Douala: The second edition of the MARCOM Meet and Connect was held in Douala on Friday, November 8, bringing together marketing and communication professionals to brainstorm solutions for the industry’s pressing challenges. This event, which expanded its scope from the previous edition, focused on discussing the fundamentals of the profession and tackling widespread misconceptions within the field.

According to Cameroon News Agency, Larry Agbornyenty, the visionary behind the MARCOM Meet and Connect initiative, launched this idea in response to colleagues’ concerns about the perceived stagnation in Cameroon’s marketing and communications sector. “Many friends in the marketing and communications industry articulated the fact that our industry is dead,” Agbornyenty stated. “So MARCOM comes to revamp and reawaken the Marketing and Communications industry and position it as a strategic pillar for business, organizational, and national growth,” he added. He emphasized the importance of fostering a strong communit
y to support professional growth and collaboration.

Participants voiced concerns about the lack of understanding of industry fundamentals. Marketing expert Bekondo José noted, “There is a lack of transfer of knowledge between the younger and older professionals in the field. What students learn in school is different from what they meet in the field.” Another significant issue raised was the scarcity of data, as highlighted by Yann William, a senior business development expert. “We don’t have data to back up our marketing…You can only get efficient marketing when you have data. We need to find a way to create companies that can provide data,” he explained. The need for more data-driven approaches was echoed by Nkono, who pointed out the need for more marketing and research companies in the country.

Serge Eyebe, a prominent creative and founder of the advertising blog La Sauce, identified dwindling creativity and short-lived brand storytelling as additional challenges facing the industry. Despite these chall
enges, the event concluded on a positive note, with participants expressing enthusiasm about the opportunity to network and build connections with other professionals.