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Dean Akinjobi | The CEO and Owner | Football Media

Dean Akinjobi: Integrating Traditional Sponsorship with Advanced Digital Media

Passion Meets Profession!

The sports advertising field has become increasingly innovative, blending traditional sponsorship with advanced technologies to create more immersive and interactive fan experiences. As digital media continues to reshape how audiences engage with sports, advertisers are moving beyond static campaigns, integrating advanced data analytics, AI, and emerging platforms like Web3. These innovations are essential for enhancing fan engagement and driving the commercial growth of sports organizations and brands. This evolution is important, as it provides new ways to measure effectiveness, track real-time results, and offer personalized content, ultimately elevating the value of sports advertising.

Dean Akinjobi, the CEO and Owner of Football Media, is a visionary leader driving significant change in sports media through his innovative approach and forward-thinking mindset. His ability to recognize the potential in sports advertising and execute strategies that push boundaries sets him apart as a transformative figure in the industry. Dean’s leadership is focused on creating a culture that encourages creativity, strategic thinking, and accountability, which has allowed his organization to remain at the cutting edge of sports media. His relentless focus on client success and industry innovation has shaped the future of his company, making him a standout in this competitive space.

Football Media, under Dean’s leadership, has emerged as a leading agency in the sports advertising industry. The agency specializes in pushing the limits of what’s possible in sports sponsorship and digital advertising. By adopting next-generation technologies and forging strong partnerships, Football Media continuously delivers innovative solutions that redefine how brands connect with their audiences through sports. This focus on long-term, sustainable growth and commitment to being innovators in the industry ensures the company remains ahead of market trends and delivers unparalleled results for its clients.

Let’s explore Dean’s transformative leadership journey in sports advertising:

Founding an Innovative Sports Advertising Agency

Sports has always been a personal passion for Dean, particularly football. From a young age, he was immersed in the world of teams and competition. When it came time to choose a career, it felt natural for him to align his professional ambitions with this lifelong love of football.

Dean gained invaluable experience working with major players in the digital sports marketing space, as well as roles at BT and Setanta Sports. At Setanta, he was involved in their ambitious bid to challenge Sky Sports by acquiring Premier League broadcast rights. While Setanta ultimately lost the rights after a few seasons, it was a turning point for him.

He saw the evolving intersection of sports and media and knew there was a need for a more agile, innovative approach in this space. This was the spark that led to the creation of Football Media, an agency to pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in sports advertising and sponsorship.

Crafting and Executing Growth Strategy

His role revolves around crafting and executing a growth strategy that positions the company at the head of innovation in sports media. This isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about ensuring they are always future-facing.

Whether it’s investing in next-gen technology, building transformative partnerships, or cultivating a forward-thinking company culture, his focus is on long-term, sustainable growth. Every decision, from business operations to marketing, is shaped by the goal of being pioneers in their field, adapting rapidly to market shifts and client needs.

Results-Oriented Leadership in Sports Media

According to Dean, leadership in a fast-paced, competitive industry like sports media requires a results-oriented mindset, but it’s not enough to focus on outcomes alone. He believes in empowering the team around him to think strategically, creatively, and with a sense of ownership.

By cultivating an environment where people can lead from their own areas of expertise, they are able to deliver unparalleled results for their clients. In sports, success is always measured by performance, and he has built his leadership approach to reflect that, balancing agility with accountability.

Relentless Focus on Client Obsession

In Dean’s opinion, staying at the top requires a relentless focus on three things: client obsession, innovation, and continuous improvement.

  • Client Obsession: Dean and his team don’t just understand their clients’ marketing needs; they become ingrained in their broader business goals, ensuring that every partnership they build drives measurable, positive impact across their operations.
  • Innovation: Being early adopters of technologies like blockchain, AI, and Web3 has allowed them to remain ahead of the curve. They lean into the future, always exploring how emerging trends can provide new value to their clients.
  • Continuous Improvement: They push themselves to outpace even their own benchmarks. The digital landscape moves quickly, and they keep up by never being complacent; there’s always room to refine, evolve, and grow.

Adapting Quickly to Industry Changes

Innovation at Football Media is not an option; it’s a core value. Dean and his team operate with an entrepreneurial mindset, encouraging every team member to approach their role as if they were running their own business unit. This open, agile structure allows them to continuously test and implement new ideas.

From AI to Web3, they’ve built a culture where experimentation is celebrated, and failure is seen as a stepping stone to breakthrough. This mindset keeps them nimble, allowing them to stay ahead of industry trends and adapt quickly.

Strategic Opportunity Assessment

According to Dean, one of the biggest challenges is directing the sheer volume of opportunities that come their way, from potential partnerships to speaking engagements. His approach is to assess each opportunity based on two key criteria: the potential impact on Football Media and alignment with his personal and professional values. This ensures that they are not only pursuing initiatives that drive growth but also those that resonate with their long-term vision.

Embracing Flexible Balance

Balance is an ongoing process, and honestly, it is something Dean has learned to approach with flexibility. He does not believe in the traditional idea of work-life balance. Instead, he sees it as work-life choices, where each decision has consequences that ripple through both areas. His aim is to make choices that have the best outcomes, whether in the short, medium, or long term, ensuring both Football Media and his personal life benefit in the process.

Proactive Action for Competitive Edge

He believes staying ahead means looking beyond the present. They maintain a global outlook, constantly researching trends emerging across different markets. Often, the most impactful innovations are those that start small but have the potential to scale globally.

By identifying early trends, whether in AI, blockchain, or shifts in consumer behavior, they can experiment and test potential applications that can give their clients a competitive edge. The key isn’t just staying informed but taking proactive action.

Building a Valuable Network

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to enter the sports media or digital marketing industry is, “Your network is your net worth; build it early and make genuine relationships. Always aim to overdeliver, whether it’s for a client or a collaborator. And remember, the obstacles you face will either be stumbling blocks or stepping stones, depending on how you choose to navigate them.”

Leading the Future of Sports Sponsorship

Football Media’s goal is clear: to remain a global leader in sports sponsorship, activation, and digital advertising. The company plans to achieve this by continuously embracing cutting-edge technologies and maintaining its relentless focus on client success.

AI is one area where Dean sees massive potential, and Football Media is already working on new services that will reshape the future of sports sponsorship, sponsorship activations, and digital advertising. The future isn’t just about staying relevant; it’s about leading the charge into what’s next.