It was a unique gathering of major stakeholders in Nigeria’s marketing industry when the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) rolled out the red carpet to celebrate outstanding achievers at the 2016 ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, last weekend. The event threw up new champions who would bask in the recognition of the industry for the next 12 months.
The high point of the awards night, which was the announcement of the “Brand of the Year Award,” saw Nigeria’s leading noodles brand, Indomie, carrying the day as it emerged the overall winner in the premium category that is virtually a two-in-one award as the brand manager of Indomie was named “Brand Manager of the Year.” Coca-Cola and Heineken placed second and third, respectively. Before the final announcement, some analysts had tipped Coca-Cola to emerge the overall winner based on some of its activations/brands had earlier garnered three coveted trophies, the highest number of awards on the night. They were the Coca-Cola-COPA campaign, Coca-Cola 5 Alive Pulpy and Coca-Cola Share a Coke campaign, which picked the ADVAN Award for Marketing Excellence, Experiential Marketing, ADVAN Award for Marketing Excellecne 2016, Innovation and Award for Marketing Excellence-Digital/Social Media Marketing, respectively.
In other categories, Stanbic IBTC’s CSR Project “Together for a Limb” won the ADVAN Award for Marketing Excellence – CSR, while Guinness’ Every Minute Made of Black campaign captured the ADVAN Award for Marketing Excellence – Consumer Promotion. The ADVAN Award for Marketing Excellence – New Brand/Brand Revitalisation went to Indomie Beleful, while the ADVAN Award for Marketing Excellence – Campaign of the Year went to Heineken Shape Your City. Akinwunmi Dickson of Brand Campaign magazine won the ADVAN Brand Journalist of the Year Award while Goddy Ofose of Brandish and Princewill Ekwujuru of Vangaurd came second and third, respectively.
Delta State’s 25th Anniversary Campaign that culminated in the creation of a new logo for the state to mark it 25th anniversary as state emerged the winner of the maiden Public Sector Marketing category.
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Patrick Ukah, who received the award on behalf of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, dedicated it to all Deltans and praised them for giving the governor the opportunity to serve. He stressed that Okowa was determined to fulfill his electoral promises anchored on the S.M.A.R.T. agenda.
According to Ukah, the 25th anniversary campaign, which was anchored on the foundation laid by the S.M.A.R.T. agenda of the governor, was funded by investments, for, according to him, “We believe the government cannot do it alone.”
Appreciating ADVAN for the award, Ukah said “this is the first, and so far, the only award the governor is accepting because of the credibility of ADVAN and I am not sure we would accept another soon until we can be properly judged.”
Earlier in his welcome address President of ADVAN, David Okeme, who acknowledged that the event was not a night of long speeches but about celebrating marketing excellence, highlighted the place of marketing in the growth of the nation’s economy and enjoined private and public institutions to take advantage of it to grow their business.
Presenting his paper at the attended event, the Guest Speaker, Segun Ogunsanya, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, stated that the digital space was the new super-medium for marketing communications and advertising that can be deployed as a very strong channel to reach the people and endear their brands and companies to the youths who constitute the majority in Nigeria’s bubbling population.