Marketing communication is a crucible element in the fabric of any business and nation. The practitioners, with deep insight, garnered through research and experience, assist in the movement and consumption of products and services. In the production value chain, the job of marketing communication experts is key as without consumption, businesses will record huge inventory of pile up of unsold goods. This will eventually result in job losses and final closure of business which will affect GDP.
Their job also involves creating traction for products and for countries aimed at attracting tourists and FDIs through well designed messages and campaigns.
Many companies and countries have employed the services of these experts and have equally reaped the favourable outcomes. In Nigeria, while some companies understand the significance of this industry, Nigerian government is arrogantly obstinate to maximally engage the industry in marketing government services and for branding the nation.
Though, in the past, some efforts were made in creating a working business relationship between the industry and nation’s course but this was not sustained and the aim jinxed. In the last five years, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, AAAN, a body of the segmented IMC industry has made effort in building a relationship, but this effort has not been well received by government. This is either due to lack of understanding of the industry by government officials or government does not see immediate gains or the industry has not made enough efforts to promote its relevance.
This explains why for more than four years, government has not appointed chairman of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON, the apex regulatory agency in advertising business in spite of calls to do so to avert the continuous dangers this has for the industry.
After the 2019 elections and before the appointment of next Cabinet by Muhammadu Buhari, it is therefore expected that the marketing communication industry, comprising all the sectoral groups, NIMN, ADVAN, AAAN, OAAN, MIPAN, EXMAN, NIPR and the apex body, APCON should have come together, chart a course, lobby and present a common front to government on why marketing communication industry that has over two million direct employment should be supported and wax stronger, recognised and patronised by government.
First, it should start by determining that a professional in public relations, communication and branding becomes the next Information minister who oversees the marketing communication industry. With this achieved, the minister will strongly push for a lot of things including the re-constitution of APCON council. Steve Babaeko, the CEO of X3M Ideas and current Publicity Secretary of AAAN told BusinessDay that lack of APCON council is a big problem for the industry. “IMC industry without APCON board is like an aircraft flying without a control tower”.
Operating without a board for over four years is severely affecting APCON. For instance, APCON is waiting for a re-constitution of its board to push for the review of APCON law to accommodate digital Ad monitoring and regulation.
APCON acting CEO, Ijedi Iyoha told BusinessDay recently that “It is a difficult challenge for us now but the only thing we do is look at the social media and those we know we write to them on any infringement. When we have a council, we will push for the review of APCON law” she added.
On other functions that APCON cannot perform well without a board, Iyoha said the issue of installing new fellows had not been done, stressing that there are so many people on the queue. Also, APCON has not held Advertising Day, which is a big forum for all stakeholders in the advertising industry. The day involves the delivery of lectures by renowned practitioners and the giving of awards. Thirdly, there are no disciplinary committees to sit on the cases of practitioners. “What we do in this instance is to write to the defaulting members.
The Buhari administration in July 2015 dissolved the board of APCON alongside the boards of other agencies and parastatals. However, up until now, APCON, which regulates Nigeria’s Advertising industry, does not have a council.
In his view, Mike Umogun of Kantar Nigeria, a brand strategy consulting, advertising and brand equity research company agreed that it is important for stakeholders in the integrated marketing communication industry to make themselves relevant and visible by presenting a sector position and guidance paper for any in coming information minister.
“The ideal situation should actually be the lobbying of government to make one of the many egg heads in the industry minister of information.
“First, the minister should be guided in terms of genuine dissemination of information to the populace to ensure authentic information about the activities of government gets to the people as soon as possible. Second, the re-branding of the country should be re-visited to ensure we tell our own stories and the West do not overwhelm us by their own narrative”.
Umogun also said the industry position will be to ensure that head of parastatals in the ministry are all seasoned professionals dedicated to moving the ministry and the government to the next level.
For Udeme Ufot, the Group CEO of SO&U, the marketing communication industry needs as minister of information, somebody who understands the industry, knows the tools for his job and how to use them. “The individual must have requisite background and capacity to deliver on the job”. The question is, does the industry have articulated position for the next minister?
