Personal Branding is a Marathon, Not a Sprint, Nestle Corporate Comm Lead charges Caleb students

The Corporate Communications, Public Affairs & Sustainability Lead for Nestlé Nigeria, Ndidiamaka Uwadoka, has emphasised the importance of  personal branding as a prerequisite for success in the communication and media industry.

She spoke at Caleb University’s Department of Mass Communication’s June 2023 Edition of the Town and Gown Media Clinic in furtherance of the  strategic relationship of the university to the town.

Detailing the sustainability, diversity, and Core Values of Caleb University, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adedeji Daramola, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof Nosa Owens Ibie, remarked that the interaction was primarily fashioned to beam the searchlights on all it requires for Caleb Students to be successful global players in  media practice.

The University believed that the interaction would induce creativity, spark  innovation, promote collaboration, linkages and research, as well as transform lives on a broad perspective; as the University considers it priceless, to have  a personality like Mrs Uwadoka from the Town, who could visit the Gown; look at issues with ‘outside eyes’ and have the University look at things in a different way.

The  event, which drew students that filled up the Multipurpose Hall, also had Principal Officers of the  University in attendance. This included, Prof Olalekan Asikhia, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation, Strategy and Administration (RISA); Mr Mayokun Olumeru, the Registrar; Mr. Abimbola Olulesi, Director, Brands and Dr Solomon Olaleye, Ag. HoD, Mass and other Top university officials.

Banking on over 14 years partnership and synergy with the industry, as well as the larger responsibility to create a campus that continuously strives for sustainable development in a global community, the Institution reckoned that the event is intended to prepare students for successful career life after graduation.

The idea was well echoed by the Guest Lecturer who admonished students to see personal branding as a life time process, rather than a short accidental event.

“Personal Branding is a life time process. It is continuous, it is intentional and deliberate. As students, your ultimate focus should be to make yourself a global brand, such that when your name is mentioned, it evokes certain identity. Similar examples could be drawn from Funke Akindele (Jenifer), Hilda Bassey and many others”.

The Guest Speaker, a certified public relations and marketing communications professional, is a Public Relations Professional with over 20 years’ experience spanning multiple industries from Logistics to Food and Beverages; who holds a BA (Hons) in Modern Languages. emphasised that  “you need to be creative, inventive and original in all you do.

Do not be busy on the internet by merely forwarding,  sharing and retweeting the work or jokes created by others. You should use your time and imagination to create a content that would ultimately sell you.”

The Nestle Nigeria Corporate Communication and PR Lead, is also a seasoned professional with significant accomplishments in corporate communications, media relationship management, stakeholder engagement, marketing communications and sustainability; who was formerly  Public Relations and Events Manager for Microsoft Nigeria before joining Microsoft West and Central Africa as Marketing Communications Manager for the francophone region.

Passionate about the communications profession and about building synergies, she leverages her skills and experiences to bring individuals and communities together with opportunities. She is also adept at managing through disruptions, and at helping organisations leverage communications and relationship management strategies to drive sustainable business and social impact.

Victoria Uwadoka is the Chairman of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) Technical  Committee of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Experts, Chairman Lagos PR Industry Gala and Awards Planning Committee.   She hosted the African Communications Week (ACW) with the theme, ‘Telling the Africa Story: The Communicators’ Responsibility”, held in May 2023 in commemoration of Africa Day and Africa Communications Week 2023 where she stated that “As African communicators, we have a responsibility to represent and reflect the realities, challenges, and opportunities of our continent. As we engage, it is my hope that we all embrace our responsibility as communicators and make a positive impact on Africa’s.

The highly interactive programme, afforded the students the opportunity to ask numerous, germaine industry-based questions, which the Guest Lecturer shed more lights on.