Advertising Annual Colloquium

The Advertising Industry Colloquium is part of the Director General's transformative and industry repositioning programmes.

The colloquium is basically instituted to boost stronger synergy and promote effectual congruence between the academia and the practitioners in the advertising and marketing communications industry.

During the programme, the uncommon challenges and elations on both divides are expected to be conversed, harnessed, and put to mutual benefits. There are always additional ideas and trends to learn and to share in an ever-dynamic industry like ours. While we appreciate the contributions of the academia to meet or exceed societal demands in line with best global practices.

Marketing communications scholarship and profession are both shaped by globalization and the nation's macro-economic, political, socio-cultural and media ecologies. Marketing communications curricula often remain a step behind industry practice because of the breath-taking disruptions brought about by changing media technologies. But without an organized body of knowledge, skills and values that academic curricula offer, marketing communication will remain in the realm of craftsmanship rather than assuring a full professional status. This calls for town and gown relationships.

Sequel to the above, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) sees a need to breach the gap between the Town and Gown. The interactive opportunity provided by this colloquium will enable students and young graduates understand the routine business concepts and factual practical challenges experienced in the industry.

It also affords the opportunity for selected tertiary institutions to participate in a pitch competition judged by experts in the industry whose experience counts and who have mentored and groomed international standard executives in the advertising and marketing communications businesses.