As marketers, we market others, but don’t showcase ourselves —Osamede, ADVAN President

In a session with the media at his association’s marketing summit held recently, in Lagos, President, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Osamede Uwubanmwen, discusses burning issues affecting the practice, giving reasons why practitioners should begin to market themselves for the exalted chief executive positions. Excerpts:

The Guest Speaker, at today’s marketing summit, delved into what marketers should be doing at this time.  What’s your reaction to this?

He was spot on. We, marketers, are meant to be growth officers, since marketing is the bottom-line element. We should ensure our entire system is growing, and that  our customers are satisfied when they come, to enable them to patronise us more, so that we can  bring more money for the organization. He has also given us the challenge around the things we should do, regarding AI and governance.

But what actually informed the  event’s theme?

It’s simple. The theme of the event is growth, governance and GenAI.  You all know GenAI, that is, Generative Artificial Intelligence, is the in-thing now.  It is what  everybody needs.  Even in the medical field, it’s used. So, I don’t think marketing should be left out. As you know, there’s a national AI strategy document already launched by the government.  So, GenAI has come to stay and it’s what everybody should be able to use.

I’m a lover of GenAI because it enables you to become better, or  best  in what you already know.  Though GenAI will not teach you marketing, it will make you a super next-level marketer.

For governance, it is something that we believe in because there’s a slogan in the corporate world that: If you think compliance is expensive, try default. But, the question is: what kind of governance and compliance are being built for people to survive and achieve?

It shouldn’t be the kind of governance that makes you wonder about  how those laws are made.

One of the highlights of the Guest Speaker’s speech is that  CMOs should begin to think of how to graduate to CEOs and the Boardroom. What would you say are the challenges hindering CMOs in attaining this, and the benefits, for the practice, if such positions are eventually  attained?

The challenge for me is how to market ourselves. We market brands, but do we market ourselves?   For example, for an FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Good) company, the supply director would not be supplying or producing anything  if marketing cannot sell it. Marketing even goes as far as the financial statement. It’s our document, we put in the inputs.  We make sure the brand is healthy.

So what we have not done, as marketers, is to be able to showcase effectively what we can do in that boardroom and make as many CMOs as possible become CEOs.  And that’s our aim now, because  we know what it takes  to deliver on these goods. And that’s why we believe we could be very, very unique CEOs because we know what it takes.

The federal government targets $1 trillion economy by 2030. What role do you think marketers can play in achieving this?

When you build a brand right, people would come and invest. Remember, Nigeria is a brand. The $1 Trillion economy I think is very, very doable.

We can ensure this economy is even above $1 trillion, because if you look at our population, our skill level, our natural and human resources, $1 trillion is something we can reach in less than a year.

READ ALSO: With right policies, $1trillion economy achievable in a year —ADVAN President