Mr. Ikechi Odigbo, President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), has outlined the new direction for the body under his leadership.
Odigbo, Managing Director of DBB Lagos and the immediate AAAN Vice President, was elected on Saturday at the body’s 45th Annual General Meeting/Congress in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun state.
Under the association’s new leadership, said the Odigbo, the major objectives will be the promotion of performance, professionalism and prestige of the AAAN.
“There is a dire need to reposition AAAN as a thought leader in the creative industry, improve our brand assets and social media platforms as well as drive the visibility, appeal and strategic relevance for the Association through disciplined execution of the PR/media plans.
“As brand builders we must pay quality attention to the image of AAAN in order to foster confidence and pride in our distinguished profession among all relevant stake holders,” he said.
To surmount the challenges being faced by the association, Ikechi Odigbo said the new leadership will adopt a more entrepreneurial approach, which has the potential to yield greater value to members, protect and advance collective strategic interests with clients and improve the reputation of the association.
“We will embark on value adding initiatives by leveraging on the strength of our corporate collective. As an association, we will negotiate discounted rates for software licenses, so that member agencies can have access to work ware at reduced cost. This could be extended to other areas of common need,” he disclosed.
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The new leadership, he added, will also strive to raise the financial profile of the body optimizing the delivery of its revenue generating activities such as the LAIF Awards, training programmes and AGM events.
In similar vein, there are plans to push for the proper constitution of the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON) Council and push strongly for reforms through intense lobby and leveraging influencers with the regulatory ministry and other relevant government institutions.
He stated that huge investments have been made to ensure take off of the Advertising Academy and that the new leadership will ensure that the academy becomes operational during its tenure.
He equally disclosed that professional training programmes will reviewed to further align with requirements for APCON certification and bridge gaps in the quality of content and delivery.
In addition, Ikechi Odigbo said the body will initiate and pursue collaborative relationship with relevant educational institutions such as O2 Academy, universities and reputable organisations like Miami Ad School, Google as well as Facebook to ensure greater subscription to the training programmes of the association and deliver up-to-the-moment, beyond advertising trainings.
The new president also said the leadership of the body will tap into the energy and zeal of young members of the association to drive initiatives.
He equally disclosed plans to celebrate and inspire members through the introduction of a Special Industry Nite of Honours, where deserving agencies and individual practitioners will be recognized for outstanding service and contribution to the association.
