Analysts and stakeholders in the Nigerian digital industry recently converged at an annual industry event, ‘Digital Coffee’ to analyse digital trends that shaped 2017 and forecast trends for 2018.
The event which was hosted at the instance of one of Nigeria’s leading digital interactive marketing and advertising agency, Street Toolz at its Zowasel Office, in Ikeja, Lagos State, was strategically themed: ‘Digital Revolution: Now & the Future.’
Speaking on previous editions of Digital Coffee, Mike Earnest, Chief Operatiing Officer, Street Toolz said, “past editions have helped agencies understand and use global trends to their advantage; resolutions from the event have also helped consultants in making vital business decisions in line with what is currently obtainable in other parts of the world.”
Highlights of the event featured three sessions. The first session entitled: ‘Artificial Intelligence: Technology & Trends’ had Dr. Tunde Adegbola, a research scientist, consulting engineer and cultural activist as its speaker and moderator while the second session focused on ‘Consumer Centric Content.’
The third session was a highly interactive panel discussion that had Babs Fagade, Founder/CEO, Ocean Outdoor and Former Director General of OYSAA; Bunmi Adeleye, Head, Corporate Communications, Leadway Assurance and Michael Earnest, COO, Streettoolz among others as discussants.
Some of the digital trends that reportedly shaped 2017 are messenger business, Facebook reactions, increase in Twitter character limit, Facebook and Instagram story, Whatsapp status and so on.
Among digital trends forecast to shape 2018 include the following: ephemeral content will rule social media, there will be an increase in videos and expansion of live streaming, increase in messaging platforms, continued investment in influencer marketing and a shift in focus to Generation Z.
In an exclusive chat with Brand Communicator, convener of Digital Coffee, and CEO of Street Toolz, Jerry Oche expressed his happiness at the turnout of people for the digital event. In a further reaction, he said, “The key learning for us is to look at these trends and see how we can take advantage of it in marketing communications and across all industries and sectors. 2018 is certainly going to be interesting in terms of trends in the digital space.
“What we are going to see in 2018 is going to be a continuum of what we have seen in the latter part of 2017. Above all, in the IMC space, we get to see more digital marketing agencies emerging. Also, unlike what is the norm, in 2018, I foresee digital agencies leading pitches as creativity now boils down to what you can create digitally, what you can put out there that people will see, etc. We are going to see more digital agencies coming into the country and we are going to see more digital ideas springing up,” he concluded.