For advertising industry survival, engagement is the way out – ARCON DG

The second National Advertising Conference with over 200 participants from the advertising industry and public sector was held in Abuja last week which had relevant discussions concerning the growth of the industry. The Director General of Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, Lekan Fadolapo, who is the major pilot of the conference spoke to BusinessDay on his views about the conference. Daniel Obi brings excerpts.

How would you assess the conference this year, looking at attendance and discussions towards growing the industry?

The first issue is that everybody agreed at this juncture that there is the need for stakeholders to sit down and review the practice of advertising. One of the primary purposes of the conference was to audit the body of knowledge of advertising. There have been so many unbundling in the skill set of advertising. We need to understand that technology is taking a major part and we need to understand that we are now playing in the digital world. Also, traditional advertising is being challenged, so, both the space, the operation, the operators are being redefined. So that is why we all need to sit down and interrogate the industry. If we don’t do this, the industry will have issue.

One of the major outcomes of the conference was the need for collaboration among players for regulation, data, deepening the industry and government patronage. As DG of the regulatory body, how would all this be achieved?

Before now and after now, engagement is the way out. As I believe, engagement can only be two ways. It can only be Malcom X approach or Martin Luther approach. Martin Luther will tell you of the need to sit down on a round table and talk. But Malcom X will tell you that before we sit down, we need to stabilize the water so that everybody will settle down together. Together we have not taken any step without involving the people. If we look at the issue and the people we are discussing with, and we understand that everybody will be fair, promote equity, then we will sit down. If we belief it will be combative, then, don’t forget that we are not obliged to sit down with you before making policy. But we always put human face in those policies. Though interest may differ, but when they are putting their interest above economic or national interest, then we need to roll out the policy that is in national interest. But before policy and after policy implementation, there is room for engagement. Engagement is the way out and there is no way we will not sit down at a table.

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What is your expectation before next year’s national advertising conference? Do you think that the water would be stabilized?

The communiqué will help us post conference to see how we proceed. But we hope of opening the door for international participation going in to the future.

Advertising Standard Panel, ASP award was introduced into this year’s conference. What motivated this and do you plan to continue with it?

We have started this year with it and we plan to expand the award in future editions. The award is for compliance and it is for agencies and clients who have complied with the rules and guidelines of advertising. The award is to celebrate and recognize those who are doing well. This will also encourage other organisations. We will continue.

Looking at advertising business in 2023, what do we expect?

The economy will hopefully be better post 2022 and post elections. Elections period supposed to be one of the boom periods for agencies, so we expect that Q1 next year will thrive on political advertising. Brands will also thrive after elections as brands don’t normally put more money in advertising during political period.

Would you say that political players are responding to the ARCON guidelines of political advertising?

Yes, because the advertising regulatory space has changed. The monitoring and enforcement have changed. We are working with INEC and other government agencies and everybody is aligning to the rules.