To remain afloat, marketing communication agencies are opting for digital media, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI
The changing media consumption patterns of consumers and corporate organisations is forcing advertising, public relations (PR), experiential and outdoor agencies to reconfigure their business models.
Tired with the practice, which fails to avail clients with data-driven strategy, poor return-on investment, the need to account for every spend in the face of dwindling marketing budget, agencies are adopting digital marketing and media strategy to grow their businesses.
The paradigm shift has led some to lose businesses to digital-compliant agencies. As a result, many operators are desperate to change their business models to meet new market realities.
At a digital PR summit in Lagos, stakeholders noted that digital adoption would redefine PR business in digital communities.
Zinox Technologies Ltd Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Leo Stan-Ekeh, said PR practitioners needed to deepen their knowledge of new media because they offer opportunities for their practice.
He said: “The new media offer public relations practitioners a unique opportunity to expand the scope of their work and tie strategic activities back to bottom line and it is easier to evaluate the outcome of campaigns than traditional media. New media is an effective communication tool with global reach and a resource to garner consumer and competitor intelligence.”
Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director Segun Ogunsanya called on advertising practitioners to adopt digital advertising to connect with target audience and ensure maximum returns from spend.
In a keynote address at the ADVAN Awards for marketing excellence in Nigeria last Saturday, he noted that with the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices, digital advertising was the future of advertising.
“There are over five billion people with access to mobile phones; hence, a mobile device remains the easiest way to connect with people, especially the youth who are the leaders of tomorrow. The Millennials are looking at many different screens for advertising. They are now concentrating on digital media, and advertising has to move to the digital space.
“We, the clients, can no longer rely on strategies counting on users to just watch our messages on TV or listen to radio anymore. Nor can we be so sure that consumers will watch a prime time show at a prime time, or in their homes, or out-of-work hours,” he said.
Recently, Chain Reactions Nigeria, one of Nigeria’s PR firms, announced a major re-design of its business architecture in line with global industry trends.
Its Managing Director and Chief Strategist, Mr. Israel Jaiye Opayemi, said the repositioning was a response to changes in the business, technology and media landscape.
He said: “The first thing we did was to shut what used to be our client service arm and converted it to a strategy and business group populated by business analysts, strategists, pop culture specialists, trends analysts, research analysts, experiential specialists and so on.’’
He explained that under the new business model, it takes more than having the traditional skills for any executive who desires to work in the agency to do client service.
Also, CMC Connect Burson Marsteller Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, said a key challenge in the PR industry had been how to determine its contribution to the bottom-line, as practitioners need to justify their budgets in the face of dwindling resources.
Black House Media (BHM) Chief Executive Officer Mr. Adekunle Ayeni early in the year predicted the death of PR.
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