Media practitioners must evolve with the ‘new normal’ – Yinka Adebayo
By Felicia Nwosu
It has been a turbulent time for all, including corporates, governments and Nigeria’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) industry.
Yinka Adebayo, Executive Director, Media Investments at OMG WeCa Nigeria, in his assessment on how the industry has fared in the “new normal”, during an interview with MARKETING EDGE on industry conversation, confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic, indeed, has introduced both challenging and interesting times to practitioners.
He noted that the pandemic helped to unveil the importance of marketing that has not been seen before by bringing out the best in innovative agencies, adding that it has equally shown that brands can’t take their audience for granted.
According to Adebayo, the pandemic was just an eye-opener which has not only challenged brands, but has also forced everybody in that sector to put on their thinking cap in terms of meeting the needs of the active audience who are waiting to be tapped only by smart brands.
For the media expert, the new normal calls for the full deployment of technology, that has been a major minus for anyone in this industry, because even clients are trying to raise the tempo right now, therefore every industry must be up and doing. “If there is any country that has benefited from the pandemic, Nigeria happened to be one of such countries because it has opened our eyes to many things we closed our eyes to before now.”
On whether media specialists have taken advantage of the opportunities thrown by the pandemic, he said: “We have not really taken full advantage of it; meanwhile, some brands that the pandemic took their legs off the pedal were able to put them back on the pedal. And the result was quite simple, they were able to harness all the opportunities available in the market, so while some stayed away, some were able to still keep order and keep well.”
He opined that crisis will always remain the best platform for a good manager to excel, reasoning that a good manager’s ability to live up to a crisis is dependent on his ability to see beyond it because a pandemic will come and go. “Interestingly for some brands, it was that period that even created a demand. But they equally took the risk of reducing their prices in order to connect with their audience emotionally. The one naira you give me when I am broke is more valuable to me than the one million naira you give me when I am rich.”
Speaking on how Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria, (MIPAN) members have adjusted to the new normal as regards the pandemic, the Executive Director said: “To large extent, they have done fairly well, but there is room for improvement. They need to first of all continually get involved in research because we need to understand the audience. The audience of yesterday has gone with yesterday, and they keep evolving every day.”
Calling for more collaboration in the industry where the strong helps the weak, Adebayo encouraged specialization and professionalism among media operators and content owners, noting that it’s the only way to avoid having jacks of all trades in the sector. To resolve the long standing issue of industry debt, he advised members of MIPAN to be sure of the clients they sign on to, adding that agencies should ensure that their clients are credible, reputable and have got integrity as cardinal focus. He also welcomed the Federal Government‘s plan to establish an audit measurement policy for the entire industry, describing it as a commendable approach.
He projected a brighter future for the industry, as he revealed his projections for 2021 in Nigerian media advertising sector. “For the Nigerian advertising sector, I tend to see the cup as half-full rather than half-empty. Brands have to learn from the pandemic, while exploring, re-inventing, re-strategising and re-launching for a better and prosperous 2021.
Adebayo appreciated MARKETING EDGE Publications Ltd for recognising him with the Media Personality of the Decade award, which he described as an honor, while thanking those who worked with him to achieve the milestone. He, however, made it clear that for the advertising industry to grow and evolve, agencies and media practitioners will have to keep putting value on the table, keep on widening the tarmac, raising the bar and evolving by doing new things and setting new standards as that is the only way they will continue to deliver to their clients.
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