The New Marketing Blueprint: Experts advocate improved ways to get consumers attention
By Amechi Obiakpu
As the economy becomes increasingly challenging with consumers becoming more aware of their buying decisions, in addition to shrinking purchasing power, marketing experts have advocated for the update of the present marketing playbook. This they say should include personalization, deployment of relevant AI tools and understanding of the needs of the present day consumers.
According to them, the update has become necessary because of the changing AI tools which is transforming the way consumers consume goods and services.
This position was made at the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) Ikeja Chapter 5th Annual Public Lecture held on Wednesday October, 14, 2026 at LCCI, Alausa, Ikeja.
The event with theme: “The New Marketing Blueprint: Driving growth through AI, Customer Experience, Data Ecosystems and Purpose-Driven Brands”, pulled brand and business managers, students and stakeholders within the marketing ecosystem.
Speaking during his keynote presentation, brand builder and advertising expert, Lampe Omoyele, started with a warning: that the economy being challenged was not an excuse for brand owners to stick to old playbook.
“The challenges economically and business-wise have always been there. The good news is that we have better tools at our disposal. But the challenge as well is that when you have so many tools, the question is which ones do you use and how do you deploy them most effectively?”.
Omoyele who is the Chief Executive Officer of Nitro 121 Limited and partner, The Lucent Consulting Company says marketing is evolving and one cannot totally rely on the playbook of 10 years ago.
“Though we are talking about an evolving marketing blueprint, we cannot throw away the experiences of the past. The question is how we bring the experiences of the past to play in the new realm that we are bringing.
“The Nigerian consumers have changed fundamentally. They are not as patient as before. They are time poor and want to take decisions quickly. So speed and ease are important for the consumer today, the consumer wants to co-create and be part of the brands that they purchase and consume,” he said.
He pointed that, today’s consumers will retain brands and support brands that send messages that are precise and messages that resonate with their needs, their aspirations, and their values.
Also speaking, Prof. Lere Baale, an African Institutional transformation Strategist and Chief Executive of Business School Netherlands International (Nigeria), emphasised the relevance of marketing in every organisation, noting that marketing exist because consumers have choice.
For him, the work of marketing should not be restricted to the marketing department alone but to every department of the organisation as they all interface with the consumers at every level.
“The future belongs to the organisation that deploy what they know to serve the consumers effectively,” he posited.
Both Omoyele and Baale’s presentation provided a direction for the panel discussion which comprised experienced professionals like Professor Bolajoko Nkemdilim Dixon-Ogbechi, a professor of Marketing and Decision Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Unilag; Kehinde Ruth Onasoga, Managing Director, Pandora Agency Ltd; and Bodam Taiwo, a Senior marketing executive.
They unanimously agreed that things have changed hence marketing today cannot be practised the way it used to be.
“With the advent of AI, marketers must not be averse to learning but must continue to learn new ways to service the consumers better giving the available tools at their disposal”.
Speaking earlier during her welcome address, Dr. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, NIMN President, noted that “The New Marketing Blueprint,” reflects the transformation taking place across the marketing profession and the wider business environment.
Marketing according to her, was no longer defined solely by communication, advertising, or demand creation. “It is increasingly shaped by technology, data, changing customer expectations, innovation and the ability of brands to drive relevance and create meaningful value,” she said.
On her part, Onome Odili, Chairman, NIMN Ikeja Chapter pointed that Artificial Intelligence is no longer a conversation about the distant future. It is already transforming how brands understand consumers, create content, personalised experiences, analyse information and make decisions.
“The winning marketer will be the one who understands what questions to ask, what decisions require human judgement, and how to translate technology into meaningful and business outcomes” she affirmed.
*Photo shows dignitaries at the event.
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