Olu Akanmu gave a presentation at the 40th Annual Conference of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria in June 2013. He discussed how customers are becoming more sophisticated and connected through multiple devices. Media is also becoming more fragmented both online and offline. The future will see real-time, interactive engagement between companies and customers where customers can advocate for or sabotage brands. Advertising will need to combine art and science by tracking consumer behavior digitally and using models to predict effectiveness. Integrated storytelling across touchpoints will be important. The structure of advertising agencies may need to change to better facilitate cross-functional brand communication in this new environment.

1. Olu Akanmu
40TH Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) Annual Conference
Abeokuta
June 2013
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

2.  “The future is already
here…it is not just evenly
distributed yet”
 - Anonymous
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

3.  Sophisticated, always connected customer
 Will use multiple devices who talk to
themselves
◦ Tech Savvy
 Extremely fragmented media off line and on
line
 Will search for information as much as
information will search for him
 Networked to millions of friends on line with
whom they share experiences
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

4. Message
TechnologyMedia
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

5. One way
Dialogue
Interactive
Dialogue
Total
Customer
Engagement
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

6.  Real time information is available to
company and customers in interactive
relationships
 Extremely empowered networked customer
◦ Can tell his own story about the brand in real
time
 Can be a brand advocate or saboteur
 The future will be akin to some sort of
integrated marketing communication in
motion
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

7.  Everything can be tracked or measured from consumer
behaviour to communication effectiveness ( Digital
Intelligence)
 Advertising while remaining artistic will become more and
more scientific
 Advertising people will have to get more comfortable with
numbers in a new world of advertising science
 Mathematical and Statistical Model of Consumer Behavior and
Advertising Effectiveness would be constructed easily
◦ Easier predictive modeling and campaign evaluation
 The future ad practitioner will have to be an artist and a
scientist at the same time
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

8. Creative
Copy writing
Brand
Content
Creation and
Publishing
Advertising
Story
Telling
Integrated story telling across multiple
touch points
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

9. Creative Media
Digital and Content
Publishing
Sponsorship/Events/
Public Relations
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

10. Creative Media
Digital and Content Publishing
Experiential Marketing/
Sponsorship/ PR
Cross functional
Brand Communication
Organization
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

11.  How would Communication keep specialized
skills in different organizations and yet
integrate them as one single brand
communication organization?
 Will the current WPP ( agency holding) –
Finance driven organization structure suffice
the need for more integrated story telling
organization structure of the future?
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

12.  Would nimble smaller agency be more
flexible and adapt to integration faster than
the big rigid agency organizations and their
structures?
 Would increasingly splintered specialization
lead to virtual modular organizations?
◦ Organizations coming together to execute specific
brand projects and disassembling after?
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

13.  A new type of account manager
◦ Far more versatile from copy, content publishing,
media, experiential marketing
◦ Can provide leadership like a doctor in a multi-
disciplinary hospital
 Accounting for value creation and reward
issues within agency structures
◦ Where value is created and where it is billed may
more mis-aligned
◦ Transfer pricing with agency holding structure
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

14. Experience
Technology
Media
Core Human
Emotions/
Messaging
Fun
Freedom
Friendship
Achievement
Ego
Family
Success
Media
contextual
execution of
core adverting
message will
keep
changing.
Core Human
emotions and
message will
remain
timeless
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

15. “..The future started
yesterday. We are
already late…”
◦ John Legend ( If you are out there)
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com

16.  Thank you
Olu Akanmu 40th AAAN
Conference. June 2013. Blog:
http://olusfile.blogspot.com