Left;Alhaji
Garba Bello Kankarofi,APCON Registrar;Mr David Okeme,President Advertisers
Association Of Nigerian[ADVAN]Alhaji Lai Mohammed,Hon Minister of Information
and Culture and Mrs Johan Ihekwaba,General Manager Marketing UAC Foods
Nigeria.At the 2016 Advertisers Association of Nigeria[ADVAN]Marketers
Conference with the THEME;Connecting Brand Builders held at Sheraton hotel
Ikeja Lagos.
Brands in
Nigeria have been advised to innovatively expand and sustain their platforms
for consumer engagement even during periods of difficult economic climate like
the one experienced in Nigeria at present. The advice was handed down
last Friday by Nigeria’s frontline brand research and consumerism expert, Lampe
Omoyele at the maiden edition of Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (ADVAN)
Marketers Conference.
Lampe who
is also the Managing Director of The Nielsen West Africa, a brands and
marketing research company, strongly urged brands not to
succumb to the temptation of cutting down on their marketing budgets despite
internal and external pressures because they will ultimately make more gains.
Presenting a paper on ‘Consumer Confidence Trends and Engagement’,
Lampe
noted that since the third quarter of 2015, consumer confidence in the economy
has dropped significantly, and it has dropped even further in the first quarter
of 2016 due to nagging issues like devaluation, foreign exchange crisis, high
inflation, budget delay and many others. He also noted that his company’s
research revealed that there was a general decline in job prospects and a
reduced willingness to spend by most consumers.
Mrs Ediri
Ose-Ediale,Executive Secretary ADVAN;Alhaji Lai Mohammed,Hon Minister of
Information and Culture;Mr David Okeme,President Advertisers Association Of
Nigerian[ADVAN] and Mr Allen Ose-Ediale,CEO Shepherdfield Network. At the 2016
Advertisers Association of Nigeria[ADVAN]Marketers Conference with the
THEME;Connecting Brand Builders held at Sheraton hotel Ikeja Lagos.
Because
of these challenges, he explains further, most households now prioritise their
expenditures and are consistently cutting down on what they spend on.
Lampe also noted that, as expected, the sector that has had the worst hit is the FMCG, which is usually a major indicator for consumer confidence in any country. Most of the companies in the FMCG, he stressed, have reported losses. On the other hand, Alcoholic beverage brands, Telco brands and non-alcoholic beverage brands have all recorded some growth despite the drop in consumer confidence.
Lampe also noted that, as expected, the sector that has had the worst hit is the FMCG, which is usually a major indicator for consumer confidence in any country. Most of the companies in the FMCG, he stressed, have reported losses. On the other hand, Alcoholic beverage brands, Telco brands and non-alcoholic beverage brands have all recorded some growth despite the drop in consumer confidence.
According
to Omoyele, the growth in the alcoholic sector resulted from the natural
tendency for alcoholic consumption during “down or low moments”. Telco companies, from his research, recorded
growth because of the general attitude of Nigerian to talk and connect with
family and friends regardless of the economic situation.
However,
from his study, the growth in the soft drink segment was primarily driven by
Coca-Cola’s share a Coke campaign which was a highly successful and inspiring
marketing drive. Likewise, growth in the alcoholic segment has been largely
driven by Nigerian Breweries. Diageo Nigeria was in a form of decline despite
the acclaimed success of Orijin, the rave of the moment alcoholic brand.
Lampe
explained further that the key factor responsible for the growth of NB
Plc was their acquisition of Consolidated Breweries which had a host of value
brands. “So the growth was driven by the value brands,” he said.
Mrs
Ediri Ose-Ediale,Executive Secretary ADVAN;Alhaji Lai Mohammed,Hon Minister of
Information and Culture;Mr David Okeme,President Advertisers Association Of
Nigerian[ADVAN] and Mr Allen Ose-Ediale,CEO Shepherdfield Network. At the 2016
Advertisers Association of Nigeria[ADVAN]Marketers Conference with the
THEME;Connecting Brand Builders held at Sheraton hotel Ikeja Lagos
This
study’s INDEX- an acronym for Information through Disguised
Experimentation- was gathered each quarter via survey of households
and consumers opinion on current conditions and future expectations of the
economy. And the current reverses in the economy according to the research and
marketing expert have been triggered by inflation and other macro-economic
issues like fall in oil prices, delay in the passage of budget, static wages,
loss of jobs etc.
Ultimately,
Lampe warned that the FMCGs must begin to engage consumers in a positive way if
they want to retain or even expand market share. “They must ensure they remain
in touch with people consuming their brands, and they should do so through
quality engagement” he admonished.
Also presenting a second lead paper on 'key digital trends and
opportunities for Advertisers’, Juliet Chiazor, Country Manager of
Google Nigeria stressed that It is time Brands start considering
using digital platforms and tools for marketing if they don't want to go into
extinction. Reinforcing this belief, she stated that whether brand owners like it
or not, digital communication has come to stay so brands must learn
how to utilize it properly. As part of her organisation’s contribution to this
vital need for awareness, she announced that Google would be offering free
digital training to five people from each member organisation of ADVAN.
All
through her lecture, Juliet spiced the presentation with different digital ads
to project the level of growth and development of digital advertising in the
last few years. She also pointed out the advantages of producing an ad
basically for an online audience as against just transferring TV ad to the
online medium.
There were two panels of discussants anchored by Chidi Okoro, MD of UAC Foods Plc; and Ugo Geri-Roberts,
MD of Milward Brown Nigeria, to dissect various issues thrown up by the
two main speakers. The panellist included, Joan Ihekwaba, GM- Marketing,
UAC Foods Nigeria; Kachi Onubogu, Commercial Director, Promasidor Ltd;
Ken Onyeali Ikpe, MD/CEO of Mediacom Nigeria; Fatai
Odesile, Managing Director of Grand Oak Ltd, Bunmi Oke of
141 Communications; Obinna Anyalebechi, Consumer Marketing, Guinness
Nigeria Plc and others
In their
submission, they advised that Marketers should be mindful of what consumers
want and work towards achieving them.. On the relevance of the digital space in
Marketing they stressed the importance of flexibility, creativity and
openness but they also advised that brands should not just focus on what is “shinning and
new” but what can really deliver in the marketplace.
So many
top marketing players and, experts were guests at the conference that had the
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as special guest of
honour.
In
his keynote address at the conference, Alhaji Mohammed stressed the need for
ADVAN and government to work as a team so that government can learn from the
professional marketers on how best to build consumer/citizens’ confidence in a
difficult situation and galvanise them to rally behind government and support
its policies.
The
Information and Culture Minister also used the platform to speak on the
recent increase in the pump price of petrol to N145 per litre, and highlighted
that it would create additional 600,000 jobs.
He also listed
other benefits to include ending to the recurrent petrol scarcity
and ensuring steady availability across the country.
According
to him, the action would reduce smuggling, diversion of petroleum products,
improve domestic supply, cause labour market stability and add jobs to the job
profile of the country through new investments in refineries and the retail
chain.
He
insisted that the decision was in the best interest of the masses adding that
only complete deregulation would make for availability of products. He also sought
the understanding and cooperation of the citizens and the various organisations
in the efforts to end the cycle of fuel scarcity.
Earlier
in his welcome address, the President of ADVAN, Mr David Okeme, said the
association, an umbrella body of brand owners and advertisers, was formed 22
years ago. He revealed that the conference was in line with the association’s
tradition of keeping strategic marketing issues on the front burner of
businesses in Nigeria,
Okeme
promised that more programmes are in the offing this year for the purpose
of aggregating all shades of thoughts, ideas and suggestions that will place
the relevance of marketing at the heart of strategic business discussions in
Nigeria.
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