By Merit Ibe
L-R: President, Advertisers Association of Nigeria, (ADVAN), Osamede Uwubanwmen; Head of DStv Media Sales, Africa, Kholeka Maringa; EH, Business Enablement, DStv Media Sales, Africa, Nosipho Gama; Executive Head, DStv Media Sales Nigeria, Doris Ohanugo; and Head of Legal, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Chukwudi Ezeaba, at the 8th DStv Media Sales – Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) conference in Lagos, yesterday.
The eighth edition of the DStv Media Sales and the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) conference held in Lagos yesterday, saw stakeholders in the marketing communications industry deliberate on cross-platform content exposure for efficient audience reach, engagement, and measurement.
The conference, themed “Cross Platform: Content and Context”, provided a cross section of industry stakeholders an opportunity to share key learnings and industry insights and establish strategic partnerships among others.
In her opening remarks, Doris Ohanugo, Executive Head, DStv Media Sales Nigeria, said the conference, since its inception, has continued to deliver on its vision and purpose. “The idea for this annual conference is for us to deliberate, share key learnings, and industry insights, establish strategic partnerships, and provide advertising opportunities to brands and our media partners. This forum has continued to deliver on this for the past seven editions,” she said.
Kholeka Maringa, Head of DStv Media Sales, Africa, while delivering her keynote address, noted that social media is reshaping content exposure and consumption, as content now lives across a variety of platforms, which necessitated the 2024 conference. Speaking on the power of cross-platform content strategy, Maringa said “DStv service now runs on a variety of platforms like Showmax and DStv Stream. We play in this cross-media space to provide expanded reach, increased engagement, stronger brand presence, brand consistency, and more opportunities for brand growth.”
Director General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, while speaking at the conference, outlined the process for advancing cross-platform content for excellence. The DG, who was represented by the Head of Legal, Chukwudi Ezeaba, explained that excellent content must align with the ethical considerations for advertising in Nigeria.
“For excellence of content for exposure across the platforms, advertisers need to ensure that contents adhere strictly to the ethics of advertising in Nigeria. The content must Be respectful, mindful of the cultural differences of the country, respect the privacy of individuals, and uphold decency by maintaining all forms of decorum and propriety. Advertisers should also adhere to legality in the industry, by ensuring that content contains valid claims, authenticity, and dependable information,” he said.
Providing the media buying professionals with insights from DStv and GOtv audience measurement, Nosipho Gama, EH, Business Enablement, DStv Media Sales, Africa, said the company provides brands a consolidated solution with cross-platform services for efficient audience reach and engagement. Disclosing data from DStv and GOtv audience measurement for the 2023 AFCON, Gama revealed that DStv reached 39.6 million households during the tournament, as 10 million viewers watched the matches live on DStv.
According to her, the company recorded 3.1 million impressions on DStv Stream, while 2.9 million watched via their mobile phones. A total of 24.2 million viewers watched on the GOtv platform; 11.8 million watched the replay of matches, while over 7 million watched live. The company also recorded over 93.6 million engagements on social media during the tournament.
President, Advertisers Association of Nigeria, (ADVAN), Osamede Uwubanwmen, stressed that reach and frequency are now more important in the industry. He noted that if accurately provided across screens, frequency and reach will help advertisers plan and optimise spending, while also helping media owners attract buyers to their inventory. “To survive in today’s content landscape requires relentless focus, an audience-first approach and organizational agility,” he added.
President, Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Dr. Femi Adelusi, commended DStv Media Sales for raising the standards for audience reach and measurement, which he said is crucial to the growth of the industry.