[Interview] David Akara, Founder, Verhaal, Nigeria

Verhaal, a Nigerian startup has been working with SMEs and entrepreneurs in digital and social media marketing at a time when companies in the country are increasingly expressing appetite for new media advertising to reach a wider online community.

The company’s strong focus on visual story telling has been its forte. David Akara, the founder talked to Africa Business Communities.

Introduce your company to us

Verhaal is a Nigerian startup that works with clients to acquire digital estates and strategically position brands to be accessible to their target market. At Verhaal, we bring a wealth of experience in marketing, sales, and social media to our clients. We focus on clearly defining the goals and activities, which will get measurable results. Whether it’s a marketing campaign or a social media strategy, we know that we have to help clients achieve business goals.

Where is Verhaal located?

We are in Lagos, Nigeria

When was it founded and by who?

Verhaal was founded by David Akara, with the support of Nteoniro Bertram and Chisobem Nwokedi.

How is the company funded?

Initially the company was funded by the founders’ savings as we were bootstrapping and later from funds generated by sales. After a year we got a grant to support our operations.

What are your company’s unique selling points?

What sets our company apart from everyone else is our focus on visual story telling in any of our campaigns while connecting with our target audience in a language they understand. We have perfected the art of digital marketing and with our elaborate research and ground work, we are able to identify market needs and address them effectively and efficiently.

How has the market responded to your services?

I will say we have got mixed reactions. There are those who understand the need to have a digital Marketing strategy and there are those who believe that there is no need for one since their interpretation of digital marketing is only posting on social media.

Who are your clients?

We predominantly deal with SMEs who are keen on reaching a wider online audience.

What are the ambitions of the company going forward?

As Africa continues to enjoy impressive penetration of ICTs and with companies realizing the power of digital marketing to the bottom lines, our target is to position our company to be the number one story teller in Sub Saharan Africa.

What does your company need to grow and prosper? We currently need to scale up in terms of human capacity. Having more skilled and creative talents on our team will go a long way in helping us go from good to great.

Who should contact your company and why?

I will say entrepreneurs and SMEs. A properly implemented digital strategy can help a startup compete effectively with a multinational for digital estates. With the aid of digital marketing your brand will be visible to your target market.

www.verhaal.ng