From John Silas
Marketing communications, public relations, advertising and branding experts have called on corporate organisations, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies and PR practitioners to embrace purposeful and strategic storytelling capable of building stronger brands and creating lasting value.
Speaking during a media parley on how strategic storytelling could strengthen brand positioning, enhance credibility and create meaningful engagement with target audiences, they said successful publicity should focus on telling the right story to the right audience at the right time.
The stakeholders urged integrated marketing communications practitioners to deepen public relations efforts around entrepreneurship, commerce, innovation and economic development, noting that connecting brands to broader issues of societal and economic relevance could make their stories more relatable while strengthening public trust.
The Divisional Director, Marketing, at Marketing Edge Publication, Anietie Udoh, urged a more strategic approach to publicity, stating that media visibility should be measured by its contribution to brand reputation and long-term value rather than simply by the volume of headlines generated.
He highlighted the emerging trends in Nigeria’s marketing communications industry, saying that brands, organisations and personalities must adopt more purposeful publicity strategies that align media exposure with their broader business and reputation objectives.
According to him, the growing obsession with headlines and online visibility could make publicity practitioners lose sight of the fundamental objective of communication, which is to build credibility, strengthen reputation and support long-term brand positioning.
“The biggest mistake in publicity is to assume that the more coverage you get, the more successful the campaign is. It is not always about how many headlines you generate. It is about whether those headlines are helping to build the reputation and positioning you want,” he said.
Explaining that effective publicity begins with identifying a compelling and authentic story that resonates with the intended audience, he cautioned publicists against manufacturing narratives simply because a client wants to trend, but to identify genuine aspects of a brand’s journey that can generate meaningful engagement and strengthen public perception.
Udoh cited Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, FrieslandCampina Wamco, OPAY, Power Oil and Mouka Foam, among others, as examples of Nigerian enterprises whose public narratives have extended beyond product announcements to broader stories around entrepreneurship, innovation, Nigerian enterprise and economic development.
This comes as audiences are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can easily distinguish between authentic communication and publicity created merely for attention, he added.
He emphasised that well-planned campaigns should contain different stories and media opportunities serving specific communication objectives rather than simply repeating the same message across multiple platforms.
Udoh further identified credibility as one of the most valuable assets available to publicity professionals, stressing that sustainable relationships between public relations practitioners and journalists must be built on trust, accuracy and professionalism.
“You cannot build a sustainable media relationship by bombarding journalists with emails and WhatsApp messages,” he warned. “You build it by understanding what they do, respecting their deadlines and giving them the information they can trust.”
While acknowledging the importance of speed in modern publicity, Udoh cautioned practitioners against allowing the pressure to trend to replace strategic thinking.
He observed that social media had significantly shortened news cycles, making it possible for an individual, product or incident to become a national talking point within hours.
However, he said communication professionals must determine whether a viral moment could be converted into meaningful and sustainable visibility.
Udoh acknowledged the growing ability of Nigerian content creators and digital personalities to convert social media moments into mainstream media opportunities, insisting that “speed matters, but strategy matters more.
“If you rush into every trend without considering the consequences, you may achieve visibility today and create a reputation problem tomorrow.”
The marketing communicator also called for greater collaboration among publicists, marketers, advertising agencies, talent managers, corporate communications teams and brand owners.
According to him, “for a corporate organisation, the publicity around a product launch should connect with the company’s larger brand promise. For an entrepreneur, media visibility should support the business story. For an entertainer, every major appearance should contribute to the kind of career the person wants to build.”
Udoh added: “In publicity, the objective should not be to make the biggest noise but to create the right conversation, with the right audience, at the right time, and leave behind an impression that continues to create value long after the headlines have disappeared.”
