ADVAN President Lauds Loerke on 25th anniversary as WFA President
By Oghale Mafuru
As Stephan Loerke marks 25 years on the saddle as President of the World Advertisers Association, WFA, Osamede Uwubanmwen, President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria, ADVAN who is also the Regional Vice-President, WFA, has joined global leaders to felicitate with iconic leader who has led the forte for almost three decades.
Speaking exclusively with MARKETING EDGE, the ADVAN President lauded Stephan Loerke for his exemplary and outstanding leadership which is evident in the impressive growth recorded by the association over the years.
While affirming that the WFA has made an indelible impact in the advertising and marketing ecosystem through advocacy and participation in policy formulation, the ADVAN boss disclosed that the WFA Africa has benefited immensely from the purposeful leadership of Stephan Loerke.
He said: “He is the one that has made the association what it is today. We have been able to galvanize members. He has met the old, the new and the upcoming. So, he is like the rallying point for everybody. His influence, friendship and connection go very deep. He has also been able to do it in a way that members have stayed as more members are coming.
“WFA is voluntary and if you are not going to show members the benefits, they will not join. They are laws that are coming up. If you see what the association is doing outside in developing countries, you will be so shocked. Most of those laws you see passed such as children’s rights and privacy law are usually championed by WFA. They have a full-fledged arm that does these legislatures. They lobby sometimes with government people. Most times, they present term papers.
The ADVAN boss who enjoined regional heads of the body to be actively involved in the legislative process in the interest of brands, said: “This is also what I have been championing for Africa. We need to start becoming like WFA. We don’t need to wait for people to get laws that will not favour us before we will start doing something. Once you have brands that are as powerful as the brands that have been with us, most people will listen because it is that brand power that still works”.
According to him, the global body has over the years initiated several programmes and initiatives, through the various regional representatives, geared towards the growth of the advertising industry.
“They also challenge us to come up with programmes and initiatives. We are asked every year to submit the events we have done. There is something Stephan does every year, the President award which gives members focus for initiatives”.
The WFA connects the world’s biggest brand owners and national advertiser associations in more than 60 markets, bringing together tens of thousands of brands at local level. Together, they create a global network that offers a unique source of leadership, expertise, and inspiration.
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