ADVAN unveils ADVAN-X, an online marketplace
By Abimbola Mohammed
Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) has unveiled its online marketplace tagged ADVAN-X, a platform aimed at reshaping the landscape of Nigeria’s marketing industry. This is in a bid to deepen industry engagement and pioneer further development in the marketing and communications industry.
The unveiling with the Theme: “Connect, Innovate, Elevate” was done during the maiden edition of ADVAN Partners’ Innovation Day at GRA, Ikeja Lagos, where brands, marketing agencies and brand support organisations connect and exhibit their brands, network and engage with their consumers.
Speaking during the launch, Osamede Uwabanwem, President of ADVAN noted that ADVAN-X connects brands, marketing agencies, media platforms, and service providers in an innovative hybrid environment that combines virtual and physical networking opportunities. He added that by fostering continuous engagement, the platform positions itself as an indispensable tool for collaboration and growth in the competitive marketing ecosystem.
“ADVAN-X offers a dynamic hub for brands and service providers to form meaningful connections, access cutting-edge marketing solutions, and drive innovation. Featuring advanced tools such as interactive partner profiles, lead generation forms, and a comprehensive analytics dashboard, ADVAN-X empowers brands to enhance their strategies and create impactful partnerships,” he said.
Osamede further described the platform as a “transformative space breaking down silos and enabling long-term success across the marketing ecosystem.” Addressing key challenges like fragmented connections and limited access to decision-makers, ADVAN-X is poised to redefine how the marketing industry operates in Nigeria.
Also speaking at the unveiling of ADVAN-X, Akinola Afere, Director, Client services Kantar (Insight Division), spoke on the topic Blue Print for Brand growth, where he emphasised on the need for brands to optimise marketing investments in consumers’ journey.
“In Nigeria, tough times are impacting consumer confidence but there is still growth to be found. This is why brands need to optimise marketing investments in customer journey, range, distribution, pack, pricing, promotions and other activity that converts consumer predisposition and captures choices from other brands.”
He added that it’s often hard to unlock growth during inflation times, citing 33.8%, Headline Inflation Rate (as of October), 52% (28% v5. 2019), Consumer Confidence (Optimism) about Nigeria, 3.46% (vs:319%, 02 vs.298%, 01), Growth rate of the economy (as of G3, 2024) Financial Institutions’ contribution to GDP grew by 88.7%, 02, 2024.
Speaking on brand growth Afere said: “Brands’ growth is being meaningfully different to more people. Growth accelerates for wining market to operationalise effectively. To be meaningfully different to more people, consumers should know how meaningfully different your brand is. Identify how to drive stronger functional and emotive connections and define strategic connections and opportunities to build difference. “
Stating the 5 things that CMO’s and brand managers need to consider to be meaningfully different to more people, Afere noted: “Factor difference into your brand positioning and strategy, Use meaningful difference to convince the board to invest in brand, measure and optimise your source and degree of difference, have a holistic view of difference and destructiveness and think strategically.”
He advised that brands should predispose more people and said, “increase your probability of purchase by strengthening the predisposition everyone has towards your brand. Invest in exposures and experiences to build the right perceptions, to make your brand mentally available and meaningfully different to people.”
“Optimise marketing investments in customer journey, range, distribution, pack, pricing, promotions and other activity that converts consumer predisposition and captures choices from other brands and find the most incremental spaces (motivations, occasions, categories, services) that you can stretch into. Win in these new spaces though meaningfully with different innovation, expanded distribution, and communications,” Afere noted.
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