The Nation Newspaper

Category: Brand week

  • Cadbury to reward consumers in Bournvita promo

    Food and Beverage giant, Cadbury Nigeria Plc is set to reward consumers of its flagship brand with a new consumer promotion tagged, “Cadbury Bournvita yummy Life promotion”.

    At a media briefing at its corporate office to herald the flag off of the promo, Marketing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Dele Anifowoshe, said: ”The Bournvita ‘yummy Life’ promo is a distinctive and unique reward programme as everyone who purchases either the 450g or 900g promotion jar from now till January 17,2013 is a winner upfront.”

    “The promo is aimed at delighting, rewarding and providing a superior life for our consumers in Nigeria. All consumers will enjoy instant 10 per cent extra free products and still stand the chance of winning any of the prizes worth over N200,000,000.”

    On the promo mechanics, Cadbury Nigeria’s Marketing Manager (Food Drinks) Mrs Chioma Afe, said consumers are expected to buy 450g or 900g jar of Bournvita promotion pack, open it and peel off the foil to reveal a special code which will be sent via SMS to the short code provided. She advised consumers to keep the foil for authentication as prizes are redeemable only with valid promotion foil.

    According to Mrs Afe, “Cadbury Bournvita will continue to demonstrate its leadership position in the food drinks market as the pride of the pack, offering consumers yummy nourishment for non-stop vitality. During the promo, 11 consumers will become instant millionaires winning N1million cash each, 11 others will win N250,000 each, 65 will win N100,000 cash and 300,000 consumers will win N500 worth of airtime each.”

     

  • Airtel seeks action on facilities protection

    Airtel seeks action on facilities protection

    Airtel Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to expedite action on declaring telecoms facilities critical national infrastructure because of threats posed to them.

    Airtel made the call at a briefing on “Recent developments impacting telecommunications operations and quality of service.” It was drawing attention to the harmful impact of terrorist operations in the North, floods in the South and Middle Belt, the challenges posed by multiple taxation and levies and damage to telecom infrastructure.

    It’s Director of Regulatory Affairs & Special Projects, Mr Osondu Nwokoro said the government’s action in fast tracking the declaration would confer priority and protected status on the facilities.

    He headed the Ministry of Communication Technology and Ministry of Works for articulating a national Right of Way policy, the government in collaborate with states and local governments to ensure the elimination of discordant policies.

    He said: “Airtel commends government’s resolve in addressing multiple regulation incidents with various states and the FCT, including the recent policy on Rights of Way (RoW) and ongoing work through the Industry Working Group on Multiple Taxation. We urge further action in that regard, especially in relation to the following cases which have become critical: LCC, UFRU and Katsina State.” LCC refers to the Lekki Concession Company, the firm that got the right from the Lagos State government to expand the Lekki-Ajah Express way. While carrying out its work, LCC deliberately and maliciously damaged telecom fibre belonging to Airtel while asking for payments of more than N1 billion. Airtel said this was a case of request for double payment as the company had made Right of Way payments on the same road to the Lagos State government before the concession.

    In Katsina State, government officials are imposing various taxes and frustrating efforts by Airtel to add fibre cables to expand and improve quality of service in the state.

    These challenges according to Airtel are in addition to the damage caused by terrorist activity in the North and the flooding in parts of the country. It said the challenges had increased operational costs three folds and had adversely affected quality of service subscribers receive.

    According to him, this deplorable operational landscape is even made worse by the whimsical implementation of law and order issues in some states as construction workers on some locations across the country find it easy to maliciously severe fiber-optic cables that crisscross the land while operators hemorrhage from multiple and conflicting taxation and regulatory intervention.

    Nwokoro, however, assured Nigerians and subscribers on the Airtel network that the company had taken decisive steps to mitigate the damage done to its facilities by sealing facility-sharing agreements with other telecom operators. Airtel has also engaged highly efficient private security companies to protect its facilities and is collaborating with security agencies to ensure maximum protection of telecom facilities across the country.

    Airtel is also rapidly replacing damaged facilities where possible to ensure customers do not lack service. It has revived 112 of the 193 cell sites bombed out of service by terrorists in Northern Nigeria while working to restore the balance.

     

  • Airtel seeks action on facilities protection

    •Praises govt for proposed ‘Right of Way’ policy

    Airtel Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to expedite action on declaring telecoms facilities critical national infrastructure because of threats posed to them.

    Airtel made the call at a briefing on “Recent developments impacting telecommunications operations and quality of service.” It was drawing attention to the harmful impact of terrorist operations in the North, floods in the South and Middle Belt, the challenges posed by multiple taxation and levies and damage to telecom infrastructure.

    It’s Director of Regulatory Affairs & Special Projects, Mr Osondu Nwokoro said the government’s action in fast tracking the declaration would confer priority and protected status on the facilities.

    He headed the Ministry of Communication Technology and Ministry of Works for articulating a national Right of Way policy, the government in collaborate with states and local governments to ensure the elimination of discordant policies.

    He said: “Airtel commends government’s resolve in addressing multiple regulation incidents with various states and the FCT, including the recent policy on Rights of Way (RoW) and ongoing work through the Industry Working Group on Multiple Taxation. We urge further action in that regard, especially in relation to the following cases which have become critical: LCC, UFRU and Katsina State.” LCC refers to the Lekki Concession Company, the firm that got the right from the Lagos State government to expand the Lekki-Ajah Express way. While carrying out its work, LCC deliberately and maliciously damaged telecom fibre belonging to Airtel while asking for payments of more than N1 billion. Airtel said this was a case of request for double payment as the company had made Right of Way payments on the same road to the Lagos State government before the concession.

    In Katsina State, government officials are imposing various taxes and frustrating efforts by Airtel to add fibre cables to expand and improve quality of service in the state.

    These challenges according to Airtel are in addition to the damage caused by terrorist activity in the North and the flooding in parts of the country. It said the challenges had increased operational costs three folds and had adversely affected quality of service subscribers receive.

    According to him, this deplorable operational landscape is even made worse by the whimsical implementation of law and order issues in some states as construction workers on some locations across the country find it easy to maliciously severe fiber-optic cables that crisscross the land while operators hemorrhage from multiple and conflicting taxation and regulatory intervention.

    Nwokoro, however, assured Nigerians and subscribers on the Airtel network that the company had taken decisive steps to mitigate the damage done to its facilities by sealing facility-sharing agreements with other telecom operators. Airtel has also engaged highly efficient private security companies to protect its facilities and is collaborating with security agencies to ensure maximum protection of telecom facilities across the country.

    Airtel is also rapidly replacing damaged facilities where possible to ensure customers do not lack service. It has revived 112 of the 193 cell sites bombed out of service by terrorists in Northern Nigeria while working to restore the balance.

  • Ad spend hit N103bn in 2011

    Nigeria recorded an increase of 5.3 per cent that is N102.755 billion, spent on Above -The -Line advertising activities (television, radio, outdoor and press) in 2011 as against the N97.549 billion spent in 2010.

    According to the publication, of the N102.755 billion, television had N46.076, radio N13.142, outdoor N28.142 while N15.395 was spent on the press.

    It noted that in 2011, Lagos region accounted for 54 per cent or N55.778 billion, north 20 per cent or N20.130 billion, the east N11.485 billion or 11 per cent while the western part of Nigeria accounted for the remaining 15 per cent or N15.46 billion.

    From the total ATL advertising, Telecommunications product category spent the highest N20.118 billion, followed by Personal Paid announcement with N8.654 and Entertainment, Leisure & Tourism was third in the product category with N5.976 billion.

    In the telecommunication category, MTN topped the list with N6.381 billion followed by Globacom which spent N5.704 billion. Etisalat and Airtel spent N4.255 billion and N3.439 billion respectively. All the four brands topped the list of the top 20 brands in terms of ad spend last year.

    Another highlight of Mediafacts 2011 is that of television advertising which amounted to N46.076 billion as against the N39.656 billion recorded in 2010. Radio recorded for N13.142 billion as against N12.807 billion spent in 2010 while the print media spent N15.395 billion lesser than the N16.524 spent in 2010. Outdoor expenditure was N28.142 billion also lesser than N28.562 spent in 2010.

    The report also noted that, Nigeria has the potential to build a prosperous economy with its large reserves of human and natural resources, adding that Nigeria witnessed major changes in the economic sector in 2011 some of which were the Federal Government amnesty programme that resulted in higher oil production, growth in the insurance sector and consistent growth in the telecommunication sector amongst others.

    Since March 1999, MediaReach OMD has steadily grown to become a highly reputed firm within the marketing communications’ services industry and a respected member of the OMD global network

    The company believes in powerful ideas, driven by meaningful insight to deliver compelling results.

  • Keke ADs: Transit media leverages new tech

    KekeADS, the transit media system patented by Smate and Smate International Limited, is introducing the Plalight Reflective to its media offering in order to extend the exposure of clients’ campaign messages. The transit media operator has entered into a strategic partnership with Advertange, the media agency behind the reflective printing technology that allows advertising campaigns placed on the Keke Display panels to continue to be visible to commuters at night time.

    Most out-of-home advertising is invisible and lost at night due to poor lighting and a lack of electric power. Advertange’s reflective material illuminates advertisements when the reflective micro prismatic cells used in its production gives the display maximum visibility at night.

    The displays printed on the reflective material are visible at distances up to 200 meters and do not require an energy source. When panels placed at the back of Kekes come into contact with vehicle headlights, the graphics are even more magnified and magical. “We believe this will be captivating for the target audience – the commuters who find themselves frequently behind the Kekes in traffic while on the move and will usher a new revolution to outdoor advertising in Nigeria.” says KekeAds operations manager, Jessica Nwosu.

    Brand advertising can be enhanced with 3D effects, bright colours and high resolution and they come alive while the Kekes carrying the panels take campaign messages to all the nooks and crannies of the cities in the country where the fast growing motor tricycles popularly known as Kekes are found.

    Several brands such as Etisalat, Unilever, Top Tea and Tom Tom have benefited from the reflective display materials used on many of their outdoor advertising campaigns. The use of the reflective material effectively increases consumer recall rates and brand recognition for the campaigns. Other notable brands spotted at night using the technology include Omo, Guinness and Glo.

    Amina, a manager at Advertange said: “We hope to encourage brands to enjoy extra exposure during the dark hours with the printing technology. When used on the KekeAds innovative display system, the panels printed using Advatange’s reflective material stands out and are very easily spotted on the roads.”

    The KekeAds team has announced its plans to challenge big brands and their advertising agencies to become more creative and pioneering by adding the Keke transit media system to their media plans. Smate and Smate International Ltd, the company behind the KekeAds system have developed a creative competition aimed at encouraging creative graphic designers to design exciting campaigns for their clients’ brands using the Keke transit media.

    Esona Onuoha, the Managing director of Smate & Smate says: “We want to make the case for advertising agencies to positively contribute to business and society by getting the industry to think about itself, adapt, restructure and apply its considerable skills to the issues we face as a country, as professionals and as citizens promoting learning, exposing issues and embracing the changes we currently face, and those that we will face in the years to come.”

    The organisation expects the agencies to come out with answers to pertinent national questions and believes that some may even come out with more questions but claims that after the Creative Challenge, none will come out the same. The agencies need to come out and embrace change and participate in the Keke Transit Media 2012 Challenge.

    The Challenge is to design and write up Keke Display posters, using the inside and back panels, that would entertain, inform and inspire Nigerians as they commute daily, inside or behind the Kekes motor tricycles. There will be two categories; the first is for Public Enlightenment entries whereby creatives will demonstrate that the inside panels of the Kekes remain an effective tool that can hold passenger attention using the panel to address social issues that affect Nigerians.

    Entries are expected to tackle issues such as Safety & Security (e.g Anti-terrorism, Road safety), Health (e.g. HIV), Entertainment (e.g. Festivals/Carnivals) or any other social causes desirous of the exposure the panels will give such a campaign.

    The second category will provide an opportunity for brands to be showcased on the back panels highlighting with confidence that the panels posses the power to persuade consumers as a key communications channel as well as its ability to reach some of the most valuable and attractive advertising audiences.

    The average Nigerian leads a tough life. Long hours in heavy traffic, packed commutes and the hustle and bustle of urban living can make it hard to keep things in balance. Kekes play a vital role in restoring the equilibrium, providing affordable transportation to the millions of people who live and work in Nigerian cities.

    An advertising executive added that, “As creative advertising practitioners, we want to reach commuters at what is probably the pinnacle of their stressful lives. The goal is to remind them of the brands that enrich their lives and to enlighten them on the issues at their doorstep, encouraging them to relate with the brands and finally to gently remind them of the role they can play in making the country better.”

    Smate & Smate has put up a cash prize of N250,000 for the winners and is expecting to receive over 200 entries from across the country and in doing so highlight the passion that remains in the industry for creative advertising.

    The challenge will be the required catalyst to encourage a legion of creative people in the industry to showcase their skills and their belief in the power of the synergy the Keke motor tricycles have with commuters who are also consumers.

    Deemed by many advertising practitioners as an appealing effective way to target a wide segment of consumers such as pedestrians, road users and Keke passengers, it is clear that the Keke Advertising display system will dominate the streets in many cities where it is operational.

     

  • Trade Fair: Dangote offers consumers ‘pocket-friendly prices’

    TO reach more customers, the Dangote Group has promised them pocket friendly prices for its products holding at the Lagos International Trade Fair at the Tafawa Balewa  Square (TBS) Onikan.

    Companies in the group exhibiting at the fair include Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Flour Mill, Dangote Agrosacks, National Salt Company of Nigeria (NASCON), Dangote Pasta, Dangote Cement, Dangote Noodles and Dansa Foods Limited.

    Some of the products to be displayed include Danvita, Alkama (wheat meal), confectionary flour, noodles, sugar, salt, tomato paste, various ranges of fruit juice products and bottled water from Dansa Foods. Dangote Sugar will be offering customers its 500 gram granulated sugar at the fair.

    According to Head, Corporate Communications of Dangote Group, Mr Anthony Chiejina, visitors to the group’s pavilion at both fairs will have the opportunity of buying products of these companies at reduced prices.

    A unique offering from the Group is  the Dangote Combo pack. The pack contains products from the stable of  different companies within the Group and is offered to participants at  the fair at a much reduced price.

    The statement indicated that, the economy pack which will contain  household products, such as Dangote Noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, sugar  packets, and Dansa Fruit juice products range would be combined in a  pack at a giveaway price.

    The combo pack, it stated further will offer participants at the fair  an opportunity to purchase all consumable product range in Dangote  Group   in a single buy.

    There will also be free samples of the products for the visitors.  Dangote Noodles will be offering free samples of several varieties of  its noodles to visitors to the kitchen/restaurant which will be  attached to the Dangote stand to wet their appetite.

    Dangote Flour is also holding a free sampling of its popular Alkama  wheat meal and other wheat based meals while Dangote Pasta is ready to  thrill participants at the fair to pasta meals prepared in several  ways.

    Dangote Group is of the view that the trade fair is coming at an  appropriate time which affords dealers the opportunity to stock their  shops for the fast approaching Christmas season while end consumers  can also buy and stock for the season.

    Subsidiaries, such as Dansa and Dangote Noodles will be hosting students  on specific days. The student-visitors to the stand will get special  gifts, such as pens, pencils, erasers and notebooks.

    The Management of the Dangote Noodles said the company would be  giving its customers a good treat at the fair saying it has added to  the richness of the product and embarked on an expansion of its  distribution network to make the product more readily accessible to  consumers.

  • Telecom service providers in stiff promo battle

    Telecom service providers in stiff promo battle

    Promotion has become the latest advert tool used by telecommunication companies in Nigeria to secure customers’ attention. The promos are aimed at getting new customers and retaining old subscribers. It is interesting to observe the race going on in the telecom industry as they try to lure consumers with different promos in order to out-do each other. These promos are quite amazing: for the new mobile users, it is the real deal. But for the first generation of GSM users, they feel cheated. Some of the promos thrown out by the telecoms companies would have sounded impossible some eight years ago.

    I spoke with an Airtel subscriber, Mrs. Esther Raji. She said: “I bought my Econet SIM card for N50,000 and I was spending N35 per minute on every call I made. There was no consideration for intra-network calls. I never knew a day would come when the same SIM card would be sold for N200”.

    The telecoms industry in Nigeria has grown exponentially after the GSM mobile operators were licensed in 2001. Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) was the first mobile operator to set up shop on Nigerian soil. The rush for mobile phone acquisition was not so high but it was a big relief for the Nigerian middle class. Prior to the arrival of the mobile phone operators in Nigeria, telephones, and more specifically, mobile phones were strictly for the upper echelon, the high and mighty. The Nigerian telecommunication Limited (NITEL) was the only service provider and its operation and services can best be compared with our present day Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Epileptic network service, poor customer relations, embezzlement, and clumsy telephone wires, characterized the organization’s operations. Power soon changed hands when the telecommunications sector was deregulated.

    MTN came in and erased all of the flaws that NITEL exhibited. For starters, you no longer needed to bribe an engineer to fix your telephone line; all you needed to do was to call the customer service line. Wireless technology was introduced, putting an abrupt end to scattered NITEL poles and wires. Though signals were not at their best then, it was much better than what NITEL offered. Within six months of operation in the country, MTN had 350,000 subscribers with their coverage strong in Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Abuja. At present MTN Nigeria is the market leader, with a subscriber base forty-one million strong. It also has the widest network coverage in Nigeria. Subscribers’ major complaint is congestion and high tariff, said Bisi Ilori, a former subscriber.

    Econet Wireless Nigeria flagged off in 2001. From Econet to Vmobile, Vodacom, Celtel, Zain and now Bharti Airtel; the company has had its share of troubles. Customers got weary of the constant change of name and tariff plans. They go to bed at night as subscribers of one company, and wake up the following day as customers of another. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Airtel presently has slightly above 20 million subscribers.

    On August 29, 2003, Globacom Limited entered the market to become the first indigenous mobile telecommunications company after the defunct NITEL. Its arrival was much anticipated because of its promise to reduce tariffs. Glo came in with the per-second billing plan which today has become the most used billing plan. Presently it has over 25 million subscribers.

    So, telecommunications in Nigeria has come a long way. But is all well? Are consumers really getting the best service possible? What do we make of the many promos that are launched by the telecom companies? Are these promos intended to benefit subscribers like these companies claim they are? Promos, of course, are effective tools for gaining customer loyalty in any kind of business- if they are done with the interest of the customer at heart. Presently, virtually all of the telecoms companies have a use airtime-and-get-free credit promo. Good. But what do we make of those that encourage subscribers to recharge and win airplanes? Airplanes! Luxury buses! These promos are so spectacular, they almost border on nonsensical. Does anybody really think that they’ll win airplanes by using a recharge card of two hundred naira? The companies of course, make no such claim. They just leave out a few details.

    The question is: Are these promos necessary? Promos, by nature, are short-term solutions to long-term problems. All promos eventually come to an end- tariff cuts, bonus airtime, and yes; the chance to win airplanes. The major, long-term problem in our part of the world is quality of service. The long race usually goes to the tortoise, not the hare. According to a telecom expert, Idowu Aina, team lead, microwave transmission unit Huawei telecommunication company Nigeria said “telecom companies should focus more on delivering quality service to their customers. This is bound to win in the long-term than any promo play could”.

  • New executives for PRCAN

    A new executive committee for the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) has assumed office to deliver “Bigger and better association that articulates and serves the overall best interest of members in key areas of advocacy, professionalism and support for growth of PR business”.

    Led by Mr Chido B Nwakanma of Blueflower Limited as President, members of the executive committee include Mr John Ehiguese of Mediacraft Associates, Vice President; Mr Muyiwa Akintunde, Leap Communications, General Secretary; Mr Tola Odusote, CMC Connect, Assistant General Secretary; and Mr Israel Jaiye Opayemi, Chain Reactions Limited, Publicity Secretary. The two past presidents, Mr Emeka Maduegbuna and Dr Phil Osagie are ex-officio members.

    The executive emerged at the second Annual General Meeting of PRCAN held at Hotel 1960 Eagles Park in Ikeja. Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Registrar Dr. Steve Adebayo observed the elections.

    According to the new PRCAN president, “deliberate policy actions and legislation have underpinned growth of professions; Public Relations needs policy and legislative support to grow.” As such, PRCAN would adopt advocacy visits to key government officials at Federal, state and local government levels to raise awareness and the right policy environment that would create jobs for member firms. The visits would also enable these key stakeholders realise as well as implement the law.

    PRCAN is a creation of a bye law of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. It groups together agencies that render public relations consultancy services. By the NIPR Act, only persons registered with NIPR are eligible to practise public relations in Nigeria. For companies, only those registered with PRCAN, whose key executives must be members of NIPR, are eligible to offer public relations services and earn income for it.

  • Odigbo wins firm’s Brand Personality crown

    As part of Marketing Edge’s mission of promoting the brand idea, plans have been concluded to confer chairman of Casers Group, Enyi Odigbo with the award of Brand Personality of the Year 2011.

    The award ceremony, which was held on October 23 at Sheraton Hotel and Suite Lagos, displayed pomp and pageantry at its peak. Over 300 top corporate leaders in the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) sector and the clients’ side were in attendance.

    Odigbo was crowned in recognition of his numerous achievements in the brand building business and for his contributions to the growth of creativity in advertising business in Nigeria.

    Former Managing Director of Samsung, Nigeria Enang Idonrenyen delivered a dinner talk on contemporary marketing issues at the event. He said: “positioning is one major tool for personal branding and these four elements are key to achieve an enviable height. Authenticity, staying power, consistency and relevance. All these are characteristics clearly displayed by Odigbo both in his personal life and business world”.

    Publisher/Chief Executive Officer, Marketing Edge Publications John Ajayi, said the doggedness and incomparable but admirable entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by Odigbo in championing the cause of advertising and marketing practice over the years was second to none.

    He further said the choice of Odigbo as the 2011 Brand Personality of the Year was very significant in view of the fact that this was the second time in the magazine’s eight-year history that a practitioner would be so nominated for honour and recognition.

  • NB donates dialysis machines to LASUTH

    As part of efforts to contribute its quota in the pursuit of good health delivery, Heineken Africa Foundation (HAF) in collaboration with Nigerian Breweries Plc has donated two dialysis machines to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    The machines, worth N16 million were donated with consumables of about N3 million. Nigeria Breweries also pledged to foot maintenance cost for a year.

    The Managing Director/CEO Nigerian Breweries Plc Nicolaas Vervelde, represented by Mrs Eithel Uche, disclosed this during the presentation of the machines.

    Vervelde said the donation is a practical demonstration of the commitment of the organisation to Lagos State and promised more machines if the need arises. He said the donation and installation of the machines was especially for the dialysis of HIV+ and Hepatitis B+ patients, today is one of several health related projects lined up as a demonstration of Breweries commitment to social responsibility in Lagos State.

    He said: “Being a socially responsible corporate organisation, NB is committed to supporting developmental aspirations. As a result of its special relationship with Lagos, we have over the years invested heavily in several CSR and youth empowerment programmes in the state.

    The Chief Medical Director (CMD) LASUTH Prof Adewale Oke, who commissioned the donation of the dialysis machines, expressed his appreciation to the management and staff of Heineken Africa Foundation and Nigerian Breweries Plc for their kind gesture extended towards LASUTH and its numerous clients. He reiterated the plan of the hospital to build a kidney transfer centre.

    According to him, the machines will go a long way in helping people live longer and healthier lives, it will also help people with HIV and Hepatitis B and also ensure that the plan of the hospital to expand the unit is achieved soon.