‘Glocalisation’: Minister tasks marketers to increase rate of product innovation, quality
With fast changing information and communication technology, Nigerian marketers and product producers have been prompted of the need to increase the rate of product innovation, quality of products and services and improve modes of delivery to compete in the single global market.
Communications Minister, Abdur’Raheem Adbayo Shittu who gave the advice at the 2017 Marketing Edge national stakeholders summit recently in Lagos also said there is the need to for marketers to continually research into global development and innovations with a view to replicating same in ways and manners that suit Nigeria’s national environment to achieve ‘glocalisation’
“The extensive availability of interest services presupposes that the major challenge faced by marketers these days is to create new ways of conducting their functions and extending the thresholds of product research, market intelligence and product delivery. Marketers also need to hearken to the use of these modern technologies in delivering marketing pitches and advertising your products to consumers.”, the minister who was represented by Akim A. Yusuf, his Special Adviser on Digital Resources Optimisation said.
At the summit, themed “Brand Marketing and Marketing Management in a Recovering but Restructuring Nigerian Economy: Challenges and implications for marketing services providers.”, the minister also told marketers in the country to deploy modern technologies in delivering marketing pitches and advertising campaigns.
On the government side, Shittu said efforts are on to make Information Communication technology (ICT) the hallmark of the country’s economic development. This, he pointed will be achieved through the democratization of access to affordable broadband and wireless fidelity services nationwide.
“As Government adopt policies and strategies to ease doing business in the country, it behoves all Nigerians (particularly you marketers who have responsibility to deliver products to consumers) to give traction to the “Buy Nigerians” slogan by developing more local products and services to achieve import substitution, create employment and reduce pressure on our foreign reserves.”, he stated.
In his lecture at the summit, Ekwunife Okoli, CEO of Advantage Consult Limited also advised marketers to always understand the consumer, stating that this would lead to innovation, brand building and driving scale.
Earlier, the Publisher and CEO, Marketing Edge, John Ajayi, said that there was a need to educate marketing service providers on new developments in the industry.
During panel discussion, Iquo Ukoh, Founder/CEO, Entod Marketing in her remarks said it is time to change the focus of the Marketing executive to ‘marketprenuer’ to enable them think as startups. According to her, consumer insight must be part of a marketer’s DNA for the marketer to succeed.
Emeka Okeke, Managing Director/CEO, Media Fuse Dentsu Aegis opined that recession should be viewed as a blessing in disguise that helps marketers’ make planning that impart on bottom-line. According to him, measurability is key in a recession, and marketing agencies must revisit their operating model away from business-to-business to people-to-people.
Bunmi Oke, a Marketing Communication said marketers’ should go beyond having information about brand building, to developing knowledge on brand building. She urged marketers’ to add value to whatever they do by building confidence in brands and clients.
Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, First Bank of Nigeria, said marketers’ must develop the knowledge base to know their consumers in content marketing. Marketers must understand their consumers and clients very well. Ani-Mumuney, was represented by Oze Oze, Head, Corporate Publications and Conferences, First Bank of Nigeria.
Daniel Obi, Seyi John Salau and Bunmi Banjo