Verdant Zeal Roundtable Examines Influence, Storytelling and Consumer Culture

 Verdant Zeal Roundtable Examines Influence, Storytelling and Consumer Culture

Leading marketing and communications firm, Verdant Zeal Group Limited, has called for brands to embrace authenticity, culturally relevant storytelling and integrity as key drivers of influence and sustainable business growth.

The call was made at the 14th edition of the company’s flagship Innovention Series, a virtual roundtable themed “The Business of Influence: Brands, Storytelling & Consumer Culture.”

The event brought together leading voices in marketing, storytelling and consumer culture to examine how influence is reshaping Nigeria’s brand economy and transforming the relationship between businesses and consumers.

Since its inception in 2012, the Innovention Series has provided a thought-leadership platform for challenging conventional ideas, interrogating Africa’s development trajectory and exploring innovative concepts capable of driving sustainable progress.

Delivering the keynote address, Executive Vice Chairman of Verdant Zeal Group, Dr. Tunji Olugbodi, said influence should be viewed beyond conventional marketing metrics, describing it as a catalyst for business expansion.

According to him, “influence is not just a marketing outcome; it is a catalyst for business expansion.”

Olugbodi noted that as consumer attention increasingly becomes a valuable business asset, brands that succeed are those capable of telling authentic, human-centred stories that resonate with their audiences.

He said the real value of influence extends beyond likes, impressions and hashtags to the ability of brands to participate meaningfully in, and respond to, everyday consumer culture.

The Verdant Zeal executive identified authenticity, storytelling, local innovation, consistency and character as critical elements for building lasting brand influence.

He explained that brands must build narratives alongside their communities, prioritise genuine conversations over excessive promotional messaging, and develop campaigns rooted in uniquely Nigerian experiences, including Owambe culture and the resilience associated with the nation’s entrepreneurial “hustle.”

Olugbodi also stressed the importance of consistency, urging brands to remain faithful to their promises and identities as they seek to build consumer trust.

He further described influence as “smart business,” citing industry reports indicating that brands with strong narrative identities tend to outperform their peers in areas such as consumer loyalty and pricing power.

He, however, cautioned Nigerian brands against pursuing influence at the expense of integrity, urging them to ensure that their engagement with consumer culture reflects society authentically rather than distorting it.

In his closing remarks, Olugbodi reaffirmed Verdant Zeal’s commitment to using the Innovention Series to foster dialogue, innovation and fresh thinking on issues shaping businesses and society across Africa.

He said the platform would continue to provide opportunities for industry stakeholders and thought leaders to examine emerging trends and develop ideas capable of driving meaningful transformation.