In commemoration of World Public Relations (PR) Day, stakeholders from various sectors have underscored the need for the critical role of effective and ethical communication in fostering public trust, particularly in an increasingly polarised world.
They made this call during the celebration of World PR Day organised by Newmark Group Limited in partnership with the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), also at the Newmark 15th anniversary and the launch of the Africa PRGN Influence Insights Report.
Held under the theme “Bridging the Divide With Influence: Strategic Communications in a Polarised World,” the event attracted communication experts, business leaders, consumer advocates, and civil society organisations who shared insights on how transparent, consistent, and ethical communication can bridge divides and build lasting trust.
Executive Director of the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, underscored the importance of trust, transparency, and consistency in engaging with stakeholders.
“If you want to reach consumers, you must be transparent. Too often, producers engage in greenwashing or build tools like chatbots without understanding the consumer’s needs,” she said.
“Strategic communication must be tailored to the environment and community. It’s not just about delivering a message but understanding what people actually need,” she added, noting that effective communication must vary across policy, business, and community levels.
Ndukwe-Okafor also referenced the recently concluded United Nations Consumer Protection Ninth Session, which adopted a policy holding both manufacturers and importers accountable for faulty products, including secondhand goods, a regulation she urged Nigeria to enforce.
“Whether it’s a new or imported secondhand air conditioner, both the brand and the importer must take responsibility,” she said, citing it as an example of how policy-level communication impacts consumer rights.
Director at Strategic Forge Max, a marketing and creative studio, Tomilola Mustapha, raised concerns about the growing influence of unethical communication, particularly among social media influencers.
“Voices without ethics are dangerous. Influence must be tied to ethical values. Unfortunately, many influencers lack this grounding, which poses a risk to public trust,” Mustapha stated.
He stressed the need for embedding ethics in leadership training and business education, highlighting Lagos Business School’s approach of integrating ethics into all academic programs.
“Ethics is not optional; it covers how you treat people, the environment, and the broader society,” he said.
Head of Communication at Wema Bank, Mabel Adeteye, highlighted the importance of understanding stakeholder personas to drive meaningful outcomes.
“If you want your organisation to make better, informed decisions, you must first understand your stakeholders. For example, a CFO is primarily concerned about cost and return on investment. So, when proposing media or customer engagement strategies, you must tie them to how it affect the bottom line,” she said.
Adeteye emphasised the need for communication professionals to tailor messages based on their audience, whether product owners, CFOs, or CEOs, using relevant data and behavioural insights to support better decision-making.
“Product owners are emotionally attached to their products. You need to present facts and data to show market behaviour and customer needs. For CEOs, they want strategy, not just stories. You must have a 360-degree understanding of your stakeholders to present insights that drive the right decisions,” she added.
According to Adeteye, miscommunication or lack of clarity in messaging can have far-reaching implications, especially when stakeholders are left to make decisions based on incomplete or misunderstood data.
“At the end of the day, you need every stakeholder on board to execute your plans successfully. If you let them make the wrong call, it comes back to you. That’s why messaging is clear, contextual, and consistent,” she said.
In his remarks, Chief Executive Director of Newmark Group Limited, Mr. Gilbert Manirakiza, called for a redefinition of influence as a tool for unity and impact.
“We exist to empower organisations with the influence they need to make the impact they desire. This moment is shaped by shifting power, eroding trust, and a pressing need for unity across a fragmented global landscape,” Manirakiza stated.
He warned that while the world is more digitally connected than ever, it is also increasingly divided—a reality visible in boardrooms, communities, and institutions alike.
“We must ask ourselves what kind of influence we want to see in the world,” he added, defining influence as the capacity to guide perceptions and shape decisions on a large scale.
Manirakiza underscored how the traditional lines between fact and opinion, leadership and populism, and influence and manipulation are blurring, with institutions once held in high regard now grappling with a loss of public trust.
“In this context, strategic communication is no longer a support function; it’s a survival function. It’s not something to be used after decisions are made; it must shape those decisions from the outset,” he said.
Speaking directly to the African context, he noted that the continent is at a critical crossroads. “Africa must define its influence from within — not borrowed, but based on our own realities,” he asserted, stressing the importance of data, culture, empathy, and vision in crafting effective communication strategies.
He also highlighted the growing generational divide and the importance of tailoring communication to the needs of diverse age groups.
“Gen Z demands radical transparency. Millennials want meaning and inclusion. Gen X values competence, while boomers prioritise legacy and stability. Influence must now be multilingual, multichannel, and multidimensional,” he explained.
Manirakiza further called for the redefinition of influence not as manipulation, but as a force for unity, trust, and progress.
He demanded a new standard for public relations in Africa, rooted in strategy, ethics, inclusivity, and courage.
“If we do not tell our stories, someone else will. If we do not bridge the divides, they will grow deeper. And if we do not lead with purpose, power alone will never be enough,” he said.
Country Lead for Nigeria at Newmark Group Limited, Lovelyn Okafor, emphasised the need to build bridges and navigate polarisation.
Okafor described the global theme as more than a slogan, noting that in today’s world, division seems louder than dialogue, and mistrust often overshadows truth.
“At Newmark, we believe communication is not just a tool, it’s a force—a force that, when wielded responsibly, can open minds, align values, and ignite change.
“We’re not just celebrating how far we’ve come; we’re celebrating everyone who’s walked this journey with us—our clients, collaborators, media partners, and peers,” she said.
President and CEO of Southard Communications and a representative of PRGN, Bill Southard, who unveiled the Africa PRGN Influence Insights Report, revealed a sharp rise in the strategic importance of brand influence among organisations across the continent.
Southard noted that brand influence is no longer a peripheral concern but a core priority for businesses navigating today’s complex communication environment. “We asked the question: Is brand influence critical and growing in your organisation? 89 per cent said it is either extremely or very important to their organisational success. Only 11 per cent said somewhat important, so virtually everyone surveyed acknowledged its importance,” he disclosed.
The report also found that 67 per cent of respondents expect the importance of brand influence to increase over the next three to five years. Notably, 87 per cent indicated that their approach to building influence has changed in the past two to three years, highlighting a dynamic shift in strategy across sectors.
On how organisations measure influence, 42 per cent identified customer loyalty as the most significant metric, while 19 per cent pointed to brand equity.
“There’s a noticeable gap between loyalty and brand equity. It shows that real-time customer engagement and emotional connection are becoming the true currencies of influence,” Southard said.
Trust levels among key stakeholders also varied. According to the findings, employees emerged as the most trusted advocates for brand influence. “What your employees say about your brand carries weight with both consumers and B2B audiences,” he emphasised. In contrast, political leaders ranked lowest, with only 15 per cent of respondents expressing high trust, especially pronounced in the U.S. market.
Additionally, 76 per cent of respondents stressed the need for brands to be “part of the conversation” and maintain a strong share of voice in their markets.
“In today’s environment, influence doesn’t just happen; it has to be built intentionally, with the right mix of trust, visibility, and engagement,” Southard said.
