Marketing Now Spans Branding, Integrated Comms, Politics, Digital, and AI - Dr. Jossy Nkwocha
Marketing isn't just buying and selling anymore. According to Dr. Jossy Nkwocha, MD/CEO of Reputation Masters Limited and former Group Head, Corporate Communications at Indorama, the discipline has widened to include branding, integrated marketing, marketing communications, political marketing, digital marketing, and AI-driven practice.
He delivered this message during a virtual lecture held to celebrate Prof. Mrs. Justitia Nnabuko on her 71st birthday and her 41 years of service at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC). The lecture series, instituted by the Forum of her PhD Mentees, is set to run annually.
From selling to systems
Dr. Nkwocha traced marketing's path: from transactional sales in the early 1900s to a defined body of knowledge, then into services and intangibles in the 1950s, and into full academic programmes from the 1970s to 2000s. Today, it's a multidisciplinary system powered by data, technology, and ethics.
He highlighted Prof. Nnabuko's stance: marketing is a living profession. Degrees are a start; professionalism, ethics, communication, critical thinking, creativity, record-keeping, and data management make the difference. Gradual adoption of internet-driven tools and an ICT-enabled economy is now table stakes.
Political marketing and "marketing Nigeria"
Marketing applies to goods, services, organisations, places, ideas, and concepts. In Nigeria, he noted past government-led image campaigns such as War Against Indiscipline (WAI), MAMSER, Nigeria Image Project, and Good People, Great Nation. Their impact often fell short, partly due to weak professionalism and ethics in execution.
"Marketing Nigeria," he said, must be anchored on truth, good governance, infrastructure upgrades, peace, unity, and progress. Reputation is earned through consistent action, not slogans or propaganda.
Nine factors for marketing Nigeria through reputation management
- Effective governance
- Strong public institutions
- Strong, stable economy
- Stable political environment
- Available social infrastructure
- Appealing physical environment
- Effective public communication (including telling our own stories)
- Friendly people
- Social harmony
Why reputation matters
- Attracts local and foreign investment
- Boosts tourism and trade advantages
- Secures international conferences and partnerships
- Increases respect for citizens and national dignity
He urged federal and state governments to back professional bodies leading this work, including the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria.
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) | National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN)
What marketing leaders should do now
- Build cross-functional marketing systems: brand, PR, digital, policy, and data teams working as one.
- Codify ethics and quality standards: approvals, claims substantiation, and transparent reporting.
- Invest in data and analytics: capture, clean, and use data to improve decisions and creative output.
- Adopt AI with guardrails: content generation, social listening, media mix modelling, and customer insights, all with oversight.
- Tell better stories: share verifiable progress, human impact, and measurable outcomes-often.
If you want structured upskilling for AI in marketing, explore this practical track: AI Certification for Marketing Specialists.
Leadership tributes and takeaways
Prof. Chuka Ifediora, chair of the Forum of Prof. Nnabuko's PhD Mentees, praised participants and encouraged mentees to keep the flag flying. Prof. Gerald Nebo urged both government and citizens to apply the lecture's principles to repair Nigeria's image and attract investment.
Hon. Jones Chukwudi Onyereri, Special Guest of Honour and mentee, called the topic timely, given Nigeria's current reputation challenges. The celebrant thanked her mentees for the surprise honour, crediting family values, work ethics, and reverence for God, and encouraged them to be fair, become agents of change, and value what they have.
What's next
The next edition of the lecture will hold on 23 September, 2026.
Bottom line for marketers: broaden your playbook, keep ethics front and centre, and let measurable progress be your message.
