IMC professionals extol ADVAN awards
By Felicia Nwosu
To support and be a part of the momentous Africa’s leading Awards for Marketing Excellence West Africa, organised by Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), professionals in the advertising space and other sectors of the nation’s economy who graced the historic ceremony, have expressed satisfaction with the outcome. They commended the organisers for a well-packaged event, which they said will linger in the minds of many for a long time to come.
Speaking with MARKETING EDGE, Nigeria’s foremost brand focused magazine, Steve Babaeko, the advertising icon that moves and leads X3M Ideas, while chatting and laughing with colleagues during the ceremony, noted on how this year’s theme reflected in Nigeria’s marketing ecosystem, acknowledging that the theme was a topical one at this period.
“With everything that we have experienced last year, if you are not future fit you are already dead, so the theme got it spot on. You have to be future fit and it is not about future of tomorrow but that of yesterday. This is all about realigning and charting new routes to the future.”
He reaffirmed his trust in the credibility of ADVAN’s integrity in churning out the best in all their styles. The X3M Ideas leader lauded the organisers and ADVAN Executives for such a posh and grand event, adding that he was not disappointed with what he saw.
Joan Ihekwaba, Founder/ Chief Consultant, BJ37, revealed that she came to appreciate creative works, meet friends and make new connection, while extolling the serenity and ambience of the event. She expressed how thrilled she was with the turnout of the event.
Hear her: “It is quite apt because we are in the new normal, and things have changed for the better, and those changes are here to stay. It is about time that we marketers would also step up and be ready for challenges of the time, which is what this event is all about.”
Tony Agenmonmen, the immediate past President and Chairman of Council of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), also observed that the atmosphere was fascinating and inviting. He commended ADVAN for setting up a platform that recognises and rewards practitioners in the IMC industry.
“It is a great reward for marketing professionals who had worked hard for their great jobs to be recognized, and it is also a time for celebration. The past three years have been very difficult, including this year. So, for those who have been within that context to be able to outshine, as well as able to get their brands and companies to have performed well, I think they need to be celebrated and that was what the day was all about.”
The immediate past NIMN boss also said: “It is really a celebration of all the efforts of the marketing community. Yes, at the end of the day, because it is an award night, there will be people who will be bestowed with gold medal, but I can tell you that the entire marketing communications industry has been very vibrant.”
Femi Adelusi, President of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), reaffirmed that the pandemic has brought lots of changes, and emphasised the need to embrace the change with new perspective.
Hear him: “It is almost like we are in new creation because in Nigeria, to a large extent, we can say we have just exited Covid-19. When we look at the numbers even though it is not the same in Europe for example, but we need to approach marketing from a different perspective because the consumers have gone through a lot and the brand owners and the custodians have gone through a challenging period because of the economy as per disposable income of the consumers. Marketing needs to evolve to understand the pains of the consumers and also to be able to approach marketing from a standpoint that addresses the challenges and profitability that lots of businesses both big and small encounter. More than ever before, we need to understand the ground and the consumer today.”
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