National Advertising Conference 2026: Prof. Sule Ya’u Sule to Speak on Language, Culture and Advertising in Northern Nigeria
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), Professor Sule Ya’u Sule, has been announced as one of the speakers at the 2026 National Advertising Conference (NAC2026), scheduled to hold from November 11 to 13 at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Sule, an Associate Professor of Strategic Communication at Bayero University, Kano, is expected to address the critical role of language, culture and audience understanding in developing effective advertising campaigns, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
Announcing his participation, the conference organisers challenged advertisers, brands and communication professionals to reconsider whether their campaigns genuinely connect with audiences in Northern Nigeria or merely reach them through conventional media channels.
“Your copy might be reaching Northern Nigeria, but is it actually speaking to Northern Nigeria?” the organisers asked.
The announcement highlighted the importance of culturally sensitive advertising, warning that failure to understand local languages, traditions, values and communication preferences could undermine brand messaging and audience engagement.
According to the organisers, Sule’s presentation will explore the consequences of cultural insensitivity in advertising and the need for brands to develop messages that resonate with the diverse communities they seek to reach.
A Fellow of the public relations profession, Sule brings more than three decades of experience as a communication expert, journalist and public relations strategist.
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Beyond his academic responsibilities at Bayero University, Kano, he serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of IMPR, publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential, Spokespersons Digest and other specialised publications.
His professional experience spans advertising, political communication, broadcasting, public relations and social media, providing practical perspectives on how cultural differences influence public perception and communication effectiveness.
The conference organisers said his extensive involvement in these areas positions him to examine the challenges brands face when advertising messages fail to reflect the cultural realities of their target audiences.
They noted that the session would challenge advertisers to distinguish between simply broadcasting promotional messages and establishing meaningful communication with consumers.
“This is the session that challenges every brand to ask: Are we communicating, or just broadcasting?” the organisers stated.
The presentation is expected to draw attention to the importance of language adaptation, cultural intelligence, audience research and context-sensitive messaging in achieving authentic nationwide advertising reach.
The organisers described the session as particularly relevant to advertising agencies, brand managers, marketing executives, public relations practitioners and organisations seeking to strengthen their engagement with audiences across Nigeria’s diverse linguistic and cultural communities.
The 2026 National Advertising Conference will take place at the Abuja Continental Hotel from November 11 to 13, bringing together advertising and communication professionals for discussions on issues affecting the industry.
Interested participants can register through the conference website here.
By PRNigeria
