Here’s What Went Down At The Cristal Media & Advertising Festival In Marrakech

It was a lovely weekend in Marrakech, thanks to the African Cristal team, who organised an insightful Media & Advertising festival (MAD). Themed ‘Positive Branding’, the festival had hundreds in attendance, all seeking to give and gain knowledge on the media’s role in brand perception.

(Photo: Facebook/Cristal)

We at Konbini were very proud to be one of the official media sponsors of the festival, and we got to sit in on some amazing keynote speeches. From Nigeria, we had Hafsat Abiola-Costello, president of Women In Africa, who gave a gem-filled speech about brand’s tendencies and new behaviours.

She said:

“The way the world is interacting with Africa is dangerous, and white people don’t realise how complicit they are in the backward motion.

It’s almost as though they’re telling us to be ourselves, but also only when it’s acceptable to them. Africa is not that dense, each part has its own unique identity and we can’t all be placed in the same category anymore.”

She also went on to explain that with the current birthrate, Africa is set to become the second most populated continent, teeming with a lot of resources and talent. So, she calls for the western world to change the way they interact with Africa, in the hopes of fostering a mutually beneficial relationship.

Hafsat Abiola-Costello (Photo: Facebook/Cristal)

Omar Cisse (Photo: Facebook/Cristal)

From Senegal, we had Omar Cisse, C.E.O of fin-tech company, InTouch, who spoke about how to create a positive brand DNA, using his company as an example. He also spoke about his plans to branch out into other African countries, and how his brand’s positive DNA plays a key role in achieving that.

It’s very important for people in positions such as Hafsat’s and Omar’s to send these messages, so as to showcase our talents to the world. In addition, the festival presented the opportunity to network with other professionals in media and advertising from all around the world.

This is exactly how to ensure authentic partnerships, and we’re very glad to have been a part of it.