The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, (ARCON) is set to hold its first annual industry colloquium with the theme “Changing Trends in Advertising Education and Practice in the Era of Globalisation: The Nigerian Perspective.”
The event which event will come up by 8.00 AM on 30th March 2023 at the Lagos Sheraton, Ikeja, Lagos is a one-day event organised by the marketing communication industry sectorial groups and powered by ARCON.
The primary objective is to provide the forum for academics and students of Mass Communication, Advertising and other components of integrated marketing communication (IMC) to interact with professionals in Advertising/other components of IMC; media practitioners, policy makers and regulatory agencies.
Speaking at the press briefing on Wednesday, the Chairman, Advertising Industry Colloquium and Academic Journal Committee of ARCON, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji said the Colloquium is a social responsibility (non-fee paying, pro bono) programme widely supported by a plethora of advertisers, marketing communication sectorial groups and regulatory agencies, including ARCON to promote town and gown relationship as well as sensitize participants to current knowledge, professional practices and skill sets required for success in advertising and related fields.
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He added that the three-in-one; event presents opportunities for: keynote Address, Panel discussion on diverse areas of marketing communication theory and practice, and Creative pitch competition.
Giving the reason for the programme, Prof. Olatunji said: “Digitalisation, occasioned by globalisation and media technological advancements, have heightened disruptions in diverse areas of marketing communication scholarship, profession, including the media and regulatory environment, locally and internationally.
“Perhaps in response to these disruptions, the National Universities Commission (NUC) recently adopted advertising, public relations, strategic communication, information and media studies, amongst others, as distinct bachelors’ degree programmes in curricula of universities in Nigeria.
“Just like, or much more than, the marketing communication scholarship, recent developments in the marketing communication industry reveal that the profession is also experiencing increasing fragmentation and or unbundling.
“This is seen in specialist agencies, including creative shops, media independents, out of home (OOH) practice, advertising production outfits, digital marketing, influencer marketing, voice-over artistes and the like.
“There is equally the changing nature of advertising law and regulation in the era of digitalised media.
“This colloquium is therefore organised to bridge yarning knowledge and professional gaps amongst and between advertising practitioners, academia and undergraduate students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria through a robust searchlight on relevant areas of marketing communication,” he explained.
The main objective of the colloquium according to him is to deepen knowledge and provide insights into required skill for success in advertising education and practice in contemporary era of globalisation. The specific objectives are to:
Provide a platform for interaction between Town and Gown for the examination of current and topical issues in Marketing Communications in Nigeria.
“Sensitize academics and students of Communication and Media studies to key requirements for career success in different areas of marketing communication in the era of digitalization; Discuss contemporary trends in creative advertising planning and execution; media campaigns and execution; digital marketing processes; and advertising regulation and provide opportunity for students in the field of Communication and media to showcase their creative knowledge and skills in advertising campaign planning and execution.”
On the target audience, Prof Olatunji stated further that the Colloquium will attract participation from the following sectorial groups:
All Heads of Departments of ARCON- accredited universities and polytechnics or mono-technics offering Advertising, Mass Communication, Marketing and related Marketing Communication courses in Nigeria.
“Also, academic staff and media production staff of ARCON-accredited universities and polytechnics or mono-technics offering Advertising, Mass Communication, Marketing and related Marketing Communication courses in Nigeria.
“Interested participants from Advertising Agencies and other advertising sectorial groups- OOH, MIPAN, Digital marketing, Voice-Over artistes, Creative Shops, Influencer marketing, etc.
Print, broadcast and new media professionals..’Brand Managers and other interested members performing Advertising/Marketing related functions in the industry.
Advertising Practitioners both in the industry and agencies, and government establishments.
Directors and representatives of marketing communication regulatory bodies, including but not limited to Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), etc.
He revealed that 15 academic institutions are invited for the event with the Panel of Judges, drawn also from advertising sectorial groups, which will be unveiled during the competition.
“Prizes will be awarded to institutions with most creative pitches,” he said.
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