Ron Cregan
The International Advertising Association (IAA) and Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) will today collaborate to host a global debate on the brand regulatory environment as part of activities lined up for the upcoming 3rd Africa Rising Business leadership conference in Accra.
The panel discussion on theme, “Brand Blocking: Regulations and the threats to consumer choice and goods” will provide an opportunity for an in-depth assessment and understanding of the current regulatory environment and the implication for brands.
The socio-cultural and ethical questions arising from the disruption of existing regulation by new technologies such as online video broadcast applications and the impact of regulation brand building are expected to come up for debate during the panel discussion, which will be moderated by Bernard Avle, Ghana’s Journalist of the Year 2018.
Commenting on the panel discussion on the regulation at the conference, the IAA’s Vice President and Area Director, Africa, Norkor Duah, said “advocacy by the industry bodies such as the IAA and AAG in collaboration with stakeholder in the private sector to address issues regarding the regulation of advertisements should bring the needed balance to what regulators like the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in Ghana and their counterparts in other countries across the continent are currently doing.”
A pre-panel presentation by Ron Cregan, founder of Endangered Species, will put forward views from his membership organization working across multiple categories under threat from over-zealous regulators and policymakers.
“Our members include associations representing categories and brands under threat of regulatory intervention, designers, brand experts and brand owners themselves,” said Cregan.
The panel will reflect on and react to the pre-panel presentation and bring to the fore the peculiar challenges within regulatory environment in key markets in Africa, share opinions on how to respond to the fast-paced evolution of media channels and the role governments, industry or professional bodies in achieving a fair balance between commercial interest of brands and the social interests such as consumer protection.
The other panelists mainly from the regulatory bodies include Gail Schimmel, CEO of the Advertising Regulatory Board, (ARB) South Africa, Ijedi Philomena Iyoha, acting Registrar of the Association Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Seth Seaneke, Deputy Chief Executive of the Food and Drug Authority (FDA).
The “Africa Rising 3,” a two-day event will be officially opened by the Vice President Dr. Muhammadu Bawumia at a ceremony in the morning of Monday 20 followed by a series of keynote presentations and a gala dinner at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
A business desk report