Campus News

Design campaigns with human face, Gbadeyan tells advertisers

By Abubakar Imam

The Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Ilorin, Prof. Rotimi Ayodele Gbadeyan, has appealed to stakeholders in the nation’s advertising industry to always consider the mental, emotional, and social well-being of consumers in their campaign designs.

Prof. Gbadeyan gave this advice last Thursday (June 19, 2025) while delivering the 284th Inaugural Lecture of the institution titled “Something Else Beyond Marketing?” at the University Auditorium.  

The don said that it was high time that marketers avoided unrealistic beauty standards, manipulative messaging, and social isolation tactics.

He said that they should instead develop campaigns that promote self-worth, healthy lifestyles, and social connections.

Prof. Gbadeyan also implored stakeholders to ensure that consumers are given the necessary knowledge and tools to critically assess marketing messages.

The don, who teaches at the Department of Marketing, suggested that digital, financial and media literacy should be integrated into the public education curriculum, saying that such would empower the society to resist manipulative marketing and assist them to make informed choices.

Prof. Gbadeyan also suggested that marketers should design campaigns that reflect diversity, heterogeneity and inclusivity.

He said that such a campaign should avoid discriminatory targeting, stereotyping, and cultural appropriation, but should promote respect for the dignity of all individuals.

He equally canvassed the introduction and implementation of policies that would ensure fairness and equity in consumer access to products and services, saying that such would encourage them to achieve some level of equality in the society.

The Inaugural Lecturer also said that there should be regular support for ethical marketing standards by professional bodies and regulatory agencies to address emerging concerns like algorithm bias, deceptive advertising, and pink/green washing.

He also implored professional bodies and regulatory agencies to apply stronger enforcement mechanisms that will penalise misleading or exploitative practices among advertisers, business organisations and marketers.

Prof. Gbadeyan also suggested the embrace of responsible use of digital marketing tools by marketers, most especially those that exploit psychological vulnerabilities should be encouraged.

He equally encouraged marketers to engage in transparent data policies and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), adding that they should try to minimise digital addiction and protect consumer data.

Prof. Gbadeyan also encouraged companies to ensure that their marketing strategies shift from encouraging overconsumption and debt accumulation to promoting financial literacy, sustainability, and long-term value.

Speaking on Marketing as a field of study, Prof. Gbadeyan said that it should re- engage with fundamental questions of meaning, ethics, authenticity, and choice. He added that it should integrate philosophical inquiry, emphasising integrity, purpose, and respect for consumer freedom.

He also called for interdisciplinary collaboration for ethical innovation, pointing out that marketing innovations should be human-centered and socially responsible.

The don added that marketers, social scientists, technologists, ethicists, and policymakers must collaborate with one another, saying that interdisciplinary research should be explored to understand the far-reaching effects of marketing on the society.

He also suggested that organisations should establish independent ethics review boards for marketing campaigns, particularly those that will be targeting vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and low-income consumers.

Prof. Gbadeyan also encouraged academic institutions to prioritise and fund research that will examine the intersection of marketing with societal welfare, ethical implications, and long-term human development goals, most especially, beyond the profit maximisation objectives.

The Inaugural Lecture, which was presided over by the Vice Chancellor of the University, represented by Prof. Muhtar Etudaiye, was attended by Principal Officers, colleagues and students of the Inaugural Lecturer as well as other dignitaries, including traditional rulers from Oke Ero  Local Government Area of Kwara State.