For their remarkable works and outstanding performances in the year, MultiChoice, Pepsi, The Lacasera Company PLC, Access Bank, Domino’s and other notable brands including integrated marketing communications (IMC) agencies and individuals were honoured at the prestigious Brandcom Awards 2020.
Similarly, the trio of Enyi Odigbo, Chairman, Casers Group; Nn’Emeka Maduegbuna, Chairman of C&F Porter Novelli and Dozie Mbanefo, Managing Director of New Crystal Communications Limited who are respected professionals of advertising, Public Relations and Out-of-Home (OOH) Adverting respectively were inducted into the prestigious Brandcom Awards Hall of Fame for their enormous contributions to the development of the IMC industry through their various subsectors.
The awards in its second edition, organised by Brand Communicator, a leading brands and marketing publication, was held on November 27 at D’Podium Int’l Event Centre, Lagos. It was a night of glamour and celebration which recognized excellence, professionalism, innovations and creativity. It also had all the Crème de la crème in the brands and marketing industry gathered in a hall to connect with their peers, celebrate to gather and get inspired to do more.
In a nutshell, Brandcom Awards is a celebration of the exploits and achievements of brands, agencies and notable players who are making remarkable impacts in the brands and marketing industry.
Speaking about the awards, the Convener of Brandcom Awards, Joshua Ajayi said the platform was created to recognised deserving brands, agencies and individuals that have been contributing immensely to the growth of the industry and the country at large.
He added that the awards since its maiden edition last year has proven to be the most credible platform rewarding deserving individuals, brands and agencies working on the mantra of prestige, integrity and credibility.
“For years, many stakeholders have reached out to us at Brand Communicator, asking why we do not have a platform that recognises and rewards excellence in this very vibrant industry.
“We shied away from this onerous responsibility to concentrate on projecting the industry as we felt there are enough platforms for this already. However, we have also been inundated with complaints about the falling integrity of awards in recent times where recognition is reserved for the highest bidder rather than merit which should be the norm.
“At Brand Communicator, we felt this industry deserves better, hence we came up with the maiden Brandcom Awards in 2019. This year, we have expanded the scope and categories of the awards to make it bigger and more prestigious.
“In line with our tagline of Prestige, Integrity and Credibility, we had a panel of assessors set up to painstakingly review our nominations. The result is all the agencies, brands and individuals here present to receive one form of recognition or the other for their performances this year despite the challenges and peculiarities that came with the year 2020,” he explained.
Deserving Brands and Agencies
In the brand category, JOTNA (The Lacasera Company PLC) brands won big with Bold emerging Brand Launch of the year; Lacasera Hero/TINAF winning the CSD Campaign of the year and SMOOV crowned the Chapman Drink Brand of the Year.
Also, Pepsi won big as well, it was awarded the carbonated soft drink brand of the year and most engaging CSD brand of the year. Similarly, Access Bank clinched the SME Friendly Bank of the Year and Best Brand in Sustainability.
Moreover, MutliChoice clicked three notable awards, it emerged Brand of the year, also one of its brand, Dstv clinched PayTV brand of the year and its Big BrotherNaija (Reality TV Show) emerged the Most Engaging TV Content of the Year.
Some of the other brands honoured are Mouka Foam, Beddings Brand of the Year; Darling Hair, Hair Care Brand Of the year; TomTom, Candy brand of the year; Molfix, Diaper Brand of the Year; Dulux Paint, Paint Brand of the Year, WAW, Detergent brand of the year; Dano, Dairy brand of the year and Maltina, Malt drink brand of the year.
For the advertising category, Insight Redefini emerged as the Marketing communications Group of the year; Noah’s Ark emerged the Creative Advertising Agency of the year; Young creative advertising agency of the year went to Streams Communications and Young Creative Agency of the year (Northern Region) was received by Eagleserve Consultant LTD.
RED WOI.F clinched the Digital Marketing Agency of the year while Dott Media House emerged the Young Digital Marketing Agency of the year.
Experiential Marketing agency of the year went to GDM Group; Media Reach OMD was also crowned the Most Innovative Media Independent of the year; IBST Media clinched the Audio Visual Production Company of the year, Moore Advice smiled home with Visual Branding Agency of the year and BHM emerged Public Relations Agency of the year and Young Public Relations Agency of the year went to Media Panache.
In the same vein, New Crystal Communications was crowned the Out-of-Home Advertising agency of the year while Slice Media emerged the Young Out-of-Home Agency of the year.
X3M Ideas clinched two notable awards which include Best Agency in Sustainability and Marketing Communications Agency of the Year while OUTORI was awarded the Most Outstanding Activation of the Year for its initiative Sweet6ixty, and Hibrid Studio by Abelinis emerged the Below the Line Innovation of The Year among other awards received by some other agencies.
Individuals Doing Extra Ordinary Things
Individuals making a difference in their respective field were also honoured at the awards.
For instance, The CEO of Lacasera Company PLC, Chinedum Okereke emerged the CEO of the year (FMCG) and in the Financial Service, the Herbert Wigwe of Access Bank emerged the CEO of the year.
In the Beddings category, Raymond Murphy emerged the CEO of the year while CEO of the Year (Media and Entertainment) went to John Ugbe of MultiChoice and CEO of the year (Fintech) went to Mitchell Elegbe of Interswitch.
In the QSR category, Patrick McMichael of Eat n Go emerged CEO of the year, and the CEO of the year (Hair Care) went to Chitwan Singh while Ayodele Otujinrin won the Marketing Professional of The Year, both from Darling Hair.
Some of the other recipients of the individual awards are: Steve Babaeko of X3M Ideas as the CEO of the year (Creative Advertising); Gbenga Victor Afolabi of GDM Group, CEO of the year (Experiential Marketing); Emmanuel Agu (JOTNA), Marketing director of the year; Segun Ogunleye (Seven-Up Bottling Company), Marketing Manager of the year; Bridget Oyefeso-Odusami of Stanbic IBTC, Corporate Communications Professional of the year(Financial Services) and Abigail Okala (Pepsi), Brand Manager of the year.
Others are Folashade Ambrose-Medebem of Lafarge, Sustainability Professional of the year; Tolu Olanipekun of Mouka Foam, Marketing Manager of the year (Bedding); Roseline Abaraonye of Hayat Kimya, Marketing Manager of the Year (FMCG); Charles Jenarius of Globacom, Marketing Communications Director of the year IT and Telecom; Caroline Oghuma of MultiChoice, Corporate Communications Professional of the year and Raheem Akingbolu of This Day, Brand Journalist of the year.
The Hall of Famers
Recall at the maiden edition of the awards held last year, the doyen of advertising in Nigeria and Chairman, Troyka Holdings, Biodun Shobanjo was honoured with the prestigious ‘Hall of Fame’ recognition, the biggest honour for the night for his many contributions to the growth of the IMC industry in the country and Africa as a whole.
This year, three respected individuals were honoured and according to Ajayi, the hall of fame recipients have contributed immensely to the IMC industry, the business community and the country at large. Hence, they deserve the awards and it would inspire the younger ones to be the best they can be.
Noteworthy that Enyi Odigbo is a visionary, but he’d prefer to be known as an integrator. Enyi won the DDB franchise in 2000, and in the last decade his group has expanded to include Capital Media- one of the region’s largest independent media buying companies, Magenta—a digital company, and now a new partnership with Fin International, the financial branding consultancy.
Nn’emeka Maduegbuna on his own part has over three decades of experience in strategic communications planning, corporate positioning and reputation management, as well as extensive practice in corporate and financial communications, public affairs, crisis management and litigation communications.
Meanwhile, Engr. Mbanefo Dozie is one of the leading lights in the OOH sector in Nigeria. An Engineer with over 18 years’ experience, he has also undergone several courses on Advertising and Marketing both within Nigeria, United Kingdom and USA.
Dozie receiving his award said OOH has always been what he is passionate about and he would continue to contribute to the growth of the industry no matter what, adding that the honour will inspire him to do more as he urged other to contribute their own quota. “Whatever I do I will use my energy to promote OOH advertising. I have been in OOH advertising for a while, in this industry we need to contribute our own quota and always give our best, so by the time we are leaving, the young ones who will take over will do more than we have done. Am giving you assurance, Advertising is where I belong to and that is where I will be.”
