Ogbechie charges industry stakeholders on Partnership at ARCON Conference
By Oghale Mafuru
To consolidate on existing efforts to optimize the operational efficiencies within the Integrated Marketing Communications Industry, stakeholders have been advised to embrace partnerships as it is fundamental to effective brand management and growth of the industry.
Speaking during a Firechat session at the ongoing, National Advertising Conference in Abuja, Chris Ogbechie, Professor of Strategic Management & DEAN LBS, stated that client-agency relationship is vital to the success of brands especially the one driven by trust, understanding and genuine interest in fostering a mutually beneficial partnership.
He said: “Every Fast-Moving Consumer Company in my days, depended on two major organizations as partners. One, the advertising agency. Two, the research agencies. As partners, we saw them in my own days and in my own company as extension of our business. Partnership in the sense that they had to understand who we are, what our strategy is, what we are trying to achieve, what our brand stands for, what our positioning is.
Some cases, they have to go through some forms of training. So, by the time we send formal briefs to them, in terms of advertising briefs or research brief, that understanding is there. With that understanding, they knew what to say and how to say it. They understand our target market, what our value proposition is and how to communicate that value proposition to our market. One thing that is missing today in that relationship for me is partnership”.
According to the iconic marketing expert, repositioning the IMC industry for growth requires improvement in capabilities and value offerings which can only emanate from a healthy client-agency relationship.
While reiterating the need for clients to be genuinely interested in the growth of their agencies, Prof. Ogbechie stressed that the successes of brands is hinged on the viability of the agencies.
“If we grow, the agencies that work with us grow. We can’t be growing and the agencies are not growing. Otherwise we will lose out. That is the kind of relationship. Otherwise, you will grow faster than them and then they cannot be your partners” he said.
On payment timeline, the marketing guru said: “One of the biggest problems between clients and agencies, is finance. when I say finance, it is not in terms of what to pay, it is when to pay. If you shortchange them, at the end of the day, the client suffers”.
While describing prolonged payment timeline as unethical and insensitive, he urged agencies to boycott those organizations to discourage such behaviour capable of stifling the growth of the industry.
“Sometimes agencies should pick the kind of clients they work for. Like me as a marketing person, I choose my customer. They say customer is king but who crowns the king? It is you. You pick your own customers. So, you can also pick the clients you work for. Have the courage to say I cannot work for this kind of client. When everybody chooses not to work for these kinds of clients because of their practices, they will change”.
He advised agencies to shun negative competition and thrive for excellent and result-oriented solutions for clients that will earn their trust and confidence.
“None of you can service all the clients. The amount of money being spent in the marketing communication space in Nigeria today, is over 200 times what they were spending twenty years ago. You can’t offer all the services. So, the starting point is collaboration and then start building expertise. Start earning the respect of clients. and think how do we bring back that word trust and integrity into the business” He emphasized.
The National Advertising Conference adjudged to be the biggest gathering in the advertising industry continues till Dec 1st, 2022 with an impressive line- up of intellectual speakers from both the client and agency sides to discuss on issues that will spur the growth and advancement of the industry.
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