GLOBAL ADVERTISING MARKET TO GROSS $769.9BN BY 2024, SAYS REPORT MARKETINGPromoting the brand idea.: Issue 66, August/September 2020 N2000 US$ 6.5 ISSN 1597-1201EDGE www. marketingedge.com.ng: FG sets up task force on audience COVID-19 measurement PANDEMIC: THE N5billion expended RECHARGE on Media advertising OF CSR for Covid-19 pandemic says Advertising Group “Why we launched Amber Energy Drink”-Lola Adedeji Coca-Cola launches “Open Like Never Before” campaign “My vision for the creative industry” Steve Babaeko New AAAN President How TVC hit 10 million viewers, listeners across platforms, says Ronan Redmond, Chief Revenue Officer, TVC Communications Don’t stop learning! Sign up for FirstBank's e-learning solutions today. 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Reproduction RECHARGE in full or part of any content from MARKETING EDGE without the prior written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Hot advert lines: OF CSR 08023243054, 08023039359, 08066879292 92 PERSONALITY 122 OPINION 10 Local News INTERVIEW Brands and Consumers: WHY WE LAUNCHED Marriage of a Tap Dance AMBER ENERGY (2) 25 NEWS FEATURE DRINK, SAYS LOLA Leo Burnett Worldwide ADEDEJI, celebrates anniversary, GENERAL MANAGER, GLOBAL ADVERTISING SPEND SET TO RISE BY 7.1% TO $660BN IN 2020 impacts lives beyond 85 AMBER ENERGY DRINK LTD MARKETINGPromoting the brand idea. Issue 65, February/March 2020 N2000EDGE US$ 6.5 ISSN 1597-1201 FORCES BEHIND THE 36 BRAND OF THE BRANDS & BRANDS TO MONTH WATCH SERIES 1 SMOOV: Setting the Pace in the Chapman Market SBI Media wins 9Mobile media Account AB InBev projects 10% DR. FELIX KING decline in first-quarter profit EIREMIOKHAE: Insight @ 40, stays true to transformation FirstBank’s CEO, Adeduntan Audacity receives Cranfield Alumnus 2020 Award of Hope GDM Celebrates @ 10, unveils new logo Personified EDITORIAL Brand marketing at a time like this he last few months have witnessed seismic Unilever is focusing on brands that have a role to play shifts threatening the foundation of the in providing solutions to consumers, Guinness has been world as known to humankind on all fronts. trying to bring people together as they stay safely apart. The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, In support of the bar closures and restrictions on codenamed Covid-19, has significantly social gatherings worldwide, Guinness responded with changed brand marketing as we know it. a message of resilience and assurance. By piecing to- TheT unprecedented disruption caused by the pandem- gether existing footage in a matter of days, Guinness ic has necessitated global lockdown measures, which, shared that it had endured the test of time by “sticking in turn, impacted global advertising spend and made together”. Finally, the brand purpose and value more important than ever. “As a 260 year-old brand that has survived two According to the World Federation of Advertisers World Wars, the Great Famine, and so much more, we new normal and (WFA), 21% of the world’s biggest advertisers signifi- felt compelled to share a message of resilience to reas- post-Covid-19 cantly reduced their marketing budgets at the height of sure consumers that we will all march again if we stand the crisis in April. together,” explained Joey Converse, a senior brand man- era, as the case As lockdown measures were slammed on regional ager at Guinness. To show their solidarity, the company may be, remain and global economies, regional brands such as airlines, committed $1 million to the Guinness Gives Back Fund, hotels, restaurants, retail and automotive adjusted their supporting their extended community and hospitality uncharted marketing and communications budgets by the great- workers. territories. While est degree. In contrast, Fast Moving Consumer Goods At the moment, the world is seeing some of the it’s important (FMCG) brands giants like Unilever and Procter & stringent lockdown measures relaxed. But the easing of Gamble, among others, ramped up their marketing the measures has not equated to an automatic return to recognize the budgets amid increased demands. to pre-pandemic normality. The global economy and uncertainties and In the same April, Unilever reviewed all its dis- market are still shrouded in recessionary conditions. As cretionary marketing spend, but maintained its level Covid-19 lingers, a greater level of damage is being in- fears surrounding of brand and marketing investment, which it said was flicted on brands and the ecosystem that supports them. the times, brand working harder than before. While brand marketers are re-aligning strategy and op- In the same vein, Procter & Gamble increased its erations, consumer habits and priorities have shifted marketers ad spend, stating that it needed to put its brands in the during the transition. Some of these behaviour changes must not let faces of consumers in a time when their physical availa- may be temporary, but many may be more permanent. bility may be lacking. Recently, P&G reported an annual As people move beyond the current mode of survival, the pandemic revenue of $71bn with a profit of $13bn, ascribing the the momentum behind digital-experience adoption is paralyze the boost to increased demand for cleaning products dur- unlikely to reverse as people are forced by circumstanc- ing the coronavirus crisis, coupled with its ramped up es to try new things. creativity in marketing strategy. The global multi-brand conglomer- With so much changing so fast during this difficult them. Marketers ate noted that the rise in Covid-19 demand increased time, what actions can brand marketers take to serve enabling its profit by 234%. This strategy was in contrast to the and grow their customer base, mitigate risk, and take likes of Coca-Cola, which paused all marketing spend care of their bottom lines? themselves to as it experienced a 25% fall in sales volumes during the As part of the new normal, there has been a repri- really understand period in review. oritization of platforms as audiovisual media, be it vid- The global pandemic has equally seen creativity in eo streaming platforms such as Netflix, social video or the new normal brand storytelling. Meanwhile, marketers pushed their broadcast TV, has led to these channels being favoured based on timely companies to do even more. Apart from a few brands ahead of all other media. And brands are focusing on that increased marketing spend, majority of brands at these channels to amplify their messages. While many insights is key to the local level played a more meaningful role in con- consumer goods have significantly increased their in- navigating their sumers’ lives at the height of the pandemic. A consum- vestment in e-commerce, other brands have prioritized er brand like Promasidor Nigeria Ltd was useful to the social media. The need for developing quick marketing ways through communities it serves, and the pandemic provided an communication has also become even more important the crisis both for opportunity for it to combine purpose and value. With in the new normal scenario given the constantly chang- the contribution of over N280 million, Promasidor ing dynamics. their marketing joined forces with other critical stakeholders in the fight In the end, a global crisis can either paralyze a mar- teams and their to contain further spread of the virus in Lagos and Ekiti keting team or galvanize it to triumph over adversity. companies. States, respectively. Some brands have been around for over a century and, From a brand and communications perspective, the therefore, no strangers to crisis management. But the pandemic has presented brands with a key responsibil- global scale and continued uncertainty around Covid-19 ity to play a more purposeful role. There has also been seem quite unprecedented. Whatever crisis response a reprioritization of messaging among brands. While guidebooks that may have existed in Continued on pg 8 6 MARKETINGEDGE / AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 Continued from pg 6 Brand marketing at a time like this the past now seem to be from a different millennium, and even the most agile PUBLISHER/CEO marketers, accustomed to evolving their marketing strategies in real-time, are John Ajayi, fnimn, NGE at their wits’ end. Regardless of how long the crisis actually lasts, Covid-19 will forever MARKETING EDGE change the marketing landscape. At the end of the storm, companies can’t go CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER back to their old playbooks. Their messaging and brand strategy may need to Amos Oladele significantly evolve for the realities of the post-Covid-19 world. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Ralph Tathagata Finally, the new normal and post-Covid-19 era, as the case may be, remain uncharted territories. While it’s important to recognize the uncertainties and MANAGING EDITOR Kasie Abone fears surrounding the times, brand marketers must not let the pandemic para- lyze the creativity in them. Marketers enabling themselves to really under- GENERAL MANAGER (MARKETING) Anietie Udoh stand the new normal based on timely insights is key to navigating their ways through the crisis both for their marketing teams and their companies.