Humanised communication is the future of marketing – Adediran
By Abimbola Mohammed
As the media landscape continues to evolve, brands must adapt to stay relevant. By prioritising the humanisation of their communications, emotional connections, and cultural equity, brands can build strong relationships with their audiences and drive growth in 2025.
This is according to Emmanuel Adediran, Business Unit Director at +Acuity Nigeria, as he noted that the key to success lies in humanising communications. He made this submission at the just concluded hybrid event organised by MediaReachOMD on Trends to Watch Out for in 2025.
“In 2025, we see a lot of brands towing the line of humanising their communications. It’s not enough to just sell them a product, consumers are asking for a lot more now. They need you to speak to them in a manner that they can relate and connect with,” Adediran said.
The event with the theme: “Top Trends 2025 – Insights in Media, Markets, and Consumers” was organised in partnership with Geopoll and Lagos Business School at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja Lagos.
Adediran further emphasised the need to form genuine connections with audiences asking: “Are you able to connect in an authentic way with the average consumer that the brands are trying to target? To achieve this, brands should focus on creating emotional connections with their audience, rather than just relying on rational communications.”
He stressed that emotional connections are crucial for driving growth and building brand loyalty saying: “As brands strive to build and drive growth, cultural equity will become a key performance indicator (KPI). It is important to be sensitive and thoughtful in your marketing efforts, particularly when engaging with influencers. Influencers are just entry points, you need to stay authentic to your communication and brand. Nigerians are very smart; they can spot an imposter from a mile away.
“To deliver effective influencer marketing, you must involve creators at the early stages of planning. It’s not just about finishing all the strategies and plans and then saying, ‘Give me a list of influencers that we can choose from or work with.”
Another significant trend in 2025 is the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in marketing and communications. On this, Adediran highlighted the benefits of AI in ad technology, CRM, and creative development.
“AI has always been perceived as the problem, from buzzwords to fear-mongering. But now, we’re starting to see implementation of AI in marketing and communications. In Nigeria, AI adoption is accelerating, with local solutions emerging. Nigeria has moved rapidly from having no internet to adopting advanced fintech solutions, and similarly, AI adoption is accelerating in the country.”
He pointed out the challenges of regulation in using AI generated video or picture for creative material. “Regulatory challenges remain, particularly regarding AI-generated content. At the moment, from a regulatory standpoint, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) classifies AI-generated content as foreign, and you have to pay a foreign model for use of AI in your materials. But young smart Nigerians are coming up with local AI tools.”
He noted that the benefits of AI in marketing and communications are numerous. Highlighting the importance of factoring AI into our production architecture to achieve cost reduction and high efficiency, he added that, for media owners, the adoption of AI presents opportunities for growth. “It is of importance to think digital, thinking 360, and thinking connected TV.
Discussing the evolving media landscape, particularly in terms of content consumption, Adediran explained that, while digital channels are growing, traditional channels still play a significant role in brand discovery.
“Consumers will remain content-led, but they’ll favour platforms that offer convenience and flexibility, As media owners, you need to begin to think digital, think 360, think connected TV, cross-platform buying, because they are essential in this evolving landscape.
“It is important to provide consumers with seamless experiences across platforms because they want convenience and flexibility. Consumers are aware when brands are trying to advertise, but they appreciate authenticity and flexibility in content delivery. Ultimately, marketers must prioritise content and put their consumers at the centre of their plans.”
Adediran concluded by emphasising the need for collaboration and staying abreast of trends and technologies.
“This is not the year where you will do things the way you have always done it. It’s time to review your briefing templates and think differently about marketing and communications.”
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