Africa must find its own creative flavour- Udeme Ufot
Udeme Ufot, Group CEO of SO&U has challenged African creatives to play a significant role in reshaping the narrative about Africa by identifying a creative flavour of its own that will be recognised and attract respect from international creative community.
Ufot was speaking in a paper titled “Brands and Cultural Diversity: The Reality of the Threat” delivered at the just concluded African Cristal Festival Awards in Marrakech, Morocco, where he was appointed a Creative Juror and Speaker. He also reiterated that marketing communicators can play an important role in reshaping the outlook of Africa’s historical and cultural values.
The prolific adman threw light on the impact of colonization, industrial revolution, adoption of western education and technology with emphasis on digital revolution which has unleashed an unprecedented level of access to information across the continent. He stated that “The internet and various forms of social media have made the world a more global community than it has ever been with both filtered and unfiltered information finding its way into African communities. This free flow of information in the new media age and brand communications delivered in highly westernized symbols, imagery, tonality and style has almost displaced African world views, societal norms, standards of moral behaviour and cultural values.
“Nigerian music has taken the world by storm. The African print, better known by Nigerians as Ankara, has become a hot fashion item globally, thanks to the dynamism of Nigerian fashion designers. Movies from Nigeria’s Nollywood have kept audiences hooked to their screens across Africa and even the Caribbean. Also African technology startups are a great testimonial to the capacity of African youths to adapt modern technology to local needs and lifestyles. What these industries have demonstrated is the capacity of African youths to integrate elements of Western culture to redefine African culture through music, fashion, the movies and entertainment,” he said.
He concluded his presentation by urging Marketing communicators in Africa to play their roles by coming to terms with the reality that the new generation of African youths while being aware of the best the world has to offer, are keenly aware of their African identity and are not in a hurry to discard it. “It is up to African Creatives to align with and contribute to this redefinition by delivering world class thinking that is based on strong local insights that champion the best values of African culture” Mr Ufot stressed.
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