Advertising agencies asked to invest more in branding
The Presidential Advisor on Media and Strategic Communications, Florence Oboshie Sai-Cofie, has challenged stakeholders in the advertising space to invest more in their brands in order to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
She said modern consumers had become more informed because of the free flow of information and, therefore, businesses needed to be abreast of the times to be able to meet their demands.
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“Thus the way to continue to remain relevant is for organisations, particularly the advertising, communications, and marketing industries to work on their brand’s relevance by organising razor sharp strategies in a way that will ensure customer loyalty.
These are exceptional times when brands should increasingly touch the hearts of the individual, families and communities,” Ms Sai-Cofie said at the opening of the Africa Rising Leadership Conference in Accra.
The conference
On the theme: “Brands for Purpose, Brands for People,” Africa Rising five is the first to be held in-person after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The two-day conference (October 4 and 5) featured some of the most skilled speakers and panellists from Africa and the world who shared their knowledge and experiences.
It was an initiative of the International Advertising Association (IAA) and supported by other corporate institutions such as Enterprise Group, McDan Aviation, Interplast and MTN Ghana.
The pandemic
The Presidential Advisor said it was worth mentioning that the world was struck by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the likes of which hadn’t been in over a century and affected all economies, including the giants of the world.
She stated that currently many organisations were still reeling under the effects of the distortion caused by the pandemic with some struggling to remain relevant among their consumers.
“The pandemic should serve as a reminder that it was not about what happens to us, but it is about what we do and how we react to what happens to us,” she added.
Critical needs
The World President and Chairman of International Advertising Association (IAA), Joel Edmund Nettey, said increasingly, IAA was beginning to see brands responding to critical needs of their societies and communities.
“And the IAA, as the global compass for the marketing and communications industry, is determined to shine its light on and support all efforts by brands and marketeers the world over to support good causes.
“Over the past eight decades, the IAA has played a strong role in supporting key industry issues such as freedom of commercial speech, self-regulation, responsible advertising, education and professional development,” he said.
He explained that IAA would continue through its various thought leadership programmes and at conferences to point towards excellence in meaningful creativity.
“These brands have been widely celebrated for their social interventions on the continent.
This shows that standing for, sharing and helping to shift social issues will not only benefit your business but will have a monumental impact on those who are directly affected by that issue,” he added.
Sharing of ideas
The Vice President and Area Director Africa at IAA, Norkor Duah, said the conference provided another opportunity for stakeholders and, particularly the IAA, to offer the platform for the sharing of ideas with one another.
“I am very confident that this gathering will not only guide us all but also educate us on the theme and thoughtful topics lined up for discussion. The value of participating in this conference is wide, varied and cannot be quantified,” she said.
She stated that the IAA would continue to be the reliable compass providing the needed guidance and leadership in exploring new and available opportunities that would contribute to the progress and acceptable results for businesses and stakeholders,” she added.