A writer’s performance-based impressions of the sub-sectors in IMC industry
By Tunde Animasaun
In spite of the ripple effects of the pandemic on economic and business activities in Nigeria, the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) industry has one of the greatest potentials for growth. According to a recent report by PwC, Nigeria will be one of the world’s fastest growing entertainment and media markets. This latest report states that “Nigeria with a 12.1% CAGR (albeit strongly influenced by surging spending on mobile Internet access), will be the world’s fastest-growing E&M market over the coming five years while the slowest-growing will be Japan, growing at a 1.7% CAGR. While consumers in mature markets such as North America and Europe, and wealthier Asia-Pacific markets spend a lot — more than US$500 per capita annually — on entertainment and media, growth rates are relatively slow in these areas. In contrast, less developed economies feature much lower per capita spending and faster growth albeit from a very low base – less than US$50 a year in many cases.”
The question that begs for answer, however, is: “How are the different sub-sectors of Nigeria’s IMC industry positioning to exploit the potentials inherent in the outcome of the PwC report?” In an effort to proffer answer to this question, MARKETING EDGE takes a critical look at the activities of each of the sub-sectoral bodies as exemplified by the executive councils that superintend them. These bodies are: Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), and Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (ADVAN).
AAAN
Led by the debonair adman, Steve Babaeko as the President, AAAN is arguably reckoned as the most dynamic forward-looking Associations and sectoral body in Nigeria’s marketing communications eco-system. Elected into office in 2019, the Babaeko-led executive has infused new life into the Association. Since the inception of the new executive, there is a visible positive change in the look and ambience of the secretariat. The secretariat now wears a refreshingly new look having been repainted. The interiors also bear testimony to the change as it is now more corporate and pleasant to work in. A visitor who had been there before the incumbent executive came on board cannot but notice the palpable change both in look and actual experience.
Under Babaeko’s watch, AAAN has become more dynamic through the broadening of the membership base with the inductions of new members aimed at infusing young, digitally savvy agencies into the Association. Also, the executive ensured gender inclusion/balancing, capacity building and business development. Having harped on the need for gender inclusion in the industry, Babaeko has demonstrated this belief by bringing in Kemi Fabusoro as the first female Director of the Association. The diversity and dynamism wrought by a healthy gender balance, ingenious blend of the old, the new and succeeding generations of professionals in the business has led to healthy and productive idea distillation that is propelling the Association.
Also, the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival Awards (LAIF) has been adopted by the Lagos State Government. This will raise the standard and profile of the awards and further bestow it with credibility and status. The Association is also encouraging leveraging collaborations and possible mergers between member agencies for global competitiveness. LAIF Direct, an interview programme anchored by Lanre Adisa, one of the eggheads in the industry, serves the purposes of not only keeping the awards in the industry stakeholders minds, but also as learning resource for young and upcoming practitioners desirous of tapping the knowledge and experience of the older generation with a view to infusing this into contemporary knowledge and practices to create a winning edge for themselves.
The AdCademy, which is a tripartite collaborative effort between AdCademy, Hanley Business School, University of Reading and AAAN is an Advertising Masterclass aimed at upscaling the skills and competencies of advertising professionals in Nigeria; expanding the pipeline of fresh talents for the industry and retraining current professionals.
MIPAN
Founded in 1999, to inspire, lead, promote, train and advance the knowledge of media independent practitioners in the field of advertising media and marketing communication, MIPAN’s current executive is led by Femi Adelusi.
The well-structured Association is tick on training and capacity building for members. Its Founders Day has become more impactful in integrating and providing networking opportunities between the old and the new generations of members and professionals.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of the Association for the IMC industry is the development of scientific media planning in Nigeria through the development of audience measurement research that is technology based. This has led to the birthing of Media Planning Services (MPS) Ltd; an independent private initiative offering scientific media planning data, and software services for media planning in Nigeria.
MIPAN is a great team player as it has always shown readiness and eagerness to work with other sectoral bodies in advancing the IMC industry. The association has diligently maintained high standards since inception and is willing to take the integrated marketing communications industry to a greater height by working inclusively with all other sectoral bodies and the regulator for a better & more rewarding professional future.
EXMAN
The only sectoral body with a ‘war cry’, EXMAN prides itself as” Nigeria’s leading body for future-thinking experiential marketing communications agencies”. The Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) is the sectoral trade body for forward-looking experiential marketing communications agencies in Nigeria. It also serves as a co-operative of the best experiential marketing agencies in Nigeria, supporting, promoting and defending the interests of over 45 member agencies. The sub-sector boasts of a total billing of over thirty billion naira through comprehensive core services and platforms.
One area in which EXMAN is also outstandingly on-point is in capacity building and harnessing organizational potentials. Seminars, workshops and annual awards are organized to imbue members with necessary and cutting-edge skills, recognize and reward outstanding practitioners.
The Peter Tade Adekunle-led executive has upped the ante and ensures that the Association makes a meaningful impact in the Nigerian Integrated marketing ecosystem.
ADVAN
As the Association representing the advertisers who are the spenders in the industry, ADVAN is understandably peculiar. This peculiarity sometimes sees it being pitched against the other sub-sectors of the IMC industry. Led by Bunmi Adeniba, ADVAN is undoubtedly a strong voice of over 70 of the biggest organisations in Nigeria representing over 200 brands with an annual marketing spend of well over N200 Billion. This is the kind of financial muscle that comes with representing ‘big bosses’ in the industry.
Founded in 1992, ADVAN prides itself on being in the lead in influencing necessary change in the nation’s marketing space. To this end, its annual Market Outlook, Masterclass and ADVAN Awards are landmark events in the industry’s calendar. It also provides veritable networking opportunities for members and industry stakeholders through these fora.
“ADVAN is the only association in Nigeria which represents the collective interests of ‘Advertisers (Corporate organizations that engage in high level marketing)”, the Association boasts on its website. This avowed objective, however, places great limitations on the Association’s independence and impartiality as they must pander to the whim and will of advertisers seeing that this is in part, one of the main reasons for their existence.
Experience has also corroborated the above because whenever it comes to matters that affect the privileges and edge enjoyed by advertisers, ADVAN will always come up in arms against such moves irrespective of its impact on the industry as a whole. A recent example is the issue of the Advertising Industry Standards of Practice (AISOP). This industry reform moved by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), the regulatory body for the industry and generally perceived to be in the best interest of all stakeholders in the industry has met with stiff opposition by ADVAN. This opposition is not unconnected with the fact that some of the reforms sought to streamline some privileges enjoyed by advertisers which are inimical to the growth of the industry.
OAAN
Outdoor advertising sub-sector is one of the earliest practice areas that attracted many notable advertising and non-advertising players back in the days. Over the years, however, the giant went to sleep and efforts at rousing it from slumber are yet to yield the needed result. To this end, structures have been put in place and specific committees set up to control the practice of outdoor advertising nationwide with special attention to Lagos State.
The incumbent executive led by Emmanuel Ajufo is making spirited efforts to put the Association on the right footing again. The development of a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to guide business engagements involving Out-of-Home, Legends Night, Executive Retreat, Annual Health Talk and the adoption of digital technology are some of the executive’s anchor points for the transformation of the sector.
Whichever sectoral body practitioners find themselves, it is evident from recent development that it is not yet Uhuru. The reform AISOP is conceived to bring is a case in point. Moreover, the technological advancement as exemplified by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Metaverse will have a far reaching effect on advertising and the entire marketing communications industry globally. Far beyond what we have seen, the steady penetration of digital technology in every sphere of life will be the single major determinant of the future of the industry. This is likely to bring about the blurring of the sectoral dividing lines thus bringing to the fore the much talked about consolidation and mergers in the industry.
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