Global Advertising Body IAA, Beckons
In what looks like a further confirmation of the status of Nigeria among the committee of nations and the relevance of her market to the global economy, the International Advertising Association (IAA), a global association that brings together advertisers, media practitioners and agencies with presence in over 70 countries across the world, is pushing hard to re-establish its presence in the country.
Recently, the Association of Advertising Agencies in Nigeria (AAAN), recently played host to IAA board member and IAA Ghana Chapter’s Mrs. Norkor Duah in Lagos and dropped the hint that the Nigeria’s chapter will be inaugurated in May.
Duah, who is also the CEO, Mullenlowe Accra, Ghana, with the responsibility of developing the IAA brand across Africa, as IAA Board member confirmed to THISDAY that, “IAA has been pushing and hoping that we can establish a chapter in Nigeria”
According to her, April will mark the 80th anniversary of IAA and the global body thought it should be in Nigeria, because globally, Africa is considered emerging market. ‘’Africa is important, this is sub Sahara Africa and we are looking to bringing Africa together”, she stated.
In 2015, IAA organised “Africa Rising”, the first black forum to bring the voice of Africa alive. To tie in with the inauguration of Nigerian chapter, the body is already planning to host another conference in Accra, Ghana in May; there it hopes to announce the rebirth of the Nigerian chapter.
The IAA, she pointed out, is about where the continent is going in terms of the Advertising, media, and in terms of the clients. ‘”The IAA chapter in place brings the element and benefits of cascading global trends. “The evolution that is happening across the world is something we in Africa need to hook up to and see how we can plug in and gain from it,’’
She also stated that beyond this, IAA is very passionate about education and knowledge transfer. ‘”Within the IAA, there are fractioned out ways to allow different affiliation for education, for training and in motivating young professionals as well.
Admiring the Nigerian advertising industry, she noted that Nigeria has the necessary administrative structures like the APCON, AAAN; market in terms of economy. She admitted that over the years, advertising has been able to cover enormous ground and that the expertise currently on ground is well complimented.
“The marketing communications industry in Nigeria is doing well, the fact that lots of them have come together to build a solid network for global brands, you would have known that practitioners here are forthcoming. Buying into the IAA will be a great added advantage for both the agencies, clients and practitioners.”
While disabusing the notion that the IAA Nigeria is probably a duplication of some sorts, the IAA official insisted that the IAA is value packed. “IAA Nigeria chapter will definitely get value. “You have to pay dues to be a part of. But it’s reasonable, it’s something we in Ghana have done over the last 10/15 years and we see and derive real value in being members of the IAA.”
Currently, in Africa, only IAA Ghana and Egypt Chapters exist, hence the series of efforts over the past few years to set up a new chapter for the country. Though some years back, Nigeria under the late Mr. May Nzeribe, CEO, Sunrise D’Arcy and former Chairman, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), flied the international body in Nigeria but it was not long before it went into comatose.