Nigerian businesses have been urged to imbibe the spirit of advertising as a veritable tool to business development in this increasingly competitive market especially at this time of unfavourable global economic situation.

Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria (APCON) while speaking at the May 2009 Breakfast Forum of Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce said that advertising is a business development driver which comprises all the vital elements of marketing mix-products and its presentation, pricing, distribution, promotion,  resultant positioning  and perception.

Kankarofi said that advertisers must ensure that the key business functions of production, finance and audit, human capital management, research and development are in proper shape. Besides, they need to be conversant with customers need and deploy appropriate strategies in fashioning out their message to prospective clients.

The APCON boss added that high level of creativity, ingenuity and professionalism are greatly important in order to capture the interest of prospective clients in a perfect manner and once this is done, immeasurable returns of investment is guaranteed.

He said that at this critical era of global economic crunch, where there had been several collapse of financial institutions, large scale labour lay-off, capacity under-utilisation, factory shuts downs, rising exchange rates and declining international crude oil price, marketing conviction , strategization, creativity and resourcefulness are the value-adding solution.

However, advertising industries have the following challenges such as cut downs on the industries, variety and intensity of other communication to which the same prospect are exposed, cost of the media available for engaging with the prospects, raising funds from other sources and suspension of budgetary provision.

Also at the forum, Wetherheads Boss, Mr. Abi Iderawunmi emphasized that continuous engagement of industries in advertising is necessary during recession. He added that Wetherheads is renowned for installation of billboards, ultra large format, unipole spectacular, ultrawave, scrollers, digital screen, mobile adverts, as well as being expedient in monitoring for efficiency.

Tom Bassett, Vice Chairman, Nigerian –South African Chamber of Commerce, thanked the APCON Boss for his well researched and presented topic.  He informed all members that the Chamber had embarked on putting together a membership directory that would comprise profile of all its members and more participation are needed as regard adverts placement in it.