Bukola Sawyerr-Izeogu: How I run BukiHQ
A PR person requires a handful of skills, but to Sawyerr-Izeogu, a PR person also has to be a fixer.
Over a decade ago, Bukola Sawyerr-Izeogu, then a 35-year-old woman just started working on radio when she realized PR was fun, so she pitched herself to Chocolate City around the start of its monstrous run in Nigerian music. What she didn't realize was the effort it would require to convince her first set of clients as a full PR professional.
"I must have spent six hours convincing them. It was a very long session - breaking down and explaining all the different things that I would be able to do for the GRIP BOYS. That is, Yung L, Endia, and Chopstix.
"Technically a bright-eyed rookie but with a clear path and conviction, It was a tough day convincing these three guys that there will be a remarkable difference if I handled their PR, and they agreed in the end. They were convinced and we got the ball rolling. Being my first believers, they remain close and dear."
The journey didn't begin that day though, it began over 11 years prior as a student at the prestigious University of Lagos, while studying to earn a B.Sc in Computer Science. It was in those days that the company she pitched to the GRIP Boys in 2009 was formed.
The company she pitched that day in 2009 became BukiHQ, one of the foremost entertainment PR firms in Nigeria and a recognizable brand in Nigerian entertainment. Shortly after the GRIP Boys accepted her proposal, she became a Director at Chocolate City and was in that role for four years.
The girl who fell in love with music - through both her parents' depth of knowledge in music - and computers in her young years was into the big leagues.
Working hard to get other clients
By the middle of the last decade, Bukola Sawyer had begun amassing quite the array of clients when she met Mr. Eazi. Ladies and gentlemen, a SWOT analysis was created for the idea.
She says, "His team reached out to us and we did a SWOT analysis that highlighted their strengths and weaknesses, threats, and opportunities and that was the first and only time we got everything wrong.
"I remember they sent a mail highlighting why we got it all wrong and I called my team together and pointed out that these people know what they really want.
"I remember we had said Mr. Eazi didn’t have a huge fanbase in Nigeria because nobody knew him at the time, and they replied saying that it was deliberate because their plan wasn’t to break into the Nigerian market just yet. We eventually got him on board and I’ve been working with him on and off for a while."
Bukola Sawyerr-Izeogu in 2020
Today, counts Burna Boy, Asa, 2Face, M.I, Seyi Shay, Adekunle Gold, Mr, Eazi, Timaya, Chidinma, YCee, Waje, Patoranking, Skales, DJ Sose, Phyno, Zoro, Johnny Drille,, Sarz, Guinness World Record holder, Kaffy, Modupe Ozolua, M.anifest, WBar, Bikiya Graham-Douglas, Lagos Jazz Series, Hennessy Artistry, some models and much more among some of BukiHQ's present or past clients.
BukiHQ also employs a number of staff while her name constantly rings out loud among the leading PR firms - especially in music. Her life has changed and even her days have taken a twist. She is a boss that some people might deem intimidating.
If you see her at an event, on a panel, at work or at social gatherings, there's an air of effortless confidence to her that could become contagious charm in a heartbeat. With her unique sense of style sprinkled across any of her looks on any given day, she charter-manages the image of many-a-Nigeria-brand.
She says, "There are good days and there are bad days and there are some very bad days. The kind of day I have is dependent on the kind of night any of my clients had. So if my client had a bad night a bad night, for example, and is trending when we wake up, that sets the tone for the rest of the day.
"So I am either ahead of it or chasing the day (laughs). My job is a typical example of 'Man proposes God, disposes.' Nobody realizes what it is like to sit here as a person running a PR company. It’s not easy at all but I love it."
The life suits her. While she was in school, she had an ability to see product, people and brands and market them. At the time, a lot of people thought she was a marketer, but today she is a fixer.
What is PR to Bukola Sawyerr-Izeogu?
This woman moved into PR for problem solving and relationship building. She also loves a challenge.
She breaks PR down that, "Public relations is the business that establishes positive public perception of a brand which may be a personality, corporate entity or a product. It is confused more often than not with publicity which is marketing and advertising; both related but very distinct.
"Probably the most important difference between marketing, public relations, and advertising is the primary focus. Public Relations emphasizes cultivating relationships between an organization or individual and the public for the purpose of managing the client’s image.
"Marketing emphasizes the promotion of products and services for direct revenue purposes. Advertising is a communication tool used by marketers in order to get customers to act.
"Working in this industry has shown that of the 3, PR gets the “smallest slice of the cake” in terms of budget allocation despite having a larger portfolio and operating in more intricate detail.
"I am constantly learning and assimilating ideas, solutions and plans from many mediums - books, movies, TV shows and video games (laughs) There is so much to learn if you look. The goal for me is to constantly share the acquired knowledge with my team, my clients and friends."
How is Buki HQ run?
Their job is largely perception-driven. That makes it important to gain the trust of the client but first, the team must be confident, comfortable and trust each other to ask the right questions. It must also think through the process in order that questions are answered and solutions are proffered in a manner that best serves the client’s interests.
Buki says, "The team is subdivided into departments with seasoned professionals as team leads which ensures all processes and constraints are addressed. Then, the management team, made up of myself and the Heads of Department, approves plans and strategies in detail to kick-start the PR process."
Bukola Sawyerr-Izeogu, The Fixer
A PR person requires a handful of skills, but to Sawyerr-Izeogu, a PR person also has to be a fixer. Maybe not necessarily in the realms of Olivia Pope or Ray Donovan, but a PR person must have some have some of their skills.
She says, "The ideal PR person should be a good marketer and also a lawyer - I wish I studied Law (laughs), but I have marketing on lock.
"More often than not, your PR person is your first call when there is a problem, even faster than a lawyer if you have engaged the right PR person and have a good relationship, then you can rest assured your becomes theirs."
Along the way, she picked up lessons and she gladly shared many of them during this interview.
Buki on PR in Nigeria
In Nigeria, people don't understand the importance of PR, and PR professionals reinforce that narrative with derisory service that clients don't value. Just a day ago, a supposed Nigerian artist looked down on PR services.
To the 20-year veteran of ICT, this is understandable because a lot of PR people themselves don’t understand what they are doing. She also feels certain PR people are responsible for the derisory perception of PR by ignorant people.
She says, "The Public Relations industry does a very bad job of its own PR; and it's understandable as we can’t concentrate on ourselves, because we are busy with everybody else.
"The worst part is we can’t brag about our successes because they are usually crisis situations that have been averted, but our failures are public (laughs) kind of like the CIA (laughs). PR is invisible - the work is hardly ever seen but when done properly it is felt.
"PR is also thankless. If you are looking for heavy financial reward, you are in the wrong business. Your reward comes from the results, from the relationships built and from the favour can’t buy. If you can’t accept this then this job is not for you. That is the situation, a lot of people don’t know the importance of having a PR person.
She continues that as with every essential commodity, PR is a need which erroneously is considered out of reach and labelled a solution for the wealthy or people/institutions with deep pockets. Buki feels that this is due to the misconception that PR is either marketing or advertising.
Izeogu says, "It is neither as the perception of the process is seamless and unquantifiable for the untrained beneficiary. We have the Herculean task of enlightening potential clients about the importance of PR considering there isn’t a restriction as to what is consumed mentally.
"There are many examples to explain this fact which slowly but surely will be understood. That said, not everyone or situation would require a professional PR solution as some solutions happen upon situations of which PR would be proud. The more people are made aware of solutions, more knowledge would be gained and the respect for PR would be established."
Dealing with difficult times with clients
Today, Burna Boy is the poster boy of Afrobeats and Afro-pop with global touring, international features, the biggest stages and even a Grammy nomination on his side, but it was not always this way. At some point, you didn't even have to follow Nigerian music to see some the press around him.
BukiHQ has been representing Burna Boy for a while now. On how she got here, it has gone beyond simply working. There's empathy between all the parties involved.
Buki says, "He has an amazing talent and he’s an amazing human being. He’s very loyal, extremely hard working and he is a good guy. He’s the kind of person that would leave everything in a heartbeat if a person close to him is in trouble, and come through for you."
With all that has happened, Izeogu still does not pray against bad publicity. If anything she was born prepared. Instead of praying against bad publicity, she is prepared for spins. She also feels you can't prepare your client for crimes against political correctness because that concept.
Sawyerr-Izeogu then admits that it is easy to drop the ball once in a while. To combat this she ensures that her clients are constantly informed. Buki HQ also carries out extensive research across board before putting out any communication.
Non-artist clientele
Bukola represents non-human brands as much as non-artists. Amongst her clients are legendary producer, Sarz and veteran, Chopstixx.
That works because Bukola recognizes that, "Your content doesn’t matter, it is your content at the end of the day. What we do is not do PR for your content but do PR for you. It doesn’t matter who you are, we can work with anybody, and that’s why we have a cross-section of brands we work with."
On how she represents non-human brands like events she notes that, "Event PR is a one-off. Personal PR is usually a retainership with more time to grow the perception and awareness of the brand.
"Conversely, event PR doesn’t afford the luxury of time. Most projects have a 2 to 3 month schedule usually which keeps all tasks on a tight schedule with little room for error."
To deal with these brands, she engages in press and media tracking, sentiment analysis, and increase in interest from the media in the clients for interviews and appearances.
PR and Media
After Sawyerr-Izeogu went to pitch at Chocolate City in 2009, she worked on radio for an extra eight years. Bukola worked on radio as an on-air personality and Head Programmer for four different radio stations. For that reason, she understands the concept of media relationships.
She says, "PR and media have always worked very closely with each other. Our industry can’t exist without the media. Are the PR people going to write the stories? We can’t work without the journalists, they are extremely important. "
BukiHQ and her biggest takeaway
In nine years since BukiHQ started on this path and the past six years of intense work, Izeogu takes pride in how the need and importance of PR keeps rising. She also says that she is very fulfilled.
She further notes that, "Corporate brands have always known but personal brands are just starting to realize the importance of PR. The internet and social media have made it even more important for people to have PR representation.
"It doesn’t matter your profession, as long as you need to communicate with the public and be relevant, you would need someone to manage your relationship with the public and the media. It has changed a lot."
What does the future hold for Bukola Sawyerr-Izeogu
She says, "I get to wake up every single morning with a new opportunity and renewed zeal. There are not many professions that can provide a cocktail this interesting."
The beauty of it is that she doesn't think she is done with PR.
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