APCON boss raises hope on Standard Operating Manual for advertising industry
The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of Advertising Practitioners Council in Nigeria (APCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, has assured that the apex regulatory agency would soon create a Standard Operating Manual (SOM) to guide operations of all stakeholders in the Nigerian Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) sub-sector.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with MARKETING EDGE in Lagos, Dr. Fadolapo said the entire advertising industry needs a reform and as such there will be need for SOM.
According to him, “for me (Fadolapo), one of the focuses is: How do we implement advertising industry reform in such a way that agencies can be empowered?”, noting, however, that one of the things the Council wants to start implementing is the advertising industry reform in such a way that it creates jobs. He added that the sector is capable of creating over 5000 jobs within the first six months of full implementation of the reform. This, he said, is in conformity with the Federal Government directives to its agencies to create jobs.
On the operating manual, the registrar said the Council has commenced industry-wide engagement to get everybody’s support.
His words: “We need to do some ground work, and that is what we are doing right now – engagement. We are talking to the media owners, we are talking to the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and we are talking to everybody that is in the advertising industry. So, we may just need some time.”
However, he assured: “We need to have Standard Operating Manual for the industry. So within three months we should be able to pull this up. By January next year (2021) the advertising industry would have witnessed full implementation of the reform.”
The much expected Standard Operating Manual would once and for all resolve the age-long industry debts issue and put to rest discordant tunes on payment circle, especially the controversial 120 days payment circle being canvassed by some multi-nationals.
The manual will also address other issues like agency-client relationships, pitch fees, contract terms and all hitherto unethical industry practices like rate cutting, over-invoicing and non-performance amongst several challenges impeding the growth and development of the industry.
The registrar also raised the hope that the APCON Council which has long being in limbo would soon be reconstituted by the Federal Government. “APCON Council will be reconstituted as soon as possible,” hinting that nobody could say precisely when this will happen.
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