Can you tell us about the next edition of Adicomdays?
Before we begin, let's clarify our vision and what the event is all about, because our ambition is for it to be pan-African and focused on the diaspora, so we need to work on raising its profile.
ADICOM is the acronym for "Africa Digital Communication."
ADICOM aims to be the international platform for the development of digital communication in Africa, supporting creative talent and networking stakeholders. It was created and produced by the African digital creativity laboratory. Totem Experience is based in Paris and Abidjan.
This initiative is based on three observations:
We believe that a brand must have a strategy for monitoring, producing, and distributing content on the web.
We believe in a new pan-African generation of talent at the heart of digital technology who dare to envision a positive Africa.
We are convinced that digital technology is a real opportunity in terms of return on investment for brands and a voice for individuals (internet users).
We currently offer two services: ADICOMDAYS, the highlight event for the digital communication ecosystem in French-speaking Africa, and ADICOMACADEMY, year-round social media resources and training.
After a first edition in Paris in 2017 and two editions in Abidjan in 2018 and 2019, ADICOMDAYS continues its journey in Dakar!
The 2020 edition will bring together nearly 1,000 key players in African digital communication (brands, influencers, and institutions) on June 18 and 19 in Dakar, along with some 50 high-level speakers from Africa and Europe to discuss social media trends, brand content, and share their market insights and feedback. Studies of the best brand content campaigns will also be presented to showcase best practices.
Why Dakar?
Dakar seemed to us to be the logical next step in this journey that began in Paris. It is another major web capital in French-speaking and West Africa, and more specifically a capital of African digital creativity. We therefore intend to expand into other French- and English-speaking African capitals in the coming years.
We chose the month of June to capitalize on key events that will bring together an audience of experts, influencers, artists, brands, and institutions. These events are the Dakar Biennale, the Dak'art Biennale of Contemporary African Art, and Dakar Fashion Week.
The Dakar Biennale will also be an opportunity to build bridges with the creative and cultural industries. We have already started this process with Fred Ebami and Scheena Donia for the production of our graphic charter and the poster for #ADICOMDAYS2019. We have other surprises in store for 2020 to amplify these initial initiatives.
What will be the key themes?
Our signature #learn #connect #innovate remains our guiding principle.
Each year we tackle a powerful topic:
In 2017: Brand content and influencer marketing: the driving force behind digital Africa.
In 2018: Social media, brand content, influencer marketing: how to optimize the return on investment of your digital communication.
In 2019: Communities take power: why and how to build influential online groups?
We will announce the 2020 theme at our kick-off in Dakar in February 2020.
We can look back on the highlights of #ADICOMDAYS and already announce two exclusives:
- The creation of an innovation showroom where you can discover the best of digital creativity through stands featuring brands, experts, entrepreneurs, and more.
- The opening of the ADICOMAWARDS, the awards ceremony for the best in marketing influence of the year, to the general public (followers of influencers).
Our other highlights reserved for the ADICOMDAYS audience will be even more impressive:
A few words about the speakers? Representatives from the web giants took part in the last edition. Will they be participating in Adicomdays – Dakar?
We will reveal the first speakers at our kick-off in Dakar in February 2020.
However, some speakers from previous editions will be participating in ADICOMDAYS again, including the GAFA companies that we wanted to bring on board in 2019. Indeed, web giants such as content creators, brands, experts, innovative startups, as well as internet users and the media are the ones who make the news on social and digital networks. We want to continue to promote this entire ecosystem so that we can retain key insights and African data, but also look to the future.
Will there be a dedicated training session?
ADICOMACADEMY (Africa Digital Communication Academy) is our dedicated digital communication training session at the event, but now also throughout the year.
ADICOMACADEMY is a training day offered during ADICOMDAYS with three campuses: a brands campus, an influencers campus, and a campus for students and young professionals. In 2019, more than 200 people took our theoretical but above all practical training courses with dedicated trainers for each campus. The program included case studies, interviews, exercises, presentations, and more.
This highlight now continues throughout the year, through the ADICOMACADEMY Newsletter, premium deliverables, and a range of training courses. Find out more about our first training course in Abidjan,
which took place in 2019 on the subject of advertising on social media.
Master advertising on social media to grow your business with Maxime Okoye, certified Facebook expert.
What are your expectations for this upcoming edition?
We have many expectations. Of course, we want to grow the event we started more than four years ago with a larger pan-African professional audience, even more key insights and feedback on our markets in Africa, and the participation of those who make the web on the continent.
In a nutshell, we want to contribute to the growth of the digital communication ecosystem in Africa and create a much larger movement that includes professionals and civil society, for a creative and positive Africa.
After one edition in Paris, two in Abidjan, and a fourth in the works… What conclusions can you draw about the digital situation in French-speaking Africa since the creation of Adicomdays?
Since the creation of ADICOMDAYS, we have seen a real enthusiasm among communication and marketing professionals, but also among a wider audience of executives and professionals from different sectors (banking, insurance, HR, etc.). This proves that digital communication is everywhere and that you need to know the codes to grow your brand, whatever your business.
The figures are certainly very encouraging:
➢ Sub-Saharan Africa will have 1 billion SIM connections in 2020 and 690 million smartphones by 2025.
➢ 270 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to the internet via their mobile phones.
➢ Challenges in 2020: improving digital connectivity on the African continent, accelerating its digital transformation, and participating in the building of a digital African economy.
Source: Africacom 2019
Jocelyne Muhutu Remy reminded us during the 2019 edition that the potential is enormous and the best is yet to come.
Further proof that this universe is booming and that Africa is not being left behind: every week, we cover new trends related to content, influencer marketing, online groups, training, and more in our newsletter.
In conclusion, let's work together to grow this ecosystem on the continent and come along on June 18 and 19 to learn, network, and be inspired. Once you've had the experience, you'll be an integral part of our #ADICOMFAMILY!