MARKETING EDGE Hall of Fame debuts amid glitz and glamour
It was an electrifying evening which dovetailed into a sparkling night full of unforgettable moments at the MARKETING EDGE Hall of Fame 2022. The event, which was held at the cosy ambience of Radisson Hotel, saw the celebration of excellence and professionalism among the who’s who in the Nigerian Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) industry.
For the first time, the MARKETING EDGE Group kicked off a tradition of inducting, honouring and paying homage to legends, accomplished professionals, great industry titans, and gurus who blazed the trail in their various areas of specialisation across generations and epochs.
The crosscutting event, which was a symbolic way of honouring excellence and a culture of leadership that is undoubtedly creative, resilient and daring in Nigeria’s IMC landscape, had in attendance pacesetters, sectoral heads, captains of industry, thought leaders, the curious, and the newcomers.
Some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion include Prof. Pat Utomi, the Keynote Speaker and Chairman of the occasion; Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, Chief Executive Officer of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON); Group Chairman, Mutual Benefits Assurance, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi; Former APCON Registrar, Alhaji Garba-Bello Kankarofi; Former AAAN President, Udeme Ufot and many others.
On the select list of inductees who were bestowed with the apex honour of Hall of Fame, was a galaxy of the finest minds that have shaped Nigeria’s creative and innovative IMC ecosystem and the entrepreneurial space, which include the Tzar of advertising, Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, Sir Steve Omojafor, Mr. Jimi Awosika, Mr. Udeme Ufot, Mrs. Iquo Uko, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Steve Babaeko, Alhaji Garba-Bello Kankarofi, Lanre Adisa, Bunmi Oke, Dozie Mbanefo, Ayo Oluwatosin, John Ehiguese, Rotimi Bankole, Funmi Omo, George Thorpe, Yomi Badejo Okusanya, and Tunji Adeyinka.
In his opening remarks, John Ajayi, the Publisher/ CEO of MARKETING EDGE, noted that the induction of personalities into the MARKETING EDGE Hall of Fame attests to the greatness of men and women who have made distinguished contributions to their respective fields of endeavour. He mentioned that each has provided a crucial nexus between creativity and the economy, and that these innovative leaders have believed and still believe passionately in the evolutionary/revolutionary power of creativity.
“We are so proud to have these exceptional figures seated here tonight to join our Hall of Fame. I thank them for accepting to be part of the MARKETING EDGE family, and for inspiring the younger generation of entrepreneurs, visionary investors and inventors. We consider it an incredible honour, but I think what’s most important for everyone in this hall to know tonight is what the inductees mean to us, and what they mean to Nigeria, Africa and indeed to the world and to humanity,” he said.
Mr. Ajayi paid special tributes and respect to all the players and gladiators in the competitive Nigerian corporate community, especially the IMC sector for their unflinching support over the years, and for promoting growth and development of their respective sectors.
“You have been quite outstanding and exceptional despite the vagaries and vicissitudes of the national economy,” he stated.
He continued: “As you will soon know, the list of the accomplishments of MARKETING EDGE Hall of Fame inductees are remarkable – from pioneers in the Nigerian marketing communications industry to titans in the manufacturing, insurance, and oil & gas sectors among others. And what makes it unique is that the list of the accomplished inductees is made up of industry leaders in the pre and post digital age.
“These accomplished individuals, professionals who have become leaders, titans and gurus are being inducted into the MARKETING EDGE Hall Of Fame for sustaining outstanding contributions to their industries and business enterprise. The MARKETING EDGE Hall Of fame honours these remarkable legends in Nigeria as their lifetime of achievements have inspired and defined the best ideals of our collective humanity.”
Prof. Utomi, while presenting his keynote, explored and simplified the subject of leadership, even as he emphasized the need for quality leadership and policy choices that will guarantee strong institutions. He asserted that Nigeria requires strong institutions rather than strong individuals to survive at this critical period of her history.
“The first variable on my list of how Nigeria can make meaningful economic progress is entrepreneurship which comprises the marketing communications industry. And cultural values are at the heart of this progress because, as a leader, you must have an authentic sense of service,” he said.
Zeroing in more on Nigeria, Prof. Utomi emphasised that leadership matters, while urging contemporary practitioners to imbibe the requisite disruptive spirit needed to make progress in their sub-sectors.
“We need a lot of leadership and disruption to make progress in every facet of our national life. If you’re going to make and foster excellence and professionalism, you must imbibe the culture of disruption,” he averred.
The celebratory night also witnessed the formal unveiling of a special edition publication of the MARKETING EDGE magazine, which features on its front cover Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, one of MARKETING EDGE Ham of Fame honorees who is no doubt a corporate guru of no mean repute. As usual, the edition is spiced up with a pot-pourri of juicy offerings on news and incisive industry reviews as well as deep market insights.
MARKETING EDGE is an avant-garde agenda setting media organisation that has constantly and consistently made innovation the corner-stone of its operation. Ten years ago, it introduced the yearly National Marketing Stakeholders Summit & Brands and Advertising Awards of Excellence.
In its quest to bridge the knowledge gap across industries while boosting capacity for businesses generally, MARKETING EDGE launched its Quarterly Virtual Summit last year to engage industry players in frank conversations on themes and topics that affect and impact their enterprise.
The group also introduced MARKETING EDGE ON TV through its mutually beneficial partnership relationship with TVC Communication, a dynamic broadcast group in Nigeria that is breaking new grounds in broadcast journalism. The weekly MARKETING EDGE ON TV, an excitingly rich and robust 30-minute show on TVC DStv Channel 418, has greatly helped in expanding the frontiers of marketing and advertising knowledge, while also helping to create positive conversation and engagements between brands and consumers.
Similarly, in pursuant of innovation, MARKETING EDGE has disrupted the brand journalism space and challenged head-on, the traditional and conventional print media by taking its news headlines and reports outdoor through LED digital billboard headline displays.
These companies, namely: Invent Media, New Crystal Communications, Plural Media, Elevate Media, Nimbus Media and Just Brand it have become platforms for responsive and responsible Corporate Social entities in pro-actively helping to educate, entertain and inform the hitherto largely uninformed Nigerian consumers.
As its latest offering, the MARKETING EDGE Hall of Fame has been created not only to honour trailblazers and leaders in the fields of creative economy, but to serve as a record and inspiration for the generation next.
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