Experiential experts commend 2021 business outlook
By Felicia Nwosu
Professionals in the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) have revealed that 2021 is a year for a fresh start, hope and revival, while noting that it is equipped with re-inventions and strategies to harness the opportunities of the year.
As 2021 draws to a close, members of the association take a recap of business activities of the year so far.
Commenting on the outgoing year, immediate past president of EXMAN, Tade Adekunle revealed that business outlook for this year has been lucrative while hoping for more busy days ahead.
“Things have gradually opened up, though some of the challenges are still there. Being the end of the year also, there are lots of activities that will be coming up, especially for some companies that have not exhausted their budgets and also have plans for the Yuletide. This last quarter of the year is definitely better than the previous quarter,” he said.
Seasoned experiential Amazon, Tolulope Medebem, Chief Executive Officer of Aster Integrated Marketing and Vice President of the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), while glancing through the year, revealed that it has been very productive and fulfilling. She added that IMC industry has been experiencing a beehive of activities in terms of conferences, award night and physical engagements, while attributing those activities to the ease on lockdown.
“As an Experiential practitioner, the year is better and it is looking on to be better and brighter. This year we have done quite a lot of activities that we are thankful for. In terms of the trends that are propelling us to have a greater positive outlook, there is the fact that we are able to physically engage better, and of course digital is also helping a great deal. I am not exactly sure in terms of trends, it is just the fact that things are opening up better, and the outlook is better and much more positive,” she said.
Another experiential expert, Rosemary Akpo, Managing Director of EXP Marketing, the pioneer experiential marketing agency, elatedly revealed that 2021 has been a year of growth, filled with one brief after the other, describing it as a very busy year.
“It has been a great year, although we had a pessimistic view, thinking that the year was going to be worst, but it has ended up being better than last year. In the past months, several brands that hadn’t done anything in the year started bringing briefs. There have been so many activities going on even as the year comes to end. The year has ended up being a better year now beyond our imagination. Also, the fact that the level of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria has not been as bad as it is in other countries has helped,” she revealed.
Another leading light in the experiential marketing sub-sector, Otis Ojeikhoa, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brands Optimal, recalled how pathetic last year was for experiential practitioners considering the nature of their activities, noting that 2021 has been very promising and encouraging.
“This year has witnessed a revived boost in earnings, activities, events, engagements, activations, markets; there is really no basis for comparing this year with last year. The businesses this year, for me, have grown tremendously compared to what it was last year,” he said.
The Brand Optimal CEO also revealed how his company has benefited from the year.
“From my perspective as the Brand Optimal CEO, we are in the industry, so we have seen the significant growth in our business, with tremendous increase in our business margin, volume of events, and activations. Last year, at some point, we had to cut down on our staff. But this year, we have employed more staff than we had last year.”
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