03 Feb
Public Relations practice in Nigeria will continue to grow based on its far more identified relevance and importance to the activation of brands, Tokunboh George-Taylor has predicted. Her calculation is predicated on the increased deployment of public relations by small and big organizations and individuals for awareness creation and voice activation. George-Taylor, former Managing Director of Hill & Knowlton Nigeria, who acquired the entire business and assets of the agency and launched Skot Communications, told journalists recently that “businesses, no matter how small they are, are beginning to appreciate Public Relations. People are seeing that PR is very important to their business”.
“The PR space is opening up. Even the government is seeing that having a good PR strategy, good message and aligning with the audience is good for governance”, Tokunboh who has been in PR practice for about 30 years said.
Allays fears about AI in PR practice
On fears of AI taking certain jobs in PR, she allayed such perceptions saying that AI cannot create campaigns for agencies. Though it can help with content AI cannot, for instance, look at Nigeria with certain geopolitical groups and determine how to sell to them.
The acquisition of H & K, Tokunboh is described as a business transaction which is a business and asset transfer. This means all the employees and the clients are transferred to Skot. “We are not starting from ground zero”.
Tokunboh who left Oando to join H& K 9 years ago, said working with the agency has given her the expertise, exposure, knowledge, and know-how to be able to run Skot Communications.
She said Skot is about the voice. “We want to be positioned as the voice of the reason that it is one thing every human being has. Voice is powerful in the world. With the voice, anything can be possible. This is our voice and let’s work with you to help you find your voice that will resonate with your target audience. Let us define your voice, sometimes you have a voice but it is not clear and people don’t understand. We are here to define your voice and define your messages”.
“We want you to find your voice and speak to your people and when you do this properly, then the message is clear. We are about connecting you to your audience, using your voice, your strategy, and your messaging”, she said.
The Skot Communications founder said in H & K, they were in a way restricted from doing more than PR because H & K under WPP can only do PR. “So if we want digital we have to partner with one of our digital sister companies. But now we can bring everything under the new agency.
“Having everything under one roof is easier for us, we will be able to build a larger team, with expertise and knowledge of the local environment and expand on it. We will be offering clients suits of opportunities”, she said.
With a deep understanding of Africa’s business landscape aligned with global best practices, Skot Communications brings unparalleled expertise in strategic & corporate communications, internal communications, content marketing & storytelling, digital & influencer media, crisis management and public affairs/advocacy as well as event management services. Skot is established across sectors including Financial & Professional Services, Energy, Consumer Services, Technology, Healthcare, Entertainment & Sports, Education & Women.
