Afolabi Urges Brand Builders To Go Beyond Advertising, PR As Golden Penny, Integrated Indigo, Others, Win Big at Brandcom Awards
The Group Chief Executive Officer of GDM, Dr Victor Gbenga Afolabi, has urged brand builders to look beyond advertising and public relations in building successful brands, stressing that consumer trust depends largely on the quality of products, service delivery and the experiences businesses create for their customers.
Dr. Afolabi made the call while delivering the keynote address at Brandcomfest 2026, held at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, where leading brands, agencies and marketing professionals gathered to examine the changing realities of brand building and consumer engagement.
The event, the themed, “Brand Building, Consumer Connection and Disruptive Realities,” culminated in the Brandcom Awards, with Golden Penny Foods, Integrated Indigo, Maggi, Coca-Cola and FrieslandCampina among other brands and agencies recognised for their performances across various categories.
Standard Chartered and IHS Nigeria also emerged among the organisations recognised for their contributions to consumer engagement, financial services, sustainability and innovation.
Speaking on the need for brands to prioritise consumer experience, Dr. Afolabi maintained that brand building must extend beyond the images projected through advertising campaigns to the actual value consumers receive from businesses.
According to him, businesses can no longer depend on brand awareness alone to sustain consumer loyalty, particularly as technology continues to reshape consumer behaviour and provide customers with greater access to information and competing products.
He noted that consumers now discover products, compare alternatives, make purchasing decisions and share their experiences across multiple platforms, making it increasingly difficult for businesses to control how their brands are perceived.
Dr. Afolabi said a poorly handled customer experience could undermine a brand’s reputation, regardless of its size or the amount invested in promotional activities.
He explained that failed transactions, confusing communication and unresolved complaints could quickly erode the trust businesses seek to establish through advertising.
The GDM group CEO therefore urged organisations to identify and address consumer problems rather than rely on new slogans or promotional campaigns to resolve underlying service delivery challenges.
According to him, operations must support service delivery, technology must provide the necessary infrastructure, leadership must establish appropriate processes, and organisational culture must sustain the standards required to build credibility.
He added that brands must remain adaptable to technological developments and changing consumer expectations without abandoning the core values and promises that define their identities.
At the awards ceremony, Golden Penny Foods recorded wins across three categories, including Most Outstanding Brand Engagement Platform of the Year for the Golden Penny Soup/Food Festival, Most Outstanding Pasta Brand of the Year for Golden Penny Spaghetti, and Most Outstanding Ball Food Brand of the Year for Golden Penny Semovita.
The recognitions highlighted the brand’s performance in consumer engagement and across its food product categories.
On the agency side, Integrated Indigo went home with three awards, Most Outstanding PR Agency of the Year, Most Outstanding PR Agency In Corporate Communications and Most Outstanding PR Agency In Brand PR
Coca-Cola received two awards: Most Innovative CSD Brand of the Year and Iconic Beverage Company of the Year.
Maggi was recognised with the Most Outstanding Seasoning Brand in Consumer Engagement and Iconic Culinary Brand of the Year awards.
FrieslandCampina also secured three awards, winning Consumer Friendly Dairy Initiative of the Year, Three Crowns Mum of the Year, and Most Outstanding Dairy Brand in Consumer Engagement.
The awards recognised the brands across categories spanning consumer engagement, product leadership and brand initiatives.
Standard Chartered received two awards: Most Outstanding Brand Supporting Women-Owned Tech Businesses and Most Outstanding Bank in Wealth Management and Investment Banking.
The recognition highlighted the bank’s positioning in financial services and support for women-owned technology businesses.
IHS Nigeria also received two awards: Most Outstanding Telecom Infrastructure Company in Sustainability and Most Outstanding Company Promoting Innovation.
The awards recognised the company’s performance in telecommunications infrastructure, sustainability and innovation.
The Brandcom Awards formed the celebratory segment of BRANDCOMFEST 2026, which brought together industry stakeholders for discussions on the challenges and opportunities confronting the marketing communications sector.
Earlier, the convener of Brandcomfest/awards, Joshua Ajayi, said the festival was designed to connect industry professionals with emerging ideas while recognising organisations and practitioners translating those ideas into measurable results.
Ajayi noted that artificial intelligence was transforming content creation, algorithms were influencing how brands reached consumers, and digital platforms had increased the speed at which reputational crises could develop.
He cautioned businesses against expecting the marketing environment to return to previous ways of operating.
Ajayi stressed that lasting brands were built through consistent delivery on their promises, particularly in an economy where consumers carefully evaluate the value they receive for their money.
He added that brands must earn consumer loyalty through relevance, honesty and respect rather than relying on the volume of their promotional messages.
The festival featured three panel discussions and a fireside chat examining brand building from agency and brand perspectives, alongside the growing influence of artificial intelligence on advertising, campaign delivery and consumer personalisation.
Discussions during the sessions highlighted the importance of consumer research, measurable business outcomes and the responsible use of emerging technologies.
Participants also stressed that artificial intelligence should support human creativity and strategic thinking rather than replace the judgement required to develop meaningful brand connections.
The event also witnessed the launch of Retain AI by Dochase ADX, reflecting the increasing role of technology in digital advertising and campaign management.
The awards ceremony further celebrated agencies, marketing professionals and 35 Under 35 marketing talents for their contributions to the industry.
As the event concluded, the central message from the keynote address and industry discussions was that brands must look beyond promotional visibility to deliver meaningful consumer experiences, maintain trust and remain relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace.