DKK Agency, with a 360-degree communication interests in advertising, events/activation, PR and digital marketing, has in no small measure redefined Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) space, especially with its Mastercard sponsored dining series to mellow down the harsh effect of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Priding itself as an agency that creates integrated marketing communications solutions that speak to the clients’ audience in a language the end-users understand.
Despite being about 17-year-old in the business of providing full-service marketing communications as an agency, DKK has chosen to remain a start-up in its thinking and idea execution strategies.
As a 21st century marketing communications company, DKK understands that to make a wholesome brand, every aspect of the IMC must be deployed. “We dial-up the necessary service to meet the dynamics of a brief each time. For your brand, we develop tactics that will resonate with the target and deliver on the bus objectives. We understand the need to ensure strong stakeholder management; that deploys different offerings from Advertising, Public Relations, Event/Activation and Digital that will deliver to all relevant stakeholders.”
No wonder, DKK got Lagos and Abuja especially literarily agog when it hit the two famous cities in the country with The Mastercard Dining Series, an annual event organised to identify with one of the passion points of its customers, enabling them to start something priceless and make new connections.
Recollect that in early 2020, when the world was put into lockdown and people were all confined to their homes for most of the year, that essential social opportunity to connect with each other and the world was nearly at zero level.
DKK, through its client, Mastercard, aimed to support small and medium-scale businesses in Abuja and Lagos that were struggling with the tough dynamics of COVID-19 and decided to put a spotlight on some of these businesses; and to reduce the blow on SMEs had the task to create a culinary-inclined campaign to help exciting Chefs and restaurants.
The campaign that got DKK awards at the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival had digital and social media generated 316,000 clicks against the projection of 72,000. The campaign also had an online click through rate of 7.54% thrice the industry standard for such campaigns.
Therefore, DKK was able to make a difference to the lives of consumers and small business owners by starting a movement and restarting something priceless.
This campaign began by showing the human side of businesses which struggled with sales due to the pandemic before evolving into the timeless celebration of cuisines at discounted rates for consumers. The videos garnered attention and re-enacted a connection between Chefs, restaurants and consumers.
DKK, nurtured with passion to build strong brand messaging through advertising with the right reputation through PR, creating the right experience through event/activation, remains unwavering and are ever able to offer its clients best value for services that constantly blow their minds.
This rare quality is the reason DKK is able to work with clients who may already have an agency of record as a fresh alternative because it is fast thinking, fast acting amidst array of young, energetic and innovative partners. Above all it has matured its craft.
Mastercard Dining Series keeps evolving in 2021 as DKK activated events such as Burger Week, Suya Week, Pizza Week and Restaurant Week, all running at some points during the year with various offers to customers.
In partnership with Lost in A City to execute the events, DKK worked with select restaurants in Lagos and Abuja to avail both casual and fine dining to customers at discounted rates.
Pizza Week was the first event with a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Pizza deal offered to customers with Mastercard at selected participating restaurants, Burger Week came second and finally Suya Week under the same terms as Pizza Week.
With the Mastercard Restaurant Week Series in Lagos and Abuja, DKK has the mission to get the customers to visit the participating restaurants and take advantage of the promotional offer available courtesy of Mastercard.
The 2021 edition of the series was successfully executed across 59 Restaurants in Lagos and Abuja for 21 days, the key offers to Mastercard Debit and Credit Card holders was a 3-course set menu at discounted prices.
At the end, a total of 2,743 customers were served during the restaurant week period, a significant increase to the 1,496 in 2020, thereby showing a growth in adoption by consumers in Lagos and Abuja as customers spent over N32million during the period of the activation in these restaurants.
DKK said on its site that “By the way we get down to business, you’ll want to do one of two things: keep us on the side to satisfy your special needs, or just go steady with us. Whatever you settle for, it’s perfectly okay because we’ve got only one desire: to bend over backwards to please you.”
DKK added consumer engagement during the Mastercard Restaurant Week with star prizes including all-expenses paid trips for lucky winners, who were chosen from a treasure hunt to find pieces of a puzzle and free meal vouchers and branded gifts items for all diners in the Peel and Reveal promotion.
Slated to unveil the next top restaurateur, The Kitchen Nigeria welcomed applications from aspiring restaurateurs from anywhere in Nigeria irrespective of their background, as long as they had a serious ambition to own their own restaurant.
The Kitchen draws attention to the three most important pillars of a successful restaurant: Food, Ambiance and Service, the winner was awarded N2 million towards actualizing the dream of owning a restaurant.
These solutions were simultaneously customer-focused and business-oriented; with the Restaurant Week being the B2C solution and the SME Series being the B2B solution.
For the SME Series, some restaurant owners granted interviews which put faces to brands and showed the struggles/challenges in light of COVID-19. This created an empathetic bond between customers and restaurants after the lockdown was systematically lifted and showed the import of Mastercard’s support to their businesses.
For this creative effort, DKK won not a few awards of recognition such as LAIF Gold Medal in the “Campaign” category for “Bank, Investment and Other Financial Communication“, LAIF Silver Medal in the “Film Craft” category for “Best Use of Copy” and LAIF Silver Medal in the “Film Craft” category for “Best Use of Digital and Social Media Content”.
While the IMC industry in 2020 was geared toward survival, in 2021 the industry has taken the challenge of the pandemic in its stride and exciting works are being successfully launched again.
Dave Chukwuji, an accomplished, quiet and unassuming consummate professional with three decades of experience in the advertising business, is the Creative Director overseeing campaigns at DKK Nigeria.
Folabomi Salami, Creative Operation Officer (COO), DKK, is an experienced marketing professional with over two decades experience in the advertising business.
Feyikemi Adewunmi, Account Director, DKK, is an enterprising, focused, result-driven and a personable individual with excellent interpersonal, analytical and communication skills. With 9 years as a marketing communication consultant, Feyikemi is pivotal in ensuring brand plans are executed to achieve the overall set objectives. She is an Associate member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK (CIM).
Qasim Owokunle, Copywriter, DKK, is a hedonistic writer with a solid grounding in communications, content creation and copywriting, likes to work in capacities that simultaneously offer opportunities for organizational, professional and personal growth. A geoscientist by training, Qasim has a keen sense of observation, analysis, research and inference.
Opeyemi Kaffo, Creative Designer, Art Director and Editor, is adaptive and passionate about visual design and art. Asides beautifying communication, he also finds solace in volunteering, as he helps generate funds to help orphaned children by being a member of and creating designs for WeCareWeShare Foundation
