Tag: X3M Ideas

• By Afolabi Idowu

X3M Ideas, a prominent pan-African marketing communications agency, has announced a strategic partnership with IKIGAI 360, a creative agency with established operations in Mozambique and a burgeoning presence in Portugal. The alliance signals a concerted effort to deepen service capabilities across the African continent and into key European markets, aiming to enhance cultural intelligence, creative output, and market penetration for a growing roster of international clients.

The move comes as global advertising and marketing firms increasingly seek to expand their reach into emerging markets and diversify their cultural competencies. For X3M Ideas, a company ranked by the Financial Times as one of Africa’s fastest-growing companies in 2025, this partnership with Maputo and Lisbon-based IKIGAI 360 represents a significant strategic pivot into Lusophone Africa and Southern Europe, complementing its existing strongholds in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Dubai, and London.

“This partnership is more than just business expansion; it’s a strategic alignment of vision and values,” stated Steve Babaeko, CEO of X3M Ideas. “IKIGAI Mozambique, in particular, positions us firmly within the dynamic East African market and the wider SADC region. Our goal is to integrate international best practices with deep local market expertise, offering clients a truly unified and culturally intelligent campaign execution from Lagos to Lisbon, and Nairobi to Maputo.”

Also commenting on the partnership, CEO of IKIGAI 360, Joana Prista said, Also commenting on the partnership, CEO of IKIGAI 360 Mozambique, Joana Prista said, “With the growing strength of the economic corridor between Africa and Europe, now responsible for business opportunities worth hundreds of millions of dollars, this partnership positions us for smart, solid expansion, with real delivery capacity across increasingly interconnected markets.”

IKIGAI 360, whose philosophy is rooted in the Japanese concept of “IKIGAI” – or “a reason for being” – has built a reputation for its human-centered approach to brand growth. The agency specializes in brand strategy, creative execution, content creation, digital and traditional marketing, and public relations, areas that X3M Ideas aims to bolster through this collaboration.

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Industry analysts suggest that such cross-continental partnerships are becoming critical for agencies looking to offer comprehensive solutions in an increasingly interconnected global economy.

According to Statista, ad spending in Africa’s advertising market is forecasted to reach US$10.28 billion in 2025, while growing at a CAGR of 4.9% during 2023-2029. The ability to navigate diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes, particularly within the rapidly growing African market, provides a distinct competitive advantage.

“The market demands a nuanced understanding of local cultures, combined with global standards of excellence,” commented Ayeni Adekunle, a marketing, media and communications industry expert. “This partnership between X3M Ideas and IKIGAI 360 could set a new benchmark for how agencies approach pan-African and Europe-Africa engagements, particularly given the focus on Lusophone markets which have historically been underserved by larger global networks.”

The strategic advantages for clients are manifold, including direct access to Southern African and European markets, enhanced cultural expertise for designing campaigns that resonate with Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone African audiences, and integrated solutions that promise seamless campaign execution across borders and in over 50 markets. The collaboration also aims to position brands at the forefront of Africa’s creative renaissance and capitalize on the burgeoning Europe-Africa business synergies.

This alliance underscores a broader trend within the global US$1.16 trillion advertising industry where organic growth is increasingly supplemented by strategic partnerships and targeted acquisitions to unlock new geographical and cultural competencies. As agencies vie for market share in a dynamic global landscape, the X3M Ideas-IKIGAI 360 partnership offers a blueprint for future growth through synergistic integration.

In what looks like a predominantly honour list of players in the fintech, e-commerce, energy and financial sectors, Nigeria’s X3M Ideas, one of Africa’s most celebrated advertising agencies, has earned a coveted spot on the Financial Times of London’s list of Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2025.

The feat has since been described as a reflection of its outstanding growth trajectory over a three-year period.

Ranked 31st out of 130 companies, the agency joins an elite cohort of enterprises that have demonstrated sheer resilience, innovation, and consistent expansion in Africa’s challenging business environment.

The Financial Times ranking, compiled in collaboration with global data and research firm Statista, is now in its fourth edition.

 It provides a snapshot of high-growth companies across the continent and is considered one of the most respected indicators of business momentum in emerging markets.

A look at the methodology behind the ranking shows that Financial Times’ evaluation is a backward-looking analysis of companies’ compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2020 and 2023.

This data-intensive approach, according to FT, allows for a fair comparison of businesses based on real financial figures.

However, because many of the continent’s fast-growing enterprises are privately held and do not publish detailed financial reports, the screening process is rigorous. Companies must submit verified data, which is signed off by senior executives.

This helps ensure that only credible, scalable companies make the list — even if the ranking may not be exhaustive due to the fragmented and often opaque nature of African markets.

As it notes, “Because many fast-growing companies are privately held and do not publicly disclose detailed financial data, a ranking such as this can never claim to be complete.

But the screening process… ensures that the list offers a meaningful snapshot and puts a focus on businesses not often in the spotlight.”

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This year’s list was shaped by compound growth rate, revenue increases, and headcount expansion, giving a holistic view of company growth.

The 2025 ranking underscores the dominance of South Africa and Nigeria, Africa’s two largest economies, in the entrepreneurial landscape.

The report states: “Africa’s two biggest, albeit sluggish, economies continue to dominate the Financial Times’ ranking of the fastest-growing African companies with more than half of the 130 companies listed from South Africa and Nigeria.”

Together, the two countries contributed 79 of the 130 businesses featured. While this reflects the depth of innovation and opportunity in these economies, it also illustrates the challenges that entrepreneurs from smaller African nations face in scaling businesses across the continent.

The FT observes: “More negatively, it also hints at how difficult it has been for companies from smaller countries to build a continental presence in what is still a highly fragmented landscape.”

The nation’s integrated marketing communication ecosystem shone brightest recently at the 2024 ACT Good Report, where Nigeria’s top tier firm, X3M Ideas earned global recognition thus further affirming Nigeria’s creative industry.

Until a few years ago when the trio of X3M Ideas, DDB and Noah’s Ark started clinching trophies at international awards competitions, competing and winning on the global stage was considered almost alien on these shores.

Nigeria’s agencies and their founders have featured prominently at the Cannes Lions International Festival, Loeries Creative Week, Luerzers Archive and African Cristal Advertising Festival.

In the ACT Good Report ranking released a week ago, “Motherhood Sentence” a campaign from the stable of Steve Babaeko-led X3M Ideas secured the 38th place in the best 40 ranked campaigns selected from over 1,250 campaigns reviewed by the editorial team of the ranking institution.

The report also indicated that X3M Ideas achieved the 12th place among the best 25 agencies in the world. The ACT Good Report also reviewed and ranked the 20 most successful networks, and the 10 most successful brands promoting Sustainability in the world.

ACT Good Report is a unique ranking showcasing the world’s most impactful use of creative communications to promote sustainability and social responsibility and raise awareness of significant social and environmental issues. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the report.

The Good Report is compiled by ACT Responsible, the international non-profit association and largest source of the world’s best social and environmental campaigns, in collaboration with WARC, the global marketing insights company, and publisher of the WARC Rankings.

The ranking is calculated by combining the performance of campaigns across various initiatives of ACT Responsible Program (such as the ACT Exhibition, the ACT Care Awards, One Minute of Responsibility, The ACT Tributes …), with the results of the recently published WARC Creative 100, the global benchmark for creative excellence. There are no complicated criteria or categories, just great work for Good.

In the report under review, a total of 1,250 campaigns produced by 804 agencies for 995 advertisers (non-profit, public sector, and commercial brands) across 76 markets were evaluated.

Of the best 40 campaigns featured in ACT Good Report 2024, 22 are for non-profits, 18 for commercial brands (including one produced in collaboration with a non-profit) and three for public sectors. A total of 37 agencies (20 are part of 15 networks and 7 are independent) across 18 markets are represented.

The best 25 agencies are made up of four independent and 21 networked agencies (from 11 different networks) covering a total of 12 markets. Of the best 20 networks, three are independent and 17 are owned by holding companies. The best ten brands include six non-profit, four for-profit.

However, the highest ranked campaign, ‘The Last Photo’ for mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) by adam & eve DDB London, launched Project 84 in the UK, a landmark suicide prevention initiative that turned the final photographs of 50 victims into striking portraits, to raise suicide awareness and lessen its stigma.

With the tagline, Best campaigns, agencies, and advertisers promoting Good, the organisers stated in their mission statement that they believe that, “Advertising has a major responsibility in educating and raising awareness, and we are proud to celebrate the campaigns that best fulfill this role. These campaigns allow important messages and values to reach larger sections of the public, and therefore deserve to be celebrated, which is why we created The Good Report.”

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In the words of ACT Responsible Co-founder, Isa Kurata, with the Good Report, ACT Responsible pursues its mission to promote, inspire and unite the advertising industry around social responsibility and sustainability.

He said, “We truly believe that advertising has the power to educate, inform, and enact positive change. It must consistently serve as a catalyst for good and constructive influence. Collaborating with WARC to produce the ACT Good Report is an honour, and we see it as a valuable resource for agencies to enhance their dedication to social and environmental efforts.”

Echoing similar sentiments, the Head of Content, WARC Creative and ACT’ive Partner, Amy Rogers, added: “Creativity as a force for positive change has never been more important. WARC is delighted to collaborate with Act Responsible to continue shining a light on the agencies, brands and NGOs that are creating breakthrough ideas that not only matter to society but can change behavior.”

While congratulating the management of the X3M Ideas agency on its outstanding performance in this year’s report, the organisers stated that the agency’s campaign ‘”Motherhood Sentence”, captures the essence of the report and aligns with social reality.

In his reaction to the global feat, the Chief Executive Officer, X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko, commended his team for putting up a very strong work that could compete favourably at national, continental and global markets.

“We have done this consistently for about 12 years and we do not intend to rest on our laurels. I also thank our clients for always supporting and challenging us to do our best work. Of course, our team also owes the international publication huge commendation for its diligence to encourage excellent works,” he said.

With the new rating, X3M Ideas, and by extension the industry it represents, have thus recorded another feat in the global space, which confirms Nigeria’s agencies recent victories at local and international creative awards

In 2023, after 70 years of its establishment, Nigeria’s X3M Ideas won at the Cannes Lion International Festival. In 2012, one of the creative works from DDB Lagos, won ‘Luerzer’s Archive Print Ad of the Week. But in recent times, Noah’s Ark and X3M Ideas seem to be re-writing the nation’ s advertising story with relevant campaigns and accomplishments of their founders.

In 2018, Nigeria’s advertising industry received global applause and recognition when Noah’s Ark hauled three major awards at the Loeries Creative Week held in Durban, South Africa. Same year, the agency’s Chief Creative Officer Lanre Adisa, emerged the first Nigerian to make the list of Juries for the world’s biggest Advertising Festival-the Cannes Lions Festival. Around the same time, X3M Ideas, also brought a spur to campaigns and marketing communications in Globacom as it recorded three awards at the African Cristal Advertising Festival, held in Marrakech, Morocco.

The three awards coming courtesy of X3M TV commercial tagged ‘Unmatched’ won in the categories of Media, Telecoms and Brand Entertainment, for content in TV/cinema and coasted home with a bronze for each category. The agency’s Chief Executive Officer, Steve Babaeko was also on a panel at the Cannes Festival, held in 2023. He was also on the jury of the New York Advertising Festival in 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as a judge at The Loerie Awards in 2017.