AIRTEL’S FEMI ADENIRAN, OTHERS LINK PR TO BUSINESS PROFITABILITY AT PR WEEK 2024
Femi Adeniran, director of Corporate Communications and CSR at Airtel Nigeria, took center stage as a special guest speaker alongside a panel of esteemed professionals at the Nigeria Public Relations Week in Abeokuta.
Addressing an audience of industry experts, Mr. Adeniran shed light on the pivotal role of public relations practitioners in fostering an understanding of goodwill as a fundamental corporate investment.
Panel Discussion on Day 2 of a Conference
- Moderator: Victoria Uwadoka (Lead, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability at Nestle Nigeria)
- Panelists:
- Femi Adeniran (Speaker)
- Abiona Babarinde (General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group)
- Chineze Amanfo (Lead, Public Relations, 9 Mobile)
- Matthew Ndiana-Abasi (Group Head, Media Operations, Strategic Communications and Events at Aiteo)
Key Points:
- The Value of Goodwill: Femi Adeniran emphasized the importance of public relations (PR) practitioners in helping organizations understand the necessity of goodwill. He described goodwill as a “bucket of value” that directly impacts a business’s worth.
- Building the Bucket: PR professionals have a responsibility to fill this “bucket” by:
- Effective communication: Clear and consistent messaging across all channels.
- Stakeholder management: Building and maintaining positive relationships with all groups affected by the company’s actions.
- Relationship building: Fostering trust and loyalty with customers, partners, and the community.
- The Fuel for Growth: A strong reputation built through effective PR fuels an organization’s growth and success.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Brand Alignment:
- The discussion explored the benefits of CSR initiatives that align with a brand’s core values.
- Abiona Babarinde differentiated marketing (branding) from PR (earning trust and loyalty).
- Case Study: Airtel and Digital Education: Femi Adeniran provided an example of Airtel’s goodwill-building efforts.
- Core Business and CSR Alignment: Airtel, a telecommunications company, focused on digital education initiatives that align with their core value of connectivity.
- Specific Action: Partnering with UNICEF to provide internet access to 920 public schools in Nigeria, impacting over 600,000 children.
- Future Plans: Expanding the program to include 500 more schools by the end of the year.
- Key Takeaway: Integrating CSR initiatives with core values fosters sustainable growth while benefiting communities.
Additional Sub-topics Discussed:
- Measurement and evaluation: Tracking the effectiveness of PR efforts and their impact on business goals.
- Collaboration between PR and Marketing: How PR and marketing can work together for optimal results.
- Strategic Use of Technology: Utilizing technology to enhance PR campaigns and communications.
This restructured text provides a more detailed format with additional information about the conference, speaker roles, and key takeaways from each point.
