BrandiQ Magazine

BrandiQ ...vision powered by intellect

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ISSN 2315-8204

Issue 3. No. 3

october 2015

Crumbling

BrandiQ

CURRENCY

ISSN: 2315-8204 Issue 3. No. 3 Issn: 2315-8204

october 2015

Christian Cappe

Can Nigerian Brands Navigate The Crushing Impact?

Cristal Festival

2015

MARCOM ACADEMY

Kola Ayanwale: A GameChanger @ 60

Charged Beyond Measures -Adedoyin

Why Investigative Journalism Is Declining In Nigeria -Osa Director

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CONTENTS

OUR TEAM

Publisher / Editor-In-Chief: Desmond Ekeh DMD / Dep Editor-In-Chief: Agbo Agbo

COVER

Editor: Ntia Usukuma Snr. Editorial Researcher Nathaniel Udoh Staff Writers: Okechukwu Ikonne Lukmon Oloyede Gilbert Alasa Head, Visuals and Creative Akeem Ola-Oduwole Sub-editor (Consultant) Wale Aderibigbe Contributors Tomi Ogunlesi Franklin Ozekhome Lanre Adisa Uzoma Okoye Clement Omemu Ofuma Agali Editorial Advisory Board Dr. Phil Osagie (Chairman) Apostle Hayford Alile (OFR) Mr. Bola Akingbade Prof. Emevwo Biakolo Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima Dr. Josef Bel-Molokwu Mr. Idorenyen Enang Mr. Rufai Ladipo Mr. Joko Okupe Dr. Casmir Onukogu Head, Media Azeez Adeosun Head, Business & Marketing Martin Ogumah

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Editor’s Note

Marketing/ Subscription Executives Josephine Ekeh Nike Moses Ijeoma Ihegboro

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guest writer

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PR Dimension

Marketing Consultants Jodacy M&M Tel: +234 1 8026266181

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COVER

Head, Administration Yemisi Mbaka

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Role model

Logistics Executives Eno Anthony Zachariah Bonard

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Sport marketing

ICT Executive Oluwatosin Adetunji Stephen Oguntoyibo Legal Advisers Emeka Anolefo & Co. Financial Consultants/Auditors Lorex Consulting: Ghana Bureau Chief/Office Valentine Onwuka, Plot 2, Mango Close, Adenta, Accra Tel: +233 246 905879, +233 264 325 915 USA Contact Office: BiQ, 3384 Omega Driver, Columbus OH. 43231, USA. Tel: +161 43169181.

Email: micbas2000@yahoo.com

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Amazons On The Rise

Lagos Gears Up For 2015 BrandiQ Symposium

media watch

48 industry interview 52

amazon

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industry

86 art

Garnishing Passion With Survival

92 auto 95

marcom academy

113 campus arena BrandiQ

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Creative Excellence Vs. Strategic Brilliance

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t a public lecture, an award antagonist once requested a sincere response to this question – ‘‘What's more important to you? A wall full of awards or a happy, successful client relationship that yields returns?’’ The brouhaha that followed rumbled beyond the hall.

To many observers, especially those outside the creative industry, the fanfare around awards and creative festivals can sometimes be resented and viewed as a form of self-indulgence. With entries becoming increasingly expensive and a large amount of agency time invested in creating these entries, it could be somewhat understandable that some people perceive that awards take the focus away from what really matters - the client's objectives and bottom line.

Interestingly, current trends suggest that the number of those with this opinion is shrinking by the day. As we enter the recognition season - the ‘ember’ months, awards will begin to rain. With local, regional, continental and global awards beckoning, it is obvious that most people still feel awards are essential impetus to stellar works.

From September 28 to October 2, the 2015 Cristal Awards and Festival will be taking place in Marrakesh, Morocco. As usual, a handful of leading agencies in Nigeria will be participating. We have decided to showcase those unique entries in this edition of

You are Loaded

our magazine. We believe they will do everything legal to achieve excellence in this year’s awards.

To both opponents and proponents of awards, we feel winning awards should never be the end goal; it should be a major platform that can help in creating hard-working campaigns that build brands. Delivering works that help solve the client's real-world issues and enhancing their business by giving their

Just a simple remark to say thanks to you for the quantity and quality of information provided in your magazine and your website. My research has taken a new turn so I want to recognize the awesome facts you are giving out. I feel quite fortunate to have discovered your web page. Through

your website I was able to get your last three editions. I wish I could lay my hands on all your editions.

Tunde Alao, Apapa

I have learnt a lot

brands premium possitioning should be the ultimate goal. This requires a clever mix of the creative ingenuity that wins awards and the business acumen that moves brands forward.

Another issue examined in this edition that demands the systematic delivery of both creative and strategic excellence is our cover story segment. The focus is on ways brands can thrive under the crumbling impact of a crashing naira. This segment is a vital piece for every brand owner and handler.

Readers of this extensive cover segment would identify the perfect combination of the right idea, impeccable craft and the right steps needed to enhance business growth even at this period of recession.

We have equally lined up incisive interviews with exemplary achievers like Kola Ayanwale, Group CEO of Centerspread Advertising, accomplished journalist cum lawyer, Osa Director; industry leaders like John Ehiguese, Rotimi Olaniyan, Tunde Adedoyin and many others.

It’s indeed a loaded package to make your Independence Day celebration a memorable one. Read it, keep it. Happy Independence Month!

Ntia Usukuma is loaded with quality academic materials.

I have learnt a lot. I have seen only two editions of your magazine at our departmental library. I don’t know if you can have a stand here in Oshogbo.

Simisola Oshin, Oshogbo

I want to genuinely state that your website

Comments and enquiries should be directed to The Editor: Tel: +234 1 8037251638 or n.usukuma@brandiqng.com. BrandiQ Office: 12A Aba Johnson Street, Harmony Enclave, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 1 8028359098, +234 1 8023215535, info@brandiqng.com, www.brandiqng.com. Advert Hotline: +234 8056128917 BrandiQ

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guest columnist

Colins Morris Time For Ad Agencies To Be Born Again Part 1: Changing roles inside the Agency.

Creative Leadership for Agencies and Brands | By Colins Morris | The Creative Pitch Doctor for Africa | Has your Agency seen the Light?

Realise 2 Truths: 1 - To survive and thrive, It’s not just about creating a compelling message anymore… it’s about creating viral movements designed to motivate consumers into becoming, and staying brand advocates.

Be aware, the “Experience economy” will soon be with us.

2 - IF YOUR Agency cannot change or define a new adaptive role for itself, built around dialogue, someone else will do it for you – almost certainly, the Consumer.

So, as a way forward, here across 3 articles are a total of 15 pointers, and 18 tips to what the New robust and relevant role for an Agency can be.

Wherever they may be in todays wired and always on World The Born Again Agency…

In a nutshell: It is as an enabler; a catalyst; a partner that collaborates directly with consumer communities to provide open creative platforms through which influencer /bloggers can spread authentic, good or even sometimes not so good, brand stories.

It requires, a whole new level of trust between Client and Agency. And an acceptance of a new member to the fold: the Empowered Consumer.

As well as an ongoing commitment to Change habits, some of which have survived unchallenged for over 70 years….

It means the END of: Persuasion & Awareness only…

It‘s the START of: Participation & Accountability

Why? In the Age of Mass, markets were persuaded collectively, as if talking to one person spoke to all.

Awareness was a dipstick hunch based after the event, loosely on sales. Like two Giant Megaphones, TV and Radio worked as “Weapons of Mass Instruction.”

One voice shouting at immobile yet interested audiences, sitting in their living rooms each night.

But then came the net….

Masses are now thousands of niches, (segments) each with a voice, (via online channels) and less and less time for passively absorbing TV. New digital tools mean we can now take part in the conversation around the communication. When we choose to, not when a station says so. Consider how, in 10 years YouTube has become the biggest TV station in the World, without producing a single BrandiQ

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guest columnist programme.

With “live” as it happens track click - monitoring, we now know what the consumer is looking at online, if it works, and can change it if it doesn’t. We are fast becoming better Watchers, Learners, and Listeners.

Pinterest -20 million users.

Tumblr -77 million accounts, Instagram -100 million users.

All in less than 5 years! Look at Lurzer’s Archive, a magazine full of persuasive brand visuals that communicate, with hardly so much as a caption. Web sites increasingly have more white space than words.

Even the old CV is being dusted down, with info ”graphics” that communicate.

Goodbye to the professional photographer. We are all phone-ographers and selfie publishers now.

As humans, intuitively we all know first impressions are based on our image. Our words, used to reinforce are a very distant second.

It means the END of: Paid by hours spent…

It ‘s the START of: Paid by value brought.

Why? I like what Jay Baer said on Convrse digital: “Don’t charge to hammer nails; charge because you know where to hammer.”

So, should cost be based on time it takes to think it, or the value the thought itself creates?

The innovative idea that drives 20% increase in sales is as valuable to the client if crystalized in five minutes ….or five days.

Why so? Because that 5 minutes is the direct result of knowhow, of 10 or 12 years critical thinking.

Hourly deliverables deal with, and often reproduce the known, and thus working with one eye on the clock tends NOT to produce surprises.

Retainers however, drive relationships of trust that reveal the unknown and grow new opportunities client didn’t see or realize was there.

Tip 1: use your accountant, (or better an actuary) to quantify what a new idea can be worth in a market and use the numbers in the selling to benchmark the response. I promise you, your bill based on hitting future values will be taken seriously.

It’s the END of: Agency REACTIVITY… It ‘s the START of: Agency PROACTIVITY Why? Nothing good ever comes from waiting to be told what to do.

Back-foot thinking never catches up. Proactivity is about knowing how to lead the dialogue. Delivering artwork on time is now a given. Delivering surprising un- briefed solutions, twice a month, WILL be remembered come review time.

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Tip 2: Have a separate shadow team (of Strat-media-creative) sit down together 1 day a week to trail the trends before thinking of brand opp’s beyond the briefs.

Tip 3: Keep a Brand book of all the unasked for Proactive Ideas - it could also keep the business come review time!

It’s the END of: Emphasis on the Verbal…

It‘s the START of: Emphasis on the Visual…

Why? 1 picture of course, is worth 1000 words.

Bullshit. It’s worth thousands more.

Otherwise, why else would we now upload around 5 million pictures daily?

From birth we see before we read. Visual comprehension is up to 30 times faster than words. Images are also faster to remember.

Up to 50 times.

Some guide volumes on picture curation:

Tip 4: Let’s Challenge our creative briefing format - let’s begin demanding a purely visual solution. It’s more likely to cut today’s clutter and be remembered.

It’s the END of: Client & Agency duopoly as brand champions…

It’s the START of: Consumer as Brand Champion too!

Why? EMBRACING a new way of working in the Social media age requires, for the first time, a triumvirate relationship with the consumer. Let’s Recognise the power conferred on him or her, by the touchpoints of technology to be a co-creator of messages, alongside the client and Agency.

Consulted early enough, to endorse the relevance and authenticity of an approach and then run with it. Think of it as ’live” on going, organic R & D. And as we all know, when the consumer says YES, rarely does the client say NO. A TURNING POINT: “Successful Consumer buy-in, followed by advocacy, will only come through collaboration; without it, failure for the UNBORN Agencies and Brands (via loss of relevance) is likely to follow.”

Colin g Morris, aka: The Creative Pitch Doctor-for Africa morrcolin@gmail.com.

guest columnist

Chima

Okenimkpe

IT'S A BIRD. IT'S A PLANE. IT'S SUPERBRAND.

Four things brands can learn from superheroes.

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rom the moment, blurry decades ago, that I perused my first superhero comic (The Mighty Thor, no less), I knew that this brilliant (yes, brilliant) storytelling format would be forming a large chunk of my reality. I like to think my profound notions of truth, justice and chivalrous way have as much been nurtured by Spiderman, Batman and The Hulk as by my elders’ wise counsel.

So what can these hyper protagonists who run, jump, fly, teleport around in underwear over spandex teach us about creating brands stronger than speeding trains and faster than speeding bullets? What can they teach us about thriving across generations, transcending gender, age and social class?

About creating equity and value to rival Google? About growing from fibs created to impress children to becoming multi-billion dollar concerns in entertainment?

Okay, class is in. Let’s see if we can’t unravel a thing or two about how these figments of modern myth have become so enduring and profitable.

Lesson 1: Extraordinary Abilities Every superhero possesses a super-enhanced human ability and/or super-dooper equipment that put them above mainstream humanity (obviously, that’s why they are called super). Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, Dare Devil, Wolverine, The Fantastic Four, the list is virtually endless, all posses super abilities ranging from super strength,

invincibility, stamina, flight, invisibility, telekinesis, manipulation of the natural elements, the list is as endless and wondrous as the uncharted regions of the galaxy.

Others like The Mighty Thor and Wonder Woman combine super powers with super weapons, while heroes like Batman, Iron Man and The Green Lantern do not have any natural super powers. They depend on highly developed abilities like forensic, scientific and strategic genius, above-expert proficiency in martial arts, combined with the possession of highly advanced scientific or magical equipment to help them save the earth from destruction and teach the bad guys the error of their ways.

Homework: What’s your brand’s super power? I think we can call this your USP, for lack of a better term (We’ve all heard about it, Unique Selling Point, or points, as the case may be). What can you do better than anyone else for the customer’s benefit?

How have you honed this power to deadly effect deploying structures and processes to help you consistently deliver and improve on this benefit to the customer and blow the competition to some intergalactic negative zone from whence they may never return?

So there’s some needle to be unearthed from some accursed haystack, who you gonna call- Google. There’s a hard road in need of some hard running and you wanna look pretty and respectable doing it, you got it- Nike, Adidas etc. Okay, I’m sure you get the story, so let’s turn the page.

Lesson 2: A Strong Moral Code and Motivation Superheroes normally use their abilities for the good of humanity (that’s why they are called heroes, duh). In the words of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The Green Lantern is living a calling to a higher order, Superman is driven by truth, justice and a strict moral code about the sanctity of human life, even evil human life. A belief also shared by Batman, although he is not averse to breaking an evildoer’s limbs or ribs as he forges on in his relentlessly vengeful vendetta against evil wherever it may lurk. Even hardcore heroes (or anti-heroes, as is the official comic terminology) like The Punisher and Wolverine, who embrace wholesale murder in achieving their noble ideals, will not deliberately take an innocent life.

Homework: What’s your brand’s moral ideal. What line will your brand never cross in it’s quest for world domination? What ethos shape and determine how your brand presents itself to your customers? What will you never compromise on? How does this stand you apart from the competition and why should your customers care? How does it resonate with their motivations and aspirations?

Will you cut quality, just so you can improve your margins? Or so can charge less and be more competitive? Will you live up to that burdensome and costly promise of BrandiQ

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guest columnist

fair trade produce, non-conflict diamonds, organic ingredients, painstaking flawless quality, money back guaranty and bar none customer experience? I’m sure in the long and storied history of comics, some valiant character must have uttered the famous word: “It’s not a principle, until it costs you.”

Lesson 3: A Distinctive Visual Identity Superman’s S on his blue and red costume. Spiderman’s spider motif. Captain America’s star spangled banner-inspired garb. Batman’s cape and bat signal, Bat-orang, Batmobile etc. The Fantastic Four’s 4. The X-Mens’ X. The Green Lantern’s green lantern. The Punisher’s skull. The list is rich.

In the superhero universe, the most important decision you probably have to make, after surviving a super-power-giving mishap, is what to wear for the rest of your super-powered life. This is a critical success factor, a career-defining decision. If you are going to be wearing your underwear on the outside, you’d better make sure you pick the right colour.

Superheroes’ costumes and visual symbols are patented cues project and strengthen their identity and purpose. These symbols over time have become powerful icons that embody the attributes of the superhero with whom they are associated. When criminals see the bat-signal in the night sky, they know it’s time to start running. Commercially, these unique identifiers are probably the strongest element that make multi-billion dollar mass merchandising possible.

Homework: Do your brand’s logo and other patented visual symbols complement, project and strengthen your brand’s identity, essence and purpose? How have you used BrandiQ

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them to empower your brand’s story over time? Does the sight of your logo bring memories of your great adventures and conquests flooding the minds and hearts of your customers? Will your customers wear a t-shirt with your logo on it? Will they buy a t-shirt with your logo on it? Do they even know what the heck a t-shirt with your logo on it looks like?

Lesson 4: A Powerful Enemy This is the reason superheroes even exist.

To kick the crap out of super powered villains. The stronger the adversary, the mightier the victory and the more epic the story.

This is the very essence of any self-respecting myth. Every superhero is defined by the quality of the super villains they battle and conquer. No true superhero’s legacy will endure if he’s only knocking out wimps. How can you lay claim to a being Superman or an Incredible Hulk if you can’t bring down tall buildings, wreck cities and threaten entire planets in epic battles that end with you standing bruised, bloodied and battered but victorious over your vanquished archenemy half buried in a smoldering pile of rubble and debris.

Ah yes, the archenemy. The most intractable villains in the superheroes’ rogue gallery. The bane of their existence. No matter how many times the hero beats the archenemy, they always come back with new and more terrifying schemes, contrivances and intrigues to rob our heroes of rest and sleep in an endless strings of feuds and re-matches that are the backbone of money spinning continuities.

Wolverine vs Sabretooth. Superman vs Lex Luther. Spiderman vs the Goblin(s).

The X-Men vs Magnetto. Batman vs The

Joker. Ironman vs The Mandarin. The Fantastic Four vs Doctor Doom. Thor vs Loki.

Superheroes must constantly hone their skills and review their strategies if they are to continually thwart their unrelenting nemeses. Indeed, some critical reviews of the superhero narrative, for instance Batman, have suggested that the hero may indeed be responsible for creating the villain, for this is the only way to give their own existence meaning Homework: What is your enemy? What is the one thing that your brand must constantly fight and beat? And in so doing, achieve success by helping your customers defeat this foe in their own existence? What human condition is preventing your customers, whom you have sworn to protect and serve, from living the life they should have?

Ordinariness? Mediocrity? Complexity?

Boringness? Lethargy? Distrust? Doubt?

Uncertainty? Weakness? Ugliness? Against what unique enemy are you locked in an eternal battle for supremacy that keeps you up at night, coming up with new schemes and strategies? Is your enemy powerful enough to force great battles that can give you epic victories? Is your enemy also the enemy of your customers?

What is Toyota’s enemy? Nike’s?

Dove’s? Apple’s? Samsung’s?

No, Apple is not Samsung’s enemy. Okay, well they are, but that’s not the kind of enemy we’re talking about. Your enemy is a human ideal of negativism just as your essence is one of heroism. BQi Okay, enough of the heavy stuff. In the words of Stan Lee, Excelsior.

PR DIMENSION

Thriving Through Hard Times

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By Agbo Agbo

couple of weeks ago, I went to a supermarket to make purchases when two ladies walked in demanding for a popular soap brand.

One of the attendants laughed and said the soap brand is more than 50 years old and asked why they would want to buy an "old school" brand. It turned out that what the "old school" brand did was to repackage the product and back it up with aggressive marketing.

All entreaties for them to go for other brands fell on deaf ears and they eventually got what they asked for. This is the power of 360 marketing; the brand continued its marketing even though the times "were hard."

These great American companies - General Electric (GE), Disney, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Microsoft - have one unique peculiarity. They all rose to prominence during periods of economic depressions. Beyond being great brands that have left indelible marks in the sand of time globally, AGBO they were all startups during teep declines in the United States of America’s (USA) economy. GE started during the panic of 1873, Disney started during the recession of 1923-24, HP began during the Great Depression, and Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft during the recession of 1975. It is conventional wisdom that tough time most often calls for tougher decision making.

Ordinarily, during periods of downturns, majority tend to see only doom and gloom. But the same wisdom also point to the fact that it is equally a time when those who knew what they were doing made great economic strides, and the very nature of the depression was an economic boon for them.

It was a time when several companies benefited from aggressive marketing while their rivals cut back. A good example of that would be Kellogg which understood that consumers didn’t stop spending during the depression; but most just looked for better deals, and the companies providing those better deals came out stronger after the depression ended. When spending picked up, consumer loyalty to those companies remained.

Generally speaking, those companies that not only survived but also thrived during the Great Depression were those that continued to act as though there were nothing wrong and that the public had money to spend. In other words, they advertised and continued their normal PR activities. These are industries that didn’t wait for public demand for their products to rise; they strategically created that demand even during the most difficult of times.

Today, Nigeria appears to be in an economic crossroad and already most companies have drastically reduced their marketing budgets; even most big time spenders like the telecommunications, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage sector have toned down their marketing budgets. Is this the way to go?

In 2008, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) held a seminar to examine the behaviour of companies in recessions. Robust research and detailed analysis from research organisations Millward Brown, Data2Decisions, Malik PIMS, and IPA DataMINE were presented. It was a comprehensive seminar AGBO focusing on trends and case studies to prove marketing works.

The four presentations analysed the impact on brands and their profitability of cutting spending on marketing communications during a downturn. The real question then is: what is the impact on those who cut their marketing and on those who maintain or increase it?

The first presentation by Millward Brown demonstrated the damage to both brand image and brand usage of brands that ‘went dark’ i.e. ceased to spend on marketing communications for six months or more. It also highlighted the strong link between share of voice and market share, and showed that brands that cut their marketing relative to competitors are at greater risk of market share loss. The risk is greatest in categories that are more pricedriven.

Brands that go quiet and stop communicating are judged by customers, prospects and the market generally to be on their way down and the effect becomes self-fulfilling.

A key finding from the second presentation by Data2Decisions BrandiQ

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pr dimension focused on the time-lag effect. Cutting your marketing in a downturn will help cash flow only in the very short term, and the brand will emerge from the downturn weaker and much less profitable. Data2 Decisions also showed that price incentives quickly lose their power to attract incremental volume and they weaken profitability. Shifting the focus from marketing to price in order to gain volume has the effect of increasing the need to reduce prices to maintain volume.

The third paper by Profit Impact of Market Strategy (PIMS) analysed data from around 1,000 businesses during market downturns and subsequent recoveries. The PIMS analysis proved that while maintaining or cutting fixed costs was desirable, the opposite was true of marketing communication, New Product Development (NPD) and longer term research and development (R&D).

By improving customer preference while maintaining relative prices, increased marketing spending drives success. Analysis shows that both market share and Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) are considerably improved after a slump by increased marketing spending during the downturn. Return on Capital Employed suffers slightly from increased spending on marketing during a recession, but it’s not significant. And the long term gains greatly exceed the short term downside.

The fourth presentation from IPA DataMINE analysed a total of 880 case studies submitted to the IPA. Brands that spend above average Share of Voice (ie more than the average of the total marketing communications spent by all brands in a category) will grow, while those spending less will shrink. The more marketing you do relative to the average of other brands the more you will gain. And the less you spend relative to other brands, the more market share you are likely to lose. The relationship – it pointed out - holds true in good times and bad.

Because so many companies cut spending during downturns, they actually drop out of public sight because of short-sighted decisions made about spending money to keep a high profile.

Apart from the research I cited, others have pointed out that this action often caused many customers to feel abandoned.

They associated the brands that cut back on advertising with a lack of staying power. This not only drove customers to more aggressive competitors, but it also caused financial mistrust when it came to making additional investments in the nolonger-visible companies.

Both anecdotal and empirical BrandiQ

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evidence support the case that marketing was the main factor in the growth or downfall of companies during the Great Depression. To put it bluntly, the companies that demonstrated the most growth and that rang up the most sales were those that advertised heavily. Brand marketers can take a page from history to see which purchases were most affected.

The Great Depression offers classic examples of the power of brand marketing and advertising even during times of economic crisis. Procter & Gamble (P&G) maintains a philosophy of not reducing marketing budgets during times of recession, and the company certainly did not make any such reduction during the depression. It’s therefore not coincidental that it has made progress during every one of the major recessions. While competitors cut budgets, it increased its spending.

While the depression caused problems for many, it came out of it unscathed During the 1920s, Fords were outselling Chevrolets by 10 to 1. In spite of the depression, Chevrolet continued to expand its advertising budget and, by 1931, Chevrolet took the lead in its field. It is believed that Ford’s weaker balance sheet entering the depression rendered it unable to respond to Chevrolet.

Also in 1920, Camel was the topselling tobacco product. American Tobacco Co. then struck back with the Lucky Strike brand, and by 1929 Lucky had overtaken Camel as the No. 1 brand. Two years later, in the heart of the depression, Chesterfield also overtook Camel. Not resting on its oars, Camel bounced back with a dramatic increase in ad spend and, by doing so, demonstrated the power of advertising during depressed times. By 1935, it was BQi back on top.

Follow me on Twitter @AgboAgbo65

BrandiQ

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news

5Alive Pulps The Game In New Variant

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Alive altered the rules of the game recently by launching its new derivative, 5Alive Pulpy Orange. The new product comes in a refreshingly radiant 40cl PET bottle and contains real, unadulterated juice carefully gleaned from natural orange fruits. The variant joins the popular 5Alive juice family made up of Pineapple Punch, Citrus Burst, Berry Blast, Apple and Cocopine.

Speaking at the media launch of the drink at Federal Palace Hotels, Victoria Island, Senior Brand Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, Samuel Alugo, said the product is aimed at giving consumers the natural taste, smell and satisfaction derived from sucking an orange fruit. “With the new 5Alive Pulpy Orange, we want to give a unique experience to the consumer, the smell and taste you get when you eat an orange fruit,” Alugo said.

Before now, the Federal Government placed a ban on the importation of agricultural products to protect local industries and conserve our fast-depleting foreign exchange receipts. By 2012, local demand for juice had risen to 170 million litres annually, valued at $255million. Coca-Cola Nigeria seems to have swooped on these

In a nutshell, 5Alive Pulpy Orange’s entry into the market seems like using one stone to kill multiple birds. Its value proposition sets it apart from other juice brands or variants. It’s a mono-flavour, meaning it does not come in a mix. It contains juicefilled hairs, giving a soothing feel of natural orange.

With a brand promise that is carefully rooted in consistency, 5Alive Pulpy Orange is positioned to maintain its market lead in a fast-paced business terrain. Prahlad said Coca-Cola Nigeria decided to start with the orange variant owing to the universal appeal of the fruit. He added that other variants of the 5Alive Pulpy would be rolled out in the course of the year. BQi

A Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection

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rieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC last month celebrated 1000 days without any Lost Time Accident (LTA) as part of the company’s SHE Week themed “Safety in your Hands, Hearts and Mind.”

LTA refers to an employee’s time off work as forced by an injury sustained at work during daily operations.

Similarly, FrieslandCampina WAMCO is now ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified for maintaining the best regulatory standards for environment-friendly energy use and waste management as well as promoting the best occupational health and safety standards without legal breaches.

In his commendation to staff, Rahul Colaco, Managing Director FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, stated that “these achievements truly demonstrate our team members’ individual and collective commitment and dedication to high personal safety standards.”

BrandiQ

opportunities, and more aggressively than any other juice brand in the country. The company has ensured that the oranges used for production are sourced from Nigeria, encouraging local production and stimulating the agriculture value chain.

The innovation seems to pass a message far stronger than the radiance of its no fizz, PET package. 5Alive Pulpy Orange is about to re-adjust the clock of the juice business in Nigeria. Stills and New Business Director of the Nigerian Bottling Company, Mr. Prahlad Gangadharan, said: “We are changing the juice business as perceived by the consumer. The product is launched to meet the changing tastes and preferences of today’s customer.”

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“We are proud of the high standards we have set for ourselves and the rest of the business within Nigeria. We are very proud of our employees, especially the Operations team. It is a great outcome especially when you consider that during the last 1000 days, we have completed several massive construction projects.”

“Therefore, this is a good opportunity to celebrate our value on safety which recognizes that safety is not just a priority but it is in the hearts of people. The best part is that our families back home are the biggest ben-

eficiaries of this safety culture. Keeping safe and going home every day with a sense of safety remains a key focus in everything we do and ultimately, our ambition is to move from safety being a rule to a habit” Colaco said.

In August, FrieslandCampina WAMCO received the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Award for Safety Performance. The award recognizes successful companies with safety programs that produce tangible safety improvements. Out of more than 200 eligible companies in Lagos, 56 submitted applications and only 10 received awards this year.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC has been a necessary part of most Nigerian homes since 1954 through its iconic brand Peak Milk. Our Company is a multinational manufacturing company and an affiliate of Royal FrieslandCampina of The Netherlands, one of the largest dairy cooperative in the world. BQi

News

Lagos Gears Up For 2015 BrandiQ Symposium

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lans are underway for a gathering of brand experts, political leaders, civil rights leaders, youths and organised private sector from various parts of the country for the 2015 BrandiQ Symposium. The annual event, now in its third edition, will help to chart a new course for brand Nigeria and stimulate clear choices as the nation marks its 55th year of selfrule.

The Annual Brand Nigeria is organised

by Nigeria’s foremost brand and marketing business magazine, BrandiQ. Credible Nigerians have been slated to participate in the symposium. As part of activities to officially flag off the special event, the Editorial Board of the magazine recently gathered at the magazine’s Head Office in Ikeja, Lagos. Speaking during the meeting, Chairman of the Editorial Board, Dr. Phil Osagie commended the publication’s steps in establishing BrandiQ clubs in different tertiary institutions across the country.

Dr. Osagie, who spoke on behalf of other board members, commended the activities of the Redeemers University BrandiQ Club where the first set of BrandiQ club executives are on the verge of handing over to a new crop of executives.

Earlier at the meeting, the Editor-in-Chief of BrandiQ, Mr. Desmond Ekeh presented a detailed report of activities of his team in the last eight months. He explained that based on the reality and trends in modern

Dignitaries at the first BrandiQ Symposium in 2013 at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. journalism, the magazine is restructuring its editorial operation with special focus on deepening the online presence of the magazine. He insisted, however, that the current bi-monthly hard copy edition would still exist as a robust quarterly publication.

The 2015 Brand Nigeria symposium is set to stimulate healthy engagements among the nation’s stakeholders and create a platform to forge a new path for the world’s most populous black nation. The previous editions of the event have been widely acclaimed by participants and industry players, bringing together a flurry of brand and marketing

communications professionals, public relations titans, students and corps members.

Past editions of the special event have seen the presence of quintessential diplomat and boardroom genius Dr. Christopher Kolade (CON), Apostle Hayford Alile (OFR) former Director-General Nigerian Stock Exchange, and former Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment Dr Muiz Banire, Prof. Emevwo Biakolo former Dean, School of Media and Communications, Pan Atlantic University, Mr. Martin Oloja, Editor The Guardian Newspapers, Chioma Agwuegbo, Social Media Strategist, amongst others. BQi

Repositioning For Continental Dominance

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nterswitch, a leading digital payments and commerce provider focused on Africa has announced the launch of its new brand identity.

The refreshed corporate identity was officially announced at an unveil event in Lagos on Tuesday, 22 September 2015. Giving an insight into the need for a new logo and brand position, CEO Interswitch, Mitchell Elegbe said, “The new Interswitch logo and brand position is a confident statement of our leading position in the market and our vision to continue to push the boundaries of

digital payments in Africa. We acknowledge that the penetration of electronic payments in Africa is relatively low. We see this as an opportunity to create platforms that will drive commerce and improve the quality of life on the continent.”

Since the brand entered the market in 2002, Interswitch has grown rapidly and consistently, resulting in a current transaction volume of 350 million transactions per month and more than NGN6.4 Trillion a year across its platforms such as Nigeria’s leading payment card brand, ‘Verve’

and Nigeria’s largest online payment portal ‘Quickteller’.

Interswitch is now Nigeria’s e-commerce industry market leader, and with revenue growth of 1226% in the last five years, Interswitch is the fastest growing tech company in Africa according to Deloitte and the first company in West Africa to attain CMMI level 3 ratings.

Interswitch’s flagship brands; Verve and Quickteller have also unveiled simplified, modernized new identities that are globally competitive. BQi BrandiQ

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News

Fidelity Woos Youths In New Identity

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idelity Bank Plc has launched a new identity to strengthen operations and deliver optimum solutions to its teeming customers across the country. It explained that the new campaign is aimed at achieving convergence and creating a seamless melting pot for both old and new customers in a fast-paced business terrain.

While reaffirming the commitment of the bank to excellent customer service and realtime solutions, its Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, said the bank is set to tap the limitless opportunities created by the growing youth demographics in Nigeria. “Historically, we are perceived to be a conservative bank. There is nothing wrong with being conservative; after all, that is how we gained our credibility, but you need to know that the world is changing. With advanced technology, globalisation and change in demographics, we must

wake up to the realities of today,” he said.

The media launch, which held at the Eko Hotel and Suite, Victoria Island, Lagos, marked the rebirth of a new era in service delivery in the Nigerian banking sector. Mr.

Okonkwo explained that the rebranding campaign started with training and reorientation of the staff, eventually culminating in the unveiling of the new logo.

In a statement by the bank, the new logo, which came with green, white and blue colours, is a redesigned identity of Fidelity Bank to appeal to the minds of Nigeria’s youthful population. Explaining the bank’s choice of colours, Mr. Okonkwo said the blue colour signifies the rich solid background of the bank; the green reflects the growth project and forward looking philosophy of the brand while the white represents purity and its all-encompassing business model.

He added that the bank is aware of the lifestyle and tastes of the critical mass of Nigeria’s population. “With increasing globalisation and technology, Fidelity is out to appeal to over 73 million youths in Nigeria with its social media platform,” Okonkwo said. BQi

GSK, FANUS Power Digital Nutrition

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ood nutrition is the bedrock of human wellbeing. Tackling global nutrition problems is essential for achieving the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the world is currently not on course to meet the global nutrition targets set by the World Health Assembly, many countries and other stakeholders are making good progress.

Addressing malnutrition is complex and requires concerted efforts by all stakeholders. Of particular concern is the lack of accurate, timely information, as well as widereaching platforms to educate people across the continent. Such a platform is particularly relevant at this time when Africa is experiencing a rapid transformation in information technology.

Against this background, Horlicks, premium nutritional beverage drink from the stables of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc (GSK), in collaboration with the Federation of Africa Nutrition Societies (FANUS), last year, launched a website www.africanfamilynutrition.com designed to provide nutrition and health information to Nigerians and Africans at large.

During the launch of the website, Global Expert Marketing Director, Family Nutrition Category, GSK, Mrs. Jaya Mathai, said the African family nutrition website is a complete nutritional care guide for all African families. “An important step to overcoming under nutrition is having access to credible information on nutrition. We understand the importance of proper nutrition and the chalBrandiQ

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Mrs. Jaya Mathai lenges involved in getting authoritative information on subjects related to nutrition and after checking out the available information accessible to our people, we felt that this was an area that needed strengthening.”

Backed up by adequate research and resources, using experts from FANUS as major contributors to the website, the site provides all Africans with detailed information on good nutrition, general wellbeing and other related issues.

It was observed during a recent visit to the website that visitors can now share ar-

ticles on the site via social media channels like Facebook and Twitter as well as rate information. Navigation buttons and bars are user- friendly and easy to understand. The language on the website is conversational and the site has responsive search functions.

Requirements for sign up are simple information details as well.

As a way of making the information available to a larger population, and overcoming the challenge of low internet penetration which is still a barrier in Africa, GSK has decided to make the information on the website accessible to non-internet users through the introduction of a toll free voice portal. The toll free voice portal has been developed for people who do not have ready access to the internet. All they need to do is simply give the number a missed call and hang up, and an operator will call back immediately at no cost to the caller. This service is totally and completely free The website consists of various sections and each section contains rich information and research from professionals. Some of the sections include: children’s nutrition, parenting, women’s health, pregnancy, men’s health, nutrition, fitness, relationship etc.

According to nutritionists, more attention needs to be paid to the issue of nutritional coverage data – an important way of assessing nutritional needs on the ground where it counts. This has been a key area that FANUS, one of the major contributors to www.africanfamilynutrition.com has been focusing on. BQi

News

Strengthening Nigeria's Health Potency Health Administrator and Managing Director of Potent Medicals Limited, Chief Gabriel Osemuahu Iyere spoke with Lukmon Oloyede on how his experience as a Public Health Officer in United States spurred his decision to establish an outfit to import medical and scientific equipment into Nigeria.

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t is common knowledge that Nigerians offer one of the highest patronages of health facilities in India, Turkey, Germany, UK and many other parts of the world. Affluent individuals and government officials fly out of the country to seek world class medical and scientific equipment for treatment. The capital flight arising from these foreign treatments according to reports translates to about $400million annually.

While many experts believe these ailments can conveniently be treated in Nigeria at far lower costs, lack of adequate and modern medical technological equipment hinders the capability of our physicians.

Rather than seating down and lamenting over the efflux of sick people abroad, the local logical solution is for the government to reform and develop the healthcare industry by investing more in terms of infrastructure and training of doctors to provide specialized care to a competitive level where tourists can also come here for treatment.

Against the backdrop of this, Chief Gabriel Osemuahu Iyere, an Edo State born Nigerian who works as a Public Health Officer in Maryland, United States has established a medical and laboratory equipment firm to make such aspiration a reality. The company, Potent Medical Limited was conceptualized and established in June 2012 in the US as a distributor for all the product lines of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of medical and laboratory products.

Barely a year after, the company was established in Nigeria and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a limited liability company. Today, the firm has become a leading importer of medical and scientific equipment in Nigeria. Having in stock products that cover the areas of laboratory, dental and intensive care unit (ICU); X-ray machines, ultrasound scanner, electrocardiogram (ECG), optoelectronic equipment, hospital bed/furniture, reagents, rehabilitation equipment and consumables. ''Having spent 15 years in the US, I felt the kind of infrastructural and human development there can also be brought to Nigeria.

So, I believe Nigeria can also benefit from this medical, laboratory, health safety and scientific equipment which Potent Medical Limited has provided. We are committed to

being responsive to the needs of our clients.

Our ability to challenge assumptions and provide access to trade solutions continues to win us clients after clients'', Chief Iyere, the Managing Director of the firm confidently said.

Strategically located at 12, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Oshodi bus stop, Lagos, the company has indicated its readiness to spur the Nigerian health industry by making every world class product available to both government and private hospitals, laboratories, spas and every other outlet their products are needed at relatively reasonable prices.

To get a deeper understanding of the market needs, drive innovation and build advocacy for their products, Iyere stated that the company’s aim is to serve as a bridge between manufacturers’ products and the market. His words: “Potent Medical Limited is ready to boost Nigeria’s health sector potential by making available most of that equipment that make many Nigerians seek medical treatment abroad. This we believe will help significantly cut the huge cost of treatment and make job easier for our physicians”

Having worked for 9 years in Lagos with Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) after Secondary School, Chief Iyere proceeded to Edo State University (now Ambrose Alli University), Ekpoma where he obtained a degree in Philosophy in 1996. In year 2000, he enrolled himself with University of the District of Columbia, Washington DC where he studied Health Care Administration and with that he had the opportunity to get a job in Maryland as a Public Health Officer.

A visit to the general hospital at Irrua, Asan Central Local Government, Edo State provoked his decision to establish Potent Medical Limited. "I visited the general hospital at Irrua in Edo State few years ago for an eye check-up but I was quite disappointed that they had no equipment to work with.

When I approached the management of the hospital, they said the government did not provide equipment. The doctors I met were very nice and hardworking but they were delivering their job without modern equipment. So, I felt this is an area I have the capacity to solve the challenge as an entrepreneur,'' he revealed. BQi BrandiQ

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News

Endorsing A Market Leader

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or maintaining top notch product quality for an uninterrupted 39year stretch and also for being the only malt drink fortified with calcium Maltina, Nigeria’s leading malt drink from the stables of Nigerian Breweries (NB Plc) has gotten the nod of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN). The foremost nutrition association endorsed the brand during its 45th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference held in Lagos recently.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Vice-President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Brai Bartholomew, praised the makers of Maltina for the nutrient-rich product. Dr. Brai who doubles as the Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Society, said: “Nigerian Breweries approached us because they were confident of the quality of the products they offer. And then, we subject them to rigorous examinations and laboratory analysis to ascertain the product claims. At the end of the process, we were convinced that Maltina’s claims are the same with our results. As Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, I can say boldly that, aside its numerous nutritional benefits, Maltina is rich in calcium and vitamin A. These are key strong points of the product.” Dr Brai said the society is proud to be associated with the Maltina brand due to its richness and vitality for healthy living.

Speaking on behalf of the company, Senior Brand Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Adewole Adedeji, said the endorsement is very important to the brand because it’s an attestation to the claim of complete richness. He added that the endorsement

(L-R) Member, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) Professor Lilian Salami and the Senior Brand Manager Maltina, Mr. Adewole Adedeji at the Nutrition Society of Nigeria Presentation of Endorsement Certificate to Maltina during the opening session of the 45th annual general meeting and scientific conference 2015 in Lagos.

was a further validation that the product’s claims are based on verifiable proofs and testament to the highly beneficial constituents of the Maltina brand.

Speaking further on the impact of the endorsement, Mr. Adewole said: “Anybody can claim to be anything. But when respected bodies like the Nutrition Society of Nigeria go out of their way to formally endorse a brand, then it means your claims are valid and immensely beneficial to the consumers. That way, value propositions are based on actual product truths.

He noted that the endorsement did not come on a platter of gold, adding that the

drink was subject to series of laboratory tests, physical inspection of the brewery to ascertain the hygiene conditions of the brewing process to ensure that global best practices are carefully observed.

As a result of its proven quality and refreshing richness, Maltina is the first locally produced Malt Drink in Nigeria and the only Malt Drink endorsed by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria. Maltina is also the only malt drink in Nigeria that is calcium-enriched, a key nutrient needed for the development of healthy bones and teeth, normal blood clotting, and peak performance of the nervous system. BQi

“I must commend Ecobank, NACA and the university authority for this multidimensional facility. Any effort to check prevalence of critical diseases of modern times must be appreciated,” he stated.

Head, Personal Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Kingsley Umadia, said the establishment of the centre is part of Ecobank’s plans to give back to society. He said "For us at Ecobank, the vision of the Youth Friendly Centre stems from our desire to use all available opportunity to give back and contribute effectively towards the society in which the bank operates. We believe young people need a friendly environment

that would offer recreational facilities and at the same time provide free guidance and counselling on HIV/AIDS and other health issues."

Vice Chancellor, Kogi State University, Prof. Hassan Isah, said he was excited as his school is the first state university to get the Ecobank-NACA Youth Friendly Centre. "This project midwifed by NACA and funded by Ecobank is commendable. The challenge of funding will be resolved by increasing the level of engagement with organisations, philanthropists, NGOs and parastatals. We will put the facility in good use."BQi

NACA Centre: Kogi Gov Lauds Ecobank

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ogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada has commended Ecobank Nigeria for funding the multi-million naira National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) Youth Friendly Centre at Kogi State University, Anyigba.

Commissioning the ultra-modern centre recently, Gov. Wada stated that the partnership between Ecobank and NACA to establish the Centre in the state was quite impressive; stressing that it would go a long way in improving the lives of youths and check the spread of the dreaded HIV/AIDs in the country.

BrandiQ

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News

Is Shoprite Positioned For Walmart’s Challenge?

Market analysts believe Shoprite has the competitive edge with their swift expansion in the Nigerian retail market. But can they stand up against the planned entry of Walmart?

By Lukmon Oloyede

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frica is urbanizing incredibly fast. Research has shown that Africa is the world’s fastest growing middle class. This has made retail business one of the hottest investment areas in Africa currently. Hundreds of malls have opened all over the continent in the past couple of decades.

The launch of South African owned Shoprite Holdings Ltd in 2005 began the era of modern retail market in Nigeria.

Today, the country is saturated with international and local shopping outlets such as Park N Shop, Polo Park, PEP Store, Adide, Game and Mr. Price.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria with a population of nearly 180 million had purchasing power parity (PPP) equivalent of 32 per cent of world average. A Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita PPP averaging $3742.63 from 1990 until 2014 – stretched to an all-time high of $5606.56 in 2014.

This reveals that, the country is an attractive market to global retail stores.

Shoprite since its entry into the Nigerian market has been the boggest player in the retail industry. Expanding to 12 states across the country within its 10 years of operation which include Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Warri among others. In August, Shoprite announced that it would be opening 14 more stores in Nigeria within the next 20 months, extending its stores in the country to 26.

U.S. chain store giant Walmart made its African entry in South Africa with the purchase of a controlling stake in South African retailer Massmart Holdings Ltd. for $1.5 billion five years ago. Massmart owns Game and 10 other chains. Walmart has since continued to extend its tentacles across Sub-

Saharan Africa. The brand has linked six business operations in Nigeria and other 12 outfits in other African countries. But this time – it's taking a valiant step into Nigeria with its global flagship name - Walmart.

In July this year, Walmart announced its plan to launch in Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos. The retailer’s top executive for Europe, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa (EMEA), Ms. Shelley Broader, visited Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode where she revealed Walmart’s plans to open its outfit in the city.

While the growth in the modern retail market has been quite remarkable, no chain has total dominant presence meaning Walmart will mainly compete with South Africa’s Shoprite which is Africa’s largest retailer by sales.

But is Shoprite positioned for Walmart’s challenge? Market analysts believe Shoprite still has the competitive edge with their

swift expansion and land/property ownership approach.

“I don’t think Walmart can really challenge Shoprite for now by just opening an outlet in Lagos. They will need to take their time to understand the local market here even though they have other business operations like Game through their acquisition of Massmart.

Expansion to other parts of the country in future will be something I’m sure they will be considering as well. So, for now, we just need to see how they start in Lagos when they kick off their operations. Nigeria is different from US and other European countries where they have been a great success”, Rukayat Animashaun, a Lagosbased Economist said.

Getting a good and affordable retail space is one area that has been a major challenge for most retailers. Bukola Williams, a business developer recalled the challenge of South African retailer, Woolworths. The company shut down its stores few years ago after just a year and a half in Nigeria. “Woolworths shut down its three Nigerian stores in November 2013, quoting a lack of shopping malls, “ridiculously” high rents, and a stifling bureaucracy”, Williams said. “Shoprite equally struggled for retail space to expend its operations too when it first moved into Nigeria. But its decision to form its own real-estate arm, the Resilient Property Income Fund enabled the brand to achieve its aim of fast expansion.

Walmart approach across Africa and some other parts of the world like Russia have always been through acquisition. Williams believes Walmart will first of all have to convince Nigerians that they have got the better offer with good prices and services and then situate themselves in strategic locations to challenge Shoprite and other competitors in the marketplace. BQi BrandiQ

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News

Radler on Rampage

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n recent years, Radler beers have been dler brings. The theory that the cloudy drink lish Premier League season, football lovers gaining the interest of consumers the might receive instantaneous acceptance was came out massively to watch one of the most world over. Radler, which took its roots put to test during the Calabar Carnival last anticipated encounters in English football. in Germany based on a recipe made in December; and the sampled consumer popu- Bars and restaurants burst into a boisterous 1922, has beer and fruit juices as its major in- lation was direct in its assessment. mode as football faithfuls thronged different gredients. Not only has the brewing giant in “This is really the hottest beverage right relaxation spots in Lagos and beyond to watch Nigeria identified a niche market in the cider now. We want more of this,” a visibly pleased the match. A member of Double Refreshment segment, Nigerian Breweries Plc has made an fun seeker, Rita Enang, said after taking a Team, raised by BlackHouse Media specialaudacious move to fill a void hitherto ignored, sip. ly for monitoring consumers of Star Radler, thereby satisfying the seemingly insatiable “With this beer, I hereby renounce my chose a bar in Ogba to see the match. yearning of entry level beer drinkers. teetotaller status. I have found my type of No sooner had the game started than viewThe introduction of Star Radler into the beer in Star Radler; I would drink this again ers started calling for their favourite drinks, market is fast proving to be another master- and again,” an elated National Youth Service Star Radler. stroke from Nigerian Breweries Plc. It is a Corps member expressed his delight.

“It looks and tastes like palm wine. I like unique fusion of great taste blended with pure During the last Community Shield match the smooth blend,” a sports enthusiast said. “It citrus juice. Star Radler is naturally brewed, that saw two London-based perennial arch- tastes good but I think it will seamlessly sink containing two per cent (2%) of alcohol to rivals, Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC confront more in the hearts of ladies,” said another. give double refreshment. Star Radler is meant each other as contain-raiser to the 2015 Eng- A lady who came in company of her friend to attract consumers who are opined that Star Radler, when served new to the Radler beer category chilled, “tastes special, fruity and with a packaging that brings makes a lot of sense.” to life the refreshing, thirstThe bar manager, when encounquenching and refined benefits tered, explained that he ordered just of the special beer. The blue, three cartons to “test the market.” He silver, yellow and gold colours said he would have ordered more if of Star Radler bottle combine to he had known the beer would “move” reinforce the refreshing characlike it was witnessed that day. Beyond ter of this special drink, and NB the taste, the manager further said the Plc’s tradition of excellence. beer’s affordability was Beyond the consumption, also a responsible factor for its which characterised its stealthy sales. entry in Nigeria last year, Star Star Radler’s message of double reRadler is fast winning a bold freshment has also been taken to core embrace by consumers. Calabar centres of social events in Lagos and was the first city to get a feel of Abuja as well as media houses in LaJoyous Star Radler consumers Savouring the product. the double refreshment Star Ragos for sampling. BQi

Simon Page Rebrands, Consolidates Operations In Africa

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oremost provider of globally-recognized marketing qualifications, Simon Page, has announced its relaunch in Nigeria while spreading its tentacles into other African countries. The event, which took place last week at The Sojourner, GRA Ikeja-Lagos, also saw the transformation of the brand from ‘Business School’ to ‘College of Marketing’. This position was disclosed by the institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Princewill Omorogiuwa.

Omorogiuwa, who recounted Simon Page’s journey in Africa, said the institute has come a long way since it established the Ghana operations in 2008. “It has been an uphill journey towards helping African business professionals succeed in what they do; we are extremely excited about the fact that since BrandiQ

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establishing our operations in Ghana in 2008 and Nigeria in 2010, we have consistently raised the bar for professional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH), all of UK origin,” he remarked.

According to Omorogiuwa, Simon Page has trained well over 3000 professionals in Africa, even as the institute has now extended its offering to East Africa where it is catering for the needs of the professionals in Kenya and neighbouring markets. He also disclosed that part of the relaunch initiative was born out of the need to move away from the broad professional qualifications, and focusing only on marketing qualifications. This has neces-

sitated the rebranding from Simon Page Business School to Simon Page College of Marketing. “While it hurts to drop other offerings, we have taken a bold step to consolidate on our strength, which is the marketing profession, despite being the first accredited ACCA provider in Ghana,”.

In response to some of the challenges that have been identified by students and the management, Omorogiuwa informed that students will now be able to provide feedback both offline and online while each class will have a student representation to work with management for better study experience. Also unveiling the institute’s revamped and upgraded online learning portal, equipped with text, audio, video and chat to enhance study experience and provide additional support to distant learning students. BQi

BrandiQ ...vision powered by intellect

advertisement rates Please note that BrandiQ is printed in all-colour, all gloss paper.

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international news

Facebook Stirs Empathy F Revolution F

Adidas Calls International CRM Pitch

ounder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has hinted that the company would soon accompany its “like” button with a downturned thumb “empathy” button.

The new addition marks a unique way the Silicon Valley-based company is driving an empathy revolution.

Before now, there had been growing concerns regarding the limited way of expressing emotions on the platform of one of top ten most valuable brands, according to Forbes.

Some users have earlier clamoured for a “disapprove” button to show contempt for posts deemed to have been “stupid.” Such addition, nevertheless, has raised the possibility that Facebook, the world’s largest forum for selfexpression, could soon become a less friendly place.

But Zuckerberg suggested that the new button would probably be more nuanced than a simple thumbs-down option. “You don’t want to go through the process of sharing some moment that was Founder facebook, Mark Zuckerberg important to you during your day and have someone down-vote it,” may not feel comfortable to like that post,” Mr. Zuckerberg said at the company’s Sili- Mr. Zuckerberg said. “So I do think it’s imcon Valley headquarters. portant to give people more options than The company says its over 1.5 billion just like.” users have long requested a way to express Some users have expressed concerns negative emotions or empathy with some- that the new “dislike” button could make thing sad or tragic posted on the social net- the social network a meaner, uglier place. work.

However, Zuckerberg stressed that Face“Not every moment is a good moment, book would test the new button before inand if you are sharing something that is sad, troducing it broadly, and refine it based on whether it’s something in current events, user feedback. “Hopefully we’ll deliver like the refugees crisis that touches you, something that meets the needs of our comor if a family member passed away, then it munity,” he said. BQi

BrandiQ

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oremost sports jersey brand, Adidas, has called for a comprehensive review of its customer relationship management activity. The sportswear and equipment manufacturer is reportedly looking for a competent agency to help engage existing customers and drive the digital activities of the company.

72andSunny was appointed as the global creative agency for Adidas’ sports performance division in March, overseeing work on football, athletics, basketball and women’s products.

Adidas released a global campaign, created by 180 Los Angeles, in February featuring Real Madrid star Gareth Bale and serial award-winning Lionel Messi and as well as basketball players such as Derrick Rose and John Wall who have excelled in their various roles.

Iris, the agency majority owned by Cheil, is the global lead on Adidas’ football division. Few months ago, it created an online film starring Argentine star Messi to promote his new boots.

Havas Work Club picked up the brand’s UK social media account in 2013 after a competitive pitch.

Adidas was named Campaign’s Advertiser of the Year in 2012 for its sponsorship activity around that year’s London Olympics.

The brand reported net sales of $8 billion for the first half of 2015 year, a 16.1 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2014. BQi

BQi

International news

Vacheron Constantin Unveils The World's Most Complicated Watch

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n celebration of its 260th anniversary, Swiss watch manufacturer Vacheron Constantin, has officially unveiled the world’s most complicated watch at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Featuring a double dial, the Reference 57260 Watch offers an elegant display with perfect readability. To complement a harmonious design, this masterpiece of watchmaking is framed by the sleek, perfectly proportioned lines of a white gold case.

The VC’s brilliant creation has 57 complications, 2,800 parts in its movement and its case is made of solid 18carat white gold.

Developed both on classic watchmaking principles and on innovative 21st century technologies, this most complicated watch in the world embodies an incredible combination of time measurement complications and functions meeting the demanding Hallmark of Geneva criteria.

Considering the number of major complications on display, the front and back dials of the watch rise to the challenge with a display that is exceptionally easy to read. The push buttons on the perfectly balanced white gold case are discreetly integrated into its middle. The alarm winding crown maintains the clean lines of the elegant case, becoming invisible through a sophisticated concealment system. BQi

H&M Releases New Ad Campaign For Modern Essentials

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lothing retailer H&M has released a new ad campaign for Modern Essentials, a fall line that has been handpicked by global style icon, David Beckham.

The full version of its short fashion film featured David Beckham and American comedian Kevin Hart. In the six-minute-50-secondlong campaign film, Hart plays a method actor preparing to take on the role of Beckham in an upcoming – and unfortunately fictional – film about the former soccer pro.

Directed by Fredrik Bond, founder of Sonny London, for Adam&Eve/DDB, it's a stylish and funny piece of filmmaking as Hart spends time trying to method-research Beckham for a biopic while making a nuisance of himself in his New York apartment.

“I love to do something different with my campaigns with H&M. It gives me the chance to do something completely unexpected, and to break out of my comfort zone. We've done action scenes and big budget productions before, but I've never worked with a talented comedian before with H&M. Kevin was my number one choice, and I can't wait for everyone to see the result,” David Beckham tells H&M Life.

Beckham is one of soccer's all-time biggest icons, known for his fashion sense and celebrity on and off the field. BQi

TBWA\London Hires New ECD

G

roup Chief Strategy Officer at Havas/HMG Graeme Douglas has been handed Executive Creative Director role at TBWA\London.

The award-winning egghead will as-

sume responsibility for the daily running of the agency’s creative department and work directly with Richard Stainer, the chief executive.

Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Peter Souter, will continue to be in-charge as TBWA’s creative direction.

Douglas is an integrated marketing expert in traditional advertising, digital, social, experiential, and branded environments, with a proven track record of creating award-winning work that blends marketing strategy, channel-neutral thinking and craft with creative storytelling across clients including Nike, Tesco, Honda and Three.

With over 15 years’ experience in top creative and communications agencies, Douglas while at Havas/HMG, worked across a diverse range of brands across all major categories, including Domino's, O2, Nationwide, Pernod-Ricard, Royal Mail and EA. TBWA\London has also hired Josh Tenser, an executive producer at the Swedish agency Acne, in the new role of Head of Production & Innovation. Tenser will join the leadership team, reporting directly into Richard Stainer, CEO, where he’ll oversee the development of the agency’s production capabilities. BQi BrandiQ

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News Feature

Getting More With More

By Lukmon Oloyede

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igerian Breweries is growing her market share by expanding her presence in regional markets in Nigeria. Markurdi based More Lager is the latest addition to this rapidly expanding list.

As brands strive to disrupt the market space more frequently for their advantage, they battle to increasingly extend their reach, reinvent their business models, and head into new frontiers of growth and profitability. Brands with immersive and highly integrated marketing can command greater levels of support and more leeway to experiment and explore. Consumers, like passionate observers, will identify with brands that take calculated risks while penalizing those that play it too safe.

As a result, many brands build themselves up to broad scale courtesy of their advocates, social networks, fan clubs, etc. Others swallow up fringe players to become the dominant force and reference points within the local audience.

It is most probably on this backdrop that Nigerian Breweries Plc is extending its regional market in Nigeria. Following the successful merger between Nigerian Breweries Plc and Consolidated Breweries Plc which was concluded in December 2014. Products of the latter have started feeling the quality mark which NB Plc is noted for. The latest brand to experience this unique turnaround is More Lager Beer which is brewed in BrandiQ

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Makurdi, Benue State.

Speaking during the media briefing for the elaborate relaunch which took place recently in Makurdi, Corporate Affairs Adviser, NB Plc, Mr. Kufre Ekanem said the relaunch of More is meant to reinforce the heritage embedded in the product and its connection with consumers in Benue State and environs. “Our enlarged company embarked on an upgrade of the Makurdi brewery to deliver on stakeholders’ expectations and reflect the world class standard of Nigerian Breweries Plc. This upgrade has led to the enhancement of the brewery’s infrastructure and production process which is evident in the improved quality of More Lager Beer that offers our consumers a new taste experience.”

He stressed that today’s More Lager Beer, “still proudly brewed in Benue and is comparable to any quality beer of repute. More Lager is specially brewed in controlled manner under closely monitored processes to confine with precise parameters which give the beer that special aroma and taste that is uniquely Benue.”

On the investment potentials of the brewery, Ekanem pointed out that the investments in upgrading the Makurdi brewery and enhancing the brand represents a bold attempt to showcase the company’s commitment to the people of Benue State. “As the brewery responsible for brewing More Lager Beer, a brand wholly produced with locally sourced raw materials, this investment totaling over N1 billion for 2015 alone, highlights our

confidence in the fundamentals of the local economy to provide the enabling macroeconomic environment for businesses to thrive.

This brewery and the ancillary industries that support the business, will impact the economy of this region in diverse ways. It will create employment, increase non-oil revenue generation to different tiers of Government and contribute to improved standard of living in the area.”

Beyond the economic investments, Ekanem stated that the company remains firmly committed to its societal responsibility as part of its philosophy of winning with Nigeria. To this end, it has, since 2014, constructed and commissioned a block of six classrooms and a library furnished with tables and chairs at NKST Primary School, Angwar, Gboko. Similarly, it also constructed and commissioned a school block of three classrooms and an office at NKST Primary School Agbaikyor, Fiidi in Makurdi.

Currently, there is an ongoing renovation of three blocks of classrooms and construction of three toilets at NKST Gaadi Primary School, KM 5 Gboko Road, Makurdi. Also, plans have been concluded for the construction of a school block of three classrooms and a library at Mbaiwyem Community Secondary School, Yaikyo, Makurdi. “This is just one dimension of our commitment to Winning With Nigeria, a philosophy that has guided the company’s operations since 1946.” Ekanem said. BQi

feature

'Bring Back Our Comic Strips' In recent times, comic strips have steadily vanished from the entertainment scene. Even newspapers are gradually reducing or even phasing out cartoons and comic strips. A group of creators are now on the verge of staging a comeback, writes GILBERT ALASA.

A

t 35, Adebulu still nurses a deep nostalgia for visiting filling stations in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial centre. That passion developed while he was only eleven. As a kid, each trip to Texaco fuel stations with his mum meant he would return home with stacks of Super Strikas comic strips stuck in his arms. This was heart-warming for the kid.

Adebulu’s experience closely mirrors that of Lawal Akhimien. As a pupil in ICE College, Benin, Lawal grew immensely fanatical with comic strip magazines, a sort of extremism that nearly plunged his academic pursuits into ruins. Adebulu recalled he had to smuggle heaps of comic magazines into his school bag while he heads for school.

“At school, many pupils would besiege my desk during break-time like a swarm of bees. With time, and as lover of visual arts, I started to draw some of the characters. I also recall how I once sold one of my drawings in exchange for biscuits. It was satisfying as a kid,” he recollected.

But two decades after, most of these comic titles seem to have disappeared from the entertainment scene in Nigeria. Aside the solo, no-action character depictions found inside the wraps of Indomie noodles, a number of comic strips have been gradually phased out within the last few years. On a larger scale, the shift to digital animations seems to have spurred the curious disappearance of this entertainment genre. It is not surprising that many kids would rather stay glued to their television screens or IPad, feeding their eyes with the adventures of Peppa Pig as he jumps into muddy puddles. Or the exciting escapades of Buggs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in Looney Tunes.

Evolution of Cartoons in Nigeria The origin of cartooning still remains hazy in Nigeria. Colonial presence in preindependent Nigeria fostered the intrusion of western methods and frameworks of mass communication. But records have it that the

first time a cartoon work appeared in a Nigerian newspaper was the era of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. As owner of West Africa Pilot, Dr.

Azikiwe engaged the services of Akinola Lasekan, the late commercial painter and artist popularly called “LASH” to draw editorial cartoons for the newspaper. His acerbic attacks on oppressive tendencies of the then colonial government attracted the fury and bashing of the government. Later, one of his sons followed Lash’s radical footstep by drawing the popular Benbella for the Daily Times.

It’s on record that Babatunde Jose’s era at the helms in Daily Times saw the creation of a robust cartoon team for the foremost newspaper. Afterwards, political and socio-economic cartoons of the likes of Josy Ajiboye, Ade Ogundero, Bayoor Odulana, Kenny Ademson, Mooyiea Colins and their contemporaries, served as a perfect template to satirise the under-currents of public office and its occupants in the country. In the second half of 1970, General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military era was sneered and jeered by the thought-provoking works of Dele Jegede. Till date, cartoons serve as one of the most subtle and witty mediums to stir public humour and stimulate discussions BrandiQ

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feature about societal issues.

Now, Enter Story-Telling Strips The arrival of comic strips in newspaper mediums seems to have been ill-fated. Credited to have been existing before the spread of cartoons in print mediums, comic strips were not particularly obvious to the Nigerian audience. Syndicated western strips were first to gain attention by Nigeria readers, some of which were used in the nation’s leading newspapers. The likes of Modesty Blaise appeared in the pages of The New Nigerian, Daily Times piloted the Garth series and Andy Capp series coloured the pages of Tribune. As off-shoots of existing strips, the likes of Josy Adeboye’s Little Joe and Dele Jegede’s Kole The Menace began to outmuscle the foreign strips in Nigerian media.

In 1990, Punch Newpapers introduced the Nuts by Kaycee, Bark and Bite by Cheche Egbune, Efe and Jude by Bennett Omeke, Megida by Moses Ebong, and a host of others. Till date, The Guardian runs the Playing Safe by Obe Ess, Punch Newspapers runs Naughty by Nature, Funky Husband and No Jokes while The Nation runs On and Off Campus by Solomon Izekor.

Successive attempts to turn these strips into magazine were met with relative success. The likes of Ikebe Super (a local parlance that means enormous endowment of a woman’s backside), Aworerin (look and laugh) and Feyikogbon (learn from this) joined the growing number of comic magazine strutting their way into the news-stands.

Of particular importance is the appearance of QR-Extra in 1999 which managed just a single edition before it was blown into smithereens. The fortunes of these magazines disappeared with the after-effects of the June 12 political crisis in 1993.

Staging A Come-Back For Good The reading culture in Nigeria has been abysmally poor. Various attempts to re-adjust the clock have been met with little or no success. While at the helm, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan piloted the Bring Back The Book campaign in 2010 that got the prompt endorsement of Nollywood stars and literary luminaries. But four years after this nation-wide campaign, it is yet to be seen if these efforts did anything positive to alter the ugly literary culture, especially among the youths. With an unacceptable 38.68% credit pass in English and Mathematics in the 2014/2015 West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the awful state of the nation’s reading culture horrifies both parents and stakeholders alike.

Observers are of the view that a recourse to comic strips as a story-telling medium BrandiQ

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could have a flurry of socio-economic benefits for the nation. On one hand, the inclusion of comic strips in Nigeria’s literatures could go a long way in promoting literacy in the country. The infusion of satire and entertainment into story-telling is attractive and makes information flow seamlessly possible. On the other hand, the industry could generate huge employment opportunities for the rising army of jobless youths in the country. A number of global facts attest to the creative capacity of the industry to stimulate Nigeria’s struggling economy. In 2013, domestic sales of comics and graphic novels in America alone rose to an astonishing $870million dollars, from the $265million in 2000. The film adaptation of the various strips seems to have been responsible for this rise in fortune. Capital investments in animated comics could open a floodgate of opportunities for Nigeria, especially as the 3D Animation market is expected to reach an all-time high of $40.78 billion by 2019 at a compound annual growth rate of 14.1%.

The return of comic and its associated substructures seems to be underway in Nigeria.

Later in the year, a group of creators, publishers, cartoonists, writers and colourists will gather in Lagos to set fresh agenda for the future of the industry. The programme is tagged Lagos Comic Con. Country Business Manager of Strika Entertainment Nigeria Ltd, Joyce Olagesin, said the event has secured the nod of various players in the industry, including Play Zone, SupaStrikas, Freshmuse Media, Read Mobile Library, Wacom, Mobile Software Solutions, and Inspired Solutions Network.

With the hindsight of digital revolution,

energetic Nigerian youths could begin to look in the direction of using technology to stimulate this entertainment sector. They could begin to toe the path of Comixology, a company recently bought by Amazon. com, which designed an app for buying and reading comic books and magazines from well over 75 publishers. As mobile penetration reaches a record high in Nigeria, comic literatures could serve leisure purpose especially in the midst of global tension and rising uncertainty.

Research has shown that the number of comic lovers in the country remains quite encouraging, a positive development for anyone who seeks to tap the wealth of opportunities offered by the sector. But the disappearance of many graphic literatures seems to have numbed this passion. It would be interesting to witness animated comic films that truly reflect the Nigerian culture.

Instead of the obsession with Tom and Jerry, Nigerian kids could be exposed to animated cartoons that tell the Nigerian story. The likes of Spider Man, Big Rio, Maya, The Bee could inspire compelling narratives that can showcase the Nigerian story in a different way.

With growing confidence in the depth of stories and production in Nollywood, producers could begin to focus on the 3D animations, weaving compelling stories around the Nigerian people and their daily nuances, adventures, aspirations, inanities and intricacies. There’s much to be gleaned from this goldmine that seems to have been forgotten.

Nigerians could help the boat to swim and not to sink. BQi

COVER

Crumbling

CURRENCY

Can Nigerian Brands Navigate The Crushing Impact?

By Ntia Usukuma

T

he situation today is a replica of what happened during the global oil glut of the 90s. Petroleum exporting nations are presently faced with the brutal realities of a global crash in the price of crude oil. Rising unemployment, depleted foreign reserves, weak currencies, struggling real sectors - the rippling effects of the crash are depressing enough to keep leaders of nations awake at nights.

For Nigeria, a country where oil accounts for an estimated 90% of her foreign exchange, the impact of this economic crisis has been crushing and seemingly interminable. Amidst so many challenges, the free-fall of the country’s legal tender, the Naira is one with the most devastating effect. From 70k to $1 in the 70s, the Nigerian currency has plummeted in value,

translating to a whooping N240 to a dollar in the second quarter of 2015.

Some months ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced a devaluation move that saw the Naira standing at N168 to a Dollar. The regulatory body also raised lending rate to

13%. Yet, these measures were largely insufficient to stall the crashing value of the Naira.

With the USA now meeting about 80% of its local oil demands from shale oil and Iran nuclear deal underway, the future of Nigeria’s oil economy hangs basically on the thread.

Underlining Issues Similar to any other commodity, the forces of demand and supply affect the rate of a country’s currency exchange. For instance, a reduction in the supply of dollar will lead to an increase in the exchange rate of the local currency. Equally, an increase in the demand for dollar will lead to increase in exchange rate; and this implies the depreciation of the local currency.

A recent economic bulletin of a leading diversified financial services consultancy in Nigeria, Financial Derivatives Limited, explains in detail, issues surrounding the BrandiQ

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Cover exchange rates in Nigeria. According to the bulletin, “Nigeria is an import-dependent economy. Companies import raw materials and intermediate goods for their production while traders and consumers import several finished goods for final consumption.

“Due to low competitiveness and high cost of doing business, a lot of what could have been produced locally is also imported. In addition, many Nigerians consume foreign services like travels, tourism, health and education. All these lead to high demand for dollars to make payments for these goods and services,” it explained. On the other hand, Nigeria obtains the bulk of its dollar supply from the exports of a single commodity: crude oil.

Consequently, the report noted that increased supply of dollars is only enjoyed when the global prices and/or domestic production of crude oil rise (s). The underlining fact in the presentation is that Nigeria’s heavy import dependence is majorly responsible for the high forex outflow and the perennial weakness suffered by the Naira.

Counting losses Indeed, the astonishing fall in the value of the Naira has posed adverse implications for Nigerian businesses. Almost all the machines used for production, expatriate labour as well as some raw materials are sourced externally by manufacturers in most sectors. This explains why most manufacturing brands in recent times, have cut production by more than 50 per cent as the sector grapples with the current economic realities of continued drop in Naira value and escalating production costs.

According to the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Remi Bello, “Most industries have cut production by 50 per cent, some companies are shutting down while those still in production are operating skeletal services”. Bello blamed the situation on the recent decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria to exclude 41 items from accessing foreign exchange through the interbank forex market. The CBN had prevented importers of 41 items mainly consumables and household items from accessing forex through the interbank market. According to the Central Bank, the action is meant to conserve foreign exchange and encourage local production of the banned items.

In the same vein, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Frank Jacobs, has also complained that manufacturers are going through a very difficult period characterized by Most analysts find high interest rate, unfavourable operating business environment it unpalatable that and fall in the value of the Naira the golden egg layer, complicated by the restriction of 41 items from the interbank Nigeria’s manufacforex market. turing sector, which Indeed manufacturers, during their last Annual General Meethas, over time had ing, had complained of the high to contend with poor cost of raw materials arising from the fact that they had been power supply, insesourcing forex from the parallel curity issues, poor market at a price above N200 to a dollar. transport infrastrucBrand Owners’ Pains According to a report on Nigeria’s rebased Gross Domestic Product, by the Renaissance Capital and Ministry of Industry in Nigeria, the manufacturing sector was identified as the BrandiQ

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ture and high bank borrowing cost is also the worst hit by this devaluation crisis.

real engine of Nigeria’s growth. Specifically, the report stated that for 2014, the manufacturing sector overtook the “maturing” telecoms sector, accounting for one third of the total growth in the economy.

The report also listed that food, beverage and tobacco producers accounted for half of the manufacturing sector while the cement subsector, which accounts for about one per cent of the country’s GDP, has recorded the most consistent expansion in the three years.

Most analysts find it unpalatable that the golden egg layer, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, which has, over time had to contend with poor power supply, insecurity issues, poor transport infrastructure and high bank borrowing cost is also the worst hit by this devaluation crisis.

Leadership Solution To most financial market experts, the lacklustre performance displayed by the Naira reflects the symptom of broader economic problems that should be tackled with a multi-faceted approach.

For Keith Richards, Chairman of Promasidor Nigeria, the issue can be influenced best from the top. Speaking in a recent chat, Richards opined that most financial decisions taken by Nigeria’s economic leaders are done by those who had little experience or understanding of key issues concerning manufacturing. According to Richards, “one of the ways to awaken the nation’s manufacturing sector is to ensure that those involved in overseeing things are taken from the sector. This is important because one of the problems the industry has faced is that successive governments have recruited people from other sectors – oil and gas, banking and consultancy –but not from the industry.”

Other areas Richards believes good leadership can influence to make Nigeria a manufacturing hub for the West African market include, quick completion of reforms in the power sector so as to guarantee stable power supply, checking multiple taxation, promoting the development of local raw materials to prevent incessant im-

Cover exports; because that is the way we should be going instead of going to the Central Bank of Nigeria always to buy forex. By 2020, the population of this country is going to be 210 million and are we going to continue to import then? Can we afford to be importing then for such a huge population? A lot of people want to wake up and see the external reserves would just be increasing, but it is not going to be easy because oil revenue has gone down by 55 per cent," he said.

Home-Grown Solution Many analysts also feel the way out of this devaluation quagmire is for households, firms and government to refocus their habits by going more for locally made goods where there are substitutes, so as to save the Naira from further depreciation and preserve the country’s forex reserves.

Rotimi Olaniyan, President of Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) is a strong proponent of this view. According to him “we must start to ask ourselves: where are the Nigerian brands?

What we need to see now are “replacement brands” even at the level of community products. What is the difference between cornflakes and pap? It’s about branding and positioning. It is what I have been told to be the difference, not the real difference itself. And what I have been made to feel the difference is. The problem is that the Nigerian brand in terms of value proposition must be developed as the foreign ones. As long as the country refuses to spread its energies, we will continue to suffer. I have told all members of our association that this industry is worth only 50 billion naira. If you want to double the size of this industry, you must look in the direction of indigenous brands and help them grow. We should begin to support our local brands.

What do you think make people have such confidence in branded table water? It’s because it has moved from a commodity to a differport, developing infrastructure, safeguarding investments, reducing entiated product through brand packaging and story-telling. Why has official bottlenecks and motivating local and international investors. our local garri not reached that stage? It is because there is no brand story-telling around it. Do you know the transformation we can create Diversification Solution if garri becomes a differentiated product? Now, it’s South Africa that On his part, the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dan- is giving us branded distribution. We need greater commitment from gote, the solution is that members of the private sector should supour people. We can’t wait for port government's efforts in diversifying the economy. Answering someone else to do it for us. questions at a recent commissioning ceremony in Cameroon, the What we need to see Without that, we are not going richest man in Africa stated that the development in the global oil to grow as a country. So we now are “replacement market creates an opportunity to refocus the Nigerian economy. have two options: to take bold "It should be an opportunity for us to sit down and talk to our- brands” even at the level steps or remain the way we selves about how to diversify the economy and encourage more of community products. have been. That’s the courage that’s required.”

What is the difference between cornflakes and pap? It’s about branding and positioning. It is what I have been told to be the difference, not the real difference itself.

And what I have been made to feel the difference is. The problem is that the Nigerian brand in terms of value proposition must be developed as the foreign ones

Cost-Reduction Solution Olaniyan also feels apart from refocusing attention on “replacement brands” from the country, brand owners must resort to cutting cost to survive and grow even in a devaluation induced recession. “In tough times, we must readjust ourselves and realize our core structures can’t be the same. A good businessman must find a way to shed cost, because there are opportunities that come with every disadvantage”.

Especially this year, most brands seem to have followed this recommendation BrandiQ

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Cover as “costly” activations were jettisoned by most brands for less costly ones that have direct impact on consumers. In Nigeria, many shows have also been cancelled in the last few months or years.

Peak Talent Hunt, Sprite Triple Slam, MTN Family Game Show, Lucozade Boost Freestyle, Big Brother Nigeria, are some of the shows that are no longer on air.

This year alone it has been confirmed that Big Brother Africa, Maltina Dance All (MDA) Gulder Ultimate Search will not be taking place as well.

Abiola Amusan, a marketer, thinks most organisations carry out evaluation after each project to determine whether they should continue with the campaign. For Ejiofor Godson, a Lagos-based business developer, it’s basically the cost of executing Reality TV Shows have continued to rise even in a challenging business environment. “Cost of media buying, getting a good location and carrying out auditions across different regions, states or geo-political zones in the country is a big and costly work. Most companies are cutting their budget due to economic challenges and I believe this must have been one of the major reasons why many of them are off the air this year” Expansion Solution Another option brand owners can utilize to stabilize the bottom line is crossborder investment to tap into more lucrative markets. In Nigeria, apart from Dangote Group, only banking and insurance brands have made concrete impact in this area.

Tony Aletor, foremost insurance expert and Chairman, Capital Express Group of Companies feels the challenge in this area is lack of manpower and the right attitude at the moment. “Nigerian businesses are not playing in the high tech areas. That capacity is lacking so most of us are struggling. If we have high technology, possibly we might survive it. Nigeria is exporting mostly in the area of financial services. We are not exporting business in the area of production. How can Nigerians go out there to set up? We should begin to ask.

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By Ntia Usukuma

W

But Rotimi Olaniyan does not share in the efficacy of this option for Nigerian businesses. According to Olaniyan, ‘‘Philip Kotler talked about the concept of “dogged locals” in India. Dogged locals are brands in India who have survived and thrived in India and became even more successful than the foreign brands that come into the country. They thrive because they chose to stay within the country. A country of 150 million people has a plethora of local brands that don’t need to go outside the country. For instance, Nigeria’s population stands at 150 million people while Ghana is 20 million people. What are you looking for in Ghana when you have not been able to penetrate your 150 million people?

Our local consumption alone presents a whole lot of opportunities. If we are able to work on the perception of our people through brand story-telling, the future is brighter than we can imagine.”

Raymond Dokpesi Jr, Chairman of Daar Communications Plc also shares this view. “I do not see a reason why a business in Ogun State, Edo State or Oyo State should stretch and start looking for a business in Togo, Benin or Cameroon.

If you look at the population of the entire West Africa, I’m not sure it is as big as the South West region of Nigeria. So, rather than spreading your fragile business thin, you can as well stay here and be a number one player in this country.

Talking about the global markets like Europe and Asia, we might still be far away from that for now.” BQi

*Extend credit to partners: ith dwindling domestic demands putting pressure on prices, and currency depreciation, high inflation and rising energy costs increasing the cost of goods sold, margins are likely to get thinner for most companies, including distributors. At the same time, banks are becoming more risk averse and the Central Bank is increasing interest rates, which will inevitably result in tighter credit conditions for borrowers. In this environment, many distributors will struggle to finance their working capital requirements, especially those that are highly leveraged and more transactional. Corporate brands that can support their partners across the cash conversion cycle by extending payment terms or providing direct lending.

They will not just be protecting current sales but also planting the seed for recurrent future growth as distributors become more loyal and engaged with the company’s brand. *Adapt your customer segmentation strategy and value proposition: With economic recession, price sensitivity is bound to increase, whether we are talking about consumers, other businesses, or the government. Companies will have to deal with consumers whose disposable incomes are being squeezed by tax increases and rising prices and who will feel compelled to delay purchases of big ticket items when faced with prospect of losing their jobs. Corporate brands should not wait to see sales decline before adjusting their strategy. Proactive companies are already revisiting their customer segments, making changes to account for shifts in purchasing power and buying behaviour and tweaking their value proposition to adapt to the needs of a more cost-conscious consumer base via changes in pricing, product formulation, and package size or associated services. *Expand into new internal markets: Most top brands derive the lion’s share of their revenues from specific regions of the country. Companies should increase their footprint beyond their market strongholds in order to tap into opportunities. Given the stark differences in demographics, retail landscape, infrastructure and customer sophistication that exist across the country, brand owners are strongly advised to adapt their go-to-market strategy according to the specific characteristics of each market. *Invest in your brand-build value: A brand can drive growth in an up market or protect the company’s value in a down market.

Cover

11 Survival Strategies For Brands During Inflation-Induced Recession to be different with a purpose that's inspiring and relevant to consumers. Being innovative is vital in brand differentiation.

Consumers see innovative brands – brands that set trends – as different and as leaders.

Trend-setting brands share in common the determination to understand the needs of consumers, the ability to identify the gaps where needs are going unmet, and the willingness to take the creative leaps and risks required to close those gaps with new products and services.

When brands focus on value, rather than price, they reassure consumers with greater confidence. The moral support that is provided by brands during a recession helps to rebuild that enduring bond between brand and former consumer.

One of the most important, but often overlooked aspects of a recession is the insecurity of consumer’s experience. Recessions are brought on by many factors, but are fed by consumers’ economic fears. People spend less overall and become far more selective about where they spend the little money they have. This tends to expose and amplify brand weaknesses. As consumers are far less forgiving, they abandon brands that fail to provide clear, meaningful and relevant value. Companies must recognize that consumer retention and attraction is the name of the game. They must invest in brand-building to win market share, not just mindshare or margin.

Those who fail to see their consumers as an appreciating asset may soon find their brands and business devalued or defunct. When times are tight, the bottom line is dictated by the sense of value consumers place in your brand, or more precisely, how much they are willing to pay for that value. Companies need

to focus on actions that take advantage of the opportunities that the change brings. When brands focus on value, rather than price, they reassure consumers with greater confidence. *Focus on branding, intensify differentiation: In a world of so much product sameness, being different makes a difference. When consumers identify a brand as being trustworthy, with quality offering, they are usually willing to pay more to avoid the risk of making a bad decision. However, they may be prone to try new brands as their wallets are squeezed ever tighter. The necessity for a clear brand proposition is more important than ever as consumers recognize the need for new ways to work within their shrinking budgets. The companies who recognize and seize the opportunity to steal market share while others are in shutdown mode, will find the benefits far outweigh the costs.

How brands achieve difference varies. The top-scoring brands on difference are also seen as creative, in control and trustworthy. But it's not enough to be different just for the sake of being different. Difference needs to correspond to the brand proposition. Brands need

*Cut Costs Not Corners: During a recession, most companies cut back in every area of the business and start slashing prices to accommodate the shifting demand curve. While this may help in the short term, this strategy can actually damage both the company and its brands. There are tremendous lessons to be learned from previous recessions. Not everyone automatically loses out in an adverse economy. Historically, companies who invested in their brands during hard economic times retained their core audience, attracted new consumers and emerged stronger in the end.

Price-slashing may sound simple and logical, but it is a sure way to give up ground to competitors who may be more aggressive during the downturn. Price isn’t merely a reflection of quality; it’s also an indicator of it. It’s easy to rationalize that: “it drives business,” and “consumers are struggling and need the help,” but steep discounts tend to attract price-driven shoppers who aren’t likely to be loyal to your brand. *Cut Cost with Wisdom: Decisions should be focused on spending wisely, but too often, companies do nothing at all. A company’s typical reaction to a slowing economy is to cut back and wait things out.

Ironically, those companies end up damaging their most valuable assets - their brands.

Conventional wisdom suggests that in times of recession, it is better to tighten the belt and cut marketing and branding expenditures. However, when companies cut their outreach, they also begin to cut the ties that bind consumers to those brands. For smart companies, opportunity beckons.

A downturn represents less money in consumers’ pockets and more careful consumption habits. A slimmer budget means compaContd. on Page 27 BrandiQ

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Cover

Y

ou have been in Nigeria for a while and have worked with a lot of Nigerian companies.

What do you think companies are not doing right and how do you think those grey areas can be corrected?

Part of Nigeria’s growth is benefiting the broader African community. There have been great energy and innovation, but there are still some areas that Nigerian companies really need to extensively work on. A lot of Nigerian companies have managed to have fantastic growth, but it is based on a model that might not be sustainable in the long term.

So, companies that have grown very quickly over a five or six-year period – purely based on one contract or a type of contract that they won based on a relationship with a particular government administration may raise questions as to whether this company will be able to maintain that level of success in the next government administration. So, I think not diversifying enough and not having that sustainability built in from the beginning can be a challenge. Such a company should be able be certain that it got the contract on merit and should be able to get another one even when there is change in political leadership. That is how to be broad-based; not allowing yourself to be limited by your relationship with a particular government.

Another side to this is over-reliance on one personality. There is a huge risk in businesses that is built around a person or personality that has got forceful character and great judgment. Those who build businesses need to think about the future generation through succession plans. However, this is a common factor that is not just about Nigeria or Africa. It is a fact that is synonymous with all emerging markets. So there is a need to put in place the structure and system that allow the growth beyond individuals.

According to some market observers, lack of long term plan and interest in immediate return on investment (ROI) by investors in many African countries including Nigeria, have constituted hugely to why business expansion has been low in the continent. Do you agree with this view?

Well, reaping profit on investment happens across the world. But I think every business needs to do both things - reinvest ROI and also meet their other personal needs. You have to look at your cash flow and you have to make sure that your business is scalable across the continent of Africa if that is your plan. So, for a company to expand, you have to be looking at potential expansion from the beginning.

What we have noticed is that when comBrandiQ

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Nigerian Brands Can Grow Internationally But...

-Alexander Booth Alexander Booth, Senior Director & Co-Manager, Africa Team at Kroll, one of the worlds’s leading business intelligence and risk solutions firms, reveals why many Nigerian companies are reluctant to expand their business beyond the shores of the country. He spoke with Lukmon Oloyede. panies that are already in business and have tried to maximize revenue suddenly change and want to expand, they will have to start to undo a lot of their business model in order to appeal to the international market and it costs a whole lot more to try to undo them.

The truth is that those corporate brands that have been in Nigeria for so many years and have been largely successful may choose to adopt a long term corporate strategy by offering cereals, for instance, which will appeal to the youth consumers who still take those products even when he is over 21 years old. That is the contrast between someone who wants to just make profit and the other who wants to localize their brand within the market they want to operate in.

Foreign exchange plays a key role in doing business internationally. Kroll works with central banks to ensure banking and financial services international regulatory compliance; what advice can you give to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and business owners on fluctuating Naira value?

Well, all I can say is that we have had talks with a lot of investors here and their feeling is that the CBN devaluation of the Naira is quite costly and hasn’t necessarily restored confidence to the market. On the other hand, more obscurity, as the Nigerian economy diversifies and the proportion of foreign currency that is unaccounted for on the gas shrinks, your dependence on oil price will reduce and that will help to balance the naira versus dollar equation.

What do you think can be done on the issue of import dependency syndrome in this part of the world?

As the business environment in Nigeria improves and certain barriers are reduced or removed, it will become much easier to create more high value goods in Nigeria rather than reliance on importation. And I think we need to start to address some of these issues. So, the best way is to develop more value added goods to enable the companies to do that and that will make good impact and make businesses easier.

Cover Corruption in government is a factor that has affected the growth of businesses in Africa. To what extent can we say it has affected corporate organizations as a result?

Corruption is part of governance story. It is both a major problem and opportunities for African business to grow. This is why people focus on corporate governance. Of course, the private sector cannot fight corruption alone. We need the public sector and good leadership on the political side. The new government in Nigeria has been showing some degree of responsibility to address some of these issues.

Aside from the banking sector and the recent expansion of the oil and gas sector, many other Nigerian brands struggle while some are skeptical about expanding their business beyond the borders of Nigeria. As an expert, what is your advice to those other sectors that want to expand?

Africa is an incredibly diverse continent with diverse languages, political, legal and cultural differences. For any Nigerian brand to grow beyond the shores of Nigeria, they need to understand the people in the new market that they are targeting.

The fact that you are successful in Nigeria does not automatically mean you will be a great success in another market.

For example, some South African companies have come to Nigeria with the assumption that their recipe for success in South Africa will do the magic in Nigeria. But it doesn’t. So, it’s all about preparing and understanding the market.

At Kroll for instance, part of our work is to help companies find appropriate local partners as they go into new markets. We give advice on how to navigate a fresh landscape. We specialize in risk management and gathering analysis of business growth and investigations. So we have a network of sources in gathering of information for the companies we work for. Basically, it is about getting well informed intelligence about a new market to ensure success.

Nigerians are known to be very industrious. What other factors do you think have contributed to the level of the growth of the Nigerian brand?

A lot of the work that we do is to look at companies from the lens of investors. You might be a very successful company because you have been able to capture the market and get significant revenue in a profitable way in a very challenging market. But if you want to expand in a scalable way, you have to be able to tell and translate that story in a way that makes sense internationally. The brands that have been able to navigate a very tough environment here but have also been able to do that in a way that appeals to the international market are the ones that have turned out to be truly successful. That’s a very difficult gap to bridge. Because there is a lot of tension between trying to remove obstacles on ground and getting things done efficiently and effectively – doing that without falling prey to things that could scare you off. In the international market, you must be able to deal with these tensions. That’s what makes you a global player. BQi

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nies must be more effective with their branding efforts.

Determine what is excess or even damaging to your brand and shed it. Use your focus and resources to strengthen your position in the market and in consumers’ eyes.

While difficult economic conditions may be trying, it is important to stress that investing and spending are not one and the same. A company can make a significant investment with minimal spending through ways such as consumer engagement, leveraging relationship and exploring co- branding initiative to reduce cost of marketing, cementing a valued based relationship with consumers etc. . *Watch out for hidden opportunities: Consumers are forming opinions about your brand whether you’re proactively managing the experience or not. So, to be successful, be as optimistic as you can. Your brand and business are in a position either to contribute to the fear or help diffuse it. The connections made during these times of crisis are often stronger than those made in times of prosperity. Look for opportunity where others see hopelessness to find the low hanging fruit your brand needs to thrive. Equity is only built through the consistent delivery of your brand promise over time. The reward is improved customer loyalty. *Let branding precede advertising: At all times including recession, two things are critical for building and sustaining valuable brands: a clear, resonant brand idea or proposition, and compelling advertising.

In combination, the two components drive Brand Value exponentially.

Having a clear brand purpose accelerates the growth of brand equity, the factor that predisposes a consumer to purchase a particular brand, or to pay more for it, or both. Clear purpose

fast tracks brand equity. Perfect the proposition, and then communicate it.

The brands that have a strong brand proposition and excellent advertising grow better. And the other way around, brands with strong advertising but not much of a brand-proposition story to tell appreciate less in equity. A clear and well-communicated brand proposition drives brand value.

Deficiency can be costly, since each percentage point of brand value that increases or decreases, represents billions of dollars. *Building trust adds brand power, value: Consumers may try a brand once or twice but they won’t stay with it if they don’t trust it. A brand's good behaviour over time builds trust. Once the trust reservoir is filled, consumers are more likely to recommend a brand, assuming that its current behaviour matches its promise.

Brands can lose trust. And, most importantly, brands can restore trust.

The possibility of restoring trust became important as brands recovered from the global financial crisis. Not only is it possible to restore trust, but greater trust also correlates with greater Brand Value, Brand Power and Differentiation.

It’s possible to repair trust. And repaired trust makes a big difference to Brand Value, Brand Power and Differentiation. Conversely, when trust erodes - and is not repaired - both Brand Value and Brand Power are negatively impacted. BQi BrandiQ

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Role model

Kola Ayanwale: A Game-Changer @ 60 Waxing in uncanny strength and boyish charm at 60, Kola Ayanwale, Group CEO of Centerspread Advertising, has conquered strong opposing forces to stamp his name in history books by creating one of Nigeria’s foremost advertising empires. In this interview with Ntia Usukuma and Lukmon Oloyede this tenacious adman takes the duo through the turns of a compelling narrative of how fate, hard work, sheer grit and grace conspired to inspire one of Nigeria’s biggest advertising stories ever told.

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hat is the secret of your vibrant health at age 60?

I am a very restless person, always on the move. For me, that’s a form of exercise. I think I am also BrandiQ

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lucky because God gave us stable health in my family. I keep a healthy lifestyle; I don’t drink or smoke. I also do my medical checkup regularly.

Tell us about your early years, how did you get into advertising?

The story of my advertising career is basically the story of my life. I dabbled into advertising by chance. I left Ansar-Ud-Deen

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And I have to say to any young man: you may not achieve anything meaningful in life if you wait for the perfect time to start a business. You have to be ready to withstand the shockwaves, the twists and turns of the business life.

College in 1973 as a science student. For some reasons, I stopped to pursue a science programme. After doing my advanced level programme at home in seven months, I tried to get a clerical job the following year, but I was unable to get one because I came from a humble background and I knew nobody.

In March 1975, I got a job at National Supply Company. In those days as a Yoruba boy, your first salary will be distributed among families and neighbors. When my second salary came, I made up my mind to do A’ Levels in art subjects but this time, as an external candidate. Because I was bold and restless;

I believed I was going to succeed. So I began to prepare for my ‘A’ levels in April and I wrote the exams in November. Then I enrolled with Exam Success Correspondence College in Palmgroove. In those days, you were required to read these books, post back the work you did through postal service while they assess your work and guide you.

By 1976, I was afraid I was going to fail the exams. So I didn’t apply for university or degree exams. So I visited one of my friends at Isolo who insisted I proceed to procure the form. Later, the young man took me to the admissions office of the University of Ibadan.

That’s how I was admitted. I initially wanted to study Sociology or Political Science but at that time, Obasanjo was in government and the standards had been lowered. That also played out in my favour because I got a D which my friend felt was fantastic, judging by the way I did the exam.

So I was admitted to study History and I didn’t want the course. I wondered how to explain my course of study to my illiterate father. After his persuasion, I accepted the admission, with the hope that I would switch to my preferred course after the first year. I equally took a number of Social Science courses. At the end of the academic year, I did quite well in all. That propelled me to meet the Head of Department of Sociology, Professor E.O. Imuaghene. He turned down my request on the ground that my A’ Level result wasn’t good enough. He even scolded me to go study Islamic Studies or Agriculture. It was embarrassing. The experience really discouraged me. But it made me challenge myself that I will go back to History and make great success out of it. I also began to think of various professions associated with my course. I thought about purchasing and supply, personnel management and so on. But deep down, my confidence was shaky. I asked myself how many organizations had all these portfolios in their corporate structure. And I was also skeptical of ending up with a career where my progress will be limited.

By the time I proceeded for National Youth Service in Benue State, I had made up my mind to do marketing. As providence would have it, I met a guy named Gift Okoro who studied Marketing at Federal Polytechnic, Auchi. So he knew exactly what it entails to succeed at the game. He asked me to do a programme called Communication, Advertising and Marketing (CAM).

I bought the form and registered for the programme by post. By the time the results were released, I passed extremely well. I had four distinctions out of six subjects. As a youth corps member, I got a job in Ogun State Ministry of Information. So I had to relocate.

I later came to Lagos during the era of Lateef Jakande. Then he had just embarked on his mass literacy campaign. Fortunately for me, I got a job and since they assumed I had not worked before, they backdated my employment for three months. As a young man, I had three-month salaries in my hands. After three months, I walked into a graphics advertising firm and once I showed my certificate, I was employed as Account Executive. I was there for three months. By January, I had moved to Campaign Services to become Client Service Manager. And after 20 months of doing that, Centrespread started. It was incorporated in July 1982.

Looking at Centrespread as a group, what were the challenges then? And there is this perception that it’s losing its steam?

Well, I don’t think the story of successful companies is different from the story of successful people. They started in small ways.

They don’t run. Most of them crawl, walk before they run or stand. I’m not sure I know what they call business plan or strategic planning. I just started on a blank slate. Just like a baby, I had to learn how to crawl, stand, walk and run, all on my own. But we enjoyed the grace of God. We also had this youthful exuberance. We were just nobody and so we were not afraid to fail. What we didn’t lose sight of was the lesson we got from our experiences.

We kept faith with our vision.

And I have to say to any young man: you may not achieve anything meaningful in life if you wait for the perfect time to start a business. You have to be ready to withstand the shockwaves, the twists and turns of the business life.

Do you have mentors or heroes? How did they impact the growth of Centrespread?

While I was young, I had accomplished figures I looked up to. Even though I didn’t work directly under them, but I learnt from them so I feel they trained me. The likes of Olu Falomo, Owoborode, Akin Odunsi, BioBrandiQ

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ROLE MODEL dun Shobanjo, Mark Oviaghele and Umoemeke were great minds that helped in shaping my knowledge of the industry.

As we were running Centrespread, we were learning and at the same time, making horrible mistakes. While in University of Ibadan, we had this never-say-die philosophy.

Till today, nothing frightens me. If you say it’s over for me, well that is your opinion. For me, it’s natural to fall. Companies rise and fall. We started in December 1982. By 1989, we had crept to top ten unknowingly. I mean we took the industry by storm. At that time, we had the accounts of John Holts, Grand Oak, ARCO, General Motors, UTC Group, a couple of brands in IDL and many others. And then we shot our first commercials. We didn’t plan it, it just happened.

You might wonder what we did to arrive here. We did what others are not doing. The very first day we hit a record hundred million naira budget, I looked at the industry for direction. My eyes caught Mr. Steve Omojiafor and I invited him to my office. I knew I could tap from his wealth of experience. When he came, I said, “When you made your first N100 million mark, what did you do? He divulged quite a lot of valuable information to me. I learnt every company must work with an eye for the future. The day you begin to think that you have arrived, that’s the day you start to crash, and this is quite common among today’s generation.

By the turn of the century, specifically in 2001, we had moved to be among the top three companies in the industry. And because of our humble beginning and the understanding that we needed to learn a few things, we were very quiet. Sometimes we would do a job and we won’t put our name, and clients will take our jobs and win awards. We did Skye Bank’s “I wish” advert which won Advert of the Year award. But the award was given to Skye Bank.

At a point in 2009, I felt I needed to go into the background. Then the recession was really biting hard. Aside the fact that I was wrong in my decision, the timing was also not right. And in fairness to my team, the environment was too tough for them. They felt that the overhead was quite heavy and they needed to relieve the system. And so, I had to come back and continue the job after two or three years of leaving them. It was at that point they won Etisalat account. I never stepped my foot there.

When I got back, we had to remove some squabbles. There is no way we could come out in 2011/2012 to say we are this and that. A lot of things had to be rebuilt and checked. And when you begin to make progress, it doesn’t also show immediately. I guess the return of Skye Bank account came as a shock to most BrandiQ

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people. A lot was written about the Skye Bank deal. But I want to categorically tell you today that at no point in time were we fired by Skye Bank.

I also remembered when we went for Airtel account. I was part of the team that delivered our pitch at Airtel. Immediately we stepped out of Airtel, I congratulated my team because I was impressed by their presentation and I was so sure that we had the account. In principle, those times you didn’t see our ads in the media were times of reconstructing, rebuilding and repositioning and now we are taking our rightful place again. So by the time

I will be leaving this time around, I will leave the company better and stronger than the last time, having learnt from our past mistakes.

It gets to a point that you review a business, you check your business goals and expectation and you study your clients and you feel that certain things are not aligning and adding up and you don’t want to wait until you are disgraced before stepping out. Though, some people were not pleased that I decided to take a bow. But I am always very conscious of my decisions.

From your experience what are the

ROLE MODEL know yourself. You must know the business.

And you must determine the key success factors required.

How do you manage a situation where a strategic person wants to leave the company?

You have to believe in your guts. At inception, I didn’t have a particular staff or client in mind. So, a staff departure should not determine the continuity or liquidation of the company. Like I usually tell them here, the same brain that was used to employ them will be deployed again to replace anyone who chooses to leave. For us, culture is everything.

A key culture at Centrespread is hard work. I am yet to know of agencies who commit huge financial resources to get accounts like we do.

I am not talking about bribery. We could go abroad to get resources for pitches if we feel such resources are important.

most relevant ingredients in building a successful company?

We have a company here called Interactive Communication Team. The first MD was an Indian who, having seen money, abandoned the company and went to India to marry. And we had to refund some of the money we had collected from clients. I quickly flew to South Africa to see if another person will come run the business. They didn’t want to come. I was in my bedroom one day, my daughter, a Senior Account Executive in the agency, walked in.

She said, “Dad, I can do this job you’ve been scouting for someone else to do.” I doubted

her. So I came to the office and discussed the issue with my colleagues. This was five years ago. Since there was nobody that could do the job, I told her to go ahead with the job if she was convinced. Though I was skeptical, I asked her to resume as acting Managing Director.

She started with assembling the best team.

You see, people are very key. The quality of your staff can determine whether you will be successful or not. At inception, we focused more on the skills as opposed to other things.

And these days, skill is 40% of the overall efficiency log. As an entrepreneur, you must

Looking at the dexterity of Centrespread with seven blossoming subsidiaries, what guided your decision to venture into all these?

The very first subsidiary company that we formed was in 1992. A few of them collapsed, one survived. Contact Points was formed in 1992. The current Media Mall was formed as a result of the knowledge of the trends. Don’t forget I was already talking to international agencies as far back as 1992 which led us to formalizing the already drafted FCB in 1997.

Of course, I knew the trends globally. There was much to pick from Biodun Shobanjo; he’s to advertising what Sunny Ade is to music. I am a good observer of successful people, and I try to replicate what they do.

But the case of DKK was also very instructive. Back then in 1997, we had two car companies, two or three fast-food companies and two insurance companies. For a long time, we were the one responsible for Royal Exchange Assurance, and then African Alliance came.

At that point in time, we were running Kia, a car company. GL was with us too. So, naturally I did not have any other choice but to create another agency instead of passing the accounts to other people.

You have been there for a long time.

How would you describe advertising in Nigeria and how the industry has evolved over the years?

If we are to judge by the quality of the works we do now, I will say we have made tremendous progress. We had iconic adverts in those days. But more has been done compared to what obtained then. Generally, global development and technological advancement have altered the game, resulting in great progress. But in terms of industry practice, I wish BrandiQ

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ROLE MODEL we were still doing it the way it was done in those days. I wish we still abide by the professional ethics we saw in those days. So all these splits CSR, Public Relations, Media, and others were all within the agency.

They can still do it within the agency. So the breakdown has led to the proliferation of services within the agency. And today I am afraid the worst loser is the Above-the-Line aspect of it.

Clients these days are even pegging what agencies even charge them for commercials no matter the elements in the commercial. Some don’t even want to pay for creative work at all. They assume that because they had listened to you, they have done you a favour. That’s why many clients don’t put their agencies on retainership and this is the reason why a lot of agencies are in comatose now. The big names we used to know are dying, so the practice has fallen. As for the solution, it’s the government that can save us either by empowering us further with APCON decree or by legislating on issues of fees. For instance, in Brazil something like that is done; a client cannot short-change any agency.

BSc, BA, MA, MSA or MBA in advertising? For example, one of my daughters has her first degree in adverting in the US and second degree in advertising in the UK. When she was preparing for her exam, it was a live brief that Coca-Cola presented to her department to go and work on.

We are not preparing our staff. Lot of people study Mass Communications but advertising is just a module in the programme. One cannot compare someone who had gone to South Africa or Europe to study advertising for 3 or 4 years with our mass communications here. So we shouldn’t expect fantastic results without going back to the basics.

What led to your decision to walk away from your affiliation?

And what will you advise agencies on affiliation?

Really, an agency can be successful without international affiliation but I don’t think you can be big without affiliation. Because what do we produce in Africa that we can be in control of? Most of these big brands come to Africa with their agency. So for my advice, seeking fan affiliation is like when you are seeking a wife.

Agencies looking for affiliation just need to know what they are capable of doing, have a clear vision and then seek a partner that can fit into their vision. But when you realize your growth is not aligning then you can step out of it.

What is your idea of the ideal Nigerian agency of the future?

The agency of the future will be managed by brilliant people. People coming into the industry will also need to have passion for the job.

If not, they will come to make the money and when they are not making enough they will just leave. So, passion and the ability to take available chances are key.

Why are Nigerian creative agencies not shining at the biggest advertising awards?

Nigerian creative industry is very dynamic and creative. Many creative works that win awards are always driven by ideas and technology. We have a lot of ideas but we do not have efficient technology yet. Also, the regional differences are a factor. What a white man looks at to judge a good ad is sometimes BrandiQ

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What are your plans for Centrespread and where do you see the agency in the next 10 years?

As for my role, my plan is to be in the background. I’ll be playing advisory role to those that will be taking charge of the company’s future. My dream is that I want the company to rise back to the level it was before within the next five years. To also keep that vision on and to ensure that the future generations build on it and have their dream.

different to what an African or anybody from any other region of the world might be looking for. If our ads sell our clients products, you cannot say the ads are not creative. However, we are still far behind the Europeans.

The African market is just emerging and just few markets can be pointed at for now.

What can we do to perform well at international awards?

Firstly, we don’t prepare well enough most times. Secondly, which institution in Nigeria produces advertising graduates? How many people working in the industry today have

How do you spend your leisure time?

Well, most times my kids believe I don’t rest. I ensure I don’t bring work home. I spend time with my family. I enjoy parties.

Do you believe that the position of a Minister of Information should be for someone within the IMC industry?

Yes. The purpose of Minister of Information is to sell the policies of government.

Media people are to inform. An advertising person knows how to inform and also appeal to the audience. Our government must agree that there is need to improve on our communication. BQi

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sports marketing

Garnishing Passion With Survival As Nigerians take their love for sports to a 'lucrative' level via sports betting, Gilbert Alasa dissects this fascinating trend that is spreading like wildfire in the country’s sports circle.

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ust as football clubs struggle to outsmart one another in brand equity and profitability, so are the fans driven by the appetite to rake in some fortune by every legitimate means. Expectedly, many people, especially the youths, were thrilled by the awareness that, aside their love for the game, predictions could translate into some wads of naira notes in their pockets. Before now, pool staking was the in-thing.

There was the era of national lottery and what many Nigerians have come to accept as Baba Ijebu. While these forms of gambling do not require special intelligence, sports betting entails the ability to forecast outcomes based on deep insights.

A brief look at its history Betting predates the modern world.

Some accounts from primordial times suggest that betting must have been quite popular even in Biblical times. Jonah, a servant of God, embarked on a spiritual mission to rescue the people of Nineveh. While the journey lasted, his ship was met with a violent tempest. The travellers decided to cast lots – another line of betting – to decipher the immediate cause of the storm. Roman soldiers also cast lots on Jesus’ garment.

In modern day account, sports betting is traceable to Greek cities such as Delphi, Olympus and Corinth where athletic competitions were regularly held. Contestants were requested to dress in battle-ready outBrandiQ

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fits. At the stands, spectators would wager on the outcomes of the competition, sometimes with their estates, money or other valuables.

The story is the same with the early Romans who saw luck as a key aspect of life. The Germans took to skittles and quoits for betting while the Italians took advantage of the bocce, a game common in modern day Croatia, Montenegro and Herzegovina.

The beginning of progress In Europe, Baseball remained the king of sports betting until the 1920s when other sports such as football began to witness improved popularity. Two factors would later skyrocket the impact of that growth.

First was the evolution of many soccer leagues around the world, resulting in huge profits, sponsorship, endorsement deals and accrued earnings. That growth sparked increased participation on and off the pitch. Two, the evolution of pay-TV, free-TV and modern technology helped to bolster the fortunes of the sports industry. Unfettered access to cable networks, rise in social media penetration, a growing fan base by many football clubs and easy access to odds by means of mobile phones have opened a whole world of opportunities for sports enthusiasts.

In 1996, Intertops, an online casino and multiple-player poker outlet, created the first internet sports bet. From this period till date, online sports betting has swept through every nook and cranny of the world. From the locus of a leisure game, sports betting has grown to a multi-billion dollar industry. A betting and sports data analyst and Director of Integrity - Sportradar, Darren Small, opines that the match-betting industry is worth a massive $700bn and $1trn a year. And not less than 70% of this comes from football alone.

There is a whole body of facts to support Darren Small’s valuations. First, more Premier League teams have betting brands on their shirts in the 2015/16 season than the previous two seasons. From Norwich’s deal with Coral to Liverpool FC, extension of 188Bet deal as well as West Bromwich’s pact with NetBet, betting brands have continued to boost the profile of many premier

sports marketing league clubs. With a record-breaking £870m transfer spend, surpassing last year transfer window by £35m, English clubs have continued to show how liquid they have become. Hence, many betting companies are cashing in on this huge following to feather their nests.

In Nigeria, the industry is estimated to be worth N40bn annually, according to PriceWatersHouseCoopers, a global audit firm. What’s more cheery for practitioners is that the sector has been projected to grow by 10% in 2016.

And such leap in fortune is estimated to further create tons of jobs for the swarming army of Nigeria’s unemployed.

Not all about money, after all As the game grows in followership, many fans are looking beyond the excitement. At first, the real deal was to open a viewing centre. But just after a few years, the attention gradually shifted to sports betting. Though profitable and yet extremely risky, many fans have come to accept the wager as a key part of their lives. While many view sports betting as a game for the unemployed, others simply see the game as an “unserious” venture embarked on by unambitious folks.

But all that changed recently. A Professor of Computer Engineering at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Godwin Ighalo, won a whooping N58million from predicting EPL matches. He staked a total of N8, 000 with 1960bets and emerged as the highest winner in the history of sports betting in Nigeria.

His win sparked conversations and debates, refuting the notion that the game belongs to a certain class of people. But what really is the motive behind the proliferation of sports betting outfits in Nigeria? Of what essence is the growing number of sports betting firms springing up across the country? Are they simply a conduit pipe to dupe Nigerians of their hard-earned cash?

Prof. Ighalo attributed his love for betting to his passion for predicting possible outcomes of life’s events. This pastime dates back to his childhood days marked by a fascination for predicting the unknown. “Since my childhood days, I used to have strong interests in probability, relationships and special intelligence. All these, with adequate sports betting research, I conducted over the years, helped in making it possible,” he said.

For Kazan Osifo, the betting experience transcends the fun of exchanging money for bet tickets. Kazan, who works as an underwriter in an insurance firm, said: “Betting, to me, is a spiritual exercise. It is deeper than we think. You make predictions based on

your belief and then you go ahead to stake your money on that belief. If you win, it adds to your confidence. If you lose, your confidence is shaken. More importantly, how you react to both sides shows your strength of character. That’s how I see it; that’s why I love it.”

For Osifo, his romance with betting far outweighs the financial returns that come with the game. Such passion is linked to the social value of sports and how it can help to achieve progress and social cohesion. In 2012, Nigeria lost over $200m to cybercrime; a vice perpetrated mostly by youths which form the critical mass of the population. Presenting a paper at the National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on 2013 – 2017 Strategic Management Plan recently in Lagos, CEO of Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization, Prof. Tim Unwin, said the vice posed serious implications on the nation’s brand reputation. This tinkling time bomb can be averted by engaging these youths with investments in sports betting.

In a report by The Christian Science Monitor, Brazilian Government resorted to soccer as a way to reduce its alarming murder rates prior to the 2014 World Cup. With nearly 100 citizens killed daily by over 16 million circulating guns, Brazilian congress opted to give free match tickets to those who voluntarily turn in their arms. The level of response was remarkable.

Where survival is the rule But not everyone turns the page to sports for leisure sake. Survival drives a large category of persons. In a country where the employment rate has climbed to 7.5% from 6.4% in the first quarter of 2015, sports betting has come to be an integral part of the real economy. Young, unemployed youths

troop to betting shops daily to stake their money on odds. Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria in 2014, revealed that Nigerians between ages 18 and 40 may be spending about N180 million per day.

BrandiQ spoke to Adebanji Dimeji, a graduate of International Relations from the Lagos State University. Dimeji who completed his national service in April continues to dream of the day mother luck would smile on him with a job.

For obvious reasons, that dream remains far from sight. Folding his arms at his Ipaja home seems not to be the best of options. Instead, he turned to betting with the little savings he garnered as a youth corps member. “Sports betting is a legitimate way to survive. With N100, one can win a few odds enough to keep body and soul together. I started with the little savings I got from my NYSC allowances. I can’t be waiting for job forever. Sometimes I win. Other times, I lose. Whichever way, I have been surviving on this,” Dimeji stated.

Driving more profits The sports betting industry is no doubt profitable. But a major wind likely to sink the boat is poor regulations. It is cheery that many sports betting companies are springing up by the day. But it is risky to allow the industry thrive without regulations. President of the Gaming Association of Nigeria, Yahaya Maikori, said regulating the industry was important to protect players and generate income for the government in form of taxes.

Research has shown that many illegal sports syndicates are infiltrating the industry, offering better odds compared to the registered firms. In many countries, bettors are only permitted by law to place their wagers in betting shops. For obvious reasons, such legislations help to track the activities of bet companies and ensure accrued taxes are remitted to the government.

Stakeholders are of the view that proper regulations of the industry would translate to greater returns for the players, practitioners and government.

Financial projections for the sports betting sector in Nigeria are quite appealing; players and investors could have more chances of smiling to the bank. But regulation is a key lubricant needed to oil the wheel of profitability. Add that to the impact of betting on the nation’s real sector. Betting is sure to take a chunk of the unemployed off the streets.

Whether players are driven by survival or the thrill of placing odds, sports betting is creating social value for Nigerians. BQi BrandiQ

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cafe photo

Nutrition Society of Nigeria Presentation of Endorsement Certificate to Maltina

(L-R) Member, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) Professor Lilian Salami, President, Dr. Ngozi Nnam and the Senior Brand Manager Maltina, Mr. Adewole Adedeji at the Nutrition Society of Nigeria Presentation of Endorsement Certificate to Maltina during the opening session of the 45th annual general meeting and scientific conference 2015 in Lagos.

(L-R) Member, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) Professor Lilian Salami and the Senior Brand Manager Maltina, Mr. Adewole Adedeji at the Nutrition Society of Nigeria Presentation of Endorsement Certificate to Maltina during the opening session of the 45th annual general meeting and scientific conference 2015 in Lagos.

IBM Business Connect 2015 L-R: Managing Director, FMDQ OTC, Mr Bola Onadele; Country General Manager, IBM West Africa, Mr Taiwo Otiti and Director, Lagos State Financial Systems Management Bureau, Mr Abdulhamed Mustapha at IBM Business Connect 2015 held in Lagos on Thursday, 17 September. 2015.

Lenovo Deepen Mobile Market Penetration With PHAB (L-R) Bolade Oyekanmi, Marketing Manager, Lenovo Tech, West Africa; Nkechi Okolo, Service Manager, Lenovo Tech, West Africa; and Graham Braum, General Manager, Lenovo Tech, West Africa; at the media briefing held by Lenovo on the company’s new range of products available in Nigeria.

The briefing was held at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

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cafe photo

16TH ADVAN AGM

Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) president and the Brand Building Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc, Mr. David Okeme presenting a plank of key speaker to Mr. Tony Aletor, Chairman, Capital Express Group of Companies at their 16th AGM held recently.

(2nd L-R) Dr. Charles Chijide, former OAAN President, Registrar of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi and another guest at the 16th ADVAN AGM held recently in Lagos.

ADVAN New Executive Members: Mr David Okeme (Brand Building Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc) President, Mrs Joan Ihekwaba (GM Marketing UACN Foods) 1st Vice President, Mrs. Bimbo Alabi (Marketing Manager SoKlin) 2nd Vice-President, Mrs. Bukunola Ogunnusi (PR & Advert Manager Toyota Nigeria) Treasurer, Mr. Samson Oloche (Marketing Manager (Non-Alcoholic drinks) NB Plc as Publicity Secretary, while the three Ex-offcios are Toruka Osandukwo (Head, Communications UBA), Osamede Uwubamen (Head of Corporate and Investment, Marketing and Communication –StanbicIBTC) and Ibraheem Awelenje (Category Manager Breakfast Cereals). Mrs. Ediri Ose-Ediale remains the GM/ Executive Secretary of the association.

FORTYfied Birthday For Music Legend, 2Face Idibia The fortified birthday of music legend, Innocent Idibia popularly known as Tuface at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

The Plateau State-born artiste marked a personal highlight of 40 years with a concert tagged ‘Fortyfied’. The event brought to together celebrities such as OJB, DJ Jimmy JATT, Wizkid, Skales, Waje, Darey Art Alade, Shaydee, Cobhams Asuquo, M.I Abaga, DJ Neptune, Don Jazzy, D’banj, Burna Boy, Sound Sultan, Blackface, Seyi Shay, Wande Coal, Patoranking, Dammy Krane, Timaya, Gloria Ibru, 9ice, DJ Spinall, Omawumi, DR Victor Olaiya and Vector.

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V X P P Who Should Manage Nigeria's Publicity Portfolios?

In recent times, we have seen persistent calls from Marketing Communications industry practitioners that the new Buhari- led government should appoint a seasoned industry player to take charge of government information and communication machinery. Lukmon Oloyede conducted a vox pop among practitioners on this issue.

We Need A Society With Intelligence Let’s take the United Kingdom for example. For you to be a Minister in the UK, you have to be an MP. When you are within parliament that is when they will share the portfolio.

They don’t look at it whether you came in with branding experience or not. We need to create an intelligence society. I’m sure with that people can take up certain responsibility regardless of their qualification. This was what happened in the

banking sector. Until the sector was opened to everyone, we never had super bankers. When they insisted that you must be an Associate of the Institute of Banking, they were busy running armchair banking because they were consumed with processes rather than result. BQi Tony Aletor, Chairman, Capital Express Group of Companies (Foremost Insurance Expert)

Should Have Knowledge That Cuts Across Diverse Fields For a qualification for a suitable Minister for Information, I think the person should be able to at least have a background of mass communications or other related fields and should be able to rebrand the nation in his or her approach; in the way he or she communicates. The way a person communicates

depends on how knowledgeable you are. A person suitable for the position of Minister of Information should at least have some knowledge that cuts across the integrated marketing communications field. In the last dispensation people lied to us and we got to know the truth afterwards. Those people that

did that are now hiding their faces. So if we have someone from the industry, he wouldn’t go there and lie to us and still come back to meet us in the industry. BQi Dare Durosimi, Head of Marketing, Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1 FM

Marketing Experience Is Key As far as I’m concerned, the Minister of Information must be a seasoned marketing practitioner because he is the one in charge of marketing the country. You cannot market a country when you are only grounded in one part of IMC. You need to be well-grounded in strategies. For example, America is a brand. The only reason why America is America is because they build their strategy on a long term.

Minister of Information is someone who is supposed to guide the PresiBrandiQ

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dent and also sell the government agenda to every Nigerian and the rest of the world. He needs to know how every tool of marketing works.

America is not so different from Nigeria however it leaves a perception in your mind as God’s own country – why? This is because somebody calls it so and grows that brand. BQi Innocent Oboh, President, Dijo Group

V X P P

We Should Look At Past Experience

My view is that a Minister of Information has two primary functions.

Firstly, he is to disseminate the information coming out of government, while the other is to sell the programmes of government. I think

I

where we are today; I’ll expect the Minister to be someone who has the experience of delivering in both worlds. It will be unfortunate to make appointments based on favouritism without looking at the pedigree and the essentials the person can offer. But I think we have improved on making the right decision over the last few years. We are beginning to have more of technocrats than just politicians in government.

In the last administration, we saw a good number of technocrats and I want to believe that when this administration announces its cabinet they will take a leave from that. BQi Raymond Dokpesi Jnr., Chairman, Daar Communications Plc.

The Job Is Purely Public Relations The work of the Minister of Information is purely public relations. Information dissemination is part of it. A journalist fits into the post, but a Public Relations expert is ideal. The duties and functions of Information Minister are more into promoting the image and reputation of the government. The dissemination of information is part of his duties. BQi Sulaiman Osho, Scholar/Researcher at University of Aberdeen

MarketingWorld Awards Unveils Nominees

nstinctWave, organisers of the highly authoritative and successful MarketingWorld Awards in Nigeria, have revealed names of corporate brands and individuals that will be celebrated at this year’s edition of the award. The awards ceremony is billed to hold on November 7th 2015 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The award, now in its sixth year, is poised to recognize outstanding companies and individuals that have demonstrated excellence, creativity and best practices in the integrated marketing communication industry. In a release, the organisers of the awards said the event is a celebration of everything that makes marketing great in Nigeria.

A number of firms and agencies have been nominated for various categories of the awards, including Experiential Agency of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Financial Brand of the Year, Outdoor Agency of the Year, Best Company in Customer Care, amongst others.

Managing Director of InstinctWave

and Group Publisher of MarketingWorld Magazine, Mr. Akin Naphtal, said the event will provide an opportunity to celebrate champions in the marketing communication industry.

“This year, the marketing space experienced a lull because of the electioneering process in the country. Companies and agencies were skeptical in implementing plans, but at the end of the day, great works were rolled out in the sphere, he added.

L-R: CEO of Instinctwave and Publisher of MarketingNew award categories were World, Mr Akin Naphtal, Editor MarketingWorld, Mrs also unveiled at the press launch. Kehinde Olesin; Social Media Executive, Mr Matthew They include Africa Brand Of Adejobi, at the 5th edition of MarketingWorld press The Year, Africa Brand Person- conference in Lagos. ality Of The Year, Africa Airline a thorough and fair selection process and Brand Of The Year, Best Country In Des- deep market intelligence. Naphtal hinted tination Branding, Best Brand In Ghana, that the award categories are not exhausand African Marketing Professional Of The tive. This year’s edition will feature comYear. edy, raffle draws and performances by topSpeaking on the nominations, Mr. Naph- rated musical icons. tal noted that nominees emerged through BrandiQ

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media watch

Why Investigative Journalism Is Declining In Nigeria - Osa Director Osa Director, a veteran journalist-cum-lawyer in this chat with NTIA USUKUMA and LUKMON OLOYEDE recaps how he was detained under General Sani Abacha’s military junta. He also reveals why investigative journalism is declining in Nigeria.

Y

ou practised as a journalist for over 20 years, rising to the very top in the process. Can you share with us some insights on how you affected journalism practice and BrandiQ

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why you were detained?

When I was in TELL magazine, Nigeria was under the most heinous and brutal military dictatorship led by the late General Sani Abacha. I was unfortunate to be a Kano

correspondent where the tyrant adopted as his home. It was also the adopted home of the Chief Security Officer Major Hamzah Al-Mustapha, Ismailia Guazo and a host of other prominent members of the administra-

media watch to see and discuss the issue with you as the chairman of the Correspondent Chapel of NUJ.” Foolishly and unsuspectingly, I fell for the bait. In a nutshell, when I was ushered into the commissioner’s office, I greeted him but he ignored my pleasantries, and looked at me in rather condescendingly. He said, “Osa Director, are you a Nigerian?” I was so angry at such an insolent lousy remark. He then raised a copy of DATELINE, a sister publication of TELL magazine where I anchored the cover story with the headline “Abacha, Buhari: War Over Oil Money”’ Like a drill sergeant, he asked, “So you wrote this nonsense about our Head of State?” Obviously I did not deserve an answer, as he commanded, “Go and lock him up first and search his house for any incriminating document. That was when I realised that all the drama was well thought-out. I then look at Gyadi-Gyadi, like a traitor that he is. He bowed his head down. He couldn’t face me. That was how I was remanded and detained.

tion. So, it was like being in the lion’s den but I thank God I survived it for a while until I was entrapped by the cobwebs of late Abacha in 1995. It took them time to arrest me because I was not living like a superstar.

However, as an activist, I couldn’t hide or run away from some matters as I was also the Chairman of the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kano at the time. On August 31, 1995, the police started plotting how to get at me, since the government claimed my stories were “radical and subversive writings.” I was contacted by the Police Public Relations Officer, Salisu Gyadi-Gyadi that the State’s Commissioner of Police, Hashimu Abdullahi want to me for a chat about under-reporting of police activities in the state.

“We are not obliged to report the police”, I retorted. Calmly, he said, “he would like

Tell us about how you started your career as a journalist?

I started from a soft sell publication and in 1993, I joined Tell Magazine as correspondent. But I covered every part of the north, thanks to my bosses for being that cooperative. That gave me the opportunity to really showcase my talent, enthusiasm and my skill as a professional. I was at Tell Magazine from 1993 to 2000 where I rose to the position of Senior Assistant Editor and in February 2001, my colleague and I left to establish Insight Magazine - still in the North and almost everywhere in Lagos. On education, after my first degree in Biochemistry I went ahead to pick up a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management. After that, I went for my LLB at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and then Nigeria Law School where I was called to the Bar. Precisely, 10 years ago I obtained two top master’s degrees – master’s in Media and Communication from Pan Atlantic University and another in Corporate Governance from Lead Metropolitan University, United Kingdom.

I am one of the very few trained corporate governance experts in Nigeria. Most of the foremost corporate governance experts in the country today got trained on the job but we are the ones who studied it as a degree. And we are less than 100 in Nigeria currently. I have six degrees spanning science, social science, law, and humanities.

How long were you detained and were you scared of your life during this period?

I was detained several times but that very encounter was about 36 days. Sometimes, I wonder how we survived those periods. We under-estimated the enormity of the danger we faced. I was just a patriot doing my job – trying to expose evil by giving the true account of events. I under-estimated the dangers I was facing because I felt I was on a patriotic mission to salvage my nation from the hands of scavengers, those folks who wanted to milk our nation dry. In a nutshell, I was not really scared. I feel excited anytime I hit a scoop. There was this messianic feeling that you have done something good.

I never really felt afraid for my life. I never really felt scared. And I can say without being boastful, if I’m placed in a circumstance of such again, I will do it over and over again without regret.

About two decades ago, there was no freedom of information (FOI) bill and a lot of journalists engaged in investigative and in-depth reporting that brought lots of respect to the profession and even made them award-winners. But despite the FOI act today, fact-finding reportage seems to have perished. What do you think is the reason for this?

It’s quite lamentable and saddening. At our Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Abuja, lawyers in the media forum like Femi Falana (SAN), Deacon Dele Adesina (SAN) and the rest raised such issues. I’m currently working on a research and this issue is part of what I’m studying. In the past, media outfits and journalists stood for something – exposing corruption by dedicating themselves to indepth investigative reporting. It was like an evangelistic mission. Secondly, then it was easy to isolate problem and challenge. We all had a common enemy – the military – and we tackled them off our backs.

But now that we are in a democratic system of government, rather than being the watchdog to the government, most journalists have become members of political parties. Some journalists are involved in gatekeeping roles for politicians and are even more partisan than the politicians. This reflects on their stories and then they lose their credibility. Many journalists are not objective because the economy is tough and they just want to survive, so they dance to the tune of the politicians that have the money to throw around.

Thirdly, the issue of social media in which every man is both a producer and a consumer of news is hampering the professional practice of journalism. Before, we used to have editors to authenticate, proofread and edit stories. These are some of the major reasons.

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media watch mirror – giving account of an event.

Was there budget for investigative reporting in those days?

Yes, speaking for Tell Magazine. I will say to a large extent, they were fantastic. If you come and say you want to investigate a story, you are allowed to apply to what they call IOU. You will be required to provide a budget on the story you want to do. They will give you the IOU and when you complete the story, you must show proof that you spent the money. You cannot just walk in and say you need a certain amount. You must be able to tell the management what you want to do and be accountable for the resources doled out to you. Also, those days, there were patriotic Nigerians who always supported the cause of journalism practice.

So why did you decide to leave your beloved constituency?

Yes, I just felt I was lucky even though I was also hard-working. I rose fast in the profession and in my early 30s, I was already Executive Managing Director in one of the most feared magazines in Nigeria. I did that for eight years. So I felt I had practised to the very zenith. So, I thought I could try something else. So, I went ahead to study law and now practising.

So many journalists find it challenging an to transcend from being a journalist to entrepreneur. Many are still scratching the ground or running around on how to go about it. What advice do you have for them?

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There is absolutely nothing wrong in being a reporter up till 70. It’s just like being a professor at an institution. But then, before a journalist clocks 70, his media outfit might have even closed down. However, being an entrepreneur is a good idea.

Before I became a lawyer I went through formal training. To be an entrepreneur, you need to learn how to manage men, money, material and machine. You cannot just be a lawyer because you are good in logic or winning debates. So, they need to empower themselves intellectually about management and entrepreneurial skills. Also, you need to develop cordial relationship with people.

Some people cannot offer a favour without requesting for money. So, when they need help, it will be difficult for them to go back and meet people to support them.

Looking at the media as a tool for national development, can we say that journalists are promoting brand Nigeria with their today’s actions?

The media is a tool for national development but the truth is the media cannot fabricate stories on national development when truly the government is not delivering good governance. The government will need to contribute to improve the lives of its people, provide infrastructure, and put in place favourable policies that can facilitate national development and then you will see that it will reflect in the media.

During the Abacha military government, there was a newspaper called Razor, publishing news for commercial interest but the paper died in no time. The media is like a

While entertainment contents such as music, movie, comedy, choreography and so on are increasing sales in our society, libraries and books patronage are declining. What can be done to improve the reading culture of Nigerians?

I could remember in the 80s, we used to have national libraries in virtually all states.

I always tell people that you are what you know. It pains me to my bone marrow that libraries are turning to event centres and sports viewing spots. Then in Benin, we had Bendel State Library and you will see students there always reading. Some parents come and drop their children in the library and they would come back after a certain time to pick them. It was that good.

And it got to an extent that the library generated so much buzz that a section was dedicated for people who want to borrow books to read. There was also a section for those who intend to bring their books from home to read. There was another section for newspapers and journals.

So the way forward is that parents will need to play a key role by encouraging their children to read more, engage and encourage them with books. We are appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari that part of his policies should be to mandate the Minister of Education to ensure that libraries are built or created at federal, state and local levels of government and are stocked with modern and relevant books. They should make the environment conducive enough tolearning with air-conditioners and other facilities that will make reading exciting.

Also, the government should encourage academic debates and quiz competitions and make it rewarding. We used to have some of these activities on national television stations and most parents would call their kids to the living room to encourage and challenge them academically. But today we don’t have that anymore. All we see now are musical programmes and movies.

All these things need to be brought back and sustained to save the nation from a generation of ‘educated’ illiterates.

Finally, can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Osa Director. I was born in Benin, Edo State and had my primary, secondary and university education in Benin. I had my first degree in Biochemistry. I did my NYSC in Kano and I stayed back in Kano even as a Biochemist. During my service year, I served in a media house – Kano State Broadcasting Cooperation. I love writing and this is my passion. That was how I became a journalist. BQi

trends & accessories

Could the rise in global sales of smartphones be the hammer that will nail digital camera manufacturers like Canon Inc. and Nikon Corp. out of existence? Lukmon Oloyede provides the answer in this piece.

F

or his outstanding performance during his graduation year, Henry Abiola received a Digital Single-lens Reflex (DSLR) camera gift from his aunty who had just arrived from the United State. But the camera-freak lad wished it was a smartphone.

Abiola considers a DSLR too big and awkward to be carried around. He believes a smartphone offers high quality photos and portability. Therefore, he is seeking his friends’ advice whether to use it or sell the DSLR camera to buy a smartphone; specifically a smartphone with high- resolution camera.

Advancement of technology has been a prodigious blessing to photography and filming. The rate at which tech giants across the world have churned out innovative classy smartphone cameras, in this era when everyone has become a photographer with or without a selfie stick is quite incredible.

Nowadays, iPhone, Nokia Lumia 1020, Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6, amongst others, not only capture high quality images, but have range of apps that can extend their capabilities. This makes it easy for almost anyone to take near-professional images and also edit it on their smartphones.

There are a lot of consumers across the world that share Abiola's view. However, some analysts strongly believe that DSLRs will always beat the smartphone camera anytime, especially when it gets down to the nitty-gritty.

Many experts agreed that cameras in phones are getting better every day, but there will be a point when the form factor of the phone will limit that improvement. Unless engineers can shrink all what makes a DSLR into a phone.

The Managing Director of The Studio, Seyi Body Lawson, one of Africa's top Photographer and Film Director, is one of those that disagrees with the notion that smartphones will replace DSLR camera.

According to him, DSLR camera cannot be compared to a smartphone. "Even if iPhone is really 8 frames per second, that's very fast even for an advanced DSLR. The mechanism is obviously much smaller and easier to make", he said.

He added that what determines consumer

Vs choice of camera is its resolution, ability to photograph under low lighting, convenience, and special effects.

On what the future holds for camera, Lawson said: "For DSLR, the things that stand them out are, larger sensors giving much higher resolutions, better lenses that give crispier images, more wireless and remote controls, 3D photography where the camera takes multiple images from one position as the subject, object or rotates to produce 3D images or pictures that can be projected. Can smartphone replace DSLR? Definitely not now!”

The iPhone 6S is arguably the fastest camera on any phone with a sprightly 12megapixel, while the Nokia Lumia 1020's “Zeiss” lens and 41MP sensor is the undisputed heavyweight champion of phone imaging. The iPhone 6S worships at the altar of convenience and speed, while the Nokia devotes everything to the best possible image quality.

Nonetheless, most professional photographers will choose a full frame DSLR over any other camera type. They may be larger, heavier and certainly more expensive, but for full frame fans they're worth it.

Camera manufacturers have argued that

people who get hooked on photography via smartphones and apps could later move on to purchase better cameras, as they become more serious hobbyists.

For many years, the top DSLR brands and competitors – Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Olympus and Sony have produced entrylevel and full frame cameras that are beyond what any smartphone could offer for now.

Advantages that DSLRs have over other cameras generally include a fast autofocus, larger sensors, and a much wider selection of lenses, flashes and other accessories. Entry DSLR such as the Nikon D3000 or 5000 series, Canon EOS Rebel T5 or T6s and Sony Alpha 77 M2, have some distinctive features unmatched by any smartphones. Professional cameras like Nikon D4, D800, D300, Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 5D Mark II and Sony Alpha SLT-A99V are beyond what any smartphone could offer – at least not in the immediate future.

Tech geek, Olaleye Bolade reasoned that though there have been a huge development on phones camera in the last decade “but smartphone manufacturers are still far behind in terms of what a professional camera can offer”. He noted that though a DSLRs (most entry-level) can capture beautiful blurry-background portraits in a candlelit night – something none of the top smartphones can ever do.

“Comparing smartphones to DSLRs is like comparing egg to pear. They have different views, give different amounts in focus, different possibilities for editing, and capture different ranges of brightness and there’s a whopping six-fold difference in the size of pictures between these devices. So how do you compare them since they are each good at different things?’ he questioned.

Also commenting on the topic, a tech accessory seller in Lagos, Uche Douglas said: “The DSLR, as it stands, will continue to change and evolve as it has done for decades. But, I can also see that smartphone technology will become more influential in the way cameras are developed, whether they are DSLR or mirrorless”. BQi BrandiQ

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Industry Interview

We'll Battle Delinquent Agencies Resolutely - Ehiguese The current President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), John Ehiguese, projects an image of a relentless achiever who thrives via challenging conventions in the reputation business. In this chat with BrandiQ team, he shares those special factors that motivate his relentless pursuit of distinction among PR agencies in Nigeria.

My career I graduated in 1982 with a Distinction from The Polytechnic Ibadan. I studied Mass Communication, but majored in PR and Advertising. After NYSC, I worked briefly with a management consultancy firm, before going into private business and ended up as the Nigerian representative of a Norwegian paper trading firm. For about six months in 1998, I tried my hands on broadcasting. That was in the early stages of the telecoms deregulation regime, and I was the first to produce and present a telecom programme on Nigerian Television, African Independent Television (AIT), to be precise, I then went on to have a brief stint in Advertising, and then PR. The last place I worked as an employee was at C&F Porter Novelli, where I was an Account Director. It was at C&F that I handled the PR support for the roll-out of MTN services in Nigeria between 2001 and 2003. I left C&F in August, 2003, and a month later, founded Mediacraft Associates.

Initial challenges When I left C&F, my first option was to look for another job. And I had a choice to either go into Advertising or continue with PR. Eventually, I opted for the latter, and decided to start BrandiQ

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Industry Interview my own PR practice. I felt that I would make an impact much faster in PR than advertising. I knew that I understood the business fairly well, and that if I worked hard, I would do well.

But then, there was a problem - I had no startup capital. A friend of mine gave me a small office space for free somewhere at Allen Avenue in Ikeja Lagos, I managed to get a computer and some furniture, employed two staff and we hit the streets.

So, I absolutely started from ground zero.

The Psychology of a customer- driven market The rules of consumer engagements are changing. The consumer does not trust or believe brands anymore. He is more likely to believe the testimonies and opinions of his friends, colleagues and members of his community, than believe a brand message, however well-intentioned.

In addition, the rapidly changing and proliferating media forms means that the consumer is spoilt for choice. Add to the fact that media access is becoming more permission-based, and what emerges is the reality that the power now rests in the hands of the consumers.

A PR person engaged in brand communications now has the responsibility to understand this new psychology of the consumer that is influenced by all of these factors. PR men need to be more creative in designing messages because what matters now is the buzz around the brand. It is this buzz that attracts, and is further propagated, by the consumer.

Today, no serious brand communicator wakes up and says: “I want to find out what the newspapers, or even radio stations, are saying about my brand” It is now more like: “I want to find out what people are saying about my brand.”

It is the conversations going on around the brand that determine the amount of buzz that a brand gets. Sometimes from Twitter alone, a brand may get more mileage than tons of adverting in several other media. As a PR person, you have to understand the new psychology of the consumer, the changing media forms, and their implications for messaging.

You have to look for more creative ways of breaking through to the consumer, with ‘content’ that interests him and catches his attention, because the consumer now has several options and an increasingly shorter attention span. He now consumes information on his own terms. Today in this business content is king.

Social media vs traditional media I don’t think the traditional media will die completely. But they are certainly under some form of threat. And this is not peculiar to Nigeria; it is a global trend. Everywhere in the world, people are paying less attention to traditional media because of the growing pervasiveness of social media and changing information consumption habits and patterns.

Whereas with traditional media, the audience simply consumed information, or content, social media allows them not just to consume, but also to use: they could ‘like’ ‘unlike’ ‘comment’ or ‘share’. The most important of these actions is 'sharing’ because that is what makes the commu-

nication ‘social’, with the added potential of going viral.

Even though newspaper readership is dwindling worldwide, I foresee that they will still be around for quite sometime. Partly because, as the saying goes: “old habits die hard”, and partly because media proprietors do not appear to have quite cracked the nut of how to make money through online publishing - I mean the kind of money they have been used to making with the traditional media.

PR’s Changing face and the lingering issue of quackery You know the issue of quackery is prevalent because of weak regulations. But that said, I think that the changing media forms is also a factor. The PR man of today is more versatile. He needs a broad range of skills and competences to function effectively: editorial writing, creative writing, story telling, photography, videography, printing, psychology, research, strategy, social media, digital marketing, content development and marketing, name it!

Take the issue of videos for example. Research has shown that people are a thousand times more likely to watch a video than read text. That is why videos are described as ‘rich content’. The PR man must understand how to use videos to tell his stories. He needs some knowledge of psychology, to be able to understand the drivers of consumer behavior and choices. He should be able to analyse the data thrown up by research, and convert such data to information from which he can extract insights to drive the creative and messaging process.

Because of this broad range of skills required of the PR man today, we find that some people who have competences in one or more of these areas, and who offer support or specialist services for the PR industry may also like to elevate themselves to the position of full-fledged PR practitioners. That is also part of the challenges we face in trying to differentiate genuine practitioners from pretenders.

Challenges of the Industry in Nigeria I’d rather be positive and focus on the opportunities and imperatives than on challenges. First, globalization presents us with opportunities to be exposed to best practice standards around the world. I am encouraged that an increasing number of our big PR agencies are entering into affiliations with global networks. This will help in building capacity for their staff as well as giving them access to new tools and insights to help their work.

We need to encourage our people to attend more international PR conferences, where they get to network with other practitioners from around the world.

We need to pay more attention to research, from where we can get insights to drive creativity, because today, there is as much creativity in PR as in any other communication function.

But overall, we need to raise our game and begin to benchmark our work against global standards. We cannot claim to be the biggest economy in Africa, and yet our level of PR practice remains at best rudimentary. There can no longer be a NiBrandiQ

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Industry Interview

gerian standard. It has to be a global standard.

Relationship between PRCAN and NIPR? Absolutely cordial and complementary!

Both organizations are ultimately working towards the same goal, which is to uplift the standard of PR practice in Nigeria, so that we the practitioners can earn more professional respect and command better fees.

Why should a practicing PR professional not earn enough from this business to be able to afford a home in Banana Island, for example? That should not be the exclusive preserve of bankers, lawyers and accountants!

PRCAN as you may know, is created by the NIPR Bye-Law No. 3 of 1993 to cater for the consultancy arm of PR practice in Nigeria. Section 13 of that bye-law states: “No Public Relations consultancy firm which has not been accredited by virtue of the provisions of this bye-law and Decree (now Act) No. 16 of 1990 shall practice and/ or operate anywhere in the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

In a recent BrandIQ interview granted by the NIPR President, Dr. Rotimi Oladele, he made a very apt comparison: just as APCON is the regulatory body for advertising practitioners and AAAN is the trade association of those practising as advertising agencies, BrandiQ

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NIPR is the regulatory body for PR, while PRCAN is the trade association of PR consultancy firms.

PRCAN has only corporate membership.

You join as a corporate organization (a PR consultancy firm) and not as an individual.

As a matter of fact, one of the pre-conditions for membership of PRCAN is that the Head of the consultancy must be a member of the NIPR. At PRCAN, we have a Membership Accreditation Committee that screens prospective members and ensures that all the conditions are met, including a physical inspection of the offices of the applying agency, before they are admitted into membership. It is not automatic.

So, our relationship with the NIPR is very cordial, and we are indeed working together to improve the lot of Nigerian PR practitioners and to grow the profession in general.

About agency Staff who are not yet NIPR members What we are doing is to encourage all our staff to join the NIPR because the law states clearly that you cannot practice PR in Nigeria without being a member of the NIPR. You must be aware of the on-going membership re-certification exercise of the NIPR and the window of opportunity granted to those who are not yet members, but

who are already in active practice.

We in PRCAN are working with the NIPR to ensure that our staff members take advantage of this opportunity to regularize their membership, especially those who are engaged in line functions at our agencies.

About PR consulting firms outside PRCAN. Well, I just told you what the law says that to be eligible to operate as a PR consultancy firm in Nigeria, you must belong to PRCAN. So those who choose not to comply with this provision should know that they are clearly in breach of the law. And they should be prepared to face sanctions.

The good news is that, in the recent past, we have seen a dramatic growth in the level of membership – more people are showing interest in becoming members of PRCAN. In the past two years alone, fifteen new corporate members were admitted. If you consider that the total members of PRCAN is fifty today, it means that one third of them joined in the past two years. This shows that the level of interest is growing. For example, we only have the Lagos chapter for now. One of my targets during my tenure as President is to establish new chapters in Abuja and maybe Port Harcourt or Kaduna, so that we can begin to have a real national spread in terms of membership.

So we are encouraging more people to

Industry Interview come on board. But the truth is that, beyond the legal provisions, people will show more interest if they see value. Our responsibility as the leadership of PRCAN is to create and showcase such value as will motivate more consultancies to seek to come into the fold.

That is why we are doing so much around capacity building and global exposure for our members.

Possible reasons some agencies may choose to operate outside the ambit of the law I don’t know, I guess you’ll have to ask them. I really don’t understand why any serious-minded professional consultancy firm would choose not to join the professional association especially when it is qualified to do so. What does it take away from them?

PRCAN is not a secret cult. Our membership, objectives and modus operandi are clearly in the public domain. But then again, it is a reflection of the weak regulatory environment, which is one of the things we are trying to address.

Any results from the letters your association and NIPR sent out, advising some brand owners to avoid some agencies practicing illegally?

Well, it is work in progress. We do not expect 100% compliance immediately, but we have to keep at it, and review our methods as we go along. For one thing, some of the recent actions we took are certainly helping to draw attention to the issue.

PRCAN’s readiness to follow through her plans to call to order delinquent agencies?

We are as resolute as we can possibly be, and ultimately it is in the best interest of the profession to encourage those who are in breach of our practice laws to do the right thing. No self-respecting professional association would simply stand by and allow quacks and charlatans a free reign. Are those who are in compliance of the laws fools?

Hiring of foreign agencies From the professional angle, I think it is a wake-up call to local practitioners. We have Nigerian agencies that can handle such briefs, if they are given a chance. They should be encouraged and patronized. Of course, there is also the angle of our practice laws as they relate to the accreditation of PR agencies to operate in Nigeria. Foreign agencies which breach such laws will definitely be sanctioned.

But ultimately, my concern is that we must change the way we operate at the moment. We have to raise our game and become globally competitive in the quality of our services.

Reputable Award in PR Industry I am glad you used the word ‘reputable’ because for me that is crucial. Yes, at some point, we will have to institute awards for the Nigerian PR industry, but there should be clear guidelines on how to participate and win. The process must not only be credible, it must also be generally seen to be so.

By the way, how do people win awards in PR? You win awards based on case studies of campaigns that are presented, and evaluated by a credible, independent jury made up of professionals. You can’t just wake up for instance and say you have won an award as the PR Agency of the Year. The basis for such an award must be very clear and verifiable.

Someone once told me that his agency won an award. When I asked him what was the case study they presented he suddenly went blank. You don’t win an award because you have a beautiful office or the CEO is a power dresser, or because you are always in the news.

So when we begin to have serious, impactful campaigns that are documented in the form of case studies, that is when we can begin to talk of credible and reputable PR awards. I for one won’t be a part of anything less.

But it might interest you to know that we have gradually started the process. We are already encouraging our member agencies to begin to document the campaigns they execute in the form of case studies. Indeed, we are planning a special Masterclass on Case Study preparation sometime soon.

Don’t worry, we’ll do an award, when we are ready. The first thing is to get our guys to begin to raise their game. When we have built a critical mass of documented successful PR campaigns across different business sectors and practice areas, then we will institute a credible and respected PR awards.

But I don’t think we’re there yet.

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amazon

Amazons On In a world where women are traditionally regarded as second-best, the recent resurgence of Nigerian women in corporate boardrooms appears to have spurred a paradigm shift, writes GILBERT ALASA Oteh

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or an average Twitter user, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili’s handle comes across as mouthpiece of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. For others, her no-nonsense stance on corruption comes easily to the fore. These conclusions are not far from the truth. A chunk of her over 32,000 tweets is focused on the fate of the helpless Chibok girls and issues relating to mis-governance. But on September 9, Madam Due Process (as she’s fondly called) decided to bask in eulogy and ripped the blogosphere open with her prayers and wishes for Dr. Ibukun Awosika, following the latter’s appointment as Chairman of FirstBank of Nigeria. Dr. Awosika is the first woman to ascend such height in the 121-years history of the banking behemoth.

Awosika’s flight to the enviable position reinforces the capacity of women to steer the leadership boat in a world dominated BrandiQ

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by men. Not only has her appointment shattered the very damper of gender bias in corporate circles, it emphasises the notion that anyone, irrespective of gender, can rise to the pinnacle of success by sheer dint of hard work. Awosika’s narrative echoes the very letters of diligence, focus and adherence to proven values. In the past, there appears to be a dearth of the likes of Awosika and the growing club of women in corporate boardrooms. In most circles, the trust in their ability to lead was particularly low, prompting the rise of feminist agitations.

Consider this. From 1917 all through 2014, a pantry 299 women have served in the US Congress. But in January 2015 alone, a record 104 women were sworn in as members of the 114th Congress. But it would be surprising to note that only 5% of CEOs in the nation’s Fortune 500 companies are women. And only 17% of the corporate

Okonjo-Iwela board members among Fortune 500 companies are women. These sharp demarcations are traceable to years of untold discrimination and cynicism in the ability of women to lead from the front.

But the paradigms have since started to shift. Canada now occupies the No1 position of gender-friendly countries with 50% women in leadership positions compared to men. It boasts of a robust economy, ranking as one of the top ten global economies by GDP valuations, according to a data thinktank, Knoema. Canada’s gender diversity has been fingered as a key index of the nation’s thriving fortune. With major appointment of females in corporate boardrooms, Nigeria seems to have joined the league of nations who recognises the role of women in building virile and prosperous societies and institutions. Such confidence resonates with recent appointments in Nigeria’s commercial circles.

amazon

The Rise

Somefun Awosika’s presence in the corporate world transcends office furniture, banking security systems and human capital development. She is the founder and chairman of the Chair Centre Ltd, Co-founder, Afterschool Graduate Development Centre and Chairperson of the board of trustees of Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ). She is an alumnus of the executive programme of Lagos Business School and the global executive MBA programme of the prestigious IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.

Earlier in the year, Nigerian women were thrilled by the appointment of Mrs. Mary Akpobome, wife of foremost comedian, Alibaba, as Acting Managing Director of Heritage Bank Plc. Prior to her appointment, Mary has worked as Executive Director, Retail Banking where she successfully undertook bold and sound business decisions that have impacted on the banks bottom-line. A

Dr. Awosika graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Benin and Executive MBA from the University of Lagos, Mary boasts of over 20 years successful banking experience and has attended several certified courses both locally and internationally.

The intensity of emotions that followed Mary’s selection was mild compared to subsequent appointments of Nigerian women in corporate boardrooms. In July, Ms. Arunma Oteh was appointed as Vice-President and Treasurer of World Bank, a position earlier occupied by the highly vocal Dr. Ezekwesili. Oteh’s five-year appointment was motivated by her capacity to lead the transformation of the nation’s capital markets, giving the industry the much-needed global presence and respect. Before joining the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria, Arunma was Group Vice President, Corporate Services, at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). In this capacity,

she oversaw a number of key departments, including human resources, information and communications technology, and institutional procurement.

That’s not all. In August, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed the appointment of Mrs. Yomi Somefun as the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Unity Bank Plc. Before her emergence, Somefun has sat on the board of various subsidiaries of United Bank for Africa, the longest being the prime position of Managing Director of UBA Pensions Custodian for eight years.

By September, former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala got two top international appointments, following a competitive global selection process. One of her new offers include Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation where she chairs a 28-member board to provide access to immunisation in developing countries. The second is a US financial advisory and investment management bank, Lazard Limited, where she will function in the capacity of Senior Advisor.

Following the appointments of Mrs. Awosika and sundry, women groups have continued to clamour for a fair inclusion of women in corporate leadership. Such pleas reflect the growing legislations in countries where the role of women is highly regarded in corporate boardrooms. As part of efforts to inspire gender equality in public companies, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently mandated public quoted companies to have no fewer than one female director as board member.

It is believed that legislations on women inclusion in corporate boards will stimulate gender diversity in the nation’s business world. As the rise of democracy witnesses the sustained agitation for freedom across the world, there is need for a paradigm shift from a men’s world to a world for all. BQi BrandiQ

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industry interview

Advancing EXMAN's Creative Advantage Rotimi Olaniyan, the new President of Experiential Marketers Association of Nigerian (EXMAN) holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship & Business Administration from Nottingham Business School, Nottingham UK. Not only is he passionate about knowledge and people, he is equally passionate about brand building and creative entrepreneurship. In this chat with Ntia Usukuma and Lukmon Oloyede, the new EXMAN President relates how he hopes to network the creative energies of the talents and resources within the EXMAN community into a collective narrative of shared prosperity.

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an you highlight some of the things you met on ground that you believe you can build on?

I think a good foundation has been laid for EXMAN by the previous executive council. And being a pioneer exco of this group, one can understand that issues that had to do with defining the roadmap for the future of the association and how to get the association off the ground were focal points of the past leadership. In that regard, I think the tenure was quite successful. On one hand, they were able to establish BrandiQ

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the need for practitioners to form a common front and stimulate a healthy debate in regards to what experiential marketing is and how it is practised in Nigeria.

They were able to define the role of experiential marketing practitioners in the marketing communications sector. I think there came a consensus later that experiential marketing is a distinct area of specialisation and needed to align with the realities on ground.

I think that encouraged us to reach out to APCON as much as we could to see how we could be part of that larger body. We all

know, though, that experiential marketing is not the same as advertising. But they both play complementary roles in the marketing communications process. I think that to establish a code of conduct for agencies that belong to this sector was a major success of the past administration. That code was publicised and we promoted it as much as we could and there were a number of successful training programmes targeted at the mid-tier of the industry.

Can you give us a picture of your pro-

industry interview grammes for the organisation?

The new exco is very clear as regards its terms of reference. For us, it’s about building very quickly on what has been achieved by the last administration. At inception, it took time to set up structures. Now we must quickly demonstrate an appreciable degree of visibility and activities in the interest of the industry’s association. We want to also reach out to our members, energise them and motivate them to come together so we can collectively surmount the challenges we all face as an industry. That’s the focus of this exco.

For instance, we just returned from a retreat where we debated topical issues that would help us move forward. And now, we have a very clear picture of where we are going. One of the issues we highlighted was to define what our mission is. For us, EXMAN's mission is to protect, regulate and promote the interest of certified players in the experiential marketing industry. We understand that there’s a large pool of quacks and briefcase-carrying agencies all around, but for those peers we have identified as credible players and certified, this association will promote and protect. And we have also articulated a new vision that would guide us for the next five years.

We are very excited about this. We want to become the widely acclaimed force for the growth of Nigerian brands through various mediums of meaningful experience.

The second area is that of standards. For us, we want to ensure a full and comprehensive implementation of the association’s code of conduct. To this extent, the Compliance Committee under the leadership of a very experienced practitioner has been charged with the responsibility of ensuring that all our members are aware of our code of conduct and to formulate a monitoring and compliance framework which will help the enforcement of standards in the industry. With respect to global best practices, we have mandated the Training and Capacitybuilding Committee also led by a brilliant practitioner to establish an industry-accepted measurement tool.

And until these steps are taken, do you think you have any right to call any practitioner a quack since there are no agreed

on professionalism. We want to build a highly respected experiential marketing industry. We are putting in place things that would complete our APCON affiliation within the next one year, while also exploring how we might be accommodated by the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, where I currently serve as Vice President. We also hope to upgrade the EXMAN membership criteria to ensure key staff of our member agencies are also fully certified members of these important practice bodies, not necessarily making it harder for people but to improve professionalism.

standards for entry?

Experiential marketing is a much specialised area in marketing communications, which unfortunately had been left unprotected for very long. What that means is that, to a large extent, anyone who aspires or expects to be addressed as an experiential marketing professional must demonstrate a certain degree of competency in marketing and communications. And then there is additional specialist knowledge in experiential marketing. Within that context, it’s quite clear that if you don’t have the requirements and yet claim to be a practitioner, then you are not a professional. We are aware of the influx of these people into the industry. Unfortunately this is damaging the quality of industry output. So there is a lot of work to be done in fixing these challenges. And that’s what you will see as we put forth our programs. By this time next year, we plan to submit at least two entries of our members to an internationally recognised award program. To do that, we are going to establish the first experiential marketing awards and industry trade fair before the end of quarter two, 2016. The third goal anchors

Don’t you think it will be proper to have grade of membership so that you do not create a cult of a few highly capitalised individuals?

Yes, I understand that. That’s why the Membership Committee has been charged to see how we can have graded membership. But we must not forget that this is a membership of agencies and not individuals. What it means in effect is that the grading of the businesses will follow certain criteria especially for new entrants to establish certain minimum standards. But the challenge we face is how do we go around this? We are not more than a N20billion to N30billion naira industry. That’s about 30% of the marketing communications sector in size. We are very narrow in terms of client base. We have about 40 members who service not more than 25 Nigerian leading firms, largely the FMCGs, telco and focused on three service offerings – activations, events and experiential. So, you can understand that there is a challenge of how to scale. There is also a shallow planning space. That’s why we are experiencing some of the problems we see today.

So, don’t you think some of these challenges are caused by the high skills gap among practitioners?

I think that’s an argument, but it's probably more of a problem emanating from the potential client side. Look at the government. Government is a huge potential market for our services. But somehow, those who handle government’s events, citizen engagement and grass-roots communication fail to approach our members. People who BrandiQ

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industry interview are not our members execute critical public communications campaigns with varying degrees of flawed output. So there is an opportunity for us to engage government. After all, what we are saying to government is that we want to become a strong force to drive the nation’s economic prosperity. A lot of young people started their journey to significance through our various activations as brand ambassadors, retailing clerks and so on. And this is an industry that stands as one of the key employers of labour in this country. We also have a degree of impact in how we help influence the perception of young Nigerians towards consumption, expression and even self-worth through the work we do in schools and campuses for instance.

Looking at the high cost of your service offerings, how many schools will be willing to cough out such kind of money?

Let me say that the size of our agencies vary from those that bill N30million job annually to those that do as much as N3billion, and even more. Yes we activate in schools but could also activate for schools. The schools we are talking about are the type that a few of our small and medium sized agencies could very well serve to create growth mutually for everyone. What we are interested in is how to open up opportunities to boost the client base of our members.

Our schools are not effectively packaged such that brands find them relevant. People misconstrue the agency compensation system to mean you are only paid for work done. That’s not true. A group of agencies could come up with a sports programme for a school or group of schools for example.

It doesn’t mean the school has to pay for it.

Sponsorship opportunities could very well take care of it.

There’s this issue agencies are not comfortable with. They do one job and they then wait for months for payment? One agency may reject this while another jumps at the offer. So how do you intend to deal with this?

Procurement executives are often inclined to knock the heads of agencies.

That’s what they are trained to do. They want to get the best service at the cheapest cost on behalf of the company. On the other hand is an entrepreneurial firm who are in love with their work, and sometimes forget that there’s profit to be made, and that there are basic techniques and tools for negotiation. That is rather unfortunate for us. That’s why agency procurement executives need to be professional and trained as well. Agencies should realise there are times when you BrandiQ

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have to walk out of a deal because the inherent cost has not been brought to the table. It is absolutely true that compensation structures as they are currently being touted by a few buyers are not fair. Margins are low, and tenor is not long. A typical agency lives from hand to mouth: always cash-negative, meaning they are always in need of money to fund a client’s job. That’s the nature of this business - these days we are part of the client’s working capital base. It’s like the story of the big gorilla and monkey in the jungle: the big gorilla always takes the little monkey's banana. What our clients need to realise is that there needs to be equitable compensation and fairness on commercial terms or something is ultimately going to give. That’s why quality has started to erode because the agencies are not able to train their staff and re-invest in the business.

Do you mean the agencies should be sharing jobs?

No not clients’ jobs. But we have to share certain back end operations and utilities such as equipment, tools and training of person-

nel. Young agencies shouldn't have to face the capacity hurdle if they offer phenomenal creativity. Many agencies are not utilising a chunk of their depreciating assets. I think we should not be competing at the level of how we use assets. Competition has to be intellectual at the level of creative ideas.

Many agencies are assets-rich. But the depreciation is high. We could have a repository of assets since some of these assets don’t get to be used more than once or twice in a year. It’s like what happens among telco operators who share masts. So, it makes more sense for one mast to be shared by three telecoms companies. And the mast is owned by a utility company. That’s way, you save cost. That’s clearly one of the points we are trying to make.

What’s your ideal situation as regards specialisation and consortiums?

A consortium approach is not the only way to go. We could take a niche specialist approach that has actually been proven to guarantee better returns. A consortium approach which I run appeals to only a certain

industry interview experiential marketing as a course in universities?

For now, you can’t begin to think of having an experiential marketing department in schools because the practice area is yet to be that robust. But you can specialise and then go further. I also happen to be the 1st Vice President of the National Institute of Marketing and I have a passion for creating the next generation of marketing titans.

I know for a fact that there is a whole lot of work that the institute is carrying out to influence the higher education curriculum within the larger space of marketing and business education. It is an area the NIMN president is passionate about. EXMAN will work with the National Institute of Marketing for strategic collaborations in that area, including preparing our young brand ambassadors for vocational marketing certification. We also intend to influence APCON.

class of clients. Big spenders are the ones who often prefer consortiums because they offer the one-shop proposition. But niche players appeal to SMEs and entrepreneurial businesses much more. It’s tough holding on to the consortium approach in a stressed economy like ours. So, it’s not consortium for consortium sake, but for business value. As players, I feel we need to start asking ourselves tough questions. How do we improve our game? How do we improve thought leadership? Next year, we are going to witness awards as a critical aspect of what we do. In November this year, we will be launching the Preferred Brand Ambassadors program to prepare young people for creating vocational businesses in the marketing communications space. We have also come up with ideas such as creating an insurance scheme where all brand ambassadors and promoters under the EXMAN scheme are going to have accident, workmen’s compensation and life cover which will be offered across all certified agencies.

What is EXMAN planning as regards

What ways do you think you executive can tackle issues like multiple taxation, conflict after pitches and other challenges?

The Advocacy and External Relations Committee is the body charged with the responsibility of establishing strategic relationships with stakeholders groups and how they affect the business of our members. Interestingly, to underscore the importance that we ascribe to this area, we named the immediate past President of the association to Chair the committee. I know that the last administration started the process of trying to see how our members could get relief from the issue of multiple taxation.

A lot of agencies are complaining about this problem, but we are going to approach it from several angles. The legal protection framework for our members is becoming more and more necessary. The second issue is IP protection. There have been so many instances where the creative works of agencies were not bought or paid for by the clients. And yet, the client goes ahead to execute the idea in the proposal without paying for it. Unscrupulous clients steal ideas in this country and nobody is punished. Under the new protection platform of the new EXMAN, we are going to retain an IP lawyer.

If you go for a pitch, you will be required to submit it for vetting. Once it meets the seal of approval, then EXMAN takes it on board in its repository. That way, you are protected. If there are issues, the certified EXMAN lawyers take up the case against the erring client. The agency life is about late nights.

I am a journalist. I studied Mass Com-

munications. And at a point, I feel I want to veer into your industry. How can I be part of the industry?

Anyone planning to go into experiential marketing should get some experience in an experiential marketing firm. During that process, he should get relevant training in communications as well as experiential marketing, project management and account management. He should be given to creative thinking. And overtime, he should build relationships, competencies and trust of his clients for the right reasons. With time, just like anybody of practice knowledge and craft, he will be renowned to be a competent deliverer of service. I have over 10 former staff who now have agencies of their own.

But what if I want to learn on the job and I know a Marketing Director that gives me an event to execute. Can’t I start there?

This is the reason why I keep saying a lot of my colleagues are not happy. I have heard a lot of murmuring among members that a few brand managers and marketing managers out there are spinning-off agencies, and so on. If this is true then it is wrong. It is professionally wrong for so many reasons.

There is the conflict of interest issue. In such a situation the brand manager is no longer thinking in the interest of the brand. You see all sorts of decisions taken. And you wonder, is this in the interest of the brand equity, the consumer or something else?

With respect to this issue of brand managers and agencies, what plans do you have in checkmating these brand managers that are unprofessional in their dealings with agencies?

Let’s be frank. I used to be a brand manager. I enjoyed my time tremendously because of the passion I had for the job. I mean, I probably launched 10 brands in this country and was exposed to brand building in five countries with other brand managers. I later came to the agency side because I was fascinated by what I learnt about marketing services in South Africa in the mid-90s. I was also enthralled by the entrepreneurial approach of the agency side. I have seen brand managers operate in different areas. The brand manager’s job is one of the riskiest in the world because you sink or swim based on the fortune of your brand. There’s no successful brand manager of a failed brand.

What I find in Nigeria is that there is a dearth of skills and quality talents because of the poor educational system. So what we find is a high velocity of the brand managers across companies because of the war for talent. BQi BrandiQ

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Interview

Charged Beyond Measures Babatunde Idowu Adedoyin, CEO, Media View Limited and President, Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), speaks with Ntia Usukuma, and Lukmon Oloyede on evolving silent issues affecting the outdoor advertising business in Nigeria.

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eavy government charges on outdoor advertising business When we look back, in the last 8 years when the regulation started, we discovered that we've lost most of our SMEs and we feel that until something is done, we probably might not get them back, because government actions have made our medium too expensive. We have told government and everyone that if the outdoor medium is expensive, clients can move their business to other medium.

Over the years, we have realized that litigation cannot even help. We need to make them see practically how the thing is affecting us. Already, a lot of people are moving their budget to other medium like radio, online and others. Not necessarily because they are more effective than the outdoors, but maybe because of their shrinking budget.

Rates outside Lagos Lagos started it but immediately all others copied. As at today, I think over 20 states have their regulatory bodies now. We were at Enugu recently and the new commissioner for infrastructural development in the state said they are also looking at formulating a regulatory body. We made it clear that they can create any agency they desire, introduce their rules and increase rate but the adverBrandiQ

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tisers will not be ready to push money into outdoor because of rate. Because whatever rate the State regulatory body brings, will surely be passed to consumers and then they will invariably pass it to customers but in the long run it will affect all of us.

So what I think the government needs is to also look at it with us and have a better understanding of what we are talking about.

Relationship between OAAN and government agencies The truth is some of them are our friends because they are also practitioners. The problem is that when most of them are on that table after appointment, they can't face government and make them realize the truth. They just do what the governor commands and then they come back to say to us that they are sorry - that was what their governor wanted.

But we often tell them to educate their governors on all these issues. That is why when you go to LASAA, a lot of people owe because they have been over charged.

The fact is most outdoor firms now are just managing to survive and remain in business.

It means if we all have to pay these bogus charges, we will all have to close shop.

Professionalising appointments into government outdoor regulatory agencies We often advise those in authority that

interview them and they just rush to implement. Probably because so many people are hanging by the side, looking for that same job, with nebulous claims that they can bring in one or two billion naira revenue. Government needs to realize that they cannot just depend on outdoor business for their IGR (internally generated revenue).

Reducing the effect of current economic challenges Those of us in OAAN, NIPAN, AAAN, and ADVAN always meet regularly to review issues that concern us. When the economy is down, we are part of those that are often greatly affected. What organisations will cut first during recession is mostly in our area - advertising, publicity etc. The only thing we have been telling our members is to be more professional. They should have quarterly invoicing if possible, or even monthly invoicing so that they wouldn't force client to buy space on their boards for one year. These are some palliatives that can help a lot of us to remain in business. In reality, most clients don't want to be tied to yearly contracts anymore because of dwindling economy, budget and short term promotional campaigns among others.

they need to put professionals in outdoor regulatory agencies. In most of the states with these agencies, the law states that if you are not a practitioner, you are not supposed to practise and you are not supposed to regulate. So when they put a non-practitioner

there, they are breaking the law. However, even putting practitioners now is not helping us either because they can’t face their governors to analyse these issues appropriately and advise them on what they should do. The governor just passes orders down to

Promoting commandeship and unity among members In OAAN, the issue of unity is not a problem. Even when you go to APCON, the registrar will tell you that one of the best subsectors is OAAN because majorly we are friends, we have worked together at one time or the other in the industry and we have been doing business together. We know that election will always come and go but we know that it is about service. To say I want to be OAAN executive, you must consider your time and be ready to serve. The new executive spoke with some of our trustees and we intimate them of what we want to do. The experience is always there and we cannot throw it away. We are one and this is also why we also want to bring back out quarterly meetings. In our quarterly meetings, we come together, have a luncheon, talk together about issues that concern us and even do business together. Before, we used to have a quarterBrandiQ

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Interview ly luncheon but it was removed during our constitution amendment. We now turned it into a bigger event which is the annual AGM. I hope to bring back the quarterly luncheon.

Other achievements of the last OAAN Exco apart from completion of the OAAN house Well, in the area of training, education, the past and present really tried. We had a lot of things that are beneficial to our members. We had the training both locally and internationally. They even went to Dakota University for training which was a rewarding exercise. They also revived the West African Outdoor Association and they even went a step further to join the American Outdoor Agency Association which is also an eye opener for us. It is an area that will give us international exposure and also get to see how outdoor is being done in other climes, especially in the area of best practices. These are areas we will continue to leverage on to expand our business and grow in knowledge.

OAAN members expanding their business outside Nigeria As we speak, some of our members have their billboards in Ghana, Cameroon. A member of OAAN is one of the biggest players in Kenya presently.

I'm sure we have some of us planning to go to the Gambia and other Africa countries. We are not doing badly in this area.

Research for outdoors The last presidency carried out a research on our industry, and it was launched towards the end of their tenure but it wasn't massively launched.

It was done by FEPE International in Europe for us. We still want to invite them to do it once more and then we are going to let the public know about it. We don’t want to do it ourselves so that it wouldn’t be as if we are doing it from our own limited or even selfish perspective. So, we are still working on that so by then we will inform the media.

The edge outdoor platforms provide Yes! In the past, we used to be the cheapest. And the fact that the consumers have it for free makes it cheaper for them. For every other medium the consumer is also contributing. For you to listen to a radio, you will need to first buy a radio. To read a newspaper or watch the TV, you need to buy one first BrandiQ

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and even pay for electricity. So, outdoor is free and you can see it everywhere and that is the beauty of outdoor advertising.

Improving outdoor advertising Technology is changing outdoor as an industry too. Everyday new technologies are being introduced. We have digital billboards. And in the next few years, there will even be more improvement. We will have more billboards that will be more environmentfriendly. I agree that OAAN is improving and that is why we are going out there to see how outdoor advertising is being done. I can tell you that there is nothing they are doing out there in America today about outdoor advertising that we are not doing in Nigeria.

The only problem we have is infrastructural challenge.

Plans for OAAN poster award We actually want to look at that poster award. I went to our president who initiated that award to find out from him the vision and essence of the award. At the moment, we are working on it. I wouldn’t want to give you any response on our plans on the poster award right now because it is going to be a team work. We have promised that it is going to be a team work and we will carry everyone along by sitting together to analayse how we are going to do it. But for sure, poster award has come to stay, we will fine-tune it into a better shape.

Bridging the gap between academic curriculum and the industry Recently, I was with the APCON registrar and he also raised a similar issue on how students don’t even know the meaning of OAAN, MIPAN, AAAN etc. So the plan is this - when schools are coming up with their curriculum, they would be encouraged to involve APCON so that we can be producing students that can fit into the market. I agree with you that our academic curriculums are out-dated.

More so, lecturers are making the issue worse because they wouldn’t attend classes regularly but they would rush the students later via fire brigade approach. These are some of the reasons some multinational organizations go for Nigerians who studied abroad because to them, they are better trained than those who schooled here. We need to train our people since they would be working within the industry. BQi

BrandiQ ...vision powered by intellect

X3M Ideas

Crystalizing Africa's Creativity

By Ntia Usukuma

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he appeal of Africa’s marketing terrains to the outside world is reflected in the consistent growth of creative festivals springing up across the continent. Emboldened by the huge success of the Cristal Festival organized yearly in Courchevel, France, for the past 14 years, and MENA Cristal Festival held in Mzaar in Lebanon for ten years, 2C Associés, an organization based in France, decided about four years ago, that it was time to celebrate African creativity in advertising and media through a regional award with international recognition. This gave birth to the first edition of the African Cristal Festival that took place in Cote D’Ivoire. The second event took place last year in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Awards and creative festivals are relevant in the world of advertising and indeed the entire marketing communications industry because they provide a platform for review and inspiration; a unique opportunity to dissect current trends and analyse what has worked so far. When viewed from this standpoint, one might argue that awards are essential because they have become the impetus to better work.

The CEO of Lories Award, Richard Human, paints a similar picture of The Lories; “The primary role of the Lories, like all awards, is to showcase the best work that it being done and to inspire brands and agencies to do great work.”

Even beyond the area of sharing knowledge as projected by most organisers of creative festivals, research reveals that recognition of an organisation or individual has some impact on performance and level of productivity. Motivational theorists, have also confirmed that financial rewards alone cannot retain employees rather a more rounded reward and compensation system.

Studies conducted on award and recognition indicate that there is a strong correlation between the two in the sense that, award/ recognition, for good work can increase work performance.

A key focus of recognition and award is to make individuals feel appreciated and valued. Research has also proven that people who get recognized and get rewarded for their good works tend to have higher self-esteem, more confidence, increased willingness to take on new challenges and greater eagerness for hard work and innovations.

In this era that brand owners are demanding ideas that are really out-of-the –box, something that will make the audience look twice, listen again, laugh and even share with friends, the consolidation of the annual African Cristal Festival will indeed crystalize creativity in The African continent.

The journey to the 2015 African Cristal Festival started with the third edition of the African Cristal Festival Poster Contest held in Lagos, Nigeria.

The winner of this year’s Poster Contest hosted in Lagos, Nigeria was Ivorian artwork"Pencils: all colours of Africa" by Arnaud Bedel of Drive Dentsu, in collaboration with Eding Labatut, a Copywriter.

According to the Jury, the Ivorian design won the contest based on its simplicity, insight and strong communication power that reflected the colour and diversity of Africa. As expected of professionals, the jury delivered their selections on the works based exclusively on their merits.

It is the expectation of industry players in Nigeria that participating agencies from the country - DDB, Insight SO&U, Noah's Ark and X3M Ideas - can learn from Arnaud Bedel’s feat in Lagos and come out tops on the final tables of 2015 Cristal Awards to make the country proud.

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Noah's Ark: Creative Hunters With Unique Foresight Noah’s Ark, Nigeria’s creative agency and evolving full service communication group, was listed among the top 16 World’s leading Independent Agencies for 2015 early this year.

Mix of insight, creativity, and technical innovation has seen Noah’s Ark grow into an award-winning agency, which is consistently featured in the Lurzers Archive. It clients include: Airtel, Three Crowns Milk, Indomie, Dulux, Hypo, Gotv, Minimie among others.

Noah’s Ark set sail in the last quarter of 2007. The smallest ship of the agency was commissioned in February 2008.

Later that year, it took over Alicia Virgins (An AAAN established in 1996) and also became a full member of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN).

According to the agency, "creating new paths using client's brand goals as signposts to effectively engage their audience strategically" is their watch word.

A visit to the Arkanians at their office located at 6 Tola Adewunmi Street, Maryland Estate, Lagos, echoes a team

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of happy people with ground-breaking ideas.

Noah’s Ark is evolving as a new group of full service integrated marketing communication with two new businesses under the group- Integrated Indigo Limited, a Public Relations, Events & Experiential Marketing firm and Underdog, a Radio/TV and Content development firm.

Lanre Adisa, MD/ECD

Special project

Brand

Boko Halal

Rational 100 days ago, over 250 school girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram, the deadly Islamist terrorists who proclaim that Western education is forbidden. Despite the hashtag activism and the global buzz, the girls are still under captivity. Boko Halal, a guerrilla styled collective that advocates that book is virtuous, uses this campaign to call peoples attention to the 100th day anniversary of their disappearance, literally urging us to see the emptiness the girls and their wards feel, thereby highlighting the grave danger the little girls are facing in the thick forest of Sambisa, North East Nigeria.

Ad Title

Docas Yahkubu

Brand

Rational

Ad Title

Chin Chin is a fried snack popular in West Africa. It's a sweet, hard, fried dough of wheat flour. Playing on the hardness of the snack and parodying Bullet Photography, the campaign literally breaks icons of boredom.

Minime

Red Light

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Brand

Rational

Ad Title

Chin Chin is a fried snack popular in West Africa. It's a sweet, hard, fried dough of wheat flour. Playing on the hardness of the snack and parodying Bullet Photography, the campaign literally breaks icons of boredom.

Minime

Static

Brand

Rational

Ad Title

The African mother literally carries the entire household on her shoulders, and by extension the whole world. Three Crowns, a low cholesterol evaporated milk recognizes her role and celebrates her.

Three Crowns

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Traditional mum

Special project

Brand

Rational

Ad Title

The African mother literally carries the entire household on her shoulders, and by extension the whole world. Three Crowns, a low cholesterol evaporated milk recognizes her role and celebrates her.

Three Crown

Brand

Hypo

Rational At a point where the world needs colourblind, race-neutral campaigns, Guinness international imposes a colour-conscious campaign on the entirety of Africa.

Rather than being irked by the excessive pandering to blackness and unnecessary celebration of otherness, we were quite inspired by it.

Yoga Mum

Ad Title

Yanga

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Brand

Hypo

Brand

Hypo

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Rational At a point where the world needs colour-blind, race-neutral campaigns, Guinness international imposes a colour-conscious campaign on the entirety of Africa. Rather than being irked by the excessive pandering to blackness and unnecessary celebration of otherness, we were quite inspired by it

Rational At a point where the world needs colour-blind, race-neutral campaigns, Guinness international imposes a colour-conscious campaign on the entirety of Africa. Rather than being irked by the excessive pandering to blackness and unnecessary celebration of otherness, we were quite inspired by it.

Ad Title

Yanga

Ad Title

Platitude

Special project

SO&U: Integrity, Passion, Professionalism

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O&U is one of the leading creative agencies in Nigeria, with a potpourri of award-winning, attention grabbing campaigns to her credit. The agency formally commenced operations in March 1990.

minds of this troika of dreamers. Improvisation is all the team needed to set up four blocks and two planks with a make-shift table to nail their first media plan. And 25 years after that audacious move, the dividends seem to have been adding up.

What the Gbemi Sagay, Julia Oku and Udeme Ufot team lacked in financial resources, they make up in the enormity of their ambitions. Starting up with a shop at 26, Borno Crescent was just not enough to dim the intensity of fire piping hot in the

At present, the SO&U Group is made up of over 70 people with diversity of experience and skills. With individual creative background, the agency sets out to occupy its pride of place in the comity of creative agencies in the country.

Udeme Ufot MFR, Frpa, MD/CEO

Biodun, Client Service Director

The company prides in an array of service mix that includes concept development, design, media planning, research, public relations, events management, printing and audio-visual production. The company has been strategically positioned to provide outstanding business solutions for clients through a perfect mix of creative thinking, incisive research and timely utilization of communication opportunities. The emphasis on quality, unmatched service and integrity occupies a strategic point in the firm’s corporate culture.

Tyger, Creative Director

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alk about flow. Turn the tables to imaginativeness. Shift your gaze to optimal experience. Envision a plug where creative fire burns with a perfect fusion of the sublime and the idyllic. Imagine somewhere among naked clouds where ideas generate lethal results; results that incite smiles across boardrooms and every city. Insight Communications has altered the age-long rules of the advertising game with a freshness deeply steeped in the upto-the-minute, youthful appeal of its highly passionate people.

And for many years, the advertising colossus has not lost sight of its vision to chart a new course for others to follow. And luckily too, the 34-years old advertising empire has been fairly rewarded with a barrage of awards for consistently creating incredible value for its swarming clients over the years.

Its recent ranking by Ventures Africa, as third of the 100 Companies for Nigeria Millennials, comes across as a bold testament to the professional berth of the agency. Knocking off big Nigerian brands off their perch to occupy the third position is an attestation to the company’s position as a super-brand.

Insight is rightly reputed to have won the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Best TV Commercial awards more than any other agency in Nigeria. When the conversation shifts to creative ads awards, Insight dwarfs every other agency in profound dimensions.

For anyone who cares to know, Insight’s eyes are firmly fixated on grabbing a substantial portion of global advertising market share, by innovatively turning knowledge into enduring business solutions for brands.

Incorporated in 1979 before going further to grab the membership pass of Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria in 1980, Insight has continued to grow in leaps and bound, championing one of Nigeria’s most successful advertising stories ever told. But behind that story is a team of suave, counter-intuitive thinkers who constantly bury their brains in the clouds, trying to recreate the world we all know. They are part of the re-engineering efforts earlier undertaken

Inciting Matchless Freshness

Chima, Executive Creative Director

Feyi, GM/COO

by the management to drive a workforce that is abreast of the distortions and convolutions of the age.

At Insight, the emphasis is on creating blue oceans of uncontested market space to neutralise the competition. Add that to the company’s holistic approach to marketing communications and you won’t be surprised by the market leadership the agency has enjoyed over the years. As the agency gears up for the 2015 African Cristal Awards slated to hold in Morocco, optimism trumps faith. It is speculated that Insight could shine at the 3rd edition of the annual African fiesta.

For the team, creativity is a culture that is intrinsically embedded at the core of its soul.

The challenge to find the unusual, to question what is not but can be and the hunger to find great story behind life’s phenomena inspires the team to look outside the window for answers. The challenge to find this great story and tell it the best way pushes the team to discard long-standing norms, generallyaccepted notions and absolute truths to create a story that truly inspires. In demonstration of its quest for wider reach and leadership consolidation, Insight has gone ahead to register its presence on the evolving digital world. The company has invested massively in modern technology and information systems to power its operations. To that effect, the company recently partnered with Poise. ng and Nigeria’s leading online retailer, Jumia Nigeria, to organise the Digital Marketing Unscripted event held at its plush Ikeja headquarters. The event was aimed at getting digital marketing experts to think on their feet and position their brands for the changing face of today’s digital media.

There are two types of industry players: those who dictate the pace of the game and those who simply follow its upheavals. With the ever-changing digital media space spurring mixed realities for ad agencies in the country, Insight has followed the counsel of iconoclastic business thinker, Gary Hamel in his book, Leading The Revolution, by leading the evolution through relentless innovation.

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DDB Lagos: Compassionate Creative Broker

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One of Nigeria’s most awarded Agency, DDB Lagos of the CASERS Group, is one of the very few marketing communication firm that has played an immensely notable role in the creative revolution in the country. Since 1987, the Victoria Island-based agency has positively impacted many Africa’s biggest brands across several categories to grow.

DDB Lagos is a member of DDB Worldwide, the second largest advertising network in the world with over 206 offices in 96 countries.

DDB Lagos, was founded by the visionary Enyi Odigbo, the Chairman of Casers Group and a former President of AAAN. The Agency is currently steered by Ikechi Odigbo, who has a mandate to transform DDB into the biggest and best builder of brands in Africa.

The firm has continuously made significant investments in human capacity development - building a world class team that has continued to unleash award-winning ideas.

DDB’s wins at international and local level with consecutive wins at not only the African Cristals and LAIF but also the Loeries and the Epica International Awards further proves that Nigeria’s foremost advertising agency has continuously demonstrated its drive to push creative excellence to the next level both locally and internationally.

At last year's Lagos Ideas and Advertising Festival (LAIF) in Lagos, the agency carted away 31 awards including the prestigious and most sought after Grand Prix award.

Other than the prestigious Grand Prix win, DDB Lagos proudly walked away with seven Gold, 12 Silver and 12 Bronze awards all in different categories. These include: Best Use of the Media Online —MTN Ludo (Gold); TVC (PPSC) — MTN Can You Hear (Gold); Press (Food & Consumables) —Royco Real Beaf (Gold); Outdoor Miscellaneous — Mouka Barber (Gold); Press Miscellaneous — Mouka Singer (Gold); Radio (Telecom) —MTN I Don Port Jingle (Gold); and TVC (telecom Services) — MTN (Saka port) (Gold).

Similarly, at the African Cristal Awards show in Morocco, DDB Lagos was ranked 8th in all of Africa agencies. DDB Lagos won laurels at the maiden edition of The African Cristal, picking up Sapphire and Emerald Awards for their work on Girl Hub and Durex, respectively. This year, ‘MTN Saka Ports’ and ‘Mouka Active Rest’ campaigns brought the wins home.

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X3M Ideas: A Crew Of Creative Extremists X3M Ideas made a grand entry into Nigeria’s advertising terrain in 2012. Located in the Opebi highbrow area of Ikeja, Lagos, X3M Ideas displays youthfulness and modernity in all its forms, flaunting cutting edge equipment and gadgets in a seamless office setting peopled by young but brilliant talents.

Built 100 per cent on ideas, this agency has clientele across a number of industry segments including telecoms, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FCMG), banking, among others.

The award-winning agency boasts of a state-of-the-art studio for radio commercials. This is probably to cut down on turnaround time, a reflection of its hunger and readiness to deliver optimal results as a dynamic team of young professionals.

Under the creative guidance of Steve Babaeko, X3M ideas is built as a one-stop-shop marketing communications company that partners and understands her clients, besides, delivering the most creative and effective ideas, backed by sound strategy and unique thinking.

Since its establishment, X3M Ideas has not only been in the front-line of unleashing creative works, but also breaking new grounds in corporate citizenship.

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Trend Analysis with

Franklin Ozekhome

Agency of the Future

Business Model Disruption.

A Case for Innovation Where we are. “ I recently sat through a presentation and it made me realize that the greatest strength of Nigerian agencies will continue to be their

understanding of this market and [evolving] consumer cultures…if only they can innovate with this knowledge or align with business strategy.

Truly, culture eats strategy for breakfast…”

- Mobolaji Caxton-Martins, marketing communications practitioner Our understanding of the Nigerian consumer market and the diverse cultures of audience groups as they apply to the various industry-sectors is a reflection of how brands and advertising agencies currently study people, their behaviors and attitudes within social contexts, and spheres of influence.

There is, however, the need for a progression of the methodologies being used to understudy people, their patterns of movement, purchase habits, responses to advertising within situational backgrounds, and level of resonance to brand communications.

Indeed, the lenses through we interrogate brands and their target customers must go beyond circular frames of reference that only display linear progressions for decoding today’s digital

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Trend analysis

consumer.

In order to expertly decode the Nigerian consumer and expand our planning dissections, the ad agency business model urgently requires a redesign, and constant upgrades not unlike the iPhone and Apple’s regular iOS updates. If we were to reset the entire business model like an operating software system, it would allow us to expertly navigate the flux being experienced across certain industries, map the future of consumerism in Nigeria, and enable us focus on developing sustainable solutions for brands.

Creating order within chaos.

Let’s map emerging trends as they occur against cultural drivers and the gaps that exist for brands to tap into before they are phased out.

It is important that we navigate a trend wave to its original source so that we can plot a pattern of what would likely come next.

Some brands ride popular wave trends while others set off their own trends and exploit it for commercial purposes.

Let’s take a relook.

Most advertising agencies run this kind of operating structure: Issues: Resources and materials developed across teams are not optimized for efficiency, thereby encouraging a system of redundancy and replication as teams share the same ideas, tools and models for ongoing work with existing clients, pitching new accounts, and working on new briefs, projects and campaigns. There is a blow-back of the same ideas across teams, and often times little or no external ‘influences’ to spark up the creative juice.

If you interrogate creative works across ad agencies working on brands targeted at the same customersegment within a 24-mont period, you’ll find some semblance of ideas, propositions and campaign ads developed for different clients. Good points of references are electronic and billboard ads developed for brands in the telecoms, alcoholic drinks and diary milk segments.

Business team structure.

The agency team structure is not optimized for the digital age and limits the potential for developing innovative marketing solutions for clients BrandiQ

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Trend analysis

that go beyond traditional advertising.

These types of structures are huge costcenters as existing systems and processes are duplicated across accounts and business teams within an agency.

Issues: Most ad agencies experience little incremental growth curves no matter the volume of new businesses won.

The larger share of his growth is derived mostly from existing clients sending in briefs for new products, event launches, ad campaigns and the like.

The reasons one can adduce to this is that the same tired processes, team personnel, ideation sessions and creative solutions are packaged when prospecting to new clients. And, in the event that new businesses are won, the same model is applied for checking the profitability of these businesses, recruiting fresh talents to work on the accounts, and in developing new campaign ads.

In retrospect, most Nigerian agencies have the capacity to grow in geometric proportions in comparison to other advertising firms in other parts of the world as the country is experiencing a gigantic wave of online retail consumption, digitalized content explosion, and advanced level of creativity across platforms due to technological disruption and lowcost access.

Rethink Everything.

Rather than setting up business teams focused on simply growing accounts (brands, businesses), we should have a specialist crack team of professionals working in business units targeted at growing specific industries and transforming existing paradigms of how businesses are being conBrandiQ

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ducted.

Therefore, the set-up up business teams should be majorly defined by new trend waves and cultural drivers affecting specific sectors that the agency is invested in or seeks to pursue new business.

Reset: Installing Innovation.

The proposed new agency structure.

Culled from The CEO Agency Playbook for Strategic Innovation by Franklin Ozekhome Franklin Ozekhome is a trends consultant, and the founder of TINK Africa.

Synthesis is a Strategic Public Relations and Media Management Consultancy Firm Involved in Brand Marketing and Political Communications, Publishing, Bespoke Media Traning and Creative Productions.

12, Aba Johnson Crescent, Harmony Enclave, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos. tel. +234 803 377 8406, 0802 321 5535. info@synthesisprafrica.com www.synthesisprafrica.com BrandiQ

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Art

Photography With Finesse Michael Imomoh, popularly known as ‘The Fotobiker’ is one of the most sought-after photographers in Nigeria. In a chat with Lukmon Oloyede, he spoke on the future of photography and its potentials for the market.

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igital photography is one of the best things that technology has brought to mankind. Before the invention of photography around 1840, the production of visual imagery was the monopoly of artists – a few individuals who possessed the ability to replicate images by hand. With the invention of a mechanical instrument capable of reproducing reality not once, but many times over, a new image era was born.

As a means of visual communication and expression, photography has distinct aesthetic capabilities. In today's society, photography plays important roles in our visual minds. It commands a special status with the capacity to truthfully record history. Besides being a tool for recording personal moments in someBrandiQ

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one’s life, photography has become an extraordinary tool for advertising, news reporting, science, politics and various forms of entertainment.

Photographic images, especially in this digital era, influence what we buy, help scientists project new theories, make politicians gain our support. The emergence of Smart phones, mobile devices, and tablets has affected photography in a myriad of ways both positive and negative.

In Nigeria, the diverse use of photography is growing in popularity. Talented photog-

raphers are gaining a strong foothold in the photography business in the country, thanks to her population and increasing patronage. While many professionals and amateurs mainly focus on Weddings, Fashion/Studio, Portrait photography, Michael Imomoh, CEO of Michael Imomoh Photography popularly known as ‘The Fotobiker’ has called on photographers to think out of the box. By looking for ways to exploit other genre of photography such as aerial, underwater, architectural, wildlife, cloudscape, landscape and sports which are gaining more commercial attention globally.

In a chat with BrandiQ during the Nikon Nigeria Photo Summit held recently in Lagos, Imomoh said the sphere of photography is expanding although the industry is in the midst of a huge change. “Most new or aspir-

ART

ing photographers are generalists with very little quality consistency and no business experience whatsoever. They’ll shoot anything that allows them to, they will undercharge, and most of them will burn out in a year or two and leave the industry with very little effect for established professionals.

In Imomoh’s words, "Nigerians love taking pictures, but we are yet to fully harness the business opportunities of photography. A lot of photographers are afraid to think outside the box. Most times they just come and follow what they see in the industry. Also, the economic challenges also play a role. Basi-

cally, what a lot of photographers need in Nigeria is mentorship and training to be able to stretch the opportunities. Most Nigerian photographers focus on wedding and fashion. I think it’s time we go out and think of how we can meet up with global photography chances.”

Speaking on how photographers can make it big in Nigeria, Imomoh recommended the strategy of aggressive differentiation. He also agreed that the future of the industry in Nigeria is quite bright. “There will be plenty of new photographers who are going to come in strong, with high-quality images, with sustainable and profitable pricing, business savvy, and who are going to quickly join the ranks of successful professional photographers. These are the types of new photographers who we need to connect with and get to know, because they are going to be an asset to the photography industry. In Nigeria, a new generation of photographers is emerging", he said.

Imomoh created a niche for himself in the photography industry by turning the horrific traffic jam in Lagos to his advantage – procuring a power bike which enables him to deliver his job in no time. This, according to him made him stand out and also made him register his bike as ‘Fotobiker’. He explains further: “my style of photography is to be adventurous. My bike is part of my style; that makes me stand out in the industry. I started driving a power bike when I was living in FESTAC Town and the road from Mile 2 was very bad so because I have always been a fan of Moto GP, the bike race; so I decided to buy my own bike in 2008 and since that was just a year after I started my photography, many people banked on me because they know that I get to their events in a jiffy because I can easily avoid traffic so I became popular with it.

“To me, biking is freedom and photogra-

phy is more freedom. So I wanted something that I can merge with the two things I love together so I came up with ‘Photo Biker’. The plate number of my bike is ‘foto’. I thought of it that – why not take pictures while on my bike? So I bought a helmet and place my camera on it. Therefore, my bike and camera became part of me. I have been driving my bike all across Nigeria”.

While studying Computer Science at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, his passion thrived in photography and before graduating from school he developed his technical, creative, and composition skills to become a professional. Today, very few photographers can outdo his works especially in street photography. Imomoh has had competent exposure in event photography by working on mega projects like MTV Base Nigeria, Akon’s Concert and Gulder Ultimate Search. He has also been retained as an event photographer on several brand activations for Samsung, Dana Air, NIMN, and Nigerian Breweries.

In September this year, Imomoh embarked on a project tagged: "The Footbiker's 6 Days in 6 States". He kicked off the tour from Ikeja, Lagos, on 13th September and completed it in Ado Ekiti on 18th September having visited Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ondo states respectively.

According to him, the essence of the ride was to cover some beautiful, captivating, and storytelling images of unique places in the 6 states in the six geo political zones of Nigeria. He is also planning for an exhibition of the photo shot later this year. And a visit to other regions of the country in the future.

On his advise to talent photographers, Imomoh urged them to network with other successful professional photographers through online communities and form partnerships that can help them grow. BQi BrandiQ

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arts

Tour with Many Turns Gilbert Alasa visited the culture-rich gallery of one of Africa’s finest historian, musician, painter and sculptor, Sir Victor Uwaifo. He takes us through the twist and turn of his tours.

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n a typical day, there’s nothing mystical about Victor Uwaifo Avenue in Benin, a street named after the multi-talented legend. The street exudes a certain dullness intercepted by everyday Nigerian music, sounds of passing vehicles and pedestrians. But all that fade away very quickly as soon as you pick your way through Revelation Tourists Palazzo. The centre, built in the 1980s, prides itself as a foremost custodian of the Bini history, folklore and culture.

Just at the entrance to the museum is a catalogue of eye-popping photos of starving children caught in the throes of reckless abandon, following the 1967 Nigerian Civil War. One of the kids clung on feebly to an empty bowl while the rest look away in resignation.

On the far left is a troika of long-barrelled guns, an ensemble of local muskets lined up inside a glass placed on the wall. They form the firepower of the Bini people in their historical war against the Igala people in modern day Kogi State.

And just then, this writer is ushered into the Hall of Fame. Here, portraits of global icons are showcased.

The visitor is treated to a video footage of Nigeria’s pre-independence era till that of Yar’adua. A few steps away, something awful meets the eyes. A group of naked men and women bound together by chains are seated. Their faces reek of pain and dejection. The hall is referred to as Slave Market. Their story is told by two elaborate white boards placed just beside them and a video footage that confirms the authenticity of their story. Other sculptural works are placed in this hall, telling a compelling story of slave trade in Africa.

As the guide leads this writer to an opposite hall, the sight of three hanging men strikes the eyes. One of them is Anini Lawrence. And the other Monday Osunbor, flanked by DSP Iyamu. Their story forms a watershed of dare-devil criminality that swept through Benin-City some 29 years ago. Cameramen and journalists swoop on them, asking probing questions. The criminals, looking downcast, manage a reply or two.

A video footage shows their ruthless execution, bringing tears to the eyes. The visitor is caught in awe of how Osunbor refused to die, despite the flurry of gunshots fired at him by the soldiers.

And then, a solo tunnel leads to the City of Blood. The scene is scary as one approaches. On the left is the sight of Victor Uwaifo’s famous encounter with a mermaid at the Lagos Bar Beach. A beautiful woman with long strands of hair holding a “gift” in front of the Guitar Boy, with her body partially immersed in water. The exchanges between them remain a mystery known only to Sir Uwaifo himself. The encounter inspired the popular “If you see mammy water, never never you run away” lyrics of the 80s.

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At the hall, a human skeleton hangs on a local ladder made of raw wood. It is flanked by a dark, mysterious figure. His waist is adorned with a white fabric and his shoulders are flung apart, exuding uncanny confidence. Beside this figure is a Bini chief hanged with a red rope. This writer would later learn that the chief had committed a misdemeanour which warrants his strangulation by subjects of the Oba. On the floor, a human is consumed by a vulture.

The story is told by detailed inscriptions on two white boards placed on the wall.

As the tour gets pretty serious, this writer is ushered into a large studio dotted by various musical instruments. The tension considerably wanes as one is entertained with soulful music. In a moment,

arts one finds oneself in the airplane house built by Uwaifo.

Here, history is carefully interspersed with entertainment.

A video clip succinctly captures the works of the legend.

The flipside All over the world, museums help to preserve history and create a relaxed atmosphere for knowledge transfer.

Most museums are run as not-for-profit organisations but in some climes, they have become a money-spinner, providing alternative income to their owners.

However, the state of things at Pallazo calls for improvement. For instance, this writer spent a great deal of time awaiting the official who ought to have led the tour.

It would be later learned that the official had embarked on a personal mission at the expense of organisational demands.

At the various halls, some of the audio-visuals refused to play. Dilapidation of structures is gradually creeping in too.

Again, the number of visitors Pallazo attracts seems to be very poor. And in the past few years, the centre has been unable to come up with programmes to expand its frontiers. Such inertia cripples the growth of any brand.

Our world has grown noisier than it was years ago. No serious brand can afford to remain in the dark. Strategic visibility is crucial.

Exploring the gains In 2014, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture clamoured for the revamp of the Nelson Mandela National Museum in Mthatha, South Africa. The department said it would make bold propositions in consultation with the Museum’s management. It expressed concerns that a museum named after the apartheid hero would be allowed to rot away. But Nigeria is yet to witness such reverence for its pool of arts.

As one of the leading arts centres in the country, stakeholders are expected to come up with bold initiatives to transform this history-rich centre. For a brand that wields the sort of trust and acclaim like Victor Uwaifo, investors could ride on the crest of this brand promise to make the museum thrive.

Handlers of the museum could come up with educational initiatives and work in tandem with schools, promoting transfer of historical knowledge, cultural values and a teaching aid to students of Fine and Applied Arts.

The museum could equally organise festivals and exhibitions. These activities are a sure-fire way to attract affiliate works, networking, and leisure for members of the pubic as well as financial support to embark on massive artistic works.

In The Economics of Museum, authors Bruno Frey and Stephan Meier said a number of museums now create value through “ancillary activities” such as museum shops, restaurants and cafes, sale of catalogues, cultural trips and exhibitions. These initiatives could have a huge impact on the operational expenses of the museum and create jobs.

A museum is just what it is: an art collection centre, telling stories in paintings, sculptures, artefacts, etc. But a museum must be able to create real, social value. Not just a static depot of art works. BQi BrandiQ

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destination branding

From Potentials To Profit A Potpourri Of Exciting Tourism Locations In Edo State For a country that prides itself as the giant of the black continent, it is worrisome that Nigeria does not show up as one of the top ten destinations in Africa. But now, there are more than glimmers of hope. Aside the giant leaps by various states in Nigeria, including Lagos, Cross River, Ondo, Kebbi and Osun, Edo state has decided to make a bold statement, writes GILBERT ALASA. Okpekpe: A tale of untapped potentials In 2013, owner of Nigeria’s foremost sports marketing company Pamodzi Sports, Chief Mike Itemuagbor, organised the first international 10km road race in Nigeria. The event, which was sponsored by telecoms giants, Globacom, saw athletes from various parts of the continent converge in Okpekpe in Etsako East Local Government Area of the state. The third edition of the annual event held in May, 2015 drew global attention to the undulating town as a total of 45 athletes from 15 African countries participated in the event. While efforts are ongoing to expand the frontiers of the IAAF Bronze-labelled Road Race, the attention of the state government must be drawn to the flurry of tourism potentials that abound within the state.

Says the State governor, Adams Oshiomole, during the May 2015 edition of the race: “I am satisfied that part of our objective of rural development policy has been achieved by the growing interest which this competition has continued to attract.” With a rural development drive that has seen massive investments in road networks, this has resulted in seamless interconnection of the various towns, making it increasingly smooth touring the various attraction sights.

As the Nigerian Senate recently approved the $75million World Bank loan for the state, efforts should be geared towards rebranding BrandiQ

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campaigns that would contribute significantly to its revenue generation drive. For tourists, the following sights are sure to stimulate amusement and fun.

Situated in the northern axis of Edo State, Okpekpe boasts of attractive sceneries, natural beauty and historical hills tucked away

Edo Tourism

Destination branding in lush vegetation. The Okpekpe people boast of a robust culture and potpourri of festivals that resonate with the amusing allure of the dwellers. Of significant importance is the Ilimi Festival – a group of masquerades with a semblance of the Eyo in Lagos.

These festivals are rich enough to generate great income for the old Bendel state.

With a population of about 50,000 people according to the 2006 population census, Okpekpe is hemmed in by natural bodies of waters whose narrative evokes both mystery and awe for a firsttime visitor. Top on this list is the Irhui River (River of ropes), a delectable waterfall that cascades from rocky tops bound about by strands of sturdy roots. The rhythm of the fall is sonorous, as though taking turns to sing lullaby to tourists. The fall is intersected by a free-flowing stream that connects the town to other adjoining villages. Until civilisation swept through the town in the late 1990s, it was believed that spirits of people who died earlier than scheduled usually opt for the waterfall for a “final bath” to expedite their cessation from the material world.

Okomu Tourism

Ososo Tourist Centre Ososo town is home of the astute labour leader and state governor. It is a border settlement between Edo and Kogi States, lying about 40 kilometres from Igarra and 200 kilometres from BeninCity, the Edo capital. The rocky and hilly town is adorned with a Rest House built by colonial administrations in the 19th century, serving as a holiday harbour for colonial workers at the time. A stand atop the Rest House gives an extensive view of some parts of Kogi State as well as the Niger. And just a short distance away from the Rest House is found a caldera lake, a volcanic cone that houses colourful fishes.

Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary Located at the commercial nerve centre of the state is the Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary. A reserve jointly managed by the Edo State Government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, it prides itself as one of the first categories of reserves to be protected in 1985 by the government. It is home to hundreds of protected species of rare primates including chimpanzees and white-throated monkeys. Lovers of wildlife will savour the awe-inspiring sights of lions, cheetahs, pumas, white Bengal tigers, bush baby, muna monkeys, putty nose monkeys and many birds’ species.

And back to Benin City. The town, which houses one of the most ancient kingdoms in the world, sparkles with a deluge of historical relics, artefacts and monuments preserved over the centuries. Of significance is the Nine Gates of Benin, a mound of earth known as inner wall with dull red colour, carefully arched into a series of horizontal ripples. It is regarded as the largest man-made structure in the world.

Add that to the Benin National Museum, Revelation Tourist Palazzo Centre – the awe-inspiring arts centre built by foremost musician and painter, Victor Uwaifo, The Greens of NIFOR and the Ogba Zoo all combine to give Edo State a befitting stead in exploring its tourism potentials.

At a time when the price of oil plummets in global crude markets, resulting in depleted receipts in federal allocations, many states in Nigeria like Edo would do themselves well to explore destination branding as a tool for alternative income generation.

To achieve this, capital investments and result-driven branding campaigns must be included in its urbanisation plans.

The state has done well to place itself on the world map through the annual Okpekpe 10km International Road Race. But greater investment opportunities and prosperity can be harnessed by taking a step further: turning these potentials to profit. BQi BrandiQ

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aUTO

Why Hi-tech Cars Are Easy Target To Modern Thieves Recent developments and findings have revealed that innovative features meant to make modern, sophisticated automobiles more secure are making them vulnerable to car thieves and auto manufacturers have done little to help the situation, writes Femi Owoeye.

These days, operations of modern automobiles are mostly electronic. It’s an era of hi-tech auto-machines. Computerization increases yearly. Depending on what class, there are now cars with keyless entry and keyless starting. There are those with Automatic breaking System (ABS). A car can now park itself, while its driver lazily looks on. In fact, at the extreme, the world is now witnessing driverless cars: Just get on board, read a newspaper or have a nap and a Google car will take you to your destination. It’s a robot on wheels.

The question is: Why have automakers gone this far?

Answer: Since it’s no more possible to reinvent the wheels, what they have been doing to out-do one another is to enhance functionality, comfort, safety and security of automobiles. Of course, auto buyers should have been better for it, especially now that a car is capable of shutting down its own engine to spoil things for members of the light finger fraternity.

But, developments trailing the foregoing technological advancement have proven that auto high tech, which initially elicited cheers from auto users and enthusiasts alike could soon begin to dig out tears. To nick a modern car these days, all a car thief needs do is acquire knowledge of computer programming and ability to crack computer software codes.

For instance, in recent times, the automobile industry has recorded a string of security flaws, including the Ownstar hack, the Tesla S debacle, the text message takeover trick and the infamous highway Jeep attack that saw 1.4 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles recalled.

As contained in a research released recently, the Megamos immobilizers system used by over 20 auto makers around the BrandiQ

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2014 Jeep Cherokee: Most Vulnerable modern car world can easily be cracked.

Worst, certain auto manufacturers were reportedly aware of the flaw two years ago (2013), but did nothing about it. Instead, Volkswagen and European defence contractor reportedly took legal action to prevent the researchers from publishing their findings.

The Findings The said research team was from Holland’s Radbound University. They found out that car thieves can easily intercept the radio signal from the key fob to the car alarm. The team tested their theory by eavesdropping on the data transmissions between the fob and the security system and, within 30 minutes, succeeded in figuring out which cryptographic key would unlock the system’s encryption and disable the immobilizer.

“This is a serious flaw, and it’s not very easy to quickly correct”, Tim Watson, Director of Cyber Security at the University of Warwick, explained to Bloomberg Business. “It is not a theoretical weakness, it’s an actual one and it doesn’t cost theoretical dollars to fix; it costs actual dollars.”

How Car Hackers Operate In an exclusive interview with Motoring World, Mr Joshua Nwabineli, Managing Director, Joshnelly Technologies Limited, a Nigeria-based Information and Communication Technology (ICT) company revealed that one major strategy of car hackers is to send virus into a car to shut down its security operation.

“They can send virus to the car’s software to exploit the system, manipulate it,” he pointed out. “Remember, there are

aUTO

Shell Ultra Fuel Efficient City Car Coming

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2014 BMW X3: Easy target to light finger fraternity a number of controls in the modern cars, which are software-oriented. Some even send and receive information via satellite.

“I’ll give you an example. There was a time certain group wanted to prevent Iran’s nuclear programme, and all they did was send virus to their system to disorganize it. They can do same to shut down software operation in an automobile or even an aircraft.

“All that such criminals do is to tap into the signal that goes in and out of the car. For instance, when you lock or unlock your car remotely, there is a signal that goes from the remote key fob into to software in the car. A criminal who succeeds in tapping into that signal, can easily disable the car’s immobilizer.

“Also, there are car software controls that are linked to the internet, sending or receiving signals via satellite. All of these have made automobiles vulnerable to sophisticated thieves.”

Is there any way modern car owners can get help from IT experts to prevent criminals from hacking into their modern automobiles?

“No,” answered Mr. Nwabineli. “There is nothing an independent IT expert can legally do. Car software is not generic. If the car maker does not create a room for software experts, there is nothing he or she can do, unless tries hacking into the system, which is not appropriate. The right people to sort the problem out are the manufacturers.

“What affected car owners should do is seek help from franchise dealers, who is also in contact with manufacturer. But before going to see a dealer, it is advisable for owners to search the internet for information about security of their vehicles so that they could have informed discussion with the car dealer.

“On the part of auto manufacturers, what they should do is use top quality anti-virus and encryption such that information to and from a car’s software would be able to travel in such a way that somebody would not be able to tap into it.”

But the research team from Holland’s Radbound University said they had been in contact with a number of the affected manufacturers about patching the flaw, but reckoned the problem would be difficult to resolve, because, according to them, it would involve swapping out the physical chip in the fob for more securely designed one, which could be a lot more expensive. BQi

hell, in collaboration with the legendary race and road car designer Professor Gordon Murray and engine specialist Osamu Goto, plans to co-engineer an ultra-compact, efficient car for city use based around the internal combustion engine.

According to Shell Eco-marathon, the ultra-compact, fuel-efficient city car shall be ready by November, 2015.

The Shell concept is intended to be a simple, practical global city car; drawing together the most innovative aspects of light-weight engineering, streamlining, and driveline efficiency and work brilliantly be it in a city, where mass-motoring is a relatively new thing or already a century-old. Once built, the car will be tested on-the-road.

The concept is intended to inspire thinking about maximizing personal mobility while minimizing energy use, helping people get around the world’s ever-more congested cities where, by 2050, up to three quarters of the world’s estimated nine billion people could be living.

Initiated by Shell, the collaboration, which is called Project M, brings together Shell’s Lubricant’s Technology Team, The Gordon Murray Design Group and engine specialist Geo Technology. This technically intimate co-engineering relationship between the three expert teams means that the development of the lubricants, engine and vehicle will be completely integrated, delivering results neither group could achieve by working apart.

Shell provides the fluids for the car specifically ‘designing’ the motor oil that complements and enhances the overall efficiency of the vehicle. Most people would naturally assume that oil, greases and fuels are simply added at the end of a concept-car build project like this, but the Shell car aims to show what can be achieved when its products are integrated into the design, right from the start.

“Since working with the Gordon Murray Design team on the T.25 car in 2010,” explained Selda Gunsel, Shell Vice President, Lubricants Technology.

“We have given further thought on how to deliver a complete rethink of the car, using as little energy as possible. We believe this Shell car will demonstrate how efficient a car can be when Shell works in harmony with vehicle and engine makers during design and build, supplying fuels and lubricants technical expertise. Shell is excited to be working with such top calibre partners and invite others to join us for the remaining part of this exciting journey.”

The three parties last collaborated in 1988 on Ayrton Senna’s and Alain Prost’s Honda –powered, Shell- fuelled race cars that won all but one Grand Prix that season, a record that still stands. Shell and Professor Gordon Murray go back way further; Shell sponsored the first car engine Professor Gordon Murray ever built in South Africa, when he was just 19. BQi

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aUTO

Peugeot 508: Built Like A Well Fed Lion

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f its equipment, eye catching style, generous leg room inside and the trunk are confirmed at Euro-CAP crash test then, PAN Nigeria Limited has got in its Peugeot 508 a strong contender in the race to the pinnacle of the nation’s luxury car market, reports ROTIMI ASHER At a Peugeot showroom recently, a car stuck out its fat cheek like a bellyfull lion. All-new Peugeot 508 it was.

What came to mind at the end of the tour was that the likes of Honda Accord, Ford Mondeo, Skoda Octavia and VW Passat have got a strong contender.

Though parked among its siblings, including the bold 4008, Pug 3008 and 301, the trendy 508 luxuriously stands out.

airbags, dual zone (front and back seats) climate control air-conditioning, 60/40 folding rear seats and electronically operated front seats. Other standard pieces of equipment include cruise control + speed limiter with preset speed memory function and convenience.

Styling The Peugeot 508 effortlessly catches the eye with its sweeping shape and unique grille which can be likened to a fat cheek lion at rest after catching a whole animal for a nice meal. One dares to add that the lion 508 seems to be saying, “tooth pick, please!”

Its lion-mouth-like grill above which was a nose-like feature, which in turn incorporates the grill and headlamps, features a real pair of lion eyes. Call them headlamps. But they are really shaped like fearful eyes of a lion. Much bigger than its predecessor, the new 508 stands at 4.8m long – about the same as a Ford Monday.

Safety The car is equipped with six airbags and electric child safety locks. This car has gone through rigorous Euro NCAP crash test, at the end of which it earned itself a maximum five-star crash test rating.

Running Cost Peugeot’s National Sales Manager, Abubakar Jimeta, who conducted us around the showroom, claims that Peugeot 508 is about the most economical to run among all models in its category.

“Cost of ownership is cheaper”, he asserted. “While Ford goes for only 7000 kilometre before due for servicing and others as low as 5000 kilometres, Peugeot 508 will run for 10,000 kilometres before there would be need for servicing.”

The Trunk The boot is practical and roomy, with a generous capacity of 497 litres. With the seatbacks folded, this rises to 1,533 litres. It would no doubt swallow four golf bags.

Interior First to strike one was its leather trimmed steering wheel. With chrome and leather detailing and a clean, sleek dash, the 508 has a modern, high quality feel. A premium quality leather trim is fitted as standard; front seats are also heated and electrically adjustable. Donned with high quality materials, 508’s cabin feels much more up-market. Though a firsttimer might encounter a bit of difficulty in navigating his or her way around, because of so many buttons, by the time he or she gets familiar with them, it should be fun.

Equipment Peugeot 508 comes with Rd5 Radio/ hands-free Car Kit/Bluetooth Audio. There is also auto headlight, which turns towards BrandiQ

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Power Under the hood of 508 is 1.6-litr turbocharged engine with, according to Jimeta, “capacity of 3.0-litre.”

“Indeed, what gives it such a muscular power is its turbocharger,” he said, adding that the car “will travel conveniently from Lagos to Abuja on a full tank.”

the direction at which the driver steers. It has also got front auto windshield wiper, electric folding side mirrors, front and rear sequential power window, cooling glove box, side

Last Words Given what this writer witnessed and discovered during close observation of the luxury machine, Peugeot 508 is bound to be value for money in the hands of top company executives and individual auto enthusiasts, who are looking for a cosy world of automobile to sometimes cruise in. BQi

MARC O M academy MARKE TING MEDIA , PR, ADVER T AND B RANDIN ISING, G

Marketing Branding Public Relations Media

Advertising

info@brandiqng.com. www.brandiqng.com

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MARCOM ACADEMY MARKETING, ADVERTISING, PR, MEDIA AND BRANDING

Dear Reader,

www.brandiq.com Marcom Academy and its tutors have continued to receive accolades from students and marketing communications professionals within and outside the shores of Nigeria for this noble initiative.

In this edition, the tutorial on marketing examines marketing research process.

Once again, we want to remind you of the third annual BrandiQ Symposium, coming up on November 4, 2015.

The theme for this year’s symposium is “Reinventing Brand Nigeria for the 21st Century Market Economy through Public Accountability, Responsible Citizenship and Corporate Governance.”

Our symposium is a yearly event where seasoned professionals gather to discuss topical issues on how to move brand Nigeria forward.

This year’s symposium promises to be very impactful as renowned professionals and technocrats have been lined up to present papers and discuss the topic.

This year, BrandiQ, was part of the 2015 International Campus Leadership Conference (ICLC) held at the Eko Beach Resort, Lekki- Lagos.

BrandiQ team was also on hand to receive marketing department students of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro in Ogun State in Synthesis Communications Office, the publisher of BrandiQ Magazine.

Other activities are lined up across tertiary institutions in the last quarter of the year.

Marcom Academy is a platform in the BrandiQ Magazine dedicated to supporting students and new entrant professionals in Marketing Communications-Marketing, PR, Advertising, Media, Branding and allied adjuncts.

To live up to its corporate responsibility, the magazine is given to students free. This is further supported by a digital online version. Just log on to

For PR, attention focuses on insights on PR campaign execution.

The lecture on Advertising centres on effective advertising / advertising objectives.

On Media, the tutors examined application of research in media strategy.

Lastly, the tutorial on Branding discusses designing a package from branding perspective.

In every segment of the tutorial, there is a question for prizes. The aim is to test students’ understanding of the lecture.

The Board of BrandiQ will continue to do its best to maintain the standard of the tutorial.

Enjoy your study.

Remain Blessed for the rest of the year.

Desmond Ekeh and Nathaniel Udoh

meet the tutors

Idorenyen Enang BrandiQ

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Phil Osagie

Bola Akingbade

Richard Ikiebe

Josef Bel-Molokwu

Joko Okupe

Casmir Onukogu

MARKETING

Understanding Marketing Research Process Consumers Purchasing Behaviour

Product Consumption Pattern

Product Distribution Channels

*Brand *Product *Positioning

Understanding Of Market Trends Concept Refinement And Choice

To-To-Market Plan

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arketing research is the systematic process of recording, and interpreting information relating to the marketing of goods and services. The essence of marketing research is to present accurate information that can aid marketing decisions in companies / organisations.

Activities in marketing research include: • Understanding product consumption pattern among consumers • Understanding consumers purchasing behaviour • Understanding product distribution channels • Understanding of market trends • Etc. Process in Marketing Research The following steps are taken sequentially in marketing research: • Background/introduction • Problem definition • Research plan/research design • Sampling design • Data analysis • Report presentation Background/Introduction This is the general overview of the research purpose including statement of the research problem and objectives of the study stated in clear and finite terms.

Problem Analysis or Statement of Problem or Situational Analysis Depending on the problem at hand, any of these could be used to establish the problem. It has to do with defining the problem that is about to be solved or analysis of the situation on ground that needs to be tackled.

Example: ABC Vegetable Oil since its inception in 2013 has not shown remarkable presence in Lagos and other major Nigerian cities. Its awareness level / visibility and consumer patronage has been low. In view of this, it has become necessary to find a lasting solution to this problem.

Research Plan/Research Design: This entails setting a plan on how the study will be carried out as well as come up

with the research design to be used in collecting data. We can formulate hypotheses or come up with some research questions.

They help to give proper direction aim at solving the identified problem. Here we have to identify the type of study that can proffer solution to the problem identified. It could be through a survey, in-depth study or focus group etc.

The Data Gathering Method: Information can be obtained by two methods - primary and secondary data.

Secondary data are data which are already in existence that is available for use by the researcher. They are obtained from books, journals, company records, government statistics, CBN, etc. Primary data are obtained by the researcher himself or herself, rather than the work of others. It could be through questionnaire or in-depth study.

The Research Instrument: These are methods used in gathering research information namely- survey, observation etc. The choice of method is determined by the type of study at hand. Survey method involves interviewing people for the purpose of obtaining BrandiQ

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MARKETMarketing Research

Background / introduction

Problem definition

Client

Research plan/ research design

Sampling design

Marketing Strategy

information from them through the use of a questionnaire. It has the advantage of getting to the original source of information.

Questionnaires are used in a survey where we have structured questions. Interview in survey may be done by the researchers in person, by telephone, or by mail (postage) or these days, through the internet. There is also the participant observation that allows the researcher to understand the attitude or behaviour of people in a natural setting by being a participant. The participant observer may have the problem of recording observations and responses and some acts may be difficult to observe.

mental sampling - based on the judgment of the researcher, quota sampling where the researcher finds and interviews a prescribed number of people in each of the several categories.

The Sampling Design: Conducting marketing research requires the sampling unit, (who are to be surveyed), the sampling method, (how are they to be selected), the sampling procedure (how the sampling units are to be reached effectively), and the sampling number (how many to be surveyed).

There are two types of sampling methods - probability and non-probability methods.

The probability sampling methods enable the researcher to make accurate and scientific estimates of the population characteristics. Its methods include simple random sampling where every element of the population has equal chance of selection.

Stratified sampling is another; where the population is divided into mutually exclusive groups (e.g. sex, age, income etc.) and random samples are drawn from each group. Others are: cluster (area) sampling where the population is divided into mutually exclusive groups and a sample of the group to be surveyed will be drawn.

Non probability sampling is based on the selection of the researcher and thus the findings cannot be generalized to the population. It includes convenience sampling; that is sampling that is approachable, judg-

Data can be presented in the following ways: • Descriptive analysis which allows description of the findings in a free flowing manner-frequency, percentages, rating, scores.

• Tabular analysis which is the use of tables to analyse data showing relationship between data in rows and columns.

• Graphical analysis using graphs/charts to give presentation of the findings. Types of graphs mostly used are bar charts, line graphs, pie charts etc.

• Use of symbols or objects: research findings can be presented using symbols/objects to tell stories about the findings.

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Data Analysis: When data have been collected, the next step is to analyse them so that they can become useful in marketing decisions. A description of information gathered could be through story telling without the use of statistical technique. However, for better analysis, simple tabulation, cross tabulation and statistical analysis could be used.

Simple tabulation allows for each of the questions to be tabulated according to responses. Cross tabulation provides more meaningful information than simple tabulation. It may tabulate several responses, several questions and other characteristics of respondents like sex age, position etc.

The various statistical methods start with simple percentage up to more complex methods like regression analysis, correlation analysis, Chi-square, t-test, z-test, analysis of variance etc. They are used to

Data analysis

Report presentation

Client test hypotheses formulated.

Marketing Report Presentation: In presenting marketing research report, it is important to: • start with background details-problem statement, objectives, design/methodology, • start the summary with most important findings that management is interested in and keep it simple, • each finding should be treated as a key sub point. Do not say too much to make for quick reading/comprehension, • always remember to provide conclusions and recommendations (at least five in number), • make recommendations for further investigation or more detailed study if there is need for such.

Conclusion: Marketing research is the systematic process of recording, and interpreting information relating to the marketing of goods and services. The essence of marketing research is to present accurate information that can aid marketing decision. The essence of marketing research is to process accurate information to aid marketing decision. In presenting marketing report, it is important to begin with a detailed background to a summary of the most important findings with some of the findings treated as a key sub point and finally with conclusion and recommendation.

An Assignment: Mention and briefly discuss five factors that can affect proper execution of marketing research in Nigeria. First prize- ten thousand naira worth of recharge cards. The second and third best answers will get 3,000 naira value of recharge cards each. Send written answers to info@brandiqng.com BQi

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Insights On PR Campaign Execution

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xecuting a PR campaign originates from the brief an agency gets from a client. A brief is a written or oral piece of information supplied by a client to an agency to help the client meet certain expectations or solve a problem.

It is important that briefs are written so that the agency can always make reference to it while undertaking the client’s job. Sometimes, the client may just decide to give an oral brief.

Executing a PR campaign requires some steps as stated below: Brainstorm session: Here, people gather to come up with ideas on the part of the agency on how to proffer solutions to what the client demands as contained in the brief. During the brainstorm session, someone particularly from the client service department takes down notes on important ideas and strategies related to the brief. This will be presented to the client in a proposal. It goes first with target audience identification, in terms of their social classes, media habits and how they unwind.

The next step is writing of proposal: Here, the ideas and thoughts from the brainstorm session are put in a written format. In doing this, it is always important to give your proposal an introduction/background or preamble.

The introduction/background or preamble can be in this form: XYZ Company is the maker of X3 brand of vegetable oil in Nigeria.

Since its inception in 2013, brand awareness/visibility coupled with low consumer patronage has been low. Against this background, client has challenged agency to come up with a PR campaign plan that can provide brand awareness /visibility as well as attract patronage to the brand.

The proposal is followed by a budget.

This demands a great sense of dexterity to be able to defend every item included in the budget .When the proposal with the attached budget is finally agreed by both the client

Executing the campaign falls into three stages namely: Pre Event: The agency can kickstart the pre-event by way of holding a press conference or media conference. If this is the case, the first thing to do is to secure a venue that will be agreed upon by both the agency and the brand owner or client. After this, select journalists are invited to the press conference. The idea is for them to create awareness for the intended campaign by way of reporting.

It could also take the form of a radio teaser or radio hype by a popular radio presenter.

This could also be supported

by Bulk SMS. We can also use the social media and blog posts. How it is done is to choose a hashtag. The hashtag has to be short, concise and unique to the event. The hashtag must be used in every tweet on twitter page, Facebook and LinkedIn etc.

PR Campaign Execution 1 Writing of proposal 3

PR campaign 2

Background or preamble

PR Campaign 4 Execution and the agency, the client will issue the agency with a Payment Order (PO) which is like an Invoice authorizing the agency to go ahead and execute the campaign. This applies strictly in a Pay-As-You-Go agreement between the agency and the client. But there might be a slight difference if the agency is on a retainership account.

Now PR Campaign Execution

During the event Like the case of unveiling of a new product, there must be bloggers and twitter influencers for live tweeting. Importantly, there has to be a photographer to take pictures of BrandiQ

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public relations brand owners like the brand manager or marketing manager during the product unveiling for exploitation purposes.

In an event like market activation, there must be a photographer as well to take pictures of important moments to be exploited in newspapers and other media platforms.

Besides, the use of security men is equally important to maintain order at the venue against the activities of touts or Area boys (the case of Lagos). Please note that it is the nature of the brief client sends that will determine the nature of PR campaign execution strategies).

Post Event A post event can come in different ways like a ‘thank you’ tweets, letter of appreciation for select number of people for honoring invitation in case of a symposium. This is good for networking and building relationship.

It can also take the form of commissioned stories, photo splash, testimonial profiling, and slice of live story, online exploitation in case of product launch, or TV reality show etc. Radio interviews of winners could also be done. This is to create visibility and awareness.

Report: In case of market activation, report will be presented to client immediately the campaign has ended.

It is expected to show what was demanded of the agency and what the agency has been able to achieve. But in case of a symposium, it is the head of the symposium committee that will do a report and present it to the management.

Compilation: If it is a campaign like using an event to increase sales of a product, for instance, Maltina Dance All, when the campaign has finally ended, agency has to compile all mentions both in print, on radio/TV and online platforms as the case may be, and send to clients for reference purposes. At this point, the campaign has ended and the agency will be waiting for payment from the client.

Campaign Evaluation: If agency is worth its onions, it has to embark on post campaign evaluation study.

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was successful or not. And also to be able to identify areas of challenges during the campaign and what could be done to improve on such future campaigns.

Conclusion To execute a PR campaign, you must first identify your target during a brainstorm session. PR campaign execution falls into three steps –Pre event, event proper and post event. Agency can kick-start pre-event by way of holding a press conference or media conference. If this is the case, the first thing to do is to secure a venue that will be agreed by both the agency and the brand owner or client. Select journalists are invited to the press conference.

During the event proper - like the unveiling of a new product, there must be bloggers and twitter influencers for live tweeting.

Importantly, there has to be a photographer to take pictures of the brand manager or marketing manager during the product unveiling for exploitation purposes. Post event can come in different ways like ‘thank you’ tweets, letter of appreciation for select people for honoring invitation in case of a symposium.

In case of market activation, report will be presented to client immediately the campaign has ended.

If it is a campaign like using an event to increase sales of a product for instance, Maltina Dance All, when the campaign has finally ended, agency has to compile all mentions. If the agency is worth its onions, it has to embark on post campaign evaluation study.

An assignment: Using 800 words, discuss five factors that may constitute hindrance to the execution of a successful PR campaign of XYZ brand of soft drink. First prize - ten thousand naira worth of recharge cards. The other two best written answers will get 3,000 naira worth of recharge cards each. Written answers should be sent to: info@brandiq.com BQi

ADVERTISING

Insights On Effective Advertising

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dvertising is central in marketing communications. It has become a very useful means of passing a message about a product, an idea or service to consumers. Advertising as a tool of creating awareness about products and services is believed to be as old as man.

Advertising simply means a non-personal persuasive message about products, ideas, goods and services communicated to target audience through various media channels by a sponsor.

Advertising plays important roles in marketing communications. It performs the functions of informing, educating, and persuading consumers about a brand, product or service. These roles can only be achieved if the advertising is effective.

Effective Advertising Advertising is effective if it is able to achieve the advertiser’s objectives. This describes advertising effectiveness in terms of what it is able to accomplish.

Although it may not be possible to provide a comprehensive definition of what constitutes effective advertising, we can look at it from its general characteristics.

Effective advertising must satisfy the following considerations: • It must come from a sound marketing strategy. Advertising can be effective if it is compatible with other elements of an integrated marketing communications strategy.

• Effective advertising must follow consumers thought. Consumers buy a particular product because of the benefits they stand to derive from the product and not because of its attributes. Therefore, advertising message must be stated in a way that it relates to the consumer’s needs, wants and values rather than the marketer’s.

• Effective advertising is persuasive in na-

ture. When advertising message is persuasive, it appeals to consumers or target audience.

• Advertising must find a unique way to break through the clutter. Every brand has a competitor in the market space.

So advertising must find a way to break through the clutter to give the advertising brand strong visibility.

• Good advertising should never promise more than it can deliver or offer. In terms of ethics and smart business sense, affective advertising is one that does not

promise more than what it can offer. If advertising cannot offer what it promises consumers, it can have a negative impact on the brand.

• Good advertising prevents the creative idea from overwhelming the strategy. The purpose of advertising is to persuade and influence consumers to take action. If the strategy is good, people will always remember the message.

• Effective advertising has a lot of creativity which differentiates it from ordinary advertisement. Advertisement that is ordinary and lacks creativity will not be able to break through the clutter and attract consumers’ attention. If this is the case, it may not be able to achieve set objectives.

• The following quote by Schultz and Tannenbaum summarises the essential of effective advertising “it is advertising that is created for a specific customer. It is advertising that understands and thinks BrandiQ

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advertising about the customer’s needs. It is advertising that communicates a specific benefit. It is advertising that pinpoints a specific action that the consumer takes. Good advertising understands that people do not buy products - they buy product benefits.

Above all, effective advertising gets noticed and remembered and gets people to act.”

Advertising Objectives Advertising objectives are those goals that advertising attempts to achieve in a particular campaign over a given period of time. Every advertising decision is dependent on advertising objectives but the task of setting good and clear advertising objectives may not be quite easy. Sometimes people, without knowing, come up with vague advertising objectives e.g. “to create brand awareness and to increase sales for XYZ brand.” Advertising objectives of this nature do not give a clear direction of what is to be achieved during a particular advertising campaign within a given time frame. Advertising objective of this nature e.g. “to increase sales for XYZ brand from 20 -50 percent in 6 months” is a good advertising objective because it specifies what advertising wants to achieve within a given time period.

Advertising objectives should specify clear goals set out to be achieved.

A brand that is new in the market has as its objective to build brand awareness among target audience. If a brand is not well established in the market, the objective may be to encourage brand trial/patronage among target consumers. If a brand is already established in the market, then the objective is to sustain repeat purchase and build brand loyalty among target audience.

In most cases, some of the most common advertising objectives are stated in ways like: To create brand awareness among target audience: This is a primary objective when a brand in question is not yet known in the market but tries to penetrate it.

To build brand equity/loyalty among target consumers: This is a primary objective when a brand in question is known but faces competition in the market but wants to differentiate itself and to sustain consumer patronage.

To increase the rate of brand consumption among target consumers: This is a primary objective when a brand is well known in the market among competitors but wants rate of consumption to be further increased among the target group.

When advertising objectives are well stated, they help in three major areas nameBrandiQ

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ly: Providing direction to marketing/ advertising personnel: When advertising objectives are clearly stated, they provide marketing and adverting personnel the direction and the strategy advertising will take during a given period of time as well as what advertising wants to achieve for a brand in that period.

Serving as guide to budget, message and media: When advertising objectives are clearly stated, they serve as a guide to advertising budget, message and media strategy in terms of how much should be spent, the kind of media channels to use, as well as the media strategies to connect with target audience.

Serving as measurement against advertising expected results: When advertising objectives are properly stated, they provide in clear quantitative terms what advertising intends to accomplish within a given time frame. Through this way, results can be measured against stated advertising objectives.

Conclusion Advertising plays important roles in marketing communications. It performs the functions of informing, educating, and per-

suading consumers about a brand, product or services. Advertising is effective if it is able to achieve the advertiser’s objectives.

This describes advertising effectiveness in terms of what it is able to accomplish. Although it may not be possible to provide a comprehensive definition of what constitutes effective advertising, it is possible to look at its general characteristics. Effective advertising satisfies the following considerations: It must come from a sound marketing strategy so that it can be compatible with other elements of an integrated marketing communications strategy. Effective advertising must take the consumer’s point of thought because of the benefits they stand to derive from the product and not its attributes in order to meet consumer’s needs, wants and values rather than the marketer’s.

Effective advertising is persuasive in nature because by so doing will the message appeal to consumers.

An Assignment: In not more than two pages, mention those factors that you think can prevent an advertising campaign from achieving its set objectives. First prize - ten thousand naira worth of recharge cards. The two other best written answers will get 3,000 naira worth of recharge cards each. Written answers should be sent to: info@brandiqng.com BQi

MEDIA

Application Of Research In Media Strategy Media campaign evaluation

PAID Media

Media coverage/ media reach

OWNED Properties

Target audience analysis

Understanding media channels/ issues in the media industry

Message channels

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edia research is the process of investigating, collecting and interpreting information about the media in relation to targeted audience so as to arrive at a decision on media channels usage. To conduct media research requires an analysis of all information about media activities and programmes.

Areas of research in media Areas that research is involved in media include but not limited to: • Understanding media channels/issues in the media industry • Understanding media habits of target audience • Message channel understanding • Message creation • Message channels • Target audience analysis • Media coverage/ media reach • Media campaign evaluation Media channels/ issues in the media industry: We need research to know the available media channels/ issues and media scene in

MEDIA

EARNED Media

SOCIAL Platforms

the case of Nigeria. Research in this aspect will help know the number of Radio and TV stations available in the country, Billboards, Press, and the new media. Research also provides insights on issues in the media industry such as media cluttering, audience fragmentation, media inflation. Research provides a good understanding of regulations in the media, players in the media industry, trends, growth, technology changes, activities and how these affect players, media dominance and share of voice. It also helps to provide reliable information on the media environment, regulatory agencies in the media industry like Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) etc.

Understanding media habits of target audience: This has to do with the behaviour of the target audience in terms of their media characteristics. Research is required in this area so as to be able to know how the target audience reacts to various media programmes and activities in various media channels.

Understanding media habits of target audience Message channel understanding

Message creation

The message: The message is the expression of the thoughts and ideas of the sender which could be a brand owner or a service provider to the receiver of the message customers. The message has to be of proper language, appealing, highly convincing so as to spur-up target audience or consumers to take positive action about advertised brands or services. Research is required in this aspect in order to have insights on the kind of message that will appeal to the target audience.

Message channel This is the path or route which message passes from the sender to the receiver. In marketing communications, the sender for instance, a brand owner or a service provider, can send messages to consumers or target audience through television, radio, print (newspapers and magazines), out- of- home media, posters, point of sales material, pitch panels, and online media to consumers. Research is applied in order to determine the right media channels that can properly connect a brand or service with the target audience. A well packaged message through the right channel can connect immediately with BrandiQ

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media the target audience and draw their attention to the brand. This is why it is important to do a study to understand the media habits of consumers or target audience before choosing a media channel. Research helps media planners to understand media habits of target audience. Research provides brand managers with the information of understanding the trends in the media to be able to connect with their target audience.

Target audience analysis: Every media message aims at satisfying the needs and wants of certain target audience. Target audience analysis involves some kind of media research in order to be able to provide answers to questions such as:

MEDIA

• Who are the target audiences for the kind of message or kind of media channels you are about to choose?

include: Media channels understanding/ issues in the media. We need research to know the available media channels/ issues in the media industry /media scene in the case of Nigeria. Research in this aspect will help know the number of Radio and TV stations, Billboard, Press, and the new media channels as well as current issues in the media like media cluttering, audience fragmentation, media inflation, regulations in the media and government influence on the media etc.

Media habits understanding - Research in media helps provide insights on how target audiences react to various media programmes and activities in various media. Message creation - Research is required in this aspect in order to know how to create the right message to suit target audience.

• Will the target audience be able to get the message through the chosen media channels?

• What are the likely noises that can prevent them from receiving the message?

• What time does the target audience likely to watch programme on the channels?

When answers are provided to these questions they make it easier to reach the target audience.

Media coverage/ media reach: This is the area of coverage of a particular media channel. The wider the coverage of the media channel the wider the reach of the target audiences. Research is also required in this area to be able to know areas of coverage of a particular media channel. The wider the media coverage/reach, the greater the chance to provide strong visibility for brands.

Media campaign evaluation: Media campaign evaluation is the assessment of a particular campaign in various media channels used for a campaign.

Media campaign evaluation includes: On air evaluation On air evaluation is carried out to evaluate the progress made by ongoing campaign in various media channels. This is to find out whether people are aware of the message, like the message etc. A research of this nature provides the opportunity to make adjustment in the ongoing media campaign.

Post campaign evaluation Post campaign evaluation is carried out to determine the performance of a campaign in various channels.

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• Brand message (likes and dislikes) - to find out whether people like the message or not in the various media channels. In all of these, research has a role to play.

Media coverage/ media reach. Research is also required in this area to be able to determine area of coverage of a particular media channel.

Message channels. Research is applied here so as to determine the right media channels that can properly connect with the target audience.

Media campaign evaluation. On the part of media, it is divided into two: On air evaluation and post media evaluation. On air media evaluation is carried out to evaluate the progress made by ongoing campaign in various media. Post campaign media evaluation is conducted to determine the performance of a campaign in various media channels. In all of these areas, research is involved.

Conclusion Media research is the process of collecting, investigating and interpreting information about the media so as to arrive at a decision on media. To conduct media research requires an analysis of all information about media activities and programmes.

Areas where research is involved in media

An assignment: Using 800 words, discuss five factors that can affect the execution of media research in Nigeria. First prize - ten thousand naira worth of recharge cards .The other two best written answers will get 3,000 naira worth of recharge cards each. Written answers should be sent to: info@brandiq.com BQi

A typical evaluation study can focus on: • Brand message awareness - to find out the level of consumers awareness of the brand message in the media channels • Brand message recall - to find out if people can recall the message during a campaign in various media channels

BRANDING

Brand Packaging And Design

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ackaging is an important part of the branding process because it plays an important role in communicating the image of a brand as well as the identity of an organisation.

Packaging is the container for a product.

This comprises the physical appearance of the container inclusive of elements such as the design, colour, shape, labeling etc. Designing the package of a product is not as simple as what people may think. Package design is so important to a brand’s success and for this reason, it is important to have an insight on the systematic approach to designing the package of a product.

The systematic approach to designing the package of a product includes but not limited to: Brand Positioning: This is the first thing that has to be done concerning a packaging design. This requires the brand management team to specify how the brand is to be positioned in the minds of consumers against competitive brands in the market.

Product Category Analysis: When a brand owner has established how he wants consumers to see his product, the next thing to do is to determine the kind of packaging that can influence the brand’s positioning in the market.

Communication Priorities: This further reinforces the critical point in step 3 above that attention must be paid to those critical elements that can carefully communicate and attract the attention of consumers to a brand. It further lays emphasis on the need to communicate the benefits in an uncluttered manner so that consumers can easily get the message.

Functions of Packaging • Packaging is the first thing

that the public see before making the final decision to buy a particular product.

From this angle, it provides consumers with the knowledge of instantly knowing the content of a product.

• Packaging is an important part of the branding process as it plays a role in communicating the image of a product as well as the identity of a company.

• Packaging also plays a vital role in brand consolidation. It is now being used as an

important sales tool to attract consumers’ attention.

Criticisms of Packaging Some criticisms against packaging are that: • With increasing competition in the market place today, poor packaging practices may result in a negative brand image for a product or a company.

• It can create disposal problems that may constitute pollution to the society.

• It can be deceptive to consumers owing to the fact that a good package does not really mean a good product.

Elements of a Good Package Design A package designer aims for the following goals: • To attract consumers • To communicate a message to consumers about a product or brand • To create desire for a product • To sell a product Attract Consumers: Package must have enough self-impact to stand out among a number of packages. The package must draw consumers’ attention to itself irrespective of the number of competing brands. This can be done through the effective use of colour, shape, copy trademark, logo and other features.

Communication to Consumers: There is something that every packaging communicates to the consumer concerning a particular brand or product.

Sometime it is only from the packaging that consumers know a product that is not genuine and the one that is originally made. The identity of the image projected by the BrandiQ

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branding

package must agree with the image being sought for the product.

A good package design makes information easy to find. If information is difficult to locate or read, the packaging is likely not living up to the expectation of the consumers. For products marketed through consumer channels, packaging becomes the best bet to convince someone to make purchase trial of the product.

Creating a Desire: A good packaging is likely to convince consumers that a product can meet their needs and satisfy their inner desires. A good packaging usually adds value to users, creates a kind of social class among consumers. Research has shown that consumers are willing to pay more for prestige earned as a result of better packaging.

Selling the Product: A good packaging not only sells the product but also creates desire for consumers’ repeat purchase in the market.

The Role of Packaging in Building Brand Identity Expression of Brand Identity: A product with high quality printing label, distinctive design, and unique materials can help to express its identity in today’s crowded market place and by so doing, create a niche for itself.

Relationship Building: Packaging is a core part of building a good relationship between a brand and consumers. Where consumers get so used to the package of a product and the content, brand loyalty is built in the process.

Communication:

Conclusion Packaging is an important part of the branding process because it plays an important role in communicating the image of a brand as well as in expressing the identity of an organisation. Packaging is the container for a product. This comprises the physical appearance of the container inclusive of elements such as the design, colour, shape; labeling etc.

Designing the package of a product is not as simple as what people may think .Package design is so important to a brand’s success and for this reason, it is important to have an insight on the systematic approach to designing the package. This includes: Stating brand- positioning. This requires the brand management team to specify how the brand is to be positioned in the minds of consumers against competitive brands in the market. Product category analysis. This centres on determining the kind of packaging that can influence brand positioning.

Lastly, Communication priorities. This lays emphasis on the need to communicate the benefits of a brand on the package in an uncluttered manner so that consumers can easily get the message.

An Assignment: With 800 words, identify and explain five areas that a package designer can really lay emphasis when designing the pack of a product. First prize - ten thousand naira worth of recharge cards. The two other best written answers will get 3,000 naira worth of recharge cards each. Written answers should be sent to:info@brandiq.com BQi

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BiQ

Journal The Influence Of Event Marketing On Sales In An Unsecured Environment: A Review Of Event Marketing In Nigeria Under The Current Security Situation

By Ayozie, Daniel Ogechukwu (Ph.D) Department of Marketing, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State.

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Abstract ecurity has to do with the protection and preservation of all that the society considers to be important and valu-

able. It includes the conditions of life that are healthful and satisfying to all members of a given society (Edeko, 2005). Human security involves safety for people from both violent BrandiQ

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biq journal and non-violent threats. It is a condition or state of being characterised by freedom from persuasive threats to people’s rights, their safety or even their risks. It also considers taking preventive measures to reduce vulnerability and reducing risk and taking remedial actions where prevention fails. Event marketing is the design, sale and execution of oneoff programmes which might also run for some series. These include seminars, celebrations, anniversaries, competitions, awards and festivals. They can also range from small local events to large nationally planned events. For example, the Benson and Hedges Golden tones held in many states in Nigeria, Mobil Track and Fields, Pepsi Football League (now Globacom Football Leagues, Milo Marathon race, etc).

Event marketing as a form of brand promotion ties a brand to a meaningful athletic entertainment, cultural, social or any other type of high interest public activity is growing rapidly in Nigeria.

This is because, it provides companies some alternatives to the clustered mass media advertising, sales promotion and provides the opportunities for reaching out to customers whose consumptions behaviour can be linked with the marketing event. This can only take place in an atmosphere of peace, where both brand owners and consumers can interact freely devoid of any harassment Introduction The conventional view of security places a lot of emphasis on the military threats to security, and concentrates on the various forms of military response in the management of such threats (Edeko, 2009).

Imobigbe (1999) asserts that recent events in Nigeria have proved that the concept of security goes beyond military consideration. Security here is used to reflect the freedom from, or elimination of threat not only to physical existence of Nigerian states, but also their ability for self-protection and development as well as the enhancement of the general wellbeing of all their people (Imobigbhe, 1999).

By this definition, security has a positive impact on the conditions of life of the individuals within the various states and provides them with a genuine atmosphere for self-actualization, In recent times, there has been the BrandiQ

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Kano in the 1980s. It has since assumed a different dimension where sophisticated weapons such as guns and bombs are now employed to trample on the rights of other citizens and also challenge the national security of Nigeria, in exercise of their own right to assemble and associate.

emergence of various ethnic and religious militias such as the Niger-Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), Egbesu Boys of Africa (EBA), The Chikoko Movement (CM), The Movement of Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), The Odua People’s Congress (OPC), Arewa People’s Congress (APC), and not forgetting the Boko Haram. The activities of these groups can be traced to the Maitasine Group in Kano where cutlasses, bows and arrows were used to cause havoc in

Event Marketing: Definition/Meaning Event marketing is the design, sale and execution of one-off programmes which might also run for some series. These include seminars, celebrations, anniversaries, competitions, awards and festivals. They can also range from small local events to large nationally planned events. For example, the Benson and Hedges Golden tones held in many states in Nigeria, Mobil Track and Fields, Pepsi Football League (now Globacom Football Leagues, Milo Marathon race, etc).

Event Marketing is a form of brand promotion that ties a brand to a meaningful athletic, entertainment, cultural, social, or other type of high interest public activity. Event marketing is distinct from advertising, sales promotion, point of purchase merchandising, or public relations, but it generally incorporates elements from all of these promotional tools, event promotion have an opportunity to achieve success because, unlike other forms of marketing communications,

biq journal events reach people when they are receptive to marketing messages and capture people in a relaxed peaceful atmosphere (Kotler 2009).

Event marketing is growing rapidly because it provides companies alternative to the cluttered mass media, an ability to segment on a local or regional basis, and opportunities for reaching narrow lifestyle groups whose consumption behaviour can be linked with the local event. For example, Cocal-Cola sponsors FIFA football competition, Pepsi/Cadbury sponsors football in Nigeria, Mobil Track and Field events, Benson and Hedges Golden Tones.

Event marketing according to Shimp (2010) is “a form of brand promotion that ties a brand to a meaningful athletic, entertainment, cultural, social or other types of high interest public activity.� Event marketing is distinct from advertising, sales promotion, point of purchase merchandising, or public relations, but it generally incorporates elements from all of these promotional tools. Events marketing and promotions have an opportunity to achieve success because unlike other forms of marketing communications, events reach people when they are receptive to marketing messages and capture people in a relaxed peaceful atmosphere (Heitsmith 2011).

Event marketing is growing rapidly because it provides companies some alternatives to the clustered mass media, especially advertising and sales promotion, and an ability to segment on a local or regional basis, and incorporates opportunities for reaching narrow life style groups, whose consumption behaviour can be linked with the global event. For

example, Glo Mobile Communications, or the Barclays Bank of England sponsors the English Premier League, Obanta Day in Ijebuland, or the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) etc. Football fans in Nigeria are heavy users of Glo Mobile Communication network, because it is purely an indigenous firm owned by a Nigerian, Mike Adenuga. The Guinness Nigerian Plc committed itself to a long term sponsorship of high profile matches involving the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, and other foreign teams like Argentina. MasterCard invested millions of Dollars in the sponsorship of the World Cup in the past. The beverage brand Milo sponsored the Nigerian Marathon Race, while Cadbury Bournvita and Pespi, were at one time or the other, the sponsors of the Nigerian Premiership League.

Event Sponsorship/ Event Marketing This is a situation whereby a company

develops sponsorship relations with a particular event. A lot of Nigerian companies spend millions of naira on events marketing. Sports alone receives a greater chunk of event marketing budget in Nigeria. Among the most popular sporting events for sponsorships are football (soccer), athletics, golf, polo, table/lawn tennis, Olympics and professional league games. A lot of Nigerian companies in the beverage industry, alcoholic beverages, telecommunications, banks and financial services, have at one time or the other, sponsored some major events in Nigeria. Many Nigerian companies and marketers are attracted to event marketing because it gets their company and/or the product names nearer to the consumers.

By choosing the right events for sponsorship, Nigerian companies can get visibility among their target market. Event marketing and sponsorship make a lot of Nigerian companies to be seen or heard in the electronic media, where there are

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biq journal restrictions on advertising their products.

(Ayozie 2007) Nigerian companies that are attracted to event sponsorship or marketing, believe that effective marketing communications programmes can be built around them, and promoting ties in the local, state, regional, national and even international markets. Companies in Nigeria are finding event sponsorships an excellent platform from which to build brand/product equity and gain affinity with target audiences, and this act as an excellent public relations tool..

A major issue that continues to face event marketing/sponsorship in Nigeria is incomplete research and the security implications of organising an event. The security situation becomes very vital, because events can be held and become very successful in an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence among the producers and consumers, and about the various ethnic races in Nigeria. Armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, banditry riots can make an event unsuccessful. As marketers become interested in target audience, they will want evidence that event sponsorship is effective and an excellent return on their investment. This can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in Nigeria.

How Nigerian Firms use Event Marketing Effectively As with every other marketing communications decision especially with advertising, the starting point for effective event sponsorship is to clearly specify the objectives that an event is designed to accomplish. An event marketing activity is useless and of no value if it cannot accomplish some objectives. For example, Glo Communication Network in Nigeria sponsors the popular Obanta Day in Ijebu District or the Ofalla Festival Ceremony at Onitsha, and the main objective is to strengthen Glo’s relations with the IJEBUS, or the IGBOS in Onitsha and the consumers in those areas. The result is that many Ijebus see Glo Communication as their own or the Ibos see it as a network interested in their activities, and patronises it, and participates in Glo’s activities.

Guinness Nigeria Plc an alcoholic, beverage company in Nigeria, sponsored the highly profile Nigeria Argentina football match at Abuja in 2011, with the hope of reaching the majority soccer loving NigeBrandiQ

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rians, and the prime market of young and the middle-class market from all sectors of the Nigeria market (Ayozie 2011).

Deciding to Sponsor An Event In deciding to sponsor an event in Nigeria, the questions that must be asked are: (a) Is the event consistent with the brand image, and will it benefit the brand? (b) Are the security situations in the area of an event conducive for staging of the event? (c) Does the event offer a strong likelihood of reaching the desired largest audience? (d) Is the event geographically suited and is it consistent with target audience? (e) Is the event one that the competition has previously been sponsored and is there a risk in sponsoring the event as well as being perceived as “me-tooistic” and confusing target audience as to the sponsor identity? (f) Does the event fit into the overall marketing plans of the company? (g) Does the event complement existing sponsorships and fit with other marketing communications programme? (h) Is the event economically and commercially viable? This relates to the budget of the event and the budgetary constraints. Companies that sponsor events must financially support the sponsorships with adequate adver-

tising, point of purchase promotion (P.O.P) and adequate publicity support. A sponsorship without sufficient money/funds to maximise it goes nowhere (Hettler, 2004) (i) Measurability – The results from event marketing/sponsorship must be measured to determine its effectiveness.

The company must first establish specific objectives that the sponsorship is intended to ascertain whether the sponsorship has augmented the brand and company’s image or increased the sales volume.

Nigeria’s Security Challenges In Relation To Events Marketing These range from armed robbery, assassinations, political violence, terrorism (associated with Boko Haram), ethnic militias cultism, destructive riots, political thurggery, religious riots and other destructives vices which affect the freedom of movement, association and life of the average Nigerian consumers.

Boko Haram is creating a lot of security problems in Northern Nigeria, where thousands of human lives and properties have been destroyed. The Guardian Newspaper report on 10th November 2012, estimated that over 3000 lives and properties worth billions of Nigeria have been lost as a result of the Boko Haram insurgencies. This has resulted in food shortages as farmers

biq journal and traders are finding it very difficult to move their products from the north to the south and for fear of assassination and death. Apart from Boko Haram, Nigeria has other deadly and destructive activities of ethnic militias like the Odua People Congress (OPC), Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) increasingly threatening the lives of consumers and defenceless citizens.

There is an inexhaustible field in events marketing. Areas of possible creations can be in the followings categories, Belch and Belch (2010).

• In-house training staff • Celebrations – companies’ annual general meetings, product launch, branch opening.

• In crisis periods – strikes, lockouts, fire disasters, demonstrations, etc (peace and conflict resolution talks).

• Various kinds of seminars on issues which arise quite often.

• Sponsorships – endowments, beauty pageants, sporting activities, etc.

• Corporate events during exhibitions and presentations, meet the press, news-making personality presentations etc.

• Voluntary organizations e.g. fund raising, ceremonies, philanthropy visit, etc.

Special events may seem easy to accomplish from the point of concept concretization to its planning and eventually proposal making. One very great mistake the planner may make is to aspire to see his plan work out and fall in place logically. For example, many event planners think that once a need in a company has been identified, the company will snatch up a good proposal to fill the need. Consequently, many consultants get discouraged when they consider scores of their proposals which were not accepted or which were even considered favourable but later frustrated. (Ogbecie 1990).

Determinants of a successful event in a peaceful environment in Nigeria What people might regard as a successful event may be informed by different reasons. To some, the audience is the main yardstick, to others it is media coverage. Others still judge it by a com-

bination of attendance and media, while some still will assess media coverage, attendance, successful speech presentation, impact on the audience, no matter how small, the entertainment, and the security of lives and properties before, during and after the event.

In any case, scholars and practitioners should note the following points in measuring the performance of an event. (i) Attendance This is an important factor, as earlier mentioned, in assessing the success of an event. People make the event, and a well-attended event is already successful.

Attendance is promoted in a peaceful and serene environment devoid of threats to life. People want to relax in an event, and ease whatever tension they have accumulated during their work schedules. Events stimulate laughter and joy, so the security of the participants is very important.

All that remains is for the organiser to manage the publics and the programme, to achieve desired effect. The organisers have to provide adequate security to lives and property as these increases the attendance of the public and consumers.

An event which was attended by a few of its expected publics can hardly be said to be successful. However, what constitutes a successful audience can be situational.

For example, an event whose audience is a market of 20,000 students and workers, with a target of 5 per cent that is 1,000 students/workers, 800 people is a successful audience. The same audience will be

ridiculous if the president is visiting and the planners expected at least, over 10,000 students/workers. (ii) Media Coverage

An event can be successful without considering press coverage when the aim is not publicity, but if the aim is publicity, the necessity of media coverage is much more impressive. Media coverage in terms of how relaxed the audience is during and after the event. The media coverage should not be on security threats which mighty reduce the attendance and objectives of the event. A wide coverage both in print and electronic media and at desired times with in-depth reporting is success. But if the reports are tucked away in hidden corners of newspapers without photo-stories or the event is relayed in radio and television at odd times when no one or few people heard it that marks failed media coverage. (iii) Combination Measures A combination of the two criteria is most beneficial. An Annual General Meeting will almost be useless publicity-wise if it is not properly covered. The reasons are many; every company wants to build sympathy and confidence in the financial publics, including opinion leaders. All these people can hardly be at the meeting.

The media is the only available means of reaching them. (iv) Other Conditions Other conditions for a successful event BrandiQ

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biq journal include the environment of the event. A politically volatile environment where the audience feels very uncomfortable can be very distressing. Cold refreshments, good presentation of speeches, courtesy of protocol executives, a peaceful atmosphere, the communications of a good master of ceremony, all these add to a successful event. Excellent security devoid of threats at life and security emergency plans which must be made known to the event participants also guarantee the success of an event.

Reward from Events Marketing/ Sports Sponsorships According to Ogbechie (1990), Ayozie (2007), one thing that is not absolutely sure is if event marketing pays off in sales and profit? The question often arises whether budget appropriated on Events Marketing is well spent. More so that benefits derivable from such events cannot be quantified immediately or easily in terms of sales or turnover. However, marketers should to some extent, be concerned with image enhancement. It is not just easy to determine what a company gets in return for the money it pumps into event marketing. As marketers, this should not bother them. This is because, we do a lot of things on gut instinct (Ogbechie 1990).

Considerable publicity, respect and gratitude can be gained for investing sponsorship Naira in traditional events which are struggling for survival in terms of financial interest.

Provision of facilities for training for a developing sport can earn credit from the media and supporters of the game and hence a positive image for the company or brand.

Encouragement of youth, with opportunities for training and provision of junior competitive events, can be a meaningful introduction to the family for the company or product and can help it to obtain more goodwill (Ogbechie 1990).

In these days of high and escalating time and space buying rates, high commercial cluster on various media, very low liquidity level of consumers and very keen competition in industries, perhaps one of the best ways to get the message across for effects is to being unique and personalised publicity. This moves the product above the pedestal level. One good way of estimating the value of a sponsorship BrandiQ

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is by tracking the number of “impressions” in public relations it generates on television, radio, internet and press (i.e. exposure of company’s name or brand or both) and translating it into an equivalent “worth” in Advertising Naira.

References Ayozie, D. O. (2007). Integrated Marketing Communication, Danayo Inc. Coy, Ilaro: Nigeria.

Belch, G. E., Blech, M. (2010) Advertising and Promotion – An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. McGrawhill, Irwin, Boston Massachusetts: USA. Edeke, S. E. (2005) The maintenance of security in West Africa, International Journal of Law and Contemporary Studies, DUC Ikot-Ekpene: Nigeria.

Farell, K. A., Scott Frame, W. (2007) The value of olympic sponsorships. Who is capturing the gold, Journal of Market Focussed Management, McGrawhill, New York, USA. Guardian Newspaper (2012), Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria, Lagos: Nigeria.

Kotler, P. (2009) Marketing Management, 8th Edition Prentice Hall Press, New York, India.

Heitsmith, G. (2007) Events promotions, get them by their hearts and minds in Shimp, T.A. (2007) Advertising Promotions and Supplemental Aspects of Inte-

grated Marketing Communication. The Dryden Press Orlando, Florida: USA. Heffier, M. (1994) Marketing sure sponsorships meet all the parameter Brand week in Shimp, T. A. (2007) Advertising, Promotions and Supplemental Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communication. Dryden Press, Texas: USA. Hadingham, J. O. (2010) Human security and Africa polemic opposites, South African Journal of International.

Imobigbe, T. (1999) The new international system and Africa Security Centre for Advance Social Studies, Port Harcourt: Nigeria.

Ivery Mark (2004) Pitching the Press.

Hemisphere Publishers Texas, USA. Ogbechie, C. (1990): Events marketing, Marketing Journal, Nigeria Marketing Association, Box 9070 GPO, Marina, Lagos: Nigeria.

Ogbechie, (2009) Event marketing in Nigeria, Journal of Marketing Eric Moore, Lagos: Nigeria.

Shimp, T. A. (2007) Advertising, Promotion and Supplemented Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications, Dryden Press, Forthworth Texas, USA. Sandler, D. M. and Shani, D. (1989) “Olympics sponsorship vs. ambush marketing who gets the gold? Journal of Advertising Research, Washington: USA. BQi

Campus Arena

Surviving the 'Hands-up' Way The rising cost of tuition in tertiary institutions across the country is having adverse impact on many students. GILBERT ALASA writes on how many have found solace in a new vista.

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t the entrance of the University of Benin Main Gate is a magnificent edifice befitting of royals.

The elegant sweep of its grass-land provides an ambience that is warm and appealing. Atop the mini-tower, the university emblem sits in solemn repose. But this glamour fades away quickly as you pick your way through the security checkpoint. A swarm of untidy young men kiss persistently at passers-by. Their mission: to survive by means of a business called handsup.

Hands-up is a common trend in many campuses across the country.

The energy-sapping business is practised mostly by youths, especially boys. These youths usually are found at school malls, business centres and registration points. As a form of marketing, their role is to direct potential clients to the offices (shops) of their bosses. At the end of the day, they UNIBEN Gate earn a stipend for the number of clients they get. They woo customers in start. All that is required of a recruit is the need of instant passport photographs, exam determination and the staying power to registration, typing and binding, clearance, spend extended hours under the sun or rain. on-line fee payments, sales of exam scratch The more the number of clients one gets, cards, photocopying, printing and so on. the more money one makes at the end of the day. More importantly, one also needs to esCampus Arena sought to know the ra- tablish some trust with a boss who already tionale behind the coinage for “hands-up.” owns a shop. That way, you earn yourself a Mrs. Okungbowa, a shop owner, said: “I decent shot at the trade.” am sure there might be other names for this trade on other campuses. But “hands-up” is Explaining how a hands-uper (as pracconnected with a command language that titioners are sometimes called) makes his implies surrender or loyalty. Surrender in money, he said in most cases, the business this context, she explains, implies that the relationship works by means of a sharing servant (direct marketer) must be totally formula. “For instance, when you get a cliloyal to the game and his master.” She ex- ent who wants to take instant passport phoplained that the servant must never defraud tograph, you are at liberty to negotiate the or employ shady practices in his dealings price with the client. Once agreed, you take with the boss. him or her to your boss’s shop and business is done. Here at Main Gate Shopping ComThere is an interesting dimension to the plex, the norm is to give N100 or N200 to trade. It is a business that is easy to start. your boss who owns the camera and printA part-time student of English and Litera- ing machine, depending on the copies. And ture who gave his name as Godspower, said: then, you keep the rest money to yourself.”

“One does not need any form of capital to

Generally, students involved in this trade are perceived as miserable, mostly due to the manner with which they run around under the sun or rain. This, coupled with the energy-sapping nature of the business, explains why girls rarely ply the trade. But a woman who owns a shop at the June 12 Shopping Complex in UNIBEN told this reporter that many of the boys make as much as N4, 000 per day. She added that when business is favourable, the take-home pay could be more. Peak period for this business includes freshers’ clearance exercise, which culminates in high demand for exam scratch cards for results verification, photocopying, instant passport photographs, project typing, online school fees payment, hostel booking and other online registration.

One of the marketers, Akpomieme Paul, said: “I can tell you that the money I realise here at the end of the month is far more than what employers would have been payBrandiQ

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Campus Arena

ing me working for them. Looking at my background as a SSCE holder, no establishment in Benin would want to pay me that kind of money monthly. When fate favours your star, one makes as much as N6, 000 in a day. So, I believe the venture is worthwhile.”

Checks showed that many of these boys are undergraduates of tertiary institutions and prospective JAMBites. Many of them see the trade as an opportunity to gather some money before settling for school. An ND1 Mass Communication student of Shaka Polytechnic (Benin City) Azubuike Romanus said: “My parents are poor. So, I’ve had to fend for myself. This business has been my refuge. I come here to work whenever I am free. I believe there is dignity in labour.

This business has taken care of some of my basic needs, no matter how small.

So, it gives me a sense of responsibility and independence.”

The story of Adolphus Osahigbovo is not too different. A one-time student of the Delta State University (DELSU, Abraka), financial problems nearly impeded his educational pursuits. He appealed to governments to consider the plight of the underprivileged in their pursuit of a better life through education.

“I lost my parents to an accident in 2007.

Family issues have also created a gap between my siblings and members of the extended family. And so, help is not coming from anywhere. When I gained an admission last year, I thought I would use my little earnings from this business to off-set my registration fees. But about that time, my younger sister was in SS3 and writing her SSCE became a priority.

Since there was no money for her to register for the exam, I decided to trade off my admission to give her a chance.”

Delta State University

Aside its relative profitability, respondents said the business is a sure-fire route to becoming self-employed. “I started this business with nothing. My Students only start-up capital was the energy I taking steps to generate additional income, used running around in the sun or rain.

Within six months of doing hands up, I got especially for poor students. In 2012, the money to secure an instant photo printer and Eniwake Orogun-led administration initia digital camera. I started by squatting in a ated the SUG Entrepreneurial Week where friends shop for a while until I eventually students would be exposed to different avgot the big break. Today, I have a multiple enues of making money while studying. Just stream of income and would start running a a year later, Favour Osifo’s team kick-started the famous SUG Market which holds evdegree program here (UNIBEN) soon.” ery Saturday at June 12 Open Tetragon.

Overtime, successive Students’ Union When Campus Arena visited the market, Governments of the university have been BrandiQ

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joy was written all over the students’ faces as they swung around patronizing the highly discounted items. For instance, a paint rubber of garri which used to sell for N700 now sells for N400. The same applies to a rubber of rice which now sells for N540 instead of N650. Prices of other commodities like kerosene, canned and dairy foods are equally discounted. Students who spoke to this writer lauded the initiative. BQi

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