In a development that promises to spur the growth of experiential marketing across Nigeria, the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) has entered a strategic collaboration with the Lagos Business School (LBS) to launch new experiential marketing courses and training programmes.
The new courses and programmes which include client marketing management, strategic planning, integrated technology and innovations as well as courses on operations, were announced at a recent jointly held press conference attended by key stakeholders and executives from both bodies, in Lagos.
In her welcome address, EXMAN President, Tolulope Medebem emphasized that a driving purpose behind the partnership is to expand understanding of what experiential marketing entails and why it matters.
She stressed that there is a gap in knowledge on experiential marketing among key constituencies, ranging from professionals in adjacent fields to prospective clients. As she succinctly put it: “A lot of marketing people, a lot of client and brand people need to understand what experiential marketing is all about.” Consequently, a core strategic priority is to have these crucial groups “come to understand and appreciate what experiential marketing is about.” Achieving this goal can help fuel the sector’s advancement.
Adding further context, Professor Uchenna Uzo, Academic Director of the Lagos Business School outlined the new educational offerings as serving three vital objectives: firstly, facilitating a “mindset shift” across the experiential marketing ecosystem to adopt cutting-edge techniques and insights about engaging consumers. Secondly, leveraging LBS’ academic expertise plus research to impart the latest learnings according to global best practices. As Uzo noted, “We would also be sharing deep insight from our research from experts who understand how this works.”
Lastly, the courses will enable invaluable dialogue and collaboration between all stakeholders to collectively elevate the industry. “Collaboration is another unique thing that the participants of this Experiential Marketing Management Programme will be exposed to as we aim to have the entire practice group (clients, expertise, operations, strategists) sitting on the same table to look at the issues together,” Uzo stated. Highlighting LBS’ results-driven approach, Uzo further noted that “Action is the third one, we don’t want to organize a programme where people will talk and go.”
EXMAN’s Vice Presidentm Angela Makinwa in her remarks, buttressed on why experiential marketing warrants such dedicated training and investment. She revealed that unlike traditional channels, experiential marketing provides multi-sensory brand experiences by activating touch, sight, sound, smell, taste and proprioception other human elements. “It starts a conversation, gives the consumers a voice, allows the consumer to ask questions and engage with the brand,” Makinwa elaborated.
“Additionally, at this challenging time for the Nigerian economy and consumers’ cautious purchasing, experiential marketing offers perhaps the best avenue for brands to tangibly connect with their target audience,” she said. Makinwa also argued, “there is no better time to invest in experiential marketing than now.”
Beyond touting experiential marketing’s advantages, Makinwa also emphasized EXMAN’s plan to use the training collaboration with LBS to inspire youth to pursue careers in the field. With Nigeria’s large youth population but high unemployment, targeted outreach can link students with a promising path. As Makinwa stated, “This gives us the opportunity to teach young people about experiential marketing, help them through experiential marketing to create wealth, have a purpose.”
Offering a retrospective angle, past EXMAN President Tunji Adeyinka lauded the association’s proactive efforts to advance experiential marketing through strategic partnerships and formal training. He noted that as economic conditions toughen and clients grow more discerning, industry expertise and capacity become even more crucial. “As things get more difficult, as clients ask deeper questions, there is going to be more work for those who are competent and have more capacity,” Adeyinka noted.
In his assessment, the collaboration with LBS holds particular value by providing prestigious credentialing at the executive level, where admission of knowledge gaps can be challenging. As he explained, “LBS offers that executive halo where people can go into with their suits, whether we know and it covers that shame a bit because you say I am going to LBS.”
The immediate past EXMAN President concluded by congratulating the association on the bold step to provide world-class experiential marketing education locally through the LBS. He expressed confidence that the partnership will mark the beginning of a larger experiential marketing movement across Nigeria’s marketing landscape.