Exploring Entertainment Marketing with Oghogho Harriet Osemwegie: Data, Strategy, and Digital Innovation

Marketing in entertainment is evolving rapidly, with brands relying on digital strategies, audience engagement, and brand positioning more than ever. To explore these shifts, we spoke with Oghogho Harriet Osemwegie, a marketing strategist with experience in entertainment media, tech marketing, and consumer engagement. In this conversation, she shares insights on celebrity-driven marketing, brand positioning, and what it takes to stand out in today’s industry.

To start, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to entertainment media marketing and brand positioning.

My name is Oghogho Harriet Osemwegie. My background is in entertainment media marketing and strategic communication, focusing on helping brands refine their visibility, perception, and audience engagement in highly competitive industries. I’ve always been drawn to how brands influence culture, especially in entertainment, where marketing isn’t just about selling a product, but shaping how people experience these products. That’s what led me to focus on building marketing strategies that don’t just generate short-term engagement but create long-term industry relevance. Much of my experience comes from working in both creative and technical marketing spaces, where I’ve learned how to merge data-driven strategy with execution that resonates with audiences.

You mentioned working in both creative and technical marketing. Where did you gain that experience, and how did it shape your approach to branding?

One of the most formative experiences was working at NVIDIA, where I was involved in campaign, product, and partner marketing. NVIDIA sits at the intersection of technology, media, and consumer engagement, and my role required me to translate highly technical concepts into messaging that resonated with mass audiences. This experience shaped how I approach entertainment branding, where the challenge is similar, you need to simplify complex ideas while keeping the strategy strong. I learned how to use market positioning, strategic partnerships, and audience insights to create marketing that feels both authentic and backed by data.

NVIDIA is known for being highly technical—how did you transition from working in that space to focusing on entertainment marketing?

The transition was actually seamless because so much of entertainment marketing today is deeply technical and brands rely on data, audience analytics, and digital-first strategies just as much as the tech industry does. That’s also something I’ve explored further in my Entertainment Marketing Analysis Research at Carnegie Mellon, where I’m working with Maximum Effort, founded by Ryan Reynolds, to analyze how celebrity and influencer-driven campaigns shape consumer engagement.

Celebrity marketing has always been a major part of entertainment, but do you think it still holds the same influence today? What patterns are you seeing in your research?

It’s definitely evolving. Celebrity influence isn’t just about star power anymore, it’s about authenticity and audience alignment. Our research shows that brands prioritizing authentic partnerships over traditional endorsements see higher engagement and consumer trust. If a celebrity or influencer doesn’t align with the brand’s audience, the impact is minimal and people can see when a partnership doesn’t feel real. Another major shift is the rise of real-time engagement and personality-driven branding. Companies like Maximum Effort, Duolingo, and Netflix are proving that humor, interactive content, and digital-first strategies are redefining entertainment marketing. Marketing today isn’t just about visibility, it’s about cultural influence.

You’ve talked about how brands today need to create experiences rather than just traditional advertising. I know you’ve also explored this through your own work so can you tell us about your content projects and how they tie into your approach to brand marketing?

My content is an extension of my work in brand positioning and marketing strategy. With Apple and Google, I wanted to explore how brands can visually communicate their identity in ways that feel engaging, fresh, and beyond traditional advertising. Branding today isn’t just about logos and campaigns, it’s about creating a brand experience. My projects demonstrate how fashion, visual marketing, and digital execution can be used as marketing tools to make a brand feel more tangible to consumers.

How do you stay ahead in an entertainment and marketing industry that’s constantly evolving?

I stay engaged in real-world industry conversations. Attending conferences like Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference, the American Marketing Association’s virtual conferences, conferences hosted by the National Black MBA Association, and GTC has given me a front-row seat to how brands navigate digital transformation, audience behavior shifts, and evolving marketing strategies. Beyond that, my work at Maximum Effort allows me to analyze how brands sustain relevance in a fast-changing media landscape, while my own content projects serve as real-world applications of strategic marketing execution. By merging analytical marketing with creative execution, I ensure my approach remains practical, adaptable, and aligned with the future of entertainment branding.

Marketing today is more competitive than ever. What advice would you give to brands or even professionals looking to stand out in the entertainment industry?

Entertainment marketing moves fast, so staying ahead means being curious, adaptable, and willing to experiment. The best advice? Know your audience and meet them where they are. People connect with brands that feel real, intentional, and engaging, not ones that are just trying to go viral. Trends change, but strong brand positioning lasts. Instead of chasing what’s popular now, focus on what makes a brand unique and how to amplify that in ways that feel fresh and relevant. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to take risks. The brands that stand out are the ones that push creative boundaries and understand that marketing is more about making an impact, rather than just selling.