X3M Ideas @ Three: Breaking New Grounds In Corporate Citizenship

THE current business climate globally makes it foolhardy for any company to simply be in business solely for the sake of making profit. This is more so when current levels of competition allow customers to make decisions based on how much good a corporation is doing beyond the workplace and how they are positively impacting their community.

To this end, responsible companies are always on the lookout for avenues to give back to the society by way of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes or other platforms.

This, they believe, will go a long way in positively impacting the immediate environment or community in which they operate. This awareness must have influenced X3M Ideas, one of Nigeria’s fastest growing advertising agencies, to establish a tradition of commissioning a CSR project in commemoration of its anniversaries.

Recently, the agency marked its third year of operation with the reconstruction of restrooms for children at the Special Correctional Centres for Boys in Oregun, Lagos.

While addressing the children and guests, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko, urged them to believe in their dreams and never let their hurdles stop them from becoming whatever they desire in life. “I am from a poor family too, but today I’m the CEO of one of the fastest growing advertising agencies.

You need to believe in yourself, be focused and hardworking. Nobody can stop you except yourself,” he said. Speaking with the media after the commissioning of the restrooms, Babaeko stressed that the firm took CRS as an important course from the moment the company started even when they were not so sure whether the firm will survive.

The creative guru said: “From day one, when we started our business, even at the time we were not even sure whether our business will survive, we took one thing seriously – that is giving back to the society where we operate.

We felt that in the previous years, most of the school we have contributed to were schools that the children actually lived with their parents. This year, we thought those children who could not live with their parent either because they ran away from home or in conflict with the law should receive some nice treatment as well. “In a correctional home, the environment is even more critical.

We came out and realised the sanitary situation was not too good so we decided to revamp all the toilets, bathrooms, lights and tiles.” Babaeko commended the state government for their contribution in social welfare and also urged other corporate organisations to also pick up social welfare course as part of their CSR.

The X3M Ideas boss also added that the reason for his firm’s commitment to educational projects is as a result of its recognition of the fact that education is the best legacy. “Our hope is to affect the future of the children by providing conducive learning environment and other tools they need,” he explained.

Appreciating the agency for the reconstruction, the Director of Social Welfare at the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Musbau Abdulai said: “Many people pass through this neighbourhood but do not even bother to stop to see or know what is going on behind these walls. But as a company, X3M Ideas took upon themselves to come here to support the children.

So, for us in the Ministry of Youth and Social Development in Lagos State, we are excited about this and we look forward for more cooperation from them.” Charity work has become a natural pastime for X3M Ideas.

In its first year of operation, it renovated a block of five classrooms at Opebi Junior High School, Awuse Estate, Opebi, Ikeja. According to Babaeko, his company that was barely a year old could not ignore the strategic relevance of education

. Even as the CEO of a budding agency, Babaeko understood that a company does not necessarily need to be “ big” before engaging in corporate social responsibility, rather it should as a matter of fact be a way of life for organisations.

After his first CSR project three years ago, he made a passionate promise: “Meaningful CSR is ingrained in our DNA. Therefore, more of similar activities should be expected from us as an agency in the future.”

He kept his words as the firm exactly one year after that commitment donated ICT tools to Oregun Senior High School, Oregun and Community High School, Wasimi, Maryland. That was to mark X3M Ideas second year anniversary of commencing business.

X3M Ideas, a full service digital agency which opened shop for operation in August 2012 in Opebi area of Lagos, is obsessed with the vision to create a creative revolution in the Nigerian marketing communications landscape and beyond.

In line with this, the agency has demonstrated ample creativity in challenging the status-quo through its works.

The agency displays youthfulness and modernity in its mode of operation, flaunting cutting edge equipment and gadgets in a seamless office setting peopled by young but brilliant talents.

X3M Ideas possesses a state-of-art digital recording studio for radio commercials. This has drastically cut down on the agency’s turn-around time for clients’ briefs in a bid to reflect its hunger and readiness to deliver as a nimble and dynamic team of young professionals.

For an advertising agency that has been dubbed one of Nigeria’s fastest growing communication agency, X3M Ideas has a robust portfolio of clients and brands that cut across telecoms, satellite broadcasting, banking and FMCG, among others.