By Elegushi Modupe and Ibrahim and Oladipupo Ibraheem, LASU
Head of Department, Communication and Language Art, University of Ibadan Prof Ayobami Ojebode is canvassing a paradigm shift in advertising that underscores attitudinal change, while also promoting the brand.
He has proposed a new concept: ‘Goodvertising’ which Ojebode considered a good weapon that could be deployed towards effecting social change.
Ojebode delivered the 60th birthday lecture of a professor of Advertising and Public Relations, and Dean School of Communication, Lagos State University (LASU) Rotimi Williams Olatunji. The lecture held at LASU premises was titled: ‘Goodvertising and search for a place called country’.
“‘Goodvertising’ is the inclination of brands to communicate about topics of goodness for the whole of society. Even on social change, it is a brand’s statement on serious issues which affect society, often with the intention of changing the world and human thinking,” he began.
He said it is now obvious that goodvertising tackles the fundamental behaviour, practices, values and beliefs that lie behind man’s daily problems.
Ojebode identified greed, violence, indiscretion, corruption, wastefulness, obscene display of wealth, nepotism as the underlying fuels behind most of our national woes; hence the massive search for a place called a country.
He said good advertising would therefore bridge the nation’s ethnic, religious and cultural differences and help Nigeria rediscover herself as a nation of great potentials.
“Goodvertising would serve as fodder for national and individual introspection when problems arise. Working with other factors, it would help us redefine ourselves as a nation, and quicken our realisation of that place called country,” Ojebode added.
Nonetheless, while portraying the county’s image in a positive manner, Ojebode insisted that advertisers must also bear in mind the aspect of profit-making, saying it is the fundamental purpose of the entrepreneur.
He recalled the xenophobic attacks in South Africa on Nigerians a few months ago and how Nigerian citizens responded with the same measure by attacking some of South African business interest in the country,. He wondering where advertisers stand if they are less concerned about promoting global peace.
He drew a line between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and goodvertising, saying while the former addresses certain fundamental problems in the society, the latter harps on attitudinal change.
“CSR is not goodvertising. A CSR targets problem such as poverty, lack of potable water in the host community, while goodvertising is targeted at attitude or practice, those fundamental forces behind the problem that we see,” he explained.
“While CSR might build school, goodvertising would talk about corruption and mismanagement which may lead to embezzlement of the constituency project funds for school construction in the first instance. The product of goodvertising is intangible while the output of CSR is concrete,” Ojebode added.
Further, he made reference to a campaign of a popular beer beverage where the lead character Nico, just recorded a resounding success. Nico’s friend thereafter thronged him in celebration, offering him a bottle of the beer brand. To their surprise, Nico politely turned down their offer, saying ‘I am still driving “. Yet this is an advert by the beer company.
“On the final note, goodvertising is not social marketing. Social marketing employs the principles of commercial marketing to promote social good and the overall welfare of people,” he said.
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