Biodun Shobanjo

 

 

The Chairman of Troyka Group, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo has said the decision of Insight Communications, to have an Out- of- home advertising subsidiary, in the 80s stemmed from the fear of losing a major client of the company.

 

The advertising icon, who made the revelation, in Lagos, at the Legend’s Award, organised by the Out of Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) to celebrate his 80th birthday anniversary, stated that the client, whose account was being serviced by the creative agency then, was perpetually complaining about the poor quality of offerings being delivered by the outdoor company the creative agency was using then.

 

“The big outdoor companies then couldn’t deliver to our client’s expectations. The client was threatening the entire business, not just the outdoor business.

 

“At a point, he called me and told me ‘one more complaint from me, and I would move this account from here'”. Interestingly, the client wasn’t talking of just the outdoor account, but all his accounts with us. We knew that could be a big trouble for us if we should wait for that to happen. So, we decided to throw our hat in the ring, and go into outdoor advertising, and the complaint stopped. So coming into outdoor advertising, I can say, was accidental,” he added.

 

While expressing his appreciation to OAAN for organizing such event in his honour, Shobanjo however advised practitioners in the sector, to see outdoor advertising as big business, and therefore give it the utmost attention and efforts it deserved.

 

 

He also expressed the delight that the practice had been repositioned, over the years, to attract more funding and investors.

 

 

“Today, a site costs as much as N850m. Know that your business is a very serious business, and you must be given the respect you are worth,” he added.

 

The Guest Speaker, Dr. Doyin Salami also commended the association for the rare gesture of celebrating the advertising guru, since the norm in this part of the world is to put the spotlight on the wrong things.

 

 

He argued that the younger generation hardly discuss the achievers in our society, due to the paucity of platforms, showcasing such achievers.

 

 

Salami commended Shobanjo for demonstrating the four attributes of professionalism: Integrity, Accountability, Respect and Courtesy, and Life-long learning and Adaptability.

 

 

“The celebrant today was able to achieve these feats because he was totally committed to excellence, and high standards. He sees excellence as a journey without a finished line,” he added.

 

In his remarks, the President of the association, Mr. Sola Akinsiku, highlighted some of the feats Shobanjo had made in the world of advertising.

 

 

He explained that the decision to confer him with the association’s highest honour, Legend’s Award, stemmed from the convictions of the association’s executive council of the significant and verifiable contributions of the awardee to the development of Out-of-Home media practice in Nigeria.