PR evolves with time – Ekine
By Ibidunni Banjoko
Akonte Ekine, Lead Strategist of Absolute PR Limited and Co-founder of Consumers Value Broadcasting, said that public relations practice is always evolving with time. He argued that PR, as a strategic communication profession and practice that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics, evolves faster, especially since the Internet changed the speed at which news travels.
Speaking with MARKETING EDGE in an exclusive interview, Mr. Ekine pointed out that PR can only be as effective and profitable as it adapts to market demands, especially now with the use of technology. According to him, 2022 was great for PR practice, being the first full active year after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We all got new cultures along the line of work, so it was the year of experimenting with the work culture. And it was the World Cup year, even though Nigeria didn’t participate, which affected the marketing of brands in the period. It was also a year before the general elections.
“Our hope is that the year 2023 will be better. Brands are fully back into engaging the consumers and the competition will be keener due to rising costs, which will make consumers search for alternatives,” he said.
Commenting on the relevance of influencers in PR communication strategy, he stated that the role of an influencer is to engage the consumer in making a purchasing decision for brands. “That role’, he added, “is also about educating the consumers to understand brand benefits. From the point of strategy, the influencer is an attraction to action expected by the brand.”
While highlighting on using influencer marketing to solve fundamental marketing problems, Mr. Ekine said: “Is not a one-size-fits all situation. The use of influencers should be tied to issues to be addressed based on the marketing challenges and it is not all situations that require it and, in some cases, it will be a combination of tactics.”
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