Implications of Loeries Bait on Local Agencies
By Daniel Eteghe
Since the organizers of the Loeries Awards announced the special discount rate to attract more Nigerian agencies to participate in the awards, there has been mixed reactions amongst practitioners in the advertising industry.
The Loeries is a non-profit company administering awards for the brand communications industry, in Africa and the Middle East with the focus of promoting creative works within the sub-region.
It would be recalled that the 2018 Loeries Awards had offered advertising agencies in the country a rebate of one of the categories of awards entered for; should such an agency put in for multiple awards categories.
The offer will afford such agencies that are duly registered with the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) who enter for multiple award categories to get a discount on one of such categories for free. For example, if an advertising agency enters for three different award categories, such agency is expected to pay for only two award categories; thereby giving such an agency a discount of one category.
While it is believed in some quarters that this was a desperate move by Loeries to rip off Nigerian agencies financially, others stressed that it was a welcome development as it opens wider the window of participation for more agencies and increasing the opportunities for more winners from players in the country.
Most of the stakeholders going against the move said that Loeries is expected to be promoting creativity rather than pursuing a large number of participants in the awards. One of such stakeholders who spoke on the condition of anonymity asked if such move guarantees more winnings at the awards for Nigerian agencies.
According to him, about nine agencies entered for 2017 Loeries Awards in Nigeria, but only one won a bronze in the Digital & Interactive Social Media category.
He wonders why the organizers of Loeries awards should be chasing after more entries from Nigeria.
In his words: “What should Loeries be preaching? Should they be preaching creativity or more entries? How are they promoting creativity? Are they collaborating with AAAN? What is the connection between brand entries and brand winnings?”
Debunking his claims, the Creative Director of Noah’s Ark Communications, Mr. Abolaji Alausa, said, the discount would afford most Nigerian agencies that hitherto don’t have the fund to enter for such awards to do so.
Alausa said: “There are a large number of agencies, a few schools and even independent individuals who do great work but do not have the resources at their disposal to put in works for consideration and this entry discount by Loeries will assist greatly.”
The Noah’s Ark Creative Director affirmed that giving opportunities to embrace more agencies in the country does not in any way lower the standard of creativity for which Loeries Awards is known for across the sub-region.
According to him, Loeries has always been about celebrating and rewarding creative excellence and that has to take priority over anything else. However, getting more agencies to participate is of equally great importance.
“By encouraging more agencies to participate, the body of creative works and content available for evaluation is expanded. Increased agency participation results in more creativity being rewarded and it has a ripple effect on the industry as a whole, inspiring people to go beyond, do more and churn out better work.” he added.
Alausa, however, stressed that having more agencies does not necessarily guarantee more winnings for Nigerian advertising agencies but added that the opportunity gives them a window to showcase their works.
“More Nigerian agencies participating in the awards do not necessarily guarantee more winnings for Nigerian agencies. Rather, it is first an opportunity to showcase our works while increasing the chances of winning because more works get to be considered and evaluated.
“In addition, recognition is guaranteed and this boosts the global perception of our local industry.
Quality of work guarantees winnings but great works won’t stand a chance of winning if they are not put in for consideration,” the Noah’s Ark Boss stressed.
Corroborating Alausa’s assertions, the Chief Operating Officer of 7EVEN Interactive advertising agency, Mr. Taiwo Agboola, said that the organizers of Loeries Awards have always been promoting creativity not just in Nigeria but across the sub-region.
Agboola noted that it is the high level of creativity associated with awards that make agencies across the region to participate in the awards to showcase their great works.
According to him the discount is a positive step towards allowing more agencies to participate in the awards, stressing that Nigerian advertising agencies are good at doing great works which could possibly turn out to become more winnings for the country.
Earlier, the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) said it had strengthened its partnership with the organizers of the Loeries Awards to encourage more Nigerian agencies to participate in the 2018 Loeries Awards in Durban, South Africa.
President, AAAN, Mr. Kayode Oluwasona, said this when the CEO of Loeries Awards Mr. Andrew Human came on a tour in the country, noting that such collaboration and partnership could help in raising the Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival; LAIF Awards to an international standard.
Oluwasona said the fact that such collaboration started last year and is growing shows that the partnership between AAAN and Loeries is getting bigger and stronger.
Nine Nigerian agencies X3M Ideas, Noah’s Ark, 7even Interactive, Image & Time, Adeptus Nigeria, EXP Marketing Nigeria, Insight Publicis, DDB Lagos including a leading advertising academy, O2 Academy, submitted entries for the 2017 Loeries award. This year, the level of participation, given the incentive by Loeries and the improving economic environment, is expected to double.
Whether this leads to more winnings at the Awards as is also expected, we will not speculate but wait to see.
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