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Spin-Doctoring, PR Strategy Demonized by Quacks–CEO Brandfit

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The labelling of Public Relations professionals as Spin-Doctors has been associated with the operations of quacks in the marketing communications practice. This was revealed over the weekend during the Edubrainics Africa Lecture delivered by the Senior Consultant of Brandfit PR & Events, Anthony Elikene ANIPR.

Edubrainics is an educational platform with a mission to spread education all over Africa. The organisation invites seasoned professionals to impart knowledge on African students by lecturing on specialized industries and disciplines. The lecture was transmission to a global audience generated engagement from students and young professionals from around the world who during the interactive session asked questions as it relates to their countries.

With the topic “Spin-Doctoring, a Prerequisite or Parasite to the PR Profession”, Elikene explained that Spin-Doctoring as a process is a strategic process not just in politics to turn around negative situations for brands and save them from demise. He blamed the negative perception of PR practitioners as Spin-Doctoring to the influx of nonprofessionals in Public Relations claiming many of them are bereft of strategic solutions leading them to replace facts with lies and deception.

According to Elikene, “The father of modern PR, Ivy Ledbetter Lee, made the distinction between PR and other related professions such as Advertising and Journalism, especially when everyone wanted to practice PR leading to wrong practice hence the phrase Spin-Doctors. Today we have many practitioners who are not professionals in PR and the negative connotation of Spin-Doctoring is back.” He said.

He further said: “The denotative meaning of Spin-Doctoring in the dictionary has no negativity attached to it because it is a process that enables professionals innovatively generate solutions using verifiable facts and information and your client benefits from the crisis rather than suffer from it.”

“Take for instance when there was a negative news about Indomie being poisonous, it took great Spin-Doctoring by professionals to turn things around and change the narrative by taking the CEO of the company to the mass-market where he ate uncooked Indomie straight from the pack. TV, print reporters, and photojournalists covered the event and ended the rumour died. The problem is when you apply this strategy to politics it is over sensationalized by vested interest and a lot of negativity and character assassination takes over.” Elikene concluded.

In a related situation the regulatory body overseeing the practice of Public Relations in the country, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) is also getting ready to start weeding out practising nonprofessionals. Zimbabwean businessman and philanthropist – Dr Strive Masiyiwa commended the lecture and the Edubrainics Africa Team “This is an awesome venture! So proud of you guys. Well done,” he said.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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FreshSight Communications Assures Clients Tailored PR Services

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FreshSight Communications

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new Public Relations (PR) agency, FreshSight Communications, has promised to offer tailored services to its clients, as it joins the highly competitive industry.

According to the co-founder of the company, Mr Justice Mmadubugwu, FreshSight Communications will provide top-notch PR services tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses, organisations, and individuals seeking to amplify their brand presence and reputation.

He also expressed confidence in working with media partners to share compelling stories, promote innovative ideas, and spark important discussions that affect society.

“We are excited to introduce FreshSight Communications to the Nigerian market.

“Our goal is to become the leading PR agency for businesses seeking to establish strong relationships with their target audiences and stakeholders,” Mr Mmadubugwu stated.

FreshSight Communications said its services include media relations and crisis communications; brand management and reputation enhancement; digital PR and social media management; event management and planning; content creation and copywriting; and artist/influencers management.

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2025 PR Monitoring & Measurement Outlook: Local and Global Perspectives

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2025 PR Monitoring Outlook

By Philip Odiakose

Welcome to my first LinkedIn Newsletter in 2025, where I share insights as a public relations measurement professional with more than a decade of experience shaping conversations in Nigeria and globally.

As we step into 2025, the world of PR monitoring and measurement is undergoing a significant transformation. This year, we anticipate trends that will reshape how brands, PR agencies, and independent measurement consultancies collaborate, ensuring transparency, unbiased analyses, and actionable insights.

In this newsletter, I will provide a dual perspective: the Nigerian PR monitoring landscape and the global outlook for 2025.

Local PR Monitoring and Measurement Outlook: Nigeria in 2025

  1. Increased Demand for Transparency: Nigerian brands are recognizing the importance of transparency in PR outcomes. There will be heightened demand for agencies to provide detailed, unbiased performance audits.
  2. Adoption of Independent Measurement Consultancies: The era of self-evaluation by PR agencies is waning. In 2025, more Nigerian brands will partner with independent consultancies like P+ Measurement Services to ensure objective insights that foster accountability.
  3. Integration of Technology with Local Expertise: As AI tools and platforms gain traction, Nigerian PR professionals must strike a balance between technology-driven insights and localized expertise to cater to the unique dynamics of our market.
  4. Shift from ROI to ROO (Return on Objectives): In 2025, Nigerian PR practitioners will move beyond traditional ROI (Return on Investment) metrics that focus solely on financial outcomes. Instead, there will be a focus on ROO (Return on Objectives), emphasizing how PR efforts meet broader organizational goals such as brand awareness, reputation enhancement, stakeholder engagement, and social impact. This shift aligns with the evolving Nigerian economic landscape, where businesses prioritize long-term value creation and sustainability over short-term financial gains.
  5. Education as a Driver for Adoption: The need for education on measurement standards will grow. Initiatives like AMEC’s Measurement Month and local workshops like EvaluatePR event by P+ Measurement Services, Spin Sucks led by Gini Dietrich, and Measurement Base Camp by Paine Publishing led by Katie Delahaye Paine will play a pivotal role in driving adoption and bridging the knowledge gap among PR professionals.

Global PR Monitoring and Measurement Outlook: 2025

  1. Increased Collaboration Between PR Agencies and Measurement Experts: Globally, we will see stronger partnerships between PR professionals and measurement consultants to deliver credible, data-backed reports that influence boardroom decisions.
  2. Standardization Through Education: AMEC Measurement and Evaluation (International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication) and its members will continue leading the charge in educating PR professionals on best practices, ensuring global alignment on measurement standards like the Barcelona Principles, Measurement Maturity Mapper and Measurement Framework.
  3. Rising Demand for Unbiased Audits: Brands across the globe will increasingly seek independent PR measurement audits, avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring that insights are impartial and actionable.
  4. Adoption of Technology and Real-Time Analytics: The rise of real-time monitoring and advanced analytics tools will enable PR professionals to adjust strategies dynamically, making campaigns more impactful.
  5. Focus on ESG and Social Impact Metrics: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics will take center stage in global PR measurement. Organizations will prioritize measuring how their communications align with sustainability and societal goals.

The Way Forward

2025 marks a year of audacious transformation in PR monitoring and measurement, both in Nigeria and globally. At P+ Measurement Services, we are committed to driving this change by partnering with brands, agencies, and global stakeholders to deliver transparent, unbiased, and impactful insights.

The success of PR measurement lies in the collaboration between PR professionals and measurement experts, coupled with continuous education and adherence to global standards. As a founding member of AMEC Member Lab Initiative, I am optimistic about the role we will play in shaping the future of this industry.

Let us redefine PR measurement together, one campaign at a time.

Philip Odiakose is a leader and advocate of PR monitoring, measurement, and evaluation in Nigeria. He is also the Chief Media Analyst at P+ Measurement Services, a member of AMEC Lab InitiativeNIPR and AMCRON

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Lyca Repositions Business Operations for Sustainable Growth

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lyca group

By Dipo Olowookere

The world’s largest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Lyca Group, has taken a bold move to reorganise its certain business units and operations.

A statement from the firm explained that the action is to position it for sustainable growth in a competitive and challenging global market through digital capabilities.

This will result in faster delivery of innovative products and services, reduce overlaps, automate processes, and achieve substantial cost savings, which will be reinvested in market expansion and customer-focused initiatives.

It was stated that the proposed transformation forms part of Lyca’s long-term strategy to expand its global business services and support operations into its established service centres as well as new service hubs to be located in territories that have strategic importance while transforming country-specific operations into leaner, sales-focused organisations.

The company continues to focus on the growth of its mobile virtual network operations base and investing in new Mobile Network Operator (MNO) opportunities and markets in Africa, where it currently operates the Lyca MNO in Uganda—and elsewhere.

The organisation plans to announce expansion to new countries as soon as Q1 2025, including the launch of new digital brands in Spain and the USA.

Lyca expressed confidence that this transformation would deliver significant operational efficiencies, boost speed to market, improve customer experience, and ensure it continues to provide exceptional value to its customers worldwide.

“Lyca’s strategic reorganisation is a bold step forward, ensuring we remain a leader in delivering affordable, high-quality telecom solutions to our customers globally.

“This paradigm change not only enhances our efficiency but also strengthens our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing industry, ultimately benefiting our customers, partners, and employees globally,” the Deputy Chairman of Lyca Group, Premananthan Sivasamy, stated.

Lyca says it remains committed to supporting its employees during this transformation, noting that a smaller and more specialised team will remain in London to manage certain limited advisory, compliance, and financial functions that require a UK presence.

It disclosed that other roles will be handled either from our existing service centres or at hubs to be established in order to leverage cost efficiencies and expertise, enabling the business to reinvest resources in innovation and strengthen our business.

Already, it is engaging in a thorough consultation process with employees and will work closely with partners to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to the high standards of service and collaboration they have come to expect from Lyca.

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