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IN CONVERSATION Aiming to drive digital marketing uptake in Ghana Elizabeth Opoku-Dakwa is a student of the world with ambitious plans to use her education and experience to the advantage of digital media marketers in West Africa. ORN IN LONDON BUT OF agency. The business is positioned to is so much opportunity. However, when Ghanaian descent, Elizabeth Opoku- serve start-ups, SMEs and multinational I researched opportunities in Ghana B Dakwa’s diplomat father relocated businesses in Africa by creating effective I saw there weren’t many options if I to Ghana shortly after she was born. digital marketing campaigns and Web wanted to remain in the digital space, After school she moved to the US for her technologies that help brands reach their mostly because digital marketing is still undergraduate degree, where her studies business goals. Strategic Marketing Africa a novelty here. So when the position for in economics, sociology and anthropology caught up with her. Country Manager at Wild Fusion came up piqued an interest in the art of marketing. I believed it would be a good place to get Gaining experience in various digital What prompted you to make a career my feet wet before venturing out on my agencies in the US was her next step, move to Ghana? own. Wild Fusion has a great footprint in before heading to New York University I feel there is a ceiling in the US, Nigeria so I was certain my experience to study integrated marketing, with a especially for immigrants. It’s a rat race to with the company in the Ghanaian market special focus on digital marketing. Upon the top and chances are you will remain would be valuable. graduating, she moved back to Ghana to middle class for a good portion of your take up a position as Country Manager of life. In Ghana, and Africa generally, there Tell us about working in Ghana. What Wild Fusion, one of Africa’s leading digital sort of challenges does a business face PHOTOS: ISTOCKPHOTO, SUPPLIED marketing agencies. In the US market it’s in this market? The vibrant 27-year old recently took I think the biggest issue is around the plunge and launched Genie Intel, a rate race to the top employee work ethics. There are many her own full-service digital marketing complaints about basic issues such as 24 strategicmarketingafrica Third quarter 2014 24-25 In Conversation v2.indd 31 2014/06/26 12:09 PM