Adesina Toheeb Damilola, a UK-based Nigerian marketing strategist, researcher, and media professional, is making significant strides in the advertising industry with his innovative approaches to digital marketing, AI-driven campaign design, and human-centred advertising systems.
With a background that cuts across paid media execution, academic research, and cross-border campaign architecture, Damilola is shaping the future of advertising through data, insight, and ethics.
Damilola’s journey started in Nigeria, where his curiosity about consumer interactions with digital media ignited a passion for marketing innovation. This led him to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Bradford in the UK, where he developed a methodology that fuses theoretical insights with real-world execution.
“Marketing isn’t just about campaigns or metrics; it’s about understanding human behaviour and building trust in a fragmented digital world,” Damilola reflects. His academic foundation continues to inform his work, delivering measurable results and enduring relevance for brands worldwide.
At Bradford, Damilola founded the Startup Society, empowering students with entrepreneurial ambitions through digital tools, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The initiative fostered innovation across diverse cultural and academic backgrounds. “I wanted to create a space where ideas could thrive, and students from all walks of life could access the tools to build something meaningful,” he says. The program’s success solidified his reputation as a leader dedicated to opportunity and impact.
Damilola’s influence extends to academia, where his contributions are widely respected. His paper, AI Agents in the Advertising Industry, explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping creative decisions and real-time ad bidding, earning praise in both academic and agency circles.
His study, Cultural and Technological Drivers of Consumer Engagement, published in the Asian Journal of Advanced Research and Reports, provides actionable insights into livestream selling and influencer commerce across the U.S. and Asia. “Understanding cultural nuances is critical for brands to resonate globally. Technology amplifies this, but it’s the human connection that drives engagement,” Damilola notes.
A vocal advocate for privacy-first marketing, Damilola is leading the charge toward cookieless advertising, championing AI, contextual targeting, and identityless frameworks. “The future of advertising lies in respecting consumer privacy while delivering value. We must move beyond invasive tracking to systems that prioritise context and consent,” he asserts.
In Nigeria, Damilola led media strategies for businesses in retail, fintech, and online education, achieving impressive returns on ad spend through programmatic buying and persona-based targeting.
In the UK, he has consulted for teams localising African campaigns or scaling multicultural audiences, leveraging his unique understanding of Western and African media behaviour. “Cross-border marketing requires more than translation—it demands a deep understanding of cultural and behavioural signals,” he explains. His custom attribution models have helped businesses prioritize long-term brand-building over short-term metrics, reshaping decision-making processes.
As a mentor at Digital Boost UK, Damilola supports small and medium-sized enterprises with strategic marketing guidance and digital growth consulting, empowering dozens of founders to modernize their strategies. “Mentorship is about paying it forward. I want to equip businesses with the tools to thrive in a digital-first world,” he says.
His membership in the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) underscores his elite standing and commitment to ethical standards.
Damilola’s thought leadership shines through his public contributions, including his book, Driving Business Growth Through Digital Marketing Innovation: A Professional’s Guide, and articles like How African Businesses Can Harness the Power of Digital Marketing. “Digital transformation isn’t just about technology, it’s a mindset shift for African businesses to stay competitive,” he emphasises.
His piece, Exploring Advertising Technology and the Responsibility of Digital Marketers, urges practitioners to consider the ethical implications of data use. At the AI Industry Forum, his presentation on sustainable AI integration was a highlight. “AI is a powerful tool, but it must be wielded responsibly to build trust and drive impact,” he told attendees.
As a peer reviewer for academic journals, Damilola ensures the integrity of scholarship in digital marketing and consumer behaviour. “Research is the backbone of innovation. By refining how we study and apply knowledge, we push the industry forward,” he says. His multifaceted career, spanning research, consulting, mentorship, and thought leadership, positions him as a trailblazer.
“Marketing is at a crossroads,” Damilola says. “We have the tools to create unprecedented impact, but with that comes the responsibility to prioritise ethics and intention. My goal is to build systems that deliver results while respecting the humanity of the consumer.”
