Experts in the Nigerian Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) ecosystem have tasked practitioners on the need to promote and embrace sustainable practice, saying sustainability has become a necessity for the future.
This challenge was thrown at the recently concluded fifth Industry Summit organised by the Industry Newspapers with the theme, ‘Sustainable Marketing for Growth,’ held in Lagos. Accordingly, it was stated that becoming a sustainable marketer is no longer optional, and that sustainability is a journey which has not arrived at its destination.
“Social media is playing a huge role in ensuring that every conversation is brought to the fore hence brand managers should take advantage of this to put their brand in front of the people and to control the narratives,” Emmanuel Oriakhi, marketing director, Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc, stated in a keynote address.
According to Oriakhi, who was represented by Samson Oloche, portfolio manager, NB, sustainable marketing is becoming more important as consumers are becoming more conscious of their environmental imprint.
“It is important to know that we cannot talk about fixing an industry without addressing the problems each individual group in the industry face to be able to fashion out a holistic solution to the total group.”
He further stressed that sustainable marketing ensures that marketers adopt ways of ensuring that the expectations are met, adding that, here is so much the consumers want from brands and so as brand managers, what we are giving in terms of value should be beyond what we are getting from the consumers.
Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, head, sustainability, Access Holdings, stated that innovative marketing requires that a company continue to produce new products and services while improving and updating existing ones. According to her, this strategy often ensures that companies continuously identify better ways to develop and market their products and services.
“Companies adopt innovative methods through new product development, product packaging, positioning strategies, specifications, market segmentation, customer value, delivery of goods and customer satisfaction.
“Enlightened marketers and sustainable businesses understand how to market new products or enter new markets successfully. They also know that the perfect way to grow and achieve success is always to offer consumers what they want,” stated Victor-Laniyan, who was represented by Moji Coker, head of communication, Access Holdings.
Goddie Ofese, publisher/convener of the summit, earlier in his open remark stated that the importance of sustainable marketing cannot be overemphasized. According to him, sustainable marketing is a purpose-driven practice that works to orientate businesses, brands and society towards a sustainable future.
He stated further that sustainable marketing influences appropriate awareness, aspiration, adoption and action across economic and sociocultural systems by taking necessary accountability for its impacts and opportunities.
