PluggedIN 2026: Brands, creators explore IP ownership, sustainable partnerships

Nigerian content creators and brand executives have called for stronger collaboration to build sustainable creative businesses, as the second edition of PluggedIN brought industry stakeholders together in Lagos.

Woof Studios Africa and Insight Redefini organised the event on Thursday at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, under the theme, “Beyond the Placement: Rethinking How Brands Work with Creators.”

Hosted by actress and media personality Bisola Aiyeola, the event explored how brands, advertising agencies, and digital creators could move beyond one-off sponsored posts to develop original content, digital series and intellectual property capable of generating long-term commercial value.

Building on its inaugural edition in 2025, PluggedIN expanded its engagement with brands through panel discussions, a creator showcase, small-group conversations and one-on-one meetings designed to turn creative ideas into funded productions, campaign briefs and lasting partnerships.

Bridging the creators-brands gap

Speaking at the event, Babatunde Olaifa, Group Chief Executive Officer of Insight Redefini, said meaningful collaboration was essential to the growth of Africa’s creator economy.

He argued that brands needed to recognise creators as intellectual property owners capable of developing original ideas, rather than treating them solely as influencers hired to promote products.

“The creator economy has flipped; it is no longer a secondary channel; it is the absolute frontline of consumer engagement in Africa today.

“If your brand is not collaborating with creators as intellectual property owners, not just influencers, you are already behind,” Mr Olaifa said.

According to him, Insight Redefini sought to bring its portfolio of major clients into conversations with creators, with clearly defined briefs, budgets and long-term partnership opportunities.

Founder and Creative Director of Woof Studios Africa, Adetutu Laditan, also added that the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between creative talent and the funding, production and distribution resources needed to develop commercially viable projects.

She noted that creators were increasingly thinking beyond individual viral videos, but needed support to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses.

“Nigerian creators are thinking bigger, and that is exactly what forward-thinking brands want to be part of.

“Our job at Woof Studios is to manage the business and production complexities, the funding, the producing, the distribution, so that a viral skit can become a sustainable series, a film, a franchise,” Ms Laditan said.

The Woof Studios founder added that revenue from YouTube’s advertising programme alone was insufficient to build a sustainable industry, stressing the need for stronger connections between creators, investors and brands.

She said bringing the two groups together was particularly timely, as many companies were planning their 2027 budgets and investments in the final quarter of the year.

According to her, creators who understood brands’ business objectives and could show how their ideas would deliver value would be better positioned to secure partnerships while developing their own projects.

Into brands, creators demand

A major highlight was a brand panel moderated by Esosa Osagiede, Group Creative Director at Insight Redefini, which examined what companies considered when selecting creators for partnerships.

The panel featured Adeyinka Jemi-Alade, Head of Integrated Marketing Communications at TGI Group; Bolaji Popoola, Media and Consumer Experience Manager at Mondelez International; Chisom Bikawei, Media Communications Manager at Nestlé Nigeria; Francis Obiajulu, Senior Brand Manager for Amstel Malta and Hi-Malt; and Sam Okolie, Head of Mainstream Spirit at Guinness Nigeria.

The panellists identified brand alignment, audience trust and genuine influence as key considerations, noting that follower counts and video views alone did not necessarily translate into meaningful audience engagement or consumer action.

They also emphasised the importance of establishing shared objectives, understanding target audiences and giving creators room to develop content that reflects their identities while meeting commercial goals.

The discussions highlighted a shift toward collaborations that let brands to help develop original stories and formats, rather than relying solely on isolated promotional posts.

Aproko, Taaoma, Layi share experiences

The creator showcase featured digital personalities including Aproko Doctor, Taaooma, Layi Wasabi, Osas Ighodaro, Bolaji Ogunmola, Ify’s Kitchen and Folagade Banks, popularly known as Mama Deola.

The creators presented their work and discussed how their platforms and creative ideas could translate into broader commercial opportunities.

A separate conversation, hosted by Aiyeola, featured Kiekie, Jay On-Air, Craze Clown and Winifred Nwania of Zeelicious Food. They shared perspectives on working with brands while maintaining creative independence, retaining audiences and building businesses around their content.

Other featured creators included Biodun Stephen, Afropolitan, Geena Foodies n Spice and Shank Comics.

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Group Chief Operating Officer (GCOO) and General Manager of Insight Redefini, Babatunde Shobanjo, described the initiative as a positive development for the marketing communications industry, highlighting the importance of creating platforms where brands and creators could explore new ways of working together.

Looking Beyond Nigeria

Ms Laditan said Woof Studios Africa was also considering extending the initiative into other African markets, including Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

She, however, stressed the importance of establishing a successful model in Nigeria before expanding elsewhere.

“Nigeria is probably the biggest creator market, even a creative market,” she said, adding that successful initiatives in the country could provide a model for other markets.

She said the immediate priority was to demonstrate that creators could build sustainable businesses through structured partnerships, creating a model that could subsequently be adapted across the continent.

The event comes amid growing interest in digital video and creator-led content as channels for reaching audiences.

YouTube previously reported that watch time in Nigeria increased by more than 50 per cent year-on-year in 2025, with the platform reaching more than 30 million adults monthly.

PluggedIN 2026 sought to build on this growing interest by creating a platform for creators and brands develop practical commercial relationships, with an emphasis on turning creative talent into sustainable businesses.