Digital: Traditional media will continue to remain relevant, Adetu tells marketers
The former managing director of Guinness Nigeria, Seni Adetu has warned marketers against ever thinking that traditional media would become irrelevant for communication or marketing purposes due to emergence of social media.
His advice at the Marketing Edge brands and advertising excellence awards and annual summit with the topic ‘brand positioning in a digital age: Challenges in a developing market’ was informed by unfounded speculations that traditional media would wane in the face of digital space.
It is acknowledged that digital marketing will predictably grow in Nigeria from about $2 billion to $10 billion in value in the next five years if the right things are done but Adetu who developed and marketed profit-yielding Orijin product at Guinness said “Digital is a not replacement of traditional marketing but complementary” .
Adetu’s voice while leading discussion on the ‘brand positioning in a digital age: Challenges in a developing market’ is among the voices globally that have continued to echo in defense of the traditional media over emergence of social media.
Hefurther said that core principles of marketing will not change because of the emergence of digital marketing stating that core principles required for marketing include ability to generate deep consumer insights, ability to develop scalable ideas that may be executed brilliantly and ability to anticipate future trends.
The marketing expert also told marketers not to make the mistake of considering Nigeria as one country of people in their marketing approach as there are different lifestyles and religion that distinguish people.
In guiding marketers, he advised them to study the parts of fish which give it its power. He said the eyes are for insight and research; the tail gives it power which indicates brand management, new strategies and innovation. The fins are for balance, which is for ATL and BTL purposes.
Also looking at the topic, Chizor Malize, managing partner of Brandzone said technology has made a lot of things possible as it has made the ability to reach more people possible and given voice to the voiceless.
With technology, she said marketers must now know where to connect consumers as they also need to understand the evolution.
In the same vein, Chude Jideonwo, managing partner of Red Media Africa recognized the street as major factor in marketing, warning that marketers who do not pay attention to what is happening in the streets will lose market share. “Power has changed hands from company executives to people on the streets” he said.
Bukola Akingbade, CEO of Neukleos said with technology, competition is no more within a particular environment but global. She gave example of Uber competing with locals on taxi business.
Earlier in his comment, George Thorpe, managing partner, Market Space said digital phenomenon is upon us like a ton of bricks driven by an exponential growth in the adoption of mobile devices.
He said with a low entry barrier, there has been a proliferation of digital marketing agencies fuelling rapid growth but observed that development, in particular agency methodology and processes and employee competencies has yet to match the standards one has come to expect of the marketing support services industry.
According to him digital marketing will not be relieved of the market research and analysis rigor, the strategy focus and the planning and execution discipline of marketing theory and practice. “That, for me, is what bringing digital to the service of marketing means”, he said.
The Publisher of Marketing Edge, John Ajayi explained that the Marketing Edge national marketing summit is aimed at initiating conversations that are germane to the growth and development of the industry.
He said this year’s topic was a reflection of the objective reality in the market as well as a testimony to the dynamics of the times. “Indeed, brand owners and service providers operating within the gamut of integrated marketing communications have been facing challenges resulting from offerings of the new dawn”
Consequently, the times and its challenges call for a deep introspection and prompt pro-active efforts. It is a time to rethink, retool and restrategise to be able to take advantageof the opportunities available in the unfolding world, Ajayi said.
Daniel Obi