Speaking exclusively to The Industry, the Managing Director of Bluebirds Communications, Kayode Ebatamehi, said that although the marketing communication business has been sluggish in the first six months of the year, it has recorded marginal growth, compared year on year. Meanwhile, the renowned media professional, and the Executive Director, Media Investment & Sponsorship, (OMG) Omnicom Media Group, West & Central Africa (WeCA), Yinka Adebayo, posited that the industry is mixed bag. “It has been a mixed bag of current realities. Interestingly, some clients/brands that took their legs off the pedal at the peak of the pandemic have since realized that they either live with it or die with it. Hence, there is the need to come out of their shells and carry on.” “Noticeable improvements, in terms of marketing activities cum brand visibility, have occurred within the period under review compared to 2020,” he said.
Industry experts forecasted that the integrated marketing communications sector would experience greater activities in the first half of 2021, but studies, so far, seem to have suggested otherwise. In 2020, the industry experienced almost nearly a total shutdown following the outbreak of the Covid-19. Due to the restriction of human traffic globally, marketing activities halted, completely. Hence, experts believe that 2021, particularly, the first six months would witness some level of stampede. No thanks to the second waves in the late 2020 and third wave of COVID-19 in the second quarter of 2021. Therefore, marketing activities, which usually resulted to media spending, have been largely skeletal.
The Chief Executive Officer of ADTRADERS Media Limited, Mrs. Elo Iyayi believes that H1 2021 has seen an improvement. Speaking on the segment of the media that has experienced some level of improvement, Ebatamehi surmised that, “All segments are picking up. Radio seems to be doing better in this respect. This is perhaps, due to the fact that it’s the cheapest medium amongst them.” She said that video, across TV, digital and OOH have also responded well.
On the other hand, Adebayo believed that without doubt, digital has been amazing for obvious reasons. The importance cum impact of digital is made more manifest by the challenge thrown at all of us with our current minimal physical interaction/engagement. “TV has also done manageably well with increase in quality and engaging contents, which have helped the generality of the people to reduce the mental pressure and boredom associated with staying indoors.” Furthermore, he said “Radio has also done very well in providing information (news) and giving a platform for engagement and interaction. Listeners have avenue to have their say & voice the frustration, anger, problem etc.” He opines that print and OOH have not really come to the ‘party’. “The earlier they do the better for them.”
