The second edition of National Advertising Conference has been slated for Abuja end of next month. The theme is “The Marketing Communications Industry: New Trends, Challenges and Prospects”
Similar to the first edition held in 2019 pre-Covid, the conference is expected to bring together critical stakeholders in the integrated marketing communications industry including advertisers, advertising practitioners, government officials, the media as well as ARCON, the regulatory body.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee for the 2022 edition, Tunji Adeyinka told journalists that the conference also provide industry practitioners platform for intellectual discourse aimed at repositioning the advertising industry for growth.
Industry practitioners are excited about the two-day conference where issues affecting the industry will be tackled. The president of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, AAAN, Steve Babaeko said operators including clients will have the opportunity to address issues in a common forum.
At the maiden National Advertising Conference in Abuja held in conjunction with all the sectoral groups in the advertising industry, many issues besetting the industry came up. In as much as they were not discussed in details, perhaps due to the limited time, it was significant they were tabled in such a combined meeting.
The advertising practitioners were thrilled that the pains limiting their survival and growth were diagnosed and are waiting for right cure and the ‘physicians’ to administer medications.
Read also: With many problems to solve, Nigeria needs more tech investments – Summitech CEO
Among the issues which came up in 2019 and which will likely re-echo in the 2022 edition include bestowing the industry the deserved relevance. It was indeed surprising that the industry which has operated for over 80 years is still seeking for significance, especially with government which is a signpost that something is definitely wrong somewhere.
This year, reconstitution of ARCON (formerly APCON ) council, other plethora of issues such as regulations, industry debt, lack of research among players, poor agency capitalisation, coping with digitization, multiple taxations, especially in Outdoor sector by various arms of government, concession of roads in outdoor, effects of harsh environment on the industry, budget cut by clients and competition from clients who set up their own marketing communication shops would perhaps be looked at towards strengthening the industry.
ARCON had followed and implemented the recommendation of Biodun Shobanjo, chairman of Troyka Group, who at the 2019 conference proposed 60 days duration for payment of media contracts by clients as an option of saving the media business as debt within the industry between clients need to be checkmated perhaps through legislation, but the implementation through AISOP did go down well in the industry.
No doubt the 2022 edition of the National Advertising Conference would be a stimulating one for the industry towards strengthening it. The Registrar of ARCON Lekan Fadolapo agreed that the conference will promote constructive exchange of ideas between stakeholders.
