Advertisers must build, rebuild or go extinct, says expert

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Insight Communications, Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, recently charged advertising and marketing communication companies to build and rebuild to remain relevant or go extinct.

Speaking at one of the activities marking the company’s 40th anniversary in Lagos, he noted that Insight evaluates and transforms strategy every decade, which has led to its exponential growth and sustained market share.

According to him, “we are celebrating 40 years of the audacity of one man who took the decision to weave in the spirit of never-ending thinking and the character trait of disruption into the fabric of the organization. We are celebrating determination, innovation, dynamic business modules and reward for tenacity.”

While clarifying the company’s efforts at ensuring relevance and sustained growth, Ikpe said the strategy had always rested on four timeless pillars of product creation, quality delivery, speed to market and return on investment.

He said, “our transformational vision, which has been in operation for three years now, is to de-emphasise downstream thinking and elevate midstream refinery, and design thinking, which would further propel us to our long-term plans to operate in the upstream, where decisions on major business trajectories are made.”

He went further to say that “it is very important to note that in this ever-evolving industry, a company that does not build or rebuild for the times will go extinct. This simple insight is what has driven us to consistently evaluate and transform our strategy every decade, and has indeed led to our exponential growth and sustained market share.”

A 360-campaign is expected to be launched with the theme #StillFoolish, to celebrate the idea that every single groundbreaking invention was termed foolish when it was first pitched.

Speaking on the campaign, the Creative Director, Insight Communications, Chuka Obi, said, “40 years ago, our chairman and founder, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo, left his paid employment to start an advertising agency in Nigeria with 18 people and no money to pay salaries, a move that was labelled ‘foolish’ by many. Today, that vision is now and will still remain one of the leading communications companies, projecting the best of Nigeria to the world.”