Advertising to the Rescue

Extracts from Thisday

As the campaign for diversification of the Nigerian economy gains momentum, experts have identified advertising as a critical sector that can be further explored to boost the economy

 The beauty and potential of marketing communication business were unearthed last week in Lagos. One after the other, experts, drawn from academic and marketing industry spoke glowingly about what marketing communication; especially advertising could do to boost Nigeria economy. The event was the annual marketing summit organised by Marketing Edge, a leading marketing journal. Since the birth of the summit few years ago, it has been one range of industry-focused issue to another. But this time, the focus was on marketers and their survival instincts in this time of economic crisis.

In line with the theme of the summit; ” A New Roadmap for Marketing Business in the Age of Global Oil Glut,” the experts unanimously agreed that the Nigerian spirit in Nigeria’s advertising landscape can be recreated as has been done in the entertainment industry particularly in the face of dwindling fall in oil price.  Aside issues related to dwindling fall in oil price, organisers of the event also factored in devaluation of the naira and unemployment of Nigerian youths before settling for the topic.

The chairman of the event, former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi pointed out the importance of advertising to national rebirth and positioning of the Nigeria project. Fayemi, who was represented by the former Director General of the state’s Bureau of Strategic Communications, Mr. Kayode Akinyemi,  expressed his concern over the shortfall in data and analytics in the industry and urged practitioners to collaborate by coming up with a data bank needed to drive a clear cut agenda for the industry.

He said: “There is a dearth of data and analytics which will be useful to the industry in Nigeria and this is part of the reason that the politicians have no clear cut agenda for the industry."

Earlier, the Publisher of Marketing Edge, Mr. John Ajayi had stated that the event was part of his organisation’s resolve to continue to beam the searchlight on the industry most especially now that the nation’s economy was going through its worst period.

He said the summit was organised to galvanise professionals in the industry to explore new frontiers in the light of the urgent necessity to diversify the economy due to oil glut. Ajayi also added that the summit would help practitioners brainstorm on the way forward with a view to providing roadmap that is achievable and guarantees its relevance.

Current economic challenges

The lead speaker was the pioneer registrar of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and a senior lecturer at the Pan-Atlantic University, Dr. Josef Bel-Molokwu. He spoke against the backdrop of the challenges posed by the dwindling fortune of the economy as well as the fall in price of oil in the international market and emphasised  the need for marketing communication industry to rise up to combat the challenge.

The former APCON Chief Executive Officer noted that it was significant that marketers begin to take the lead by urging government to diversify the economy in the face of the oil glut stating that sooner oil would become a commodity of the past. According to him, it behoves on experts in the marketing field to set the agenda that would open new markets in the direction of other intangibles, which have been left untapped over the years instead of continued reliance on oil.

While admitting the role played by marketing in other developed markets on account of fierce economic challenges, he urged marketers in the country to take a cue by responding quickly to the imminent threat posed by dwindling crash in oil price through productive thinking and innovation.

Bel-Molokwu however suggested some ideas, which marketers must take heed to in order to succeed some of which include Content Marketing and Publishing, mass customisation, story +telling, internet outdoor, heritage, films among others.

He argued that it was the right time for marketers to take their rightful place stating that excuse would no longer be permitted as it was witnessed when the nation could not latch on era of production and technology.

Acknowledging some of the failings experienced by Nigeria and other countries in the region which have left them behind compared with other developed countries, Molokwu said it has become imperative for Africans including Nigeria to situate their problems with a view to finding solutions based on each country priority list

He said: “Nigeria is, by several measurement parameters, ranking high among the vulnerable countries and regions.

Nigeria, nay Africa, may need to take a new view of its orientation and approach to technology, research, development and production. There is a serious need to independently develop own prototypes from own concepts based on inherent priority needs. The road to patent independence is through the path of developing and pursuing economic, fiscal and orientation independence. Nigeria and its African brother-countries must get off the laps or leash of any country or region”.

Bel-Molokwu further argued that in an era where Nigerians seem to be less concerned about production, attention should now be shifted towards creating a national ideation centre that would drive innovative thinking geared towards making the country a productive nation rather than a consumptive economy.

“There should be thought towards the creation of a secluded national Ideation centre, with working groups in states and local government areas. For me, I think the responsibilities would now be for select experts in critical research, development and production to be isolated and given specific pertinent thinking tasks. From these, manufacturing hubs could spring forth based on the inherent industrial capacities of each area, supported by existing, often under-utilized, plants."

He also emphasised on the need for locals to instinctively use or harness their creative instincts in the interest of country’s economy growth other than contributing to brain drain as has been witnessed in time past.

Current state of Nigeria advertising

Narrowing the discussion to advertising, another speaker at the event, Mr. Lanre Adisa spoke on the need for today’s practitioners to think outside the box and follow the global trend without losing touch with the local nuances.

Adisa, who runs Noah’s Ark, an adverting agency, spoke on; “Nigeria Advertising in a Generational Shift”. He said the business of advertising was one business that survive on the basis of talents regardless of age and cited global practitioners who are still in active practice despite their age. 

According to him. “The intention is not for one generation to leave the stage for the next one because advertising is a practice that thrives on the restless creations of the young and the young at heart, i.e. People who are never tired of learning and unlearning inventing and reinventing for the sake of the brands."

To better capture the current situation in the industry, the practitioner went down memory lane on the journey of advertising from the first generation to fourth generation. He stated that unlike other generations of agencies, the millennial agencies were operating in an era where the world has become a global village.

“This may perhaps explain why the millennial agencies tend to operate with a global mindset even though they are within the geographical confines of Nigeria. They see their competitors as being beyond the shores of Nigeria. It’s the reason why they will attempt the things their predecessors never took so serious a while ago."

Commenting on the kind of shift the industry requires now that it is at a critical juncture, Adisa pointed out that practitioners must as a matter of necessity move away from present lukewarm position by establishing themselves through dishing out of ads that are driven by originality and unique tradition of the Nigerian spirit. He made reference to countries like Brazil and India that he said are far ahead because their industries were firmly rooted in culture and tradition.

For Nigeria practitioners to get it right, Adisa called on stakeholders to create enabling environment that will engender harnessing of talents.

“Perhaps, the shift we require is not that of a generation. In my opinion, our industry needs a shift from its present comfort zone. We need to plant our feet on the globe in a manner that celebrates the Naija spirit that drives our everyday life. That spirit has found its voice in music, filmmaking, writing and comedy. Sadly, the world is yet to feel us the way it has come to feel and appreciate Brazilian and Indian advertising. It may interest you to know that advertising started in Nigeria and India in 1928 and later in 1929 in Brazil. Today, we cannot stand up to both of these countries as far as international reputation goes”.

He however admitted that the professional arm of the industry, the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), has done a lot to sanitise the industry. He expressed divergent views on the sanctity of the reform instituted by APCON as well as its likely adverse implication on global competitiveness.

“With regards to how it sanitizes the industry to enable agencies become more resourceful to plan for the future, I think there’s little or nothing to show. On the other hand, it has created an isolationist industry that keeps international players at bay. In a globalized economy, where Nigeria is supposed to be playing a leading role economically in Africa, the advertising industry cannot afford to isolate itself. What we risk is an environment devoid of serious competition. The present conditions for foreign participation in our industry cannot take us anywhere. Like Brazil and India, we need to engage the world on our own terms. However, those terms must be a win-win for local and foreign players. There’s an urgent need to review the APCON Reforms to enable a more competitive environment in a manner that protects the interest of Nigerians while encouraging the foreign partners to invest more in our people and our industry,” he said.

Opposing view

But to the President of AAAN, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, said the submission that the industry reform could hamper competitive industry was not apt. He said the intention of the reform as instituted by APCON was aimed at promoting the interest of local players as against the earlier practice when foreign practitioners invade the marketing landscape without following guidelines. Nwosu further stated that that the reform does not in any way restrict practitioners from competing with their global counterparts and urged members or practitioners to “invoke’ the Nigerian spirit in the contents of the ads. Like other speakers, he admitted that setting up the ideation centre would be a welcome development

He said: "We need to vigorously promote the 'Naija Spirit' to stamp our feet on the international advertising sphere.”The National Ideation Centre is something that is good and instructive to coordinate innovation and thereby improve marketing.”