The Advertisers Association of Nigeria held a press briefing on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at Whitehouse Hotels in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. The purpose of the briefing was to formally inform the press about the new executive committee’s intentions for the association at that time. Speaking at the event, the former president of the association, Mrs. Foluke Ani-Mumuney, informed the public about how her team was working tirelessly to sustain the excellence that ADVAN had been known for over the past 25 years. In her words:
“It gives me great pleasure to talk to you today about our celebration of 25 years of adding value to the Integrated Marketing Communications Industry. We will reveal more about our plans to celebrate the anniversary during the forthcoming Marketing Awards gala evening.”
She added that the forum also provided the perfect opportunity for her to share the Executive Committee’s vision for a vibrant ADVAN over the next two years. Following the AGM on September 14th, the team had hit the ground running and embarked on a strategy retreat where they deliberated at length on their focus for the tenure and debated how to prioritize initiatives to most effectively achieve their set goals and objectives.
They agreed that the dominant idea which would drive their actions was aptly captured by the theme adopted: “Proactively creating an empowered future in Marcoms today.”
Foluke emphasized that this vision could only be achieved effectively across four thematic pillars:
- Driving Visionary Thought Leadership
- Encouraging Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building
- Effective Stakeholder Engagement
- Facilitating and Procuring Access to Data, Research, and Insight
While explaining how the executive came up with the theme, she informed the members of the press that a proactive ADVAN must be the catalyst for the progressive strategic marketing thinking demanded by the future. She stressed the importance of thought leadership within the industry, urging members to think both for today and for the future, especially in an era characterized by rapid disruption. She assured the members of the association that the executive was committed to empowering them through relevant professional training and seminars, effective networking opportunities, knowledge sharing, and capacity-building initiatives.
The former president assured the press that ADVAN would continue to deepen the markets and build capacity through the facilitation of data and research for insight-driven marketing and communication. In her words:
“In this data economy, ADVAN’s objective to be at the driving seat in pursuit of a data-centric industry must remain a top priority. Relevance is driven through efficient value contribution to the bottom line. Access to and use of data and research provides much-needed insight for better-informed decision-making, improved targeting, and accuracy.”
While concluding her speech, she highlighted that ADVAN had its rightful place at the table and a voice that counted in all matters affecting the industry today and in the future. She, therefore, advocated for effective stakeholder engagement across the entire stakeholder spectrum. She stated:
“Effective stakeholder engagement across the entire stakeholder spectrum is, therefore, an essential cornerstone in building the ADVAN we want. To go further in impacting is to see an ADVAN that is not just invited to the table but one that has laid the table and set the agenda!”
