The persistent challenges of value confusion and image crisis in Nigeria were answered by marketing communications industry experts who gathered in Abuja for the 2023 National Advertising Conference and tasked the Federal Government and its agencies to study communications as a tool for the conversion of national advertising. Rahim Akinbolu reports
As a professional body, members of the marketing communications industry have, over the years, used sound suggestions to advise the federal government and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project to look inward and identify gaps in their strategies Communication. It is argued in many forums that Nigeria's problem is not only the lack of good policies, but also the lack of poor communication strategies that can attract global attention and generate public consensus.
The 2023 National Advertising Conference recently held in Abuja once again provided an opportunity for the country's creative community to take this idea further. For participants, the conference, organized by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and other industry bodies, also opened their eyes to global and local trends in the industry.
The expected tone was set on arrival day at the Fireside Chat evening held on the open-air terrace of the John Wood Hotel By Bolton in Wuse FCT, where veterans and industry leaders such as Lolu Akinwunmi and Seni Adetu spoke on “The Truth about". Advertising practice in Nigeria and its practices. Both Akinwumi and Adito acknowledged that the industry faces both internal and external challenges. Both agree that there are internal problems and problems created by the system. The speakers and participants also concurred and concurred in their assessment of the current drivers of the industry, the Director General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, who has done the reform and repositioning very well. industry.
Perhaps the organizers intended to use the second day to tell the world that the Nigerian advertising community has progressed and produced a new generation of professionals who can survive in any market.
The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Malam Lanre Issa Onilu, who represented the Minister of Information, Muhammad Idris, in announcing the open day, also demonstrated in five minutes that he knows the industry and understands how it works. At the opening ceremony, he revitalized the conversation by saying that the federal government needs marketing communications professionals to redefine the nation's corporate structures. Issa Onilu did not dispute this and stressed that the role of stakeholders in the marketing communications ecosystem in driving national transformation cannot be underestimated. He told the creative community that they were needed to help bridge the gap between government and citizens.
He said he was pleased that this year's theme focused on the role of marketing communications as an agent of national change. The former editor of the newspaper told the audience that this was a clear recognition of the power and responsibility of marketing communications professionals to facilitate the transformation that Nigeria needs and deserves.
Onilo accused practitioners of the need to use their enormous influence to educate Nigerians on some of the reforms and policies of the federal government.
“I ask you, as communications professionals, to join together to help us convey this message without sensationalism or distortion,” he said.
While the three-day event gave Fadolapo another opportunity to tell Nigerians what the industry can do to heal the country, it did more to build the trust of doctors who have spent years in the wild.
Fadolapo said research shows that marketing communications as an economic activity is of strategic importance to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. He then highlighted the position of many experts who believe that communication is the engine of a healthy and prosperous society.
Yes, this year's theme is very appropriate! For integrated marketing communications professionals in Indonesia, advertising and marketing communications have a significant impact on shaping hearts and minds.
But how well can stakeholders and practitioners use this influence to achieve national integration, cohesion and transformation?
Interestingly, the general consensus is that practitioners must know their powers, be aware of them, and master them before they can use them properly.
Speaking on Fireside Chat, Prima Garnet Africa Group CEO Lolo Akinwunmi said professionals must be professionals who are willing to share their opinions at any time to achieve the desired impact.
Looking back, the Prima Garnet Africa director told how his agency insisted on charging application fees to the country's top financial institutions, a request that many agencies in the country are still afraid to make out of fear. Excluded from the process.
According to him, First Generation Bank initially rejected the agency's request, but later agreed to pay when it became clear that the process could not continue without the agency's participation.
He added that the agency was able to pause the application process because its management team knew its responsibilities and was unwilling to compromise on industry standards.
According to National Institute of Marketing (NIMN) director Edorinen Enang, professional manpower, especially marketers, is needed to improve farmers' thinking about planting crops before harvest so that they can grow.
Discussing the topic 'Talent development in the IMC industry', Enang said talent can only be developed if the people involved are willing to be mentored.
He encouraged the younger generation who aspire to become marketing professionals to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the institute for career development and advancement.
Other speakers at the conference, especially leaders of various industry bodies, such as President of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN), Steve Babaeko, and President of the Association of Independent Media Professionals of Nigeria, Femi Adelusi , used the platform to capitalize on sector dynamics and emerging trends.
Babayko is the CEO of the much-needed investment.
"Gone are the days when we left the narrative in the hands of foreigners," he said.
He explained that the tasks carried out by the committee for free represent the industry's contribution to the country's socioeconomic growth.
Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the National Advertising Conference, Tunji Adyanka, explained that one of the objectives of the conference is to address issues related to the size of the marketing communications sector, understand the sector's contribution to GDP and facilitate discussions about the "multiplier". effect'. advertising." Every naira is spent in one sector of the market.
In his remarks, Arkon CEO Dr. Lekan Vadolapu explained that this year's conference, the third, aims to explore the issue of advertising as an economic factor.
He said he would provide suggestions and recommendations that would have a positive impact on the sector and the Nigerian economy as a whole.
Vadolapu also took the opportunity to assure operators that the reforms initiated by the Council are aimed at revitalizing the sector, raising its standards and refocusing on growth.
But he warned that the Council was prepared to take any guilty professional or professional body to trial before the newly created Advertising Tribunal to hold them accountable for any wrongdoing they had committed.
Meanwhile, the CEO also took advantage of the conference to explain the reasons for restructuring ARCON with a new name and nomenclature. Fadolapo said the decision to change the name of the apex regulatory body in the advertising industry from the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to ARCON was necessitated by the need to plug some loopholes created by the previous law that established APCON. .
Vadolapu, who gave his explanation at a meeting with practitioners at City Hall as part of the conference, said that the process of replacing the old law with a new law also gave rise to a new name and gave more to the body. teeth to effectively perform their legal duties.
Highlighting the need for operators to become good representatives of the practice, the ARCON President explained that the decision to create the Advertising Crimes Court was also motivated by the need to avoid unnecessary delays commonly encountered in ordinary courts and to ensure that such cases do not occur. Those related to advertising and crime were quickly eliminated.
"If someone is taken to court, they may even get an initial two-year tax break for minor issues, such as paying advertising debts, which would jeopardize the agency's continuity. If we challenge two or three organizations that are committing illegal account theft "Therefore, we must create a propaganda court to resolve this issue within 90 days," he stated.
He added that as part of ongoing efforts to restructure the industry, ARCON will begin a national audit of advertising agencies by category and specialization in Nigeria from January 2023.
For the move to become a reality, Vadolapu said ARCON will write to all industry groups to inform them about the plan and let them know that it is no longer business as usual.
He assured the industry of the agency's commitment to bridging the current gap between the city and the abaya by exploring areas where they can collaborate.
"Last year we launched the Advertising Days with the aim of questioning advertising as knowledge, as practice and as a business. We want to make sure we close the gap between the city and clothing. We will delve into the world of advertising. the scientific community to see how we can close the gap between cities and clothing,” he said.
He also assured experts that the reforms carried out by the agency in recent years are aimed at cleaning up the industry and not at the expense of any individual or group in the advertising ecosystem.
Vadolapu added that such reforms are necessary to ensure that the sector meets global best practices and standards.
