Eko Innovation Centre has announced the return of MarkHack, Nigeria’s first hackathon at the intersection of media, marketing, and tech at a launch event held at the Eko Innovation Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, over the weekend.
Following the success of MarkHack 1.0, this year’s edition, MarkHack 2.0, promises to redefine the future of marketing and media by fostering innovation and collaboration among professionals, students, and entrepreneurs.
The hackathon aims to provide media and tech solutions that can disrupt marketing in key focus areas such as Consumer Experience, Media Consumption, Consumer Interaction, Trade and Retail Engagement, Analytics and Metrics, Events Marketing, Media Monetization, and Content Creation.
With the creative industry being Nigeria’s second-largest employer and the potential to generate 7 million jobs by 2025, Victor Afolabi, the Founder of Eko Innovation Centre and Convener of MarkHack 2.0, emphasized the importance of innovation in steering the industry’s growth.
He stated, “The rise of digital media, social platforms, and technology usage has made the creative industries one of the most dynamic sectors globally.
“MarkHack 2.0 provides a platform for collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking to disrupt the creative market and to provide a platform for them to showcase their ideas to Potential Investors.”
The call for participation garnered an overwhelming response, with 1,365 participants from 92 locations across Europe, Asia, and Africa submitting their entries. From the registered participants, 230 teams were formed to brainstorm innovative ideas, concepts, and prototypes in three focus areas: Immersive Experience (XR) -57 teams, Content Creation- 119 Teams , and Robo Marketing- 54 Teams.
The MarkHack 2.0 pitch event will be judged by 22 industry experts, who will select the top ten teams to advance to the finals. The final winners, chosen by a panel of seven esteemed jurors, will share a prize pool of $10,000 and gain the opportunity to join the Eko Innovation Centre accelerator programme with up to $50,000 equity investment.
The launch event featured a keynote address by Hannah Oyebanjo, Managing Director of Redwood Consulting, titled “Marketing and Media in the Creative Economy: Trends and Innovative Solutions for a Future Ready Industry.”
Oyebanjo highlighted the digital evolution of marketing and the potential of technologies such as AI, AR, VR, and gamification in creating new opportunities for engaging consumers.
“The age-old dichotomy between traditional and new marketing are telltale signs of the fluid nature of Marketing. Marketing evolved from the 5ps to 8Ps (with Service based offerings). But the future is a revolution when even what we call ‘New Marketing’ today, will become ‘Old Skool’!”
She added that from the 5Ps of traditional marketing to the Fusion, Hybrids, Ad-ons, Content, Experiential of new Marketing, the industry is headed for a more disruptive world of Web 3.0, AI, AR, VR, Gamification, etc.
The MarkHack 2.0 launch event had in attendance distinguished members of the marketing and media industry, leading industry professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts and thought leaders on marketing and tech.
The Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Innovation and Technology, Tubosun Alake graced the launch event along with Mrs Iquo Uko, Managing Director, Entod Marketing/ IQ Food Platter; Segun Ogunleye, General Manager Marketing, Seven Up Bottling Company; Temitope Ekundayo, Chief Executive Officer, Printivo Limited and Tola Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi, Marketing Director, Pladis Global and
Others include Lolu Desalu, Chief Marketing Officer, CMO, Filmhouse Group and Babatunde Fatai, Senior XR & Metaverse Engr., MTN Nigeria who both thrilled attendees in an enlightening fireside chat at the official launch of MarkHack 2.0, Bolaji Junaid, Founder/ CEO, Whyfinite, among others.
All roads will lead to the MarkHack 2.0 grand finale on the 7th of July, 2023 at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. The event is expected to have in attendance dignitaries, industry leaders, tech enthusiasts, innovators, investors, marketing directors, brand owners, managing directors to witness the emergence of the next big thing in marketing and technology.
MarkHack 2.0 is powered by Eko Innovation Centre and supported by GDM Group, the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hazon Holdings and other partners.
