Raheem Akingbolu
The rising affect of expertise, altering client expectations and financial pressures is forcing companies to rethink how they construct and maintain their manufacturers, with business consultants warning that promoting and public relations alone can not assure client loyalty.
The warning fashioned the central message at Brandcomfest 2026, the place advertising communications professionals known as on companies to align their model guarantees with product high quality, service supply and significant buyer experiences.
The occasion, held on the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, introduced collectively business stakeholders to look at the realities of name constructing in a quickly altering market. It additionally featured the Brandcom Awards, which recognised manufacturers, businesses and advertising professionals for his or her contributions to the business.
Delivering the keynote handle, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GDM, Dr Victor Gbenga Afolabi, argued that companies should look past the photographs they challenge by promoting campaigns and focus on the worth they ship to shoppers.
His place displays a elementary problem confronting manufacturers within the digital economic system: whereas firms can make investments closely in advertising to draw consideration, sustaining client confidence more and more relies upon on what clients expertise after participating with their services.
Afolabi famous that digital platforms had expanded alternatives for companies to succeed in shoppers however had concurrently made model repute tougher to regulate. Customers can now evaluate competing merchandise, consider buying choices and share their experiences publicly, leaving companies extra uncovered to the results of poor service supply.
According to him, failed transactions, complicated communication and unresolved complaints can undermine client belief, whatever the sources invested in promoting and promotion.
He due to this fact urged organisations to determine and handle the issues clients encounter as an alternative of relying on new slogans and promotional campaigns to compensate for weaknesses of their operations.
For manufacturers looking for long-term relevance, he maintained, advertising should be supported by operational effectivity, applicable expertise, efficient management and an organisational tradition able to sustaining constant requirements.
The implication is that model administration can not be handled completely because the duty of promoting and public relations departments. The total organisation should contribute to delivering the expertise promised to shoppers.
Afolabi additionally emphasised the necessity for companies to adapt to technological developments and altering client expectations with out abandoning the values and commitments that distinguish their manufacturers.
Technology, affordability reshape model competitors
The discussions at Brandcomfest mirrored the broader pressures dealing with companies as synthetic intelligence, digital promoting and altering buying behaviour reshape the advertising communications business.
In his welcome handle, the convener of Brandcomfest and the Brandcom Awards, Joshua Ajayi, mentioned the platform was created to attach business practitioners with rising concepts whereas recognising organisations and professionals whose work had translated into measurable outcomes.
He noticed that synthetic intelligence was remodeling content material creation, algorithms had been influencing the messages reaching shoppers, and social media had accelerated the velocity at which reputational challenges may emerge.
“If we are waiting for things to return to former ways, we may be waiting in eternity,” Ajayi mentioned, highlighting the necessity for practitioners to reply to adjustments within the enterprise atmosphere reasonably than rely on established strategies.
He added that the business may not assume that promotional visibility alone would safe client loyalty, notably in an economic system the place buying selections are more and more influenced by affordability and perceived worth.
The convention, themed “Brand Building, Consumer Connection and Disruptive Realities,” featured a keynote handle, three panel discussions and a hearth chat.
The periods examined model constructing from company and model views, alongside the rising affect of synthetic intelligence on digital promoting, marketing campaign supply and client personalisation.
Discussions on the company perspective highlighted the significance of client analysis, steady engagement and measurable industrial outcomes. Participants additionally thought of how businesses may keep inventive relevance as client preferences change and expertise reshapes marketing campaign improvement.
From the model perspective, discussions centered on the necessity to stability affordability, product high quality and adaptableness whereas sustaining the requirements that assist client loyalty.
The periods on synthetic intelligence explored how rising instruments may enhance viewers focusing on, marketing campaign administration and promoting personalisation. Participants, nonetheless, confused that expertise ought to assist human creativity and strategic judgement reasonably than substitute them.
These conversations underscored the significance of mixing technological innovation with a transparent understanding of client wants, notably as companies compete for consideration in an more and more crowded market.
Meanwhile, for some Nigerian manufacturers, this yr’s version additionally introduced platform for them to shine as they clinched numerous awards. For occasion, manufacturers like Golden Penny Foods, Coca-Cola, Integrated Indigo and Maggi, FrieslandCampina, Standard Chartered, recorded a number of wins.
The Brandcom Awards supplied a chance to recognise organisations throughout client engagement, product classes, public relations, monetary companies, sustainability and innovation.
The recognitions coated a spread of actions and classes, highlighting the alternative ways manufacturers and businesses compete for market relevance and business recognition.
The awards additionally celebrated 35 Under 35 advertising professionals, drawing consideration to rising expertise throughout the advertising communications ecosystem.
