HASG holds 1st quarterly webinar, highlights AI impact on marcomm
By Felicia Nwosu
The Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG) held its very first in the series of Quarterly Webinars on Friday, 8th November 2024, via Zoom, with the theme: “The Impact of AI on Marketing Communications.”
The session, moderated by Tolulope Medebem, Lead Consultant at Aster Integrated Marketing, brought together industry experts to discuss how AI tools can enhance diverse facets of marketing communications, including strategy, account management, creative direction, copywriting, and media planning.
Lanre Adisa, President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and Chairman of the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG), noted the importance of unified action and forward-thinking strategies in the Nigerian advertising industry.
He emphasised that HASG’s origins in the late 1990s were rooted in a need for cohesion among diverse actors, especially as the advertising landscape became increasingly fragmented. Adisa called on industry leaders to collaborate with regulators to establish an AI protocol tailored to the advertising sector. He expressed hope that such discussions would enhance understanding of AI’s potential, ensuring it complements rather than disrupts industry roles.
“From its inception, HASG aimed to create an environment for healthy competition, ensuring that our shared interests were protected, and advocating for policies that benefit the industry. “Unfortunately, we’re frequently in catch-up mode. We need to anticipate these changes rather than react to them.”
He highlighted HASG’s unique position as a representative body bringing together agencies, practitioners, and clients across various disciplines, urging a proactive approach to adapting industry practices and regulatory frameworks, particularly regarding artificial intelligence (AI).
Dr. Tayo Oyedeji, CEO of Insight Publicis, delivered the keynote address, focusing on the transformative role of AI in driving efficiency, strategy, and creativity within the marketing sector. Drawing from his extensive experience in finance, marketing, and consulting across continents, he illustrated how AI can streamline client services, with practical applications in daily workflows.
He detailed five core areas where AI is making an impact, account management, strategy, copywriting, art direction, and media, and used examples from major brands like Pepsi and Nigerian Breweries to demonstrate how AI aids in generating client communication drafts, developing strategic insights, content ideation, and analyzing art direction for campaign enhancement.
Esther Obafemi, Head of Digital Transformation and Media at Friesland Campina, stressed the importance of ethics and transparency in the use of AI. She raised concerns about AI’s potential for plagiarism and ethical issues, noting that while AI is effective in content creation, it should not be used for direct copying.
She emphasised the need for human input to add context and originality, urging companies to ensure transparency when using AI in content creation and consumer data gathering, especially in terms of obtaining consumer consent.
Maurice Ugwonoh, Creative Director at Noah’s Ark Communications, highlighted AI’s potential to accelerate creativity and business intelligence. He acknowledged industry concerns over AI generating uniform outputs but underscored the role of each agency’s creative vision in differentiating its work. He likened AI to a “co-pilot” in the creative process, one that supports but does not replace human originality. According to him, AI helps marketers remain aligned with evolving consumer behaviors, while human creativity gives campaigns a unique voice.
Ekeno Eyo, Managing Director of The Redwolf Company, spoke on AI’s role in boosting productivity and refining creative strategies. He noted that AI tools are transforming brainstorming, content ideation, and audience insights, allowing teams to develop timely, effective campaigns. The MD cited tools like Figma for mind mapping and Factool for insights into target demographics, advocating their use to refine marketing approaches.
Eyo also addressed the global disparity in AI adoption, with countries like the U.S. taking the lead, and urged African marketers to embrace AI for competitive relevance. Reflecting on revenue impacts, he shared the success of a 2017 AI-powered campaign for Motella that achieved high engagement with 7 million personalized jars. He advised marketers to integrate AI with their unique insights, warning against sole reliance on AI outputs.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.