Experts in marketing communications in Africa gathered recently in Lagos to chart a new course on how best to engage women in these challenging times. They also proffered solutions on how the female gender can maintain a work-life integration in their quest to smash the glass ceiling that seem to prevent them from reaching their peak in their different fields.
These were the key talking points at the annual Women in Marketing & Communications Conference/ Awards (WIMCA) with the theme: “Women in Leadership: Building a strong Professional PIE (Performance, Image, and Exposure)”. The theme was crafted in line with this year’s International Women Day (IWD): “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”.
In his welcome address, the convener of WIMCA and publisher of Brand Communicator, Joshua Ajayi stressed that, “’women have been acknowledged as some of the most effective leaders during the pandemic, even when they remain woefully under-represented at all levels of decision-making worldwide.”
In her presentation, the keynote speaker, CEO of Dentsu, Sub-Sahara Africa, Dawn Rowlands spoke on “Engaging Female Consumers in Challenging Times”. She stated that the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges have forced many businesses to evolve and look for better ways to connect with their consumers.
She explained that because of the pandemic, many women work from home, combining multiple roles from work and taking care of their family. She called on brands that understand this reality to look for suitable means to engage women creatively at this time.. She equally urged brands to allocate a reasonable chunk of their budget to gender balancing and women empowerment.
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She added that women will be the greatest activists for change, and brands need to be on the lookout for ways to deliberately engage them.
The panelists who spoke in the session attested to the power of storytelling in engaging women and also revealed how their brands have keyed into trends to further arrest the attention of women.
The panelists are Ayodele Otujinrin, Head of Marketing, West Africa, Godrej; Iquo Ukoh, Managing Director, Entod Marketing; Ilyas Kazeem, Group Marketing Director, Eat ‘N’ Go Africa; and Charity Ilevbare, Category Lead (Life Care), Seven-Up Bottling Company and Bukola Shobowale, Business Director, Insight Publicis.
In the second segment , Victor Afolabi, GCEO, GDM Group who spoke on the sub-theme “Maximising work-life integration in the new norm and creating a personal brand beyond smashing the glass ceiling” said the world is faced with a ‘double disruption scenario, with automation and COVID-19, according to the World Economic Forum.
He explained that the barriers for work-life integration are lack of management support and the flexibility stigma.. To achieve work-life integration he advised that organisations should “prioritise, co-create, and compartmentalise personal time and delegate”
Other speakers who equally shared insight during the session are Steve Babaeko, CEO, X3M Ideas; Adebola Williams, GM Marketing, UAC FOODS; Adebola Williams, Group CEO, Red For Africa; Funmilayo Falola, Head, Marketing Communications & Investor Relations, Wema Bank; and Tokunboh George Taylor, Managing Director, Hills+Knowlton Strategies.
