WIMCA 2021: Female marketing practitioners charged on stronger performance, enhanced image

The annual Women in Marketing & Communications Conference Awards (WIMCA) seems to be gradually having a life of its own. And, for many, some of the factors that have kept the five year-old event going have been the appropriateness of its theme, the thought-provoking issues always thrown up, and the agenda-setting role it has continued to play, annually.

Interestingly, this year’s edition, held recently, in Lagos, was no exception. For instance, the gradual shrinking of a vast global space into a ‘village’, courtesy technology and the advent of the COVID 19 pandemic, are not without their consequences. More worrisome is the huge challenge these have continued to pose for the multi-tasking female marketing communications practitioners, struggling to combine the tasks of managing a career and raising a family, in the new normal.

This much was emphasised, at the conference, by the resource persons, comprising mostly of renowned female marketing communications professionals in the country.

For instance, while setting the tone for the day’s discussion, the convener of the conference, and Publisher, Brand Communicator, Mr Joshua Ajayi, explained that the purpose of the event was to celebrate the leadership roles of women, especially those in marketing and communications.

He argued that it had become imperative to bring to the fore some of the issues affecting women professionals, to enable them get the much-needed recognition from policy makers.

Besides, the conference, he added, was also designed to provide mentorship opportunities for the young and prospective professionals, and ignite the potential in women towards attaining enviable heights in marketing and management.

Commending the organisers for coming up with the initiative, the President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Mr Idorenyen Enang  stated that supporting  such feminine-focused event had become imperative; since women possess the capacity and ability to build and lead.

According to him, for the marketing profession to be truly noble, women must identify with the profession and the institute that regulates it in the country, the NIMN.

“This conference has become very necessary, because women have the capacity to build. That is why I’m calling on every woman marketer here today to identify with the NIMN, and the ongoing reforms at the institute,” he added.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Engaging Female Consumers In Challenging Times’, the Guest Speaker,  at the first session, and Chief Executive Officer of Sub-Saharan Africa Dentsu International, Dawn Rowlands, would rather want the female marketing practitioners to brace up for change, especially the one induced by the COVID 19 pandemic.

She argued that a woman desirous of making her mark in the marketing communications world must  be ready to effectively study and know what today’s consumers actually want.

“The fact remains that the advent of COVID 19 has continued to impact consumer experiences. There is therefore the need to understand the type of experiences consumers desire to be able to come up with brands that will serve such consumers,” she added.

Dawn also noted that the changing consumer identity, being  experienced all over the globe,  might pose a big challenge to an unprepared marketing communications professionals, or experts.

Interestingly, multi-dimensional marketing expert, and CEO of Entod Marketing, Iquo Ukoh, would rather charge the female marketing communications  to prepare  to contend with some of the changes being experienced all over the world, as a result of globalisation.

“For instance, unlike in the past, where the gender choices were only restricted to female and male, in Canada today, there are close to 15 gender choices. This development will obviously put huge pressure on us as marketing practitioners, when it comes to preparing our marketing plans, because we will always have this gender question to contend with.

“Besides, the idea of a wife as that feminine figure, only married to a man is fast changing.  A wife today could also mean a man married to his male-wife; or a woman married to her female-wife, and others. So the days of that straight-jacketed categorisation are gone, and this no doubt puts pressure on you as a female marketing practitioner,” she stated.

Presenting the second paper at the event, Group CEO, GDM Group Victor Afolabi argued that with women controlling over $20 trillion of total consumer spending globally, while also making or influencing over 80 per cent of buying decisions globally, among others, the feminine gender would always remain  a force to reckon with.

He however believes that the need to maximise work life integration has become a matter of necessity in a new world of dual career-families, that throws up a fresh demand on women, desirous of working, while also raising a family.