ADVAN enthusiastic on empowered future in marketing communication industry – Folake
The Advertisers Association of Nigeria, ADVAN new executive is determined to create an empowered and vigorous future in the annual N150 billion marketing communication industry in spite of the challenging in the operating business environment.
The president of the 25- year old association, Folake Ani-Mumuney told BusinessDay at the unveiling of the body’s agenda that the association’s goals would be achieved across four thematic pillars. She identified them as Thought Leadership, Encouraging Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building, Effective Stakeholder Engagement, and Facilitating and Procuring Access to Data, Research and Insight
Underscoring the importance of creating an empowered future, Folake acknowledged that the current macroeconomic environment is actually challenging characterized by tough regulatory regimes, arbitrary licensing fees, multiple taxation and advances in technology driving new business models and creating new markets but agreed that the future is promising.
“Having only recently emerged from recession, we are operating in an economy that remains severely challenged. We face increasing and tougher regulatory regimes bringing with it additional and sometimes onerous or duplicated compliance requirements. Our new norm is one of ad-hoc and sometimes arbitrary licensing fees and multiple taxations. We see unprecedented advances in technology driving new business models and creating new markets. Amidst all these we see the future as exciting, offering many opportunities”, she said.
According to Folake who is also Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications and General Manager, First Bank of Nigeria, to be primed and positioned to seize those opportunities marketers must proactively take the steps today capable of creating sustainable value for today and grow that value into tomorrow.
She therefore said that a proactive ADVAN must be the catalyst for the progressive strategic marketing thinking demanded by the future. “We must be thought leaders in the industry and as thought leaders we must think for today and the future. The future is now and the age of disruption is firmly upon us. As architects of our own fortune we must disrupt if we are not to be disrupted”
Folake who has deep experience in marketing communication believes that ADVAN must remain at the vanguard of driving true value for its members, empowering members through relevant professional empowerment trainings and seminars, effective networking opportunities, knowledge sharing and capacity building initiatives.
Challenging her members who have different discipline and specialization to continue to evolve in the internet age, she said fast evolving world suggests that whilst “we are one thing we must increasingly consider and be many things, we must shape our future rather than have it shaped for us. We must add value to ourselves, our member organizations in order to add value to our industry and through that the nation as a whole”.
She sees ADVAN that has its rightful place at the table and a voice that counts in all matters that affect the industry today and what the industry will be tomorrow. “Effective stakeholder engagement across the entire stakeholder spectrum is therefore an essential cornerstone in building the ADVAN we want. To go further in impacting, to see an ADVAN that is not just invited to the table but one that has laid the table and set the agenda”
She also said that the ADVAN marketing excellence award scheduled for early next month is usually an event to highlight the fundamental position marketing occupies in business and public sectors, and to celebrate marketing achievements across a range of industries.
Daniel Obi