The creative economy is no longer a side hustle; it is the frontline. This was the powerful message that echoed at the second edition of PluggedIN, Nigeria’s most decisive creator-to-brand marketplace.

Organised by Insight Redefini, an integrated marketing communications network operating across Nigeria and West Africa and a member of Publicis Groupe in partnership with Woof Studios Africa, an African creative agency and Creator Service Provider (CSP) dedicated to supporting and amplifying the continent’s digital talent, the event brought brands and creators together, to explore opportunities for more meaningful collaboration through brand-funded content on YouTube.

Theme: “Beyond the Placement: Rethinking How Brands Work with Creators,” this year’s PluggedIN brought together Nigeria’s biggest YouTube creators, brand decision-makers and media agencies under one roof to examined how brands, agencies and creators can move beyond conventional advertising placements to develop content that combines business objectives with authentic audience engagement.

Building on a 2025 pilot, this year’s event raised the bar, expanded the conversation to more brands, with a focus on small-group discussions and one-to-one engagements designed to connect brands with creators and move promising ideas towards campaign briefs, partnerships and funded content.

Hosted by actress and media personality Bisola Aiyeola, the event comes amid growing interest in digital video and creator-led content as platforms for brands to connect with audiences. YouTube previously reported that watch time in Nigeria grew by more than 50 per cent year on year in 2025, with the platform reaching more than 30 million adults in the country each month.

Speaking at the event, Group CEO of Insight Redefini, Babatunde Olaifa, said that the growth of the creator economy depends on meaningful collaboration among brands and creators. He noted that no single stakeholder could build the ecosystem alone, highlighting the importance of combining their respective strengths to transform creative ideas into valuable content.

“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,” he said.

According to him, Insight Redefini’s role was to bring its portfolio of blue-chip clients to the table with real briefs, real budgets, and long-term partnership thinking.

Also speaking at the event, Founder and Creative Director of Woof Studios Africa, Adetutu Laditan, highlighted the growing ambitions of Nigerian creators and the need to address the business and production complexities involved in turning creative ideas into content that can be funded, produced and distributed to wider audiences.

She said: “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.”

Laditan, who spent over a decade leading YouTube marketing across Sub-Saharan Africa before founding Woof Studios, stressed that monetisation through AdSense alone cannot build an industry. “What was missing is the bridge layer between creators and capital,” she argued.

Discussions throughout the event centred on three priorities: involving creators earlier in the creative process, ensuring brand-funded content remains relevant and authentic to audiences, and translating conversations into tangible partnerships, content opportunities and measurable outcomes.

A key highlight was a power-packed brand panel moderated by Esosa Osagiede, Group Creative Director at Insight Redefini, which explored what brands look for when selecting creators for partnerships.

The panel session featured brand managers from established Nigerian brands including 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 panelists identified brand fit and genuine audience influence as critical considerations. They stressed that follower counts and views alone do not necessarily reflect a creator’s ability to connect with audiences or influence their perceptions and behaviour.

The consensus from the panel is that brands are tired of transactional posts. They want creator-led IP. “We don’t want one-off dancing videos. We want worlds, characters, stories that can live for six months, that we can co-own and scale,” said Popoola, adding that “a shared understanding of objectives, audiences and creative direction is essential to building effective partnerships.

The Creator Showcase, a pitch yourself session, was equally electric, with headliners including Aproko Doctor, Taaooma, Layi Wasabi, Osas Ighodaro, Bolaji Ogumola, Ify’s Kitchen, and Folagade Banks (Mama Deola), demonstrate how they have evolved from content creators to entrepreneurs and production houses — a vision Woof Studios is actively building, including taking African creators to the Cannes Lions for two consecutive years.

There was a fireside chat with creators. Hosted by Aiyeola, the panelists include Kiekie, Jay on-Air, Craze Clown, and Zeelicious Food. They share their perspectives on collaborating with brands through content that reflects their creative identities while meeting commercial objectives.

Speaking with The Guardian, Chief Operating Officer of Insight Redefini, Babatunde Shobanjo, described the PluggedIN initiative as a positive development for the media and marketing communications industry, pointing to the value of creating platforms where brands and creators can explore new ways of working together.

He noted that the emphasis on collaboration reflects Insight Redefini’s integrated approach to marketing communications.