What Really Happens When Creatives Talk Without Holding Back
There’s something oddly powerful about putting a few creative minds in a virtual room and letting them say what everyone else is too scared to. That’s exactly what we did at the first edition of The Adesa Lens, our new quarterly webinar series where we dig into branding, relevance, content pressure, an the chaos of staying visible without losing your soul.
What started as a casual conversation quickly turned into something deeper, a mirror for brands who want to stay relevant in a noisy world but aren’t sure how to do it without losing direction. Hosted by Olaleye Akinyemi, our in-house strategist, and featuring Ruth (digital creator, future medical doctor, and soon-to-launch fashion brand owner) and Olamide (Senior Brand Manager at Tangerine Africa), the energy in the room was honest, direct, and slightly chaotic in the best way.
Early on, Ruth said something simple but powerful. Gen Z isn’t one person, we’re a whole mindset. And that mindset doesn’t tolerate fluff. They can smell when your brand is trying too hard or worse, pretending to care about issues like mental health, transparency, or sustainability just for likes. It was a wake-up call for every brand still trying to market to this audience using strategies from five years ago.
Then came Olamide’s reality check. Gen Z are the brand police. They will cancel, clown, and completely ignore you if you miss the mark and they do it fast. He didn’t say it to scare anyone, but to highlight what many brand leaders are just now learning. Relevance isn’t a buzzword anymore. It’s a make-or-break asset. And staying relevant requires more than posting a trending sound or changing your logo during awareness months.
At one point, we asked the room what best defines a brand — the product, the logo, the impressions? Most answers were wrong. Because none of those things matter if people can’t connect with your purpose. A pretty logo won’t save a flat story. And viral posts mean nothing if they don’t translate to loyalty or conversions.
We talked about virality too. And no, it’s not the goal. Ruth shared how one of her viral moments led to a spike in views but zero growth. You can be famous and still broke, she said. And it hit. Because so many brands chase impressions but forget impact. Or worse, they go viral for the wrong reasons and spend months doing damage control.
Short-form content came up next, and the tension is real. The average attention span online? Around five seconds. If your content doesn’t deliver something immediately, people scroll past. But that doesn’t mean you should be shallow. The challenge now is packaging real substance in short bursts and that requires clarity, creativity, and serious brand discipline.
By the end, it was clear. The brands that will thrive are the ones that evolve without selling out. The ones bold enough to lead, but self-aware enough to listen. The ones that understand creative integrity isn’t optional. It’s the foundation.
And that’s what we’re about at Adesa Media. We don’t just follow trends. We help brands make sense of them, build meaning through them, and stand out in ways that matter.
If you’re reading this and wondering why your content isn’t landing anymore, or why your brand suddenly feels invisible, we should talk. Because visibility is good. But relevance with integrity? That’s unforgettable.
Missed the live session? Watch Here
The Adesa Lens will be back again soon. Until then, stay creative, stay intentional.
And when you’re ready to do branding differently, we’re ready.
Visit adesahq.com or reach out via @adesamedia on social media
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