Jason

SHOLA ASIRU

Brand Growth & Performance Marketing Expert

As an accomplished Marketing Professional with 9 years of experience, I specialize in elevating brand positioning and driving product growth through strategic marketing initiatives. My expertise lies in tailoring product positioning to align seamlessly with customer needs, staying ahead of market trends, and navigating competitive landscapes. Passionate about leveraging innovative strategies to enhance brand visibility and market share, I thrive on creating impactful marketing solutions that foster brand growth and performance.

My Work

Marketing Head,

Blaaiz Innovations Technology (2023)

Brand & Communications Manager

Payaza Africa (2024)

Portfolio

Launched in January 2023, Blaaiz began as a three-member team juggling multiple responsibilities. As the second in command after the CEO, my duties spanned from name registration and securing licenses across various countries to forging partnerships with different organizations. Transitioning to product design, I compiled various templates to shape our vision for Blaaiz and concurrently served as the product manager, developing user stories and the product roadmap. Encountering a design challenge, we enlisted a professional product designer, who found minimal work remaining thanks to the groundwork I had laid, requiring only final touches.

With the foundation set, I assumed the role of product manager, overseeing the recruitment of a front-end engineer and CTO to steer the development process. Following the addition of a backend engineer, our website was launched within two months, and our mobile app followed six weeks later. By this time, our team expanded to nine. Simultaneously tackling product management and design, I spearheaded marketing efforts, conducting extensive market research and strategizing.

The arrival of investors facilitated further team expansion, enabling me to concentrate on marketing while overseeing new hires, including a product manager, content developer, social media manager, and graphic designer. Our strategic launch in the UK in October 2023 exceeded expectations, demonstrating our market readiness.

Currently, I oversee brand management, strategic planning, digital marketing, market research, product marketing, analytics, partnerships, business development, team leadership, budgeting, and customer engagement for Blaaiz, ensuring our sustained growth and market presence.

Payaza stands as Africa's most trusted payment gateway provider, with ambitions to lead globally. Operating across the US, Canada, the UK, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mauritius, Payaza is on a mission to rival giants like Visa and Mastercard in global recognition. Joining as the Brand and Communications Manager during its regional expansion, I noticed the brand identity fell short of its ambitious goals and successfully spearheaded a comprehensive rebranding initiative. This included developing a brand guide, redesigning the merchant landing page and home page, and crafting all necessary website and web app content. Following these updates, web developers revamped our digital presence, and our office designs were realigned with the new brand identity.

With a robust go-to-market strategy tailored for each region, Payaza's relaunch garnered immediate attention across Africa, embedding our brand firmly in the public consciousness. I am now focusing on penetrating the US and Canadian markets with innovative strategies. My role encompasses overseeing all marketing efforts, including digital and product marketing, growth strategies, market research, analytics, and team management, ensuring Payaza's continued ascent in the payment solutions sector.

Marketing Manager

Mozzart Bet Nigeria (2021)

Blaaiz Innovation Technology, a remittance platform, boasts a global presence with offices in Toronto, London, and several African countries. In addition to its remittance services, Blaaiz offers a payment gateway solution catering to merchants. Operating across the United States, Canada, the UK, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania, Blaaiz is continuously on a path of global expansion, aiming to extend its reach further worldwide.

In 2021, I came on board as the Marketing Manager at Mozzart Bet, a leading online sports betting company with operations in 16 countries worldwide. Tasked with overseeing digital marketing, influencer collaborations, activations, and traditional marketing channels, I became the inaugural marketing manager for the Nigerian subsidiary. Leading the charge with innovative strategies for market penetration, we achieved remarkable success by registering 7,432 active players within the first year, surpassing our two-year goal ahead of schedule. Also i increased the company revenue massively after 24 months

Outcomes of My Tenure at Mozzart Bet

Digital Marketing Manager

Sujimoto Construction Limited (2020)

My engagement with Sujimoto began in June 2020, sparked by a trivia post I encountered during the pandemic. Intrigued by its potential as a global brand, I pursued and secured the position of Digital Marketing Head. Collaborating with Sujimoto Construction's talented creative team, we developed a diverse range of online content and designs to enhance brand visibility across major digital platforms.

Our strategic implementation of digital marketing to promote high-end properties through bold campaigns, both locally and internationally, led to a remarkable 140% increase in sales within nine months. This success solidified Sujimoto Construction's reputation, making it a household name to 99.9% of Nigerians and recognized by 75% of the Nigerian diaspora. I have since transitioned to the role of a digital marketing consultant within SUJIMOTO GROUPS, continuing to leverage my expertise in elevating the brand's presence.

Head Ad Operations (Advertising)

Opera Software (2018)

Duties:

Define and implement strategies for ad operations that align with our client's goals, ensuring efficient campaign management and optimization.
Lead, manage, and develop the ad operations team, fostering a collaborative environment, and ensuring team members are trained on the latest ad technologies and platforms.
Oversee the setup, monitoring, and optimization of ad campaigns across various digital platforms, ensuring campaigns meet client objectives and KPIs.
Stay abreast of advancements in ad technologies, platforms, and best practices. Evaluate and integrate new ad tech tools and software to enhance campaign performance and operational efficiency.
Work closely with clients, sales teams, media planners, and creative teams to ensure cohesive campaign planning, execution, and reporting.
Analyze campaign data to extract insights and optimize performance. Provide comprehensive reporting to internal teams and clients, highlighting campaign results, insights, and recommendations for future strategies.
I managed over 350 VIP client campaigns on different marketing platforms and delivered great results. I also increased company retention by over 100%.

About Me

As a seasoned Brand Marketing and Growth Specialist, I bring nine years of expertise in elevating brands and enhancing their visibility. My comprehensive background encompasses brand management, product marketing, and strategic planning, with a particular proficiency in online marketing. What sets me apart is my dedication to constructing robust brand identities and ensuring the effectiveness of my strategies through meticulous attention, aiming to achieve the anticipated return on investment. My track record of success serves as a distinctive advantage, underlining my unique value proposition in the field.

Portfolio

Among my notable contributions was establishing a system at Opera Software that managed over 1500 campaigns, significantly contributing to winning the Advertising Brand of the Year 2019 award from Business Day newspaper. My impact was evident as the company frequently invited me for staff training even after my resignation, underscoring the enduring value of my work. My efforts at Sujimoto Construction led to a $9.5 million ROI from campaigns in my first year and initiated Sujimoto Investment, yielding $4 million in its first quarter, thanks to successful collaboration with the sales team.
At Mozzart Bet, I ventured into the sports betting sector, spending two years there and remarkably generating approximately $3.2 billion in revenue. Achieving such a feat was extraordinary, especially starting from scratch with no customers. I owe much of this success to the insights provided by Google Analytics, which helped demonstrate these impressive results.

Beyond my core projects, I actively contribute to open-source initiatives, firmly believing in the power of knowledge-sharing and collaborative development. It's my way of giving back to the community and staying engaged with the latest industry trends.