Morocco’s First National Advertising Conference: Mehdi Bensaid Calls for a Strong, Creative, and Sovereign Moroccan Advertising Ecosystem
In a powerful message delivered Wednesday, October 8, in Casablanca, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mehdi Bensaid called on stakeholders to build a strong, creative, and sovereign Moroccan advertising industry. Speaking at the opening of the first-ever National Advertising Conference, he emphasized the need for Morocco to assert itself as an independent player in the global advertising landscape—one that creates its own codes, nurtures its talents, and redefines its relationship with international giants in the sector.
“Building a strong and sovereign Moroccan advertising sector is not just an economic choice—it’s a strategic one,” the minister declared at the event, which brought together institutions, agencies, media representatives, advertisers, and creators under the theme “Current State and Future Prospects.”
According to Bensaid, advertising today is more than a commercial tool; it has become a key lever of both digital and cultural sovereignty. “We live in a world where image and economy are now inseparable,” he noted, underscoring that advertising shapes not only consumption but also the collective imagination of a nation.
This ambition, he explained, aligns with Morocco’s broader national strategy to develop its cultural and creative industries (CCI), which currently contribute 2.7% to the national GDP—up from 2.4% in 2022. The sector employs around 140,000 people, most of them young, and could reach 5% of GDP by 2030. Bensaid called this goal “realistic,” citing Morocco’s vibrant, educated, and digitally connected youth as a major driving force.
The minister also stressed the importance of reclaiming and promoting Moroccan creativity, urging an end to what he called the “flight of imagination” toward major global media hubs. “For decades, the culture of the Global South has nourished international advertising. It’s time our imagination served our own industries and our own development,” he said.
For Bensaid, a strong Moroccan advertising industry is not only an economic engine but also a vehicle for values and social cohesion. It should promote inclusion, gender equality, and the reduction of social and territorial disparities—while accompanying Morocco’s ongoing social transformation.
The National Advertising Conference aims to deliver a comprehensive assessment of the sector and define an ambitious roadmap to boost its competitiveness while reinforcing national sovereignty against multinational dominance.
Closing the inaugural session, the minister announced the upcoming publication of a synthesis report compiling all the recommendations and contributions from the event. Described as a “collective memory of Morocco’s advertising sector,” the document will serve as a reference for future public policy and industry stakeholders in the years ahead.
Editorial team/le7tv
