Dentsu Africa Lights Up Lagos For Regional Conference, As Mediafuse Dentsu Marks 10th Anniversary
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital came alive from the beginning of the week as it played host to advertising executives from across Africa, Europe and the Middle East for the 2024 Dentsu Africa Regional Conference tagged ‘Dentsu Africa Now’.
The week-long event also coincided with the 10th anniversary of its Nigerian office, Mediafuse Dentsu’s operations in Nigeria.
Held at the upscale Marriot Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos between February 26 to March 1, 2024, the event featured industry veterans, marketing gurus and experts across advertising, media, creative, digital marketing and branding who engaged delegates on charting a new growth path for brands, agencies and businesses in the region.
In attendance were Chief Executive Officer of dentsu Europe, Middle East and Africa, Andre Andrade; the CEO of Dentsu Africa, Dawn Rowlands; the dentsu EMEA CFO, Helena Gamez, as well as representatives from global media channels like Google, TikTok, and Meta, business partners, clients, members of the media and other stakeholders of the agency.
With ‘Now’ as the theme, the summit focused on the important moment facing the marketing communications industry in Africa and the seismic shifts occurring due to technological advancements, evolving audiences and the changing media landscape on the continent and globally.
In his address, Group Chief Executive Officer of Mediafuse-Dentsu Nigeria, Emeka Chris Okeke explained the choice of ‘NOW’ as the summit’s theme: “Dentsu’s unwavering commitment to shaping the future of African marketing communications, knowing that we are at a pivotal moment, where technology is rapidly evolving, audiences are diversifying, and the global marketing landscape is undergoing a seismic shift.
“At Dentsu Africa, we understand the complexities and nuances of the Sub-Saharan African market. We have a long-standing commitment to the region, with a deep understanding of its diverse cultures, consumer preferences, and media landscape. Our global network and expertise, combined with our local knowledge and agility, empower us to deliver unparalleled marketing solutions tailored to specific needs.
Okeke recounted the agency’s humble beginnings in January 2014 as a solo media agency, to its growth into a diversified marketing communications network spanning creative, content production, digital marketing, OOH, performance marketing and brand experience. He also highlighted some of the organization’s groundbreaking industry firsts including being the first media agency to expand into creative services, pioneering the use of advanced audience measurement systems, launching a dedicated Out-of-Home unit, as well as attracting equity investment and integration with a global network as far back as 2014.
“It’s been a decade of transformation, innovation, and celebration of the collective spirit of our people, our clients who entrusted us with their brands and custom; the media owners and partners who collaborated with us on innovative solutions; and the individuals who poured out their hearts and minds into making Dentsu Nigeria the success it is today,” he said.
“It is remarkable to note that MediaFuse challenged the status quo in 2014 when it became the first indigenous media agency to launch total communication services that cuts across creative services, production, digital marketing, original content development, influencer marketing, data and technology against the established norm of these services being launched by full-service creative agencies.
“From a solo media agency in 2014 to diversified marketing communications services managed out of eight client-facing entities across media and creative (Carat ICP, dentsu X, iProspect, Dentsu OOH, Red Star International, Dentsu Performance, Dentsu Creative, Dentsu Agyle).
“We have over the years created a viable platform for many young Nigerians to develop their careers in media, creative, content, and digital marketing among others and become one of the leading integrated marketing communications networks with significant global, regional, and local client relationships as well as partnerships across media, production, content, data, tech and the creative economy supporting clients across financial services, brewed beverages, banking, carbonated soft drinks, cosmetics, dairies, NGOs and other fast moving consumer goods and services to mention a few.”
He added, “We have a track record of setting the pace in the industry with so many groundbreaking “FIRSTS” and initiatives that have earned us awards and recognitions across our corporate service lines and as individual professionals.
Okeke reiterated Mediafuse-Dentsu’s commitment to upholding ethical values, responsible advertising, pioneering talent development and shaping the future of marketing communications in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are consistently innovative, collaborative, pioneering, agile and ambitious in our approach. As pioneers in shaping the marketing communications landscape, we have embraced new technologies, fostered talent, and championed ethical practices with indelible impacts on the Nigerian marketing communications ecosystem. We are the first to attract foreign direct investment in equity participation, active board representation, management, and full integration with a global network dating back to August 2014 – I am not aware of any relationship with such landmark involvement in the Nigerian marketing communications industry prior to this date.
“Our pioneering and innovative footprints are also visible in research, service delivery and innovation. The launching of M1 (formerly Consumer Connection System) in 2016 was a game changer in the Nigerian marketing communications industry expanding measurable touchpoints from just four via TV and radio audience measurement (RAMS+TAMS) as well as AMPS to sixty plus (60+) touchpoints covering over 20 commercial cities in Nigeria today. We also redefined the location services and digital marketing with the launch of Dentsu OOH (formerly Posterscope) and Dentsu Performance (iProspect); thus, leveraging and bringing science, robust data, and technology to bear in these critical areas in the industry. Through collaboration, we have worked on over 100 international and national brands from notable companies,” he revealed.
While fielding questions from journalists, Dawn Rowlands, Chief Executive Officer of Dentsu Sub-Saharan Africa, explained why the organization chose to invest in Nigeria through Mediafuse Dentsu. She noted that the decision was informed by the entrepreneurial talent, growth potential and scalability of Nigeria’s economy, which is arguably the biggest in Africa.
Rowlands added that Dentsu recognizes the unique complexities of the Sub-Saharan African marketplace with its diverse cultures, consumer behavior and fragmented media ecosystems. She affirmed that Mediafuse Dentsu’s deep local knowledge coupled with Dentsu International’s global expertise and networks enables the agency to craft customized, context-specific communications solutions for brands across the region.
The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi was represented at the event by the Director-General of Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo. In his address, Dr. Fadolapo conveyed the Minister’s goodwill message to delegates, and the government’s commitment to partnering with Dentsu to strengthen economic ties and boost investments.
He also outlined some of ARCON’s sweeping industry reforms aimed at growing the industry, standardizing the profession and promoting professional ethics and global best practices within Nigeria’s advertising industry. Fadolapo argued that Nigeria’s advertising sector has huge growth potential but still lags behind other African countries despite the size of the market.
At the gala dinner held yesterday, deserving country teams and individuals and advertisers were celebrated with awards under various categories.