•N30b industry can’t be ignored, Olaniyan cautions
Experiential Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) has called on the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (AAAN), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) to join other groups to eliminate quackery in integrated marketing communication (IMC
Recently, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), led by Rotimi Oladele, and Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), led by John Ehiguese, were in verbal exchanges with some PR agencies over non-certification.
The NIPR and PRCAN wrote to MTN Nigeria and Guinness Nigeria to withdraw the services of DKK and Xlr8.
In turn, Xlr8, headed by Calixthus Okoruwa, sued both the NIPR and PRCAN to court.
However, EXMAN President, Rotimi Olaniyan, stressed at the EXMAN trustees night in Lagos that all sectoral groups and regulatory authorities should come together and not drag the industry in the mud.
He urged stakeholders to rescue a N30 billion industry before it is taken over by quacks and unprofessional practices.
“We operate in an allied industry billing no less than N30 billion with some of the best brand communicators in the business.
“Indeed as communications specialists we see the strategic alignment in being APCON certified practitioners as much as we are marketing professionals,” he said.
“You are here because you are our associates, and joint stakeholders. And even though some might consider that we compete for a share of the marketing spend, we have never needed each other, more than we need each other now to surmount our mutual and common challenges as a larger marketing and communications industry.”
Compensation and patronising quacks
Olaniyan reiterated the call for pitch fees and elimination of quacks, saying: “We are requesting that the further promotion of the experiential marketers’ commercial interests through fairness and equity, particularly as it relates to compensation and other commercial negotiation of terms.
“We also demand of ADVAN a better protection of the industry’s professional standards through the elimination of quacks and non certified players in the market.
“Particularly as it relates to which agencies are invited to pitches and engaged by your members.
“We have here 37 certified agencies who we can vouch for, having gone through a vetting process before being admitted to the body and having been trained in our code of conduct.
“Indeed let me assure you that our compliance mechanisms going forward ensure they can be sanctioned should they be found wanting.”
ADVAN President, David Okeme, pledged that members of ADVAN will work together with other sectoral groups to ensure unregistered agencies do not compete at pitches.
“It is necessary to ensure that quacks and unprofessional agencies are eliminated. We will also work with other sectoral groups to ensure this is done,” he promised.
Seeking support of sectoral groups and media
Olaniyan told other sectoral groups such as AAAN, MIPAN, BJAN, OAAN, and PRCAN that, to achieve the level of importance other sectoral groups have attained, EXMAN needs greater awareness and recognition as a peer association in IMC.
“We believe that perhaps it is time for us to collaborate and engage more in the dialogue required to influence government policy in the area of government communications, citizens’ engagement, multiple taxation, commercial strategy, innovation and competitive policy.”
AAAN President, Kelechi Nwosu, pledged his association’s commitment to working with EXMAN, because “experiential marketers are fundamental to what we do and as a sector in IMC, we need to collaborate to ensure industry growth and development.”
Goading the regulators
Olaniyan reminded former APCON Chairman, Udeme Ufot, and NIMN President, Ganiyu Koledoye, that IMC and indeed EXMAN need protection. “We seek protection under your respective umbrellas and force of law.”
Addressing Ufot, he said: “I present you an allied industry billing of no less than N30 billion with some of the best brand communicators in the business.
“Indeed as communications specialists we see the strategic alignment in being APCON certified practitioners as much as we are marketing professionals.”
He also reminded the NIMN that it is its job to regulate the marketing profession.
“Within EXMAN you will find no less than 30,000 young practitioners, the nation’s youth, whom the national institute of marketing must help us look after and groom into tomorrow’s marketing titans, owners of entrepreneurial vocational marketing businesses.”
EXMAN’s training and capacity building committee is mandated to put in place a vocational marketing training and certification programme, in partnership with the NIMN, for its more than 30,000 brand ambassadors, field promoters, and retail activation supervisors.
“And we look forward to launching this important initiative within the next few months with your support,” Olaniyan enthused.
Ufot said the highest level of professionalism can only be attained when laws and regulations are obeyed by practitioners.
EXMAN trustees
Olaniyan announced the new faces on the EXMAN board of trustees, saying the body’s constitution allows for three distinguished and emeritus professionals of impeccable character to serve on a permanent basis and another two long serving professionals of equal weighting elected for a three-year tenure.
These five men watch over the affairs of EXMAN and offer their experience and counsel.
The trustees are former MTN Nigeria and West Africa Chief Marketing Officer, Bola Akingbade; former Nigeria Breweries Marketing Director, Christopher Ogbechie; faculty lead in strategy at the Lagos Business School, Akin Osewa; Landmark Exposures Managing Director, Christopher Parkes; and Neo Media Chief Executive Officer, Ehi Braimah.
