…….Again, Covenant University Emerges Best At Pitch Competition
The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, (ARCON) again reiterated the need for town and gown for the examination of emerging technologies for sustainable advertising education and professional excellence as the Council held the 3rd Annual Advertising Industry Colloquium. (AIC), (3.0) in Lagos on Tuesday.
The event with the theme: ‘From Dialogue to Data: Merging Storytelling, Human Engagement & Tech in Marketing Communication.
According to the organizers, the event was to sensitize industry players, academics and students of Communication and Media studies on the power of storytelling, human engagement and technology in boosting marketing communication.
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Giving the keynote speech, the founder/CEO Zuri24 Media, Lagos, Mr. Olufemi Odugbemi said the responsibility to build the future for the nation comes upon creatives, schools, regulators and a must for members of the advertising industry to rise to the occasion.
He also added that education must evolve; “we must teach not just skills but also vision. We must equip our students on how they should execute campaigns or to imagine impact.
Odugbemi said that ARCON’s collaboration between the academia and the industry is both commendable and essential, but there is the need to deepen the ties with a communication curriculum that is redesigned both by brand managers and academic professors.
He stressed the importance of data to shape the nation’s future in addition to narratives; brand stories and the nation’s stories.
“Brand stories must also provoke insightful reflections of conversations around unity, around service, around national development. The future of brand marketing will be by innovation and integrity.”
He explained: “The media space is saturated with cynicism, recycled despair. It is as if we have accepted our worst stories as the only stories we are capable of telling.
“Our progress requires the courage to reject the obvious and being comfortable, it demands that we imagine differently and we believe in different outcomes.
Giving examples of commercials and adverts in the past, Odugbemi said that the most successful brands won’t be those that adopt AI but those that root it most deeply in our local cultures. “It could be using AI to tell stories in regional dialects, infuse humility and others.”
He added that AI has the potential to be a powerful amplifier of creativity, enabling story tellers to visualize concepts, localize content; but in the wrong hands, it also becomes a dangerous agent for disinformation and implementing societal discord.
“Our nation today doesn’t just need storytellers, it needs imagination drivers. Visionary storytelling realities that showcase heroes and groundbreaking entrepreneurs.
“We offer stories that succeed in ambitions that spark resilience. Young minds have very huge potentials that is why creative minds across Nigeria are seen as thought leaders in the revolution. No one can deny the fact today that technology and data are powerful tools.
“Already we have witnessed deep fakes used to impersonate leaders; virtual clones that mimic real persons and is a form of media created not to inform, but to deceive,” he explained.
To correct this, he said that ARCON must champion a balanced ecosystem; one that supports integrity, punishes deception and ultimately preserves the sacred rule of storytelling in shaping society.
“Now is the time to intensify efforts, time to build capacity to monitor the sanctions, collaborate with various platforms; security agencies, secret civil bodies to ensure that AI tools are not weapon against the public.
“The information on AI begins through transparency and public education. Let people understand not just the risks, but the rules. Let brands lead by example in how they use the tools to innovate trust.
“ARCON must champion a ecosystem; one that supports integrity, punishes deception and ultimately preserves the sacred rule of storytelling in shaping society,” he stated.
Director-General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo in his remarks said that in today’s fast-paced landscape, the marketing world is constantly evolving and the colloquium this year is aimed at bringing together experts, to share insights on harnessing the power of storytelling, human engagement, and technology in driving impactful marketing communication.
“The event will give us the opportunity to explore how data-driven approaches can enhance storytelling, foster meaningful connections with audiences, and ultimately boost business result,” he added.
The Chairman, Planning Committee for the Colloquium, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji stated that the AIC 3.0 theme this year is fitting, topical and timely.
He added that the advertising and marketing communication industry has now been remarkably altered by a combination of centrifugal forces, chief of which are internet, digitization, Artificial Intelligence, (AI), data science and several others.
Prof. Olatunji stated further that effective marketing communication under this ecology demands not only stories compellingly told, but also messages that connect to the hearts, intellect, culture, spiritual essence, and ethos, particularly given the complexity of Nigeria’s diversities.
He disclosed that participants for the advertising pitch competition among students of tertiary institutions which is part of the colloquium was drawn from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory. “The competition is a testament to creative pedigree of Nigeria youths, as they address pertinent issues that borders on their patriotic, creative and intellectual prowess.
Director General, Voice of Nigeria, (VON) Mallam Jibrin Ndache said storytelling is not merely a creative tool but a strategic asset that has the power to shape perceptual inferred behavior and strengthen national identity.
“I urge you all stakeholders present here today advertisers, creative educators to place storytelling at the heart of your strategy not as an afterthought but as a journey towards national development and unity. We must understand that our roles are very critical in nation building,” he stated.
He commended ARCON for providing the platform for participants to dialogue, learn and advance. “Let the outcome form our policies, inspire our practice and improve partnerships. Together let us move from dialogue to data, from data to impact and from impact to legacy.”
Highlight of the event was the Creative Pitch Competition which was part of the colloquium with four universities emerged at the finals which was also held at the event.
The tertiary institutions include the Department of Mass Communication in the following institutions: Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State; Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Rivers State University and University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
After an intense competition among participating universities, Covenant University emerged the overall winner with 564 points with a grand prize of one million naira. Pan Atlantic University came second with 512 points and received N750, 000.
Rivers State University came third with 410 points and went home with N500, 000 while the University of Ilorin was fourth with 375 points and a prize of N250, 000.
Head of Jury, Yetunde Adeshina, MD/CEO, Prima Garnet Africa said that the competition underscores the importance of nurturing young talents and giving them a platform to shine. “Through this we are passing the torch to the younger generation. The level of competition is very high and we expect the very best as we groom them for the future.”
She explained that the students were judged on five criteria which are creative or originality, emotional and cultural impact, statistics relevance, call to action, speech and presentation.
Other members of the jury include Prof. Adepoju Tejumaiye, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Dr. Emmanuel Ajike Department of Business Admin & Marketing, Babcock University, Ogun State, Mrs. Esosa Osagiede, Creative Director, Insight, Mr. Eki Adzufeh, CEO/Administrator Alphabet Media Academy Ltd, Mrs. Angela Makinwa, Director Client Engagement, Strategy & Creative, EXP Marketing and Mrs. Tobi Williams Creative Director, 7even Interactive.
All sectorial bodies were also represented at the event.
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