionate about what we do. We take pride in our great attention to detail and the outstanding professionalism we display. These three things – our passion, attention to detail and professionalism – have a marked impact on our work and the ensuing results.
Teething challenges and overcoming them
B&FT: Could you elaborate on the significant challenges LSF PR has confronted over the past 10 years, and the strategies used to overcome them?
BZA: In our first few years of business, the challenges that constantly dogged our steps came from established businesses being wary of working with a young agency. I remember LSF PR being the youngest agency to pitch on a number of occasions. I also remember being sidelined – in our early years – because we were a young agency, filled with young people and led by a young person.
As a young founder, these challenges rippled into our hiring processes as well. There were instances when parents of team-members came to inspect our office. There were also times when parents asked team-members to leave the agency, because a young agency with a young leader was not something they were familiar with.
Aside from those issues, changing government policies sometimes proved to be a significant challenge for us, and in many instances for our clients as well. There have been instances when we were representing foreign clients and a change in government policies affected the position of the business, and invariably affected us. On the other hand, there have also been the standard challenges that come with running a business.
How did we overcome all of these? By remaining focused on the goals I set out to achieve. I have learnt that you need to give yourself permission to succeed, and not depend on the world around you for validation. Having this mindset and just focusing on doing great work helped us surmount all of the challenges we have faced so far, and has gotten us to where we are today.
Adaptation, standing out and honours
B&FT: How has LSF PR adapted to the growing prevalence of digital and social media in the PR industry?
BZA: As an agency, part of our job is to understand the shifting trends and budding platforms that impact the public relations ecosystem. We make it a point of duty to understand changes in the industry and adapt. Choosing not to adapt to changes would be catastrophic for any agency; it could mean stunted growth and possible oblivion. For instance, any agency that refused to adapt when the tide of digital and social media platforms came in would have been swept off the scene.
Every agency that intends to thrive in the PR industry needs to stay nimble. This means being on the constant lookout for what’s next. At LSF PR, we always have our ears on the ground – listening and looking out for the next trends shaping the industry locally and globally. This helps us pivot quickly whenever we need to, and position our clients in the best ways possible.
B&FT: Among LSF PR’s campaigns since inception, which ones stand out the most and why?
BZA: It’s hard to choose a favourite. Every campaign is quite different and exciting in its own way. Each campaign we’ve had the privilege of working on at the agency has been an amazing adventure for us. We are grateful that we get to do what we love to do with brands and businesses across different industries, countries and continents.
B&FT: Kindly highlight some of the awards LSF PR has garnered over the past decade.
BZA: Our first major award was a SABRE Certificate of Excellence. It was for the ‘Philips through Your Life’ campaign which ran in Nigeria, Ghana and other West African countries. The campaign became best practice for Philips internally.
Over the years, we have won several other awards across various industries and from several bodies: including categories such as Public Affairs and Government Relations, Financial Communications, Crisis Communications, Mining and Extractive Industries, Superior Achievement in Brand Building, Corporate Image, Special Event/Sponsorship, Best Use of Influencer Programme and Endorsement, Best Use of Social Media Networks, Media Relations and so many more. Additionally, we have been ranked as the 10th most creative PR Agency in the world by the Holmes Report (now PRovoke Media) Global Creative Index.
Community engagement
B&FT: How has LSF PR directly contributed to the communities where it operates, beyond its core business?
BZA: We have an LSF Community Development Programme. It is a five-week (weekend only) session that focuses on helping undergraduate students and recent graduates become more employable. Through this programme, we help people who are searching for jobs – particularly entry-level roles – position themselves for the job market. The sessions cover a number of key topics – including CV reviews, how to get an interview and prepare for it, and how to position yourself for promotion and growth within a company. For entrepreneurs, we teach the basics of entrepreneurship.
In all of these sessions, we leverage our contacts and relationships with top companies and multinationals to get the best facilitators – to ensure participants have relevant training for the various industries within the corporate world.
London office and new markets
B&FT: What motivated LSF PR to establish a London office and venture into new markets?
BZA: Venturing into the UK and EU markets fully was a natural course of events for us. LSF PR’s work has touched the UK and European markets for a number of years now. From our interactions with clients and agencies, we spotted some gaps and demands.
For one, there are certain businesses which don’t want to use different agencies to reach multiple stakeholders across different markets. There are also a number of UK- and European-based agencies who desire to work with local partners with a presence in Africa. Working with these two client categories made us realise the need to set up offices in the UK and European markets.
Beyond the needs we spotted from interfacing with clients and agencies in the UK and European markets, we noticed that the messaging of some brands and businesses in these markets sometimes misses the mark. Particularly when their work is being handled by an agency that does not understand the cultural nuances of the audience being targetted. We want to solve this problem.
Our presence in these markets will help us service particular segments of the corporate world: African businesses looking to reach stakeholder groups within the UK and EU markets. UK and EU-based businesses looking to connect with stakeholders on the African continent. Locally based in the UK and in the EU looking to connect with the African Diaspora within their particular market.
B&FT: What challenges does LSF PR anticipate while establishing a presence in the UK and EU markets, and how will they be addressed?
BZA: Entering a new market and building a business from the ground up can be marked by uncertainty, but our presence is guided by a specific purpose and clear objectives. Regardless of the demands and challenges that surface, we will focus on these – the way we did in Africa. We will also leverage the expertise and experiences we garnered from starting and growing businesses from scratch. With this approach, we are confident that we will establish LSF PR as a company to be reckoned with in the UK and European markets.
B&FT: How does LSF PR plan to navigate cultural and regulatory variations while expanding into the UK and EU markets?
BZA: LSF PR is going into the UK and European markets with an understanding of what exists, in terms of regulations and preferences of UK and EU audiences. This is not a new market for us. We already have a firm grasp of the different cultural nuances between Africa, the UK, and EU because our work extends to these markets.
We are not breaking into an entirely new market. Rather, we are establishing LSF PR – in the UK and European markets – as a Pan-African PR agency that understands everything which has to do with the African continent, including different cultural nuances existing across the different African regions.
B&FT: Considering the evolving PR industry, how does LSF PR plan to tailor its services to meet the specific needs of UK and EU clients?
BZA: The PR industry’s evolution does not apply to a particular market. The industry, regardless of country or continent, evolves. For us, this means that we will uphold the same standards that are part of our DNA: delivering great results, hiring the right talent and adopting the latest and best strategies to guarantee our clients’ success. As the PR industry continues to develop, the strategies we implement will represent a comprehensive adjustment that extends across every market where we have a presence.
The Future of PR
B&FT: Over the next decade, what major themes do you envision shaping the PR industry?
BZA: I think the industry will be shaped by the increasingly data-driven nature of our world. AI and data analytics will become more pronounced in the field as PR professionals leverage them to get the data needed to refine communications tactics, shape strategies, and measure success. Also, AI-powered tools are very likely going to become mainstream in the industry. There is already a rise in the use of AI-powered tools to optimise time and increase efficiency – and I think this trend is going to continue.
Beyond this, I think we can also expect to see virtual and augmented reality become more pervasive. There is a high possibility that PR and Communications professionals will use these technologies to create immersive experiences for audiences. As AI and cutting-edge technologies become more prevalent, it will be essential for professionals to revise, for instance, their crisis communication strategies in adapting to the unique challenges of a data-driven environment.
