The Nation Newspaper

Category: Brand week

  • Under counterfeiters’ threat

    Under counterfeiters’ threat

    Alomo Bitters a herbal gin reported to have libido enhancing power is produced in Ghana, but makes huge sales in Nigeria. The manufacturer is worried that the product is being adulterated by those making a kill from it. Now, the company’s plan to have a factory in Nigeria is under threat, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI, who toured Kasapreko facility in Ghana.

    They are the fastest bottling lines built by Krones, a German packaging and bottling machine manufacturer, for liquor production in West Africa. The two Krone installed-returnable lines produce 30,000 bottles of liquor per hour; while the non-returnable Poly Ethylene Teraphthalate (PET) line distills 40,000 containers hourly.

    “It is the fastest spirits line Krones ever installed anywhere in the world,” the company’s founder/CEO, Kwabena Adjei, told The Nation as he walked through the production lines on a newly-built cantilever hall, measuring 100 x 44 metres.

    Inside the courtyard of Kasapreko facility, in Accra, Ghana, heavy trucks from Nigeria line up on the dusty road leading to the company. Loaded with Alomo Bitters, with each carton weighing 5.2 kilogrammes, the trucks embark on the 500 kilometres journey to Lagos through Achimatan, a Ghana border town, to Togo and Benin Republic, where it has been enjoying skyrocket sales over the years. “Nigeria is the second-biggest market for Kasapreko, with almost 40 per cent of its sales finding their way over the border,” one of Adjei’s salesmen whispered on the sideline of the facility tour.

    The crave for this product by Nigerian consumers is not unconnected with the aphrodisiac qualities that it holds for men and women. “Nigerians mix the beverage with non-alcoholic beer. The supposed sexual enhancing properties hit the right buttons in Nigeria,” says an expert from Euromontor, a market intelligence platform.

    Thrilled by the success the product enjoys in Nigeria and the growing demand by other countries, Kasapreko Company bought two new Krones lines in December 2012 to deepen its market penetration. However, with the level of investment, cutting-edge technology, Adjei is not happy with the dwindling market share in the world’s next global frontier for investment —Nigeria. As he addressed a group of journalists from Nigeria inside its boardroom where he displayed over 15 herbal brands produced by the company, and samples of the fake Alomo Bitters, his voice quivered. Looking at the sales chart from the Nigerian market going down drastically, his once-upon-a-time fears stared him in the face.

    With the realisation of what he dreaded most, his future plan to move his production plant to Nigeria may suffer a hitch with the current challenge his premium brand is facing there.

    “Per market share has dropped drastically in Nigeria because of counterfeiting. When I started, I vowed that I will never operate in Nigeria because of faking. But we came to Nigeria. Our business was doing well until now when counterfeiting started destroying our brand,” Adjei said.

    Alomo Bitters which according to findings was being smuggled into the country from Ghana before the product got NAFDAC registration in Nigeria now has properties of its brand architecture being copied. From label, container, logo, artistry, colour, brand name, some of the fake brands bear semblance with the Kasapreko Alomo Bitters. Besides, the fake products come with 100ml instead of the 200ml produced by the company. As a result, an unwary consumers might not notice except skeptic one. “In Nigeria, people copy our mould, label, crown logo, cock crown. We don’t produce 100ml but 200ml. So, we don’t know how our product is now 100ml,” he said.

    The reason for this is understandable. Alomo is a product of research and it is blended with plant extracts that has been used for medicinal purpose. While its Research and Development teams have sound and trained trado-medical practitioners, Kasapreko brags with the fact that seven of its product herbal properties are also extracted from world 3500 documented extracts. “Alomo Bitters offers so many health benefits. We picked seven out of 3500 documented extracts by world research books for herbal plants. One of them is Mahogany which is used for treating fever. It boosts immune system. It also helps sexual lifestyle base on another properties. It also works for other health issues. These are claims that can be substantiated. There are clinical researches to back these claims. These were tested on animals and it’sscientific basis established. So, Alomo Bitters has gone through scientific evidence,” says Research and Development Manager, Mr. Steven Osafo-Mensah of Kasapreko.

    Little Wonder, the product is said to have been researched to cure piles, body pains, menstrual pain, enhancing easy blood circulation and boosting of man power. With the ability of the brand to enhance libido in particular, its faking soared. The product led a chain effect, propelling some Nigerian companies to invest in the bitters business, producing, brands, such as, “Koboko”, “Atekanle Gbongbon”  “Osomo” “Pasan.”  The brand names of the made in Nigeria original herbal gin is derived from misinterpretation of the Ghanaian ‘Alomo’ which to an ethnic group in Nigeria, Yoruba, means “a Casanova or philanderer” – A smooth-talking charmer who has mastered the art of finding, meeting, attracting and seducing beautiful women into the bedroom. The names of these brands produced in Nigeria arrogates erectile ability functional value of this product whereas Alomo Bitters means friendship in Ghana. “We call our product Alomo Bitters. Alomo in Ghanaian language means friendship,” Adjei said. As a result, the product since it came to Nigeria, gained wider market acceptance and it has stopped from being faked.

    With the level of investment in production, research and development, manpower and taxes to government, Kasapreko’s Alomo Bitters is produced in small rooms and shops on the streets of Lagos. The counterfeit products  bearing Alomo Bitters value creation and brand identity are: “The Prince Alomo Bitters”  and “De Kings Bitters”, They have the originals’ brand identities, such as colour, label, logo and label information in an attempt to dwindle the product’s market share which in 2011 and 2012, according to Kasapreko hovered around 80 per cent of the bitters market which value stands at N32.2 billion.

    But they have not escaped the law. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested two brothers, Henry and Ekene Ezeani for alleged illegal manufacture and sale of fake alcoholic beverage, “The Prince Alomo-Bitters.” The agency’s operatives in Lagos impounded N25 million worth of the product during the raid. NAFDAC’s spokesperson Anslem Okonkwor said the suspects were part of a syndicate that specialised in producing fake brands of beverages, which had been under the agency’s surveillance. “A team of NAFDAC officials led by Mr. Joseph Asikpo apprehended them while they were producing the fake products in their residence at 140, Ojora Royal Compound, Coker Village in Lagos,” Okonkwor said.

    This development scared Adjei. He believes the intake of the fake Alomo Bitters by Nigerian consumers is dangerous to their health. The fake bitters, he believes,are   mixtures of chemicals that can cause arm to the health. This was proved by a recent test carried out by The Nation. In the investigation and laboratory test carried out by Saturday Nation, some consumers of these herbal gin had their blood sampled and the paid lab experts who conducted the test on behalf of The Nation discovered heavy metals such as cardinum and lead in the sampled blood of consumers of fake herbal gins. Although, some of the original herbal gins tested in the lab by The Nation also recorded same dangerous properties but Kasapreko’s Director of Quality Assurance and Research and Development, Dr. David Kamau said there must be holistic approach to producing herbal gin in order to avoid the health risk herbal gin pose to consumers health. “Herbal consumption is dangerous to health though there must be holistic approach to usage. If you don’t source your plants from the right source, you might have contamination case. If you don’t have expertise, the consumers health is at risk. We have been able to establish the toxity range in therapeutic index such that if you overtake it we know what can happen to consumers. So, moderation is needed in usage,” says Kamau.

    Despite doubts about its expansion plan in Nigeria Kasapreko has found a way to protect Alomo Bitters with a new hologram that will cost a fortune to fake. According to him, the security will involve four levels all in an attempt to ensure that the consumer gets the right quality product. “We have all heard about words like brand protection. We over a year ago took a journey to Germany and came across Hologram Company, the Sleeve Seal Company, to help us protect our brand. We know that fakers will try to confuse the consumers with fake holographic seal but ours is so sophisticated and consumers will be able to identify the original from the fake,” said the company’s Director of Technical, Holograms and Security Checks, Mr. Kwame Dickson.

    However, Adjei regretted that the faking of the product because of its success and health benefits had brought the equity of the brand down. “If we don’t fight the fake, we are hurting the government because fakers don’t pay tax. We are harming the consumers because fakers don’t use good product. Some of these fake products have been tested in our laboratory and I tell you that the result is shocking and unhealthy to consumers,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Marketing Manager of Alomo Bitters in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Adegor, said the company is happy with the economic collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana. He gave examples of many Nigerian banks, telecoms and other businesses that are flourishing in Ghana just as the Kasapreko flagship brand Alomo Bitters is maintaining its leadership of the bitters category in Nigeria despite growing competition. He stressed that since Alomo Bitters led the way for other bitters to come up, Kasapreko feels a sense of responsibility to educate the drinking populace to be careful and wary of sub-standard brands out there in the market.

  • Kia Rio won at MultiChoice SuperCruise promo

    A DStv subscriber has won the first of  the 20 Kia Rio cars up for grabs in the ongoing MultiChoice SuperCruise promotion. The promo is expected to run till February, which was launched last month.

    The promotion allows intending and existing subscribers to buy or subscribe to win one of 20 Kia Rio cars, 100 Plasma TV screens or 30 DStv Explora decoders.

    The Marketing Manager, DStv Mrs Chioma Afe, while presenting the keys of a brand new Kia Rio car to the first winner, Mr Olateju Oladimeji, a staff of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), at the MultiChoice Office, Ikeja, said: “MultiChoice, by this presentation, is proving to Nigerians that the SuperCruise promo is real. We are living up to our promise to reward our subscribers. Apart from the 20 Kia Rio cars, MultiChoice is also giving away 100 Plasma TV screens, or 30 DStv Explora decoders, to DStv and GOtv subscribers.”

    The winner, Mr Olateju Oladimeji, thanked MultiChoice for the end-of-the-year surprise, stating that it still felt like a dream.

    Current DStv subscribers can also enter the competition by ensuring they remain connected for three months. Annual premium customers automatically qualify for the draw. Accordingly, a GOtv subscriber who buys a GOtv decoder, which was formally N5,300 for N2,900 with one month subscription and makes an additional two months subscription with the GO-recharge card, stands a chance to cruise home in one of the 20 Kia Rio cars.

  • Under counterfeiters’ threat

    Under counterfeiters’ threat

    Alomo Bitters a herbal gin reported to have libido enhancing power is produced in Ghana, but makes huge sales in Nigeria. The manufacturer is worried that the product is being adulterated by those making a kill from it. Now, the company’s plan to have a factory in Nigeria is under threat, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI, who toured Kasapreko facility in Ghana.

    They are the fastest bottling lines built by Krones, a German packaging and bottling machine manufacturer, for liquor production in West Africa. The two Krone installed-returnable lines produce 30,000 bottles of liquor per hour; while the non-returnable Poly Ethylene Teraphthalate (PET) line distills 40,000 containers hourly.

    “It is the fastest spirits line Krones ever installed anywhere in the world,” the company’s founder/CEO, Kwabena Adjei, told The Nation as he walked through the production lines on a newly-built cantilever hall, measuring 100 x 44 metres.

    Inside the courtyard of Kasapreko facility, in Accra, Ghana, heavy trucks from Nigeria line up on the dusty road leading to the company. Loaded with Alomo Bitters, with each carton weighing 5.2 kilogrammes, the trucks embark on the 500 kilometres journey to Lagos through Achimatan, a Ghana border town, to Togo and Benin Republic, where it has been enjoying skyrocket sales over the years. “Nigeria is the second-biggest market for Kasapreko, with almost 40 per cent of its sales finding their way over the border,” one of Adjei’s salesmen whispered on the sideline of the facility tour.

    The crave for this product by Nigerian consumers is not unconnected with the aphrodisiac qualities that it holds for men and women. “Nigerians mix the beverage with non-alcoholic beer. The supposed sexual enhancing properties hit the right buttons in Nigeria,” says an expert from Euromontor, a market intelligence platform.

    Thrilled by the success the product enjoys in Nigeria and the growing demand by other countries, Kasapreko Company bought two new Krones lines in December 2012 to deepen its market penetration. However, with the level of investment, cutting-edge technology, Adjei is not happy with the dwindling market share in the world’s next global frontier for investment —Nigeria. As he addressed a group of journalists from Nigeria inside its boardroom where he displayed over 15 herbal brands produced by the company, and samples of the fake Alomo Bitters, his voice quivered. Looking at the sales chart from the Nigerian market going down drastically, his once-upon-a-time fears stared him in the face.

    With the realisation of what he dreaded most, his future plan to move his production plant to Nigeria may suffer a hitch with the current challenge his premium brand is facing there.

    “Per market share has dropped drastically in Nigeria because of counterfeiting. When I started, I vowed that I will never operate in Nigeria because of faking. But we came to Nigeria. Our business was doing well until now when counterfeiting started destroying our brand,” Adjei said.

    Alomo Bitters which according to findings was being smuggled into the country from Ghana before the product got NAFDAC registration in Nigeria now has properties of its brand architecture being copied. From label, container, logo, artistry, colour, brand name, some of the fake brands bear semblance with the Kasapreko Alomo Bitters. Besides, the fake products come with 100ml instead of the 200ml produced by the company. As a result, an unwary consumers might not notice except skeptic one. “In Nigeria, people copy our mould, label, crown logo, cock crown. We don’t produce 100ml but 200ml. So, we don’t know how our product is now 100ml,” he said.

    The reason for this is understandable. Alomo is a product of research and it is blended with plant extracts that has been used for medicinal purpose. While its Research and Development teams have sound and trained trado-medical practitioners, Kasapreko brags with the fact that seven of its product herbal properties are also extracted from world 3500 documented extracts. “Alomo Bitters offers so many health benefits. We picked seven out of 3500 documented extracts by world research books for herbal plants. One of them is Mahogany which is used for treating fever. It boosts immune system. It also helps sexual lifestyle base on another properties. It also works for other health issues. These are claims that can be substantiated. There are clinical researches to back these claims. These were tested on animals and it’sscientific basis established. So, Alomo Bitters has gone through scientific evidence,” says Research and Development Manager, Mr. Steven Osafo-Mensah of Kasapreko.

    Little Wonder, the product is said to have been researched to cure piles, body pains, menstrual pain, enhancing easy blood circulation and boosting of man power. With the ability of the brand to enhance libido in particular, its faking soared. The product led a chain effect, propelling some Nigerian companies to invest in the bitters business, producing, brands, such as, “Koboko”, “Atekanle Gbongbon”  “Osomo” “Pasan.”  The brand names of the made in Nigeria original herbal gin is derived from misinterpretation of the Ghanaian ‘Alomo’ which to an ethnic group in Nigeria, Yoruba, means “a Casanova or philanderer” – A smooth-talking charmer who has mastered the art of finding, meeting, attracting and seducing beautiful women into the bedroom. The names of these brands produced in Nigeria arrogates erectile ability functional value of this product whereas Alomo Bitters means friendship in Ghana. “We call our product Alomo Bitters. Alomo in Ghanaian language means friendship,” Adjei said. As a result, the product since it came to Nigeria, gained wider market acceptance and it has stopped from being faked.

    With the level of investment in production, research and development, manpower and taxes to government, Kasapreko’s Alomo Bitters is produced in small rooms and shops on the streets of Lagos. The counterfeit products  bearing Alomo Bitters value creation and brand identity are: “The Prince Alomo Bitters”  and “De Kings Bitters”, They have the originals’ brand identities, such as colour, label, logo and label information in an attempt to dwindle the product’s market share which in 2011 and 2012, according to Kasapreko hovered around 80 per cent of the bitters market which value stands at N32.2 billion.

    But they have not escaped the law. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested two brothers, Henry and Ekene Ezeani for alleged illegal manufacture and sale of fake alcoholic beverage, “The Prince Alomo-Bitters.” The agency’s operatives in Lagos impounded N25 million worth of the product during the raid. NAFDAC’s spokesperson Anslem Okonkwor said the suspects were part of a syndicate that specialised in producing fake brands of beverages, which had been under the agency’s surveillance. “A team of NAFDAC officials led by Mr. Joseph Asikpo apprehended them while they were producing the fake products in their residence at 140, Ojora Royal Compound, Coker Village in Lagos,” Okonkwor said.

    This development scared Adjei. He believes the intake of the fake Alomo Bitters by Nigerian consumers is dangerous to their health. The fake bitters, he believes,are   mixtures of chemicals that can cause arm to the health. This was proved by a recent test carried out by The Nation. In the investigation and laboratory test carried out by Saturday Nation, some consumers of these herbal gin had their blood sampled and the paid lab experts who conducted the test on behalf of The Nation discovered heavy metals such as cardinum and lead in the sampled blood of consumers of fake herbal gins. Although, some of the original herbal gins tested in the labby The Nation also recorded same dangerous properties but Kasapreko’s Director of Quality Assurance and Research and Development, Dr. David Kamau said there must be holistic approach to producing herbal gin in order to avoid the health risk herbal gin pose to consumers health. “Herbal consumption is dangerous to health though there must be holistic approach to usage. If you don’t source your plants from the right source, you might have contamination case. If you don’t have expertise, the consumers health is at risk. We have been able to establish the toxity range in therapeutic index such that if you overtake it we know what can happen to consumers. So, moderation is needed in usage,” says Kamau.

    Despite doubts about its expansion plan in Nigeria Kasapreko has found a way to protect Alomo Bitters with a new hologram that will cost a fortune to fake. According to him, the security will involve four levels all in an attempt to ensure that the consumer gets the right quality product. “We have all heard about words like brand protection. We over a year ago took a journey to Germany and came across Hologram Company, the Sleeve Seal Company, to help us protect our brand. We know that fakers will try to confuse the consumers with fake holographic seal but ours is so sophisticated and consumers will be able to identify the original from the fake,” said the company’s Director of Technical, Holograms and Security Checks, Mr. Kwame Dickson.

    However, Adjei regretted that the faking of the product because of its success and health benefits had brought the equity of the brand down. “If we don’t fight the fake, we are hurting the government because fakers don’t pay tax. We are harming the consumers because fakers don’t use good product. Some of these fake products have been tested in our laboratory and I tell you that the result is shocking and unhealthy to consumers,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Marketing Manager of Alomo Bitters in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Adegor, said the company is happy with the economic collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana. He gave examples of many Nigerian banks, telecoms and other businesses that are flourishing in Ghana just as the Kasapreko flagship brand Alomo Bitters is maintaining its leadership of the bitters category in Nigeria despite growing competition. He stressed that since Alomo Bitters led the way for other bitters to come up, Kasapreko feels a sense of responsibility to educate the drinking populace to be careful and wary of sub-standard brands out there in the market.

     

  • Cold war

    Cold war

    Aircondition producing companies are striving one another to outdo by rolling out more technologically-savvy products at no additional energy cost. Samsung, LG, Panasonic and PZ Haier Thermocool are in this race for relevance. PZ Haier Thermocool is banking on its new sets of air condition to stay ahead as it marks 40 years of operation in Nigeria, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    SWOT analysis is not new in the marketing landscape. It is a tool for auditing an organisation and its environment. SWOT analysis is the first stage of planning and it helps marketers to focus on key issues. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

    According to experts, strengths and weaknesses are the internal challenges that constrain a brand from meeting the needs of the market and make profit. Threats are external SWOT factors, such as government policies and economic downturn, among others, that impede the growth of a brand. To overcome threats, brand owners are often advised to look inward and see opportunities in what appears to be a threat.

    “We should aim to turn our weaknesses into strengths, and our threats into opportunities. Then, finally, SWOT will give managers options to match internal strengths with external opportunities,” said experts.

    In the air conditioning arm of the electronics market, the major competitors have had their own share of the SWOT. With financial power, strong technology, global brand status at their disposal as strength, they have been weakened and threatened by internal and external market realities, such as increasing hot temperature in living room and offices, energy cost, poor sanitation and low disposable income, among others for a long time.

    While many consumers manage  to bear the challenges to instal AC in their homes and offices, the use of alternative power has not really helped them to fully enjoy them. As a result, manufacturers of ACs suffered much with loss of patronage.

    Today, the AC brands’ owners have won their thinking cap. Through investment in researches and developments, they have diagnosed the market; saw their strength, weaknesses, threats and opportunities to restore confidence in the market category, especially in a country like Nigeria where the economy is highly volatile.

    The results of these market research has enhanced new value propositions which every AC brand owners are now mustering to edge one another for market share. With arrays of ACs that explore high cooling capacity, energy efficiency, low voltage operation to save energy cost, healthy air functions, healthy dehumidification capacity and lots more as value proposition, the market is now becoming receptive again.

    Giving the market this breather, more households are now awash with offerings and are made to believe that beyond providing a cooling atmosphere, AC also now has an inbuilt mechanism that kills germs in their air.

    However, these new found opportunities, backed by the player’s strengths (cutting-edge technology, financial power and global brand reputation) have now created stiff competitions among players within the electronic market. Samsung, Haier Thermocool, LG and Panasonic who ordinarily jostle for market dominance in others market categories such as TV, DVD, Home Theatre, Fridge, Stabiliser are now tapping into the opportunities in the AC market category after reawakening the market through quality, reliable and innovative electrical AC by harnessing cutting edge technology to address these everyday household challenges.

    This surprised many brand analysts to see “some old brands that had almost gone into extinction in the market suddenly reappeared, while many new ones also found their ways into the market.”

    Despite the strong brand reputations the brands command in the electronic market generally, their venture into strengthening their game in the AC category appears not enough, even though they are leaders in other electronic market category. For instance, Samsung and LG seem to be leading in the distribution of flat screen televisions but Panasonic is becoming more visible in the air-conditioning. However, LG, according to analyst, foray into air-conditioning in the market has almost turned a misadventure as the name ‘LG’ only exists in recall as far as promoters of AC are concerned in the market. Also, Haier Thermocool, came up with series of AC products during the year as part of efforts to thank Nigerians for standing by the brand in the last forty years.

    Irrespective of the area of their strengths in each category of the electronic market, they all now bring new values to address the previous lull in the market. During the launch of its new set of Air conditioners under Haier Thermocool brand name into the Nigerian market, the Managing Director, Thermocool Nigeria, Mr. Panos Katsis, stated the entry of the new Air Conditioners is a result of long term research for a product that will be a one stop experience for customers.

    “Research has shown that the relationship between office work performance and temperature is due to the thermal comfort level of body, when the temperature is too high or too low, the body does not perform to maximum efficiency. So, the role of the air conditioner is to regulate the temperature of your environment, so that you have a better work atmosphere, to work effectively or enjoy sound sleep at home. Humidity also, plays a critical role in making an environment comfortable or uncomfortable. These new ranges of Haier Thermocool air conditioners will help to regulate and provide the right atmosphere,” said Katsis.

    “In recognising the desire of Nigerians for good quality in household or office appliances; we have deliberately designed our products to meet these standards. Our customers in Nigeria appreciate our innovative, time tested approach to delivering quality experiences through our range of products. That is why we are still here and we hope to continue, adding value especially to the Nigerian family while not neglecting their comfort,” Katsis said.

    The Marketing Director, Mr. Vikramjeet Singh said the product is available in different ranges and “horse power” capacities such as: the 1-HP, 1.5-HP, 2-HP, 3-HP, 5-HP and 10-HP with value creation that address market challenges AC makers are having over the years. “Inverter range offers consumer 51 per cent energy saving, while turbo plus offer fast cooling operation, Eco and Eco plus series offers low voltage operations. All the ranges come in various design options and equipped with copper condenser and 3-year warranty on cabinet and compressors,” he said.

    Singh stated further that the innovation is driven by the threat in the market place part of which is dynamic nature of consumers. “However, we believe that as the market keeps changing, consumer needs also keep changing. One of the major needs these new range of Haier Thermocool Air Conditioners will be solving is the issue of electricity power because electricity is one of the major concerns we have in Nigeria. While our government is doing a lot in terms of building infrastructure for electricity generation, in the mean time, we need appliances that can withstand the low voltage supply we presently experience. To cater for this need and ensure our customers get satisfaction, all the new ranges of these Air Conditioners have been designed with features that will enable them withstand lower power voltage,” he said.

     

  • Law student wins home campus cooking contest

    A  22-year-old law student of the University of Lagos,Miss Temitope Oyedija, has won this year’s Onga National Campus Cooking Competition. She carted the star prize of 2014 KIA Rio full option.

    With the okro soup and garri she prepared at the grand finale of the competition held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the university, Oyedija dusted other regional winners.

    The Executive Director, Commercial, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kachi Onubogu, said cooking is a universal art done in every part of the world. Based on this, he said Promasidor’s target is to make the competition premium among youths.

    Onubogu stated that as a national competition, the cooking contest launched in August this year was activated in 14 campuses spread across the country such that many willing students could gain access to participate.

    “We are proud to have all of you here today. See yourself as a winner whether or not you clinch the star prize. As long as you are one of the 14 contestants here today, you are a winner. You will go home with a prize,” said Onubogu.

    Dazed by the final result of the annual event, Oyedija, the winner, disclosed that when the competition started, she was confused over where to start her cooking from. “I later after some minutes got my bearing back,” she stated.

    Other contestants present at the Grand Finale include the first runner up, Isaac Uzoenyi, a student of Abia State University; Jessica Egbenwonu, a student of Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan; Miss Arafat Azeez, student of Environmental Resources Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB); and Christopher Xyztus, student of School of Natural and Applied Science, Federal University of Technology, Minna.

  • Pay TV: NCC to tackle viewing centres

    THE Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) is  planning to curb the rising level of commercial piracy of Pay TV channels.

    This followed a complaint from MultiChoice, that there is need for an audit of the copyright compliance level of 10 commercial viewing centres in Surulere, Lagos State.

    During a compliance inspection  by NCC to verify the complaint, its Assistant Director, Prosecutions, Mrs. Lynda Alphaeus, who represented the commission’s director-general said the aim of the  exercise was to sensitise business outfits, such as hotels, pubs, restaurants utilising Pay TV services on the need to comply with the copyright laws regulating their operations and regularise their TV licence.

    Alphaeus expressed dissatisfaction that 90 per cent of commercial viewing centres in Surulere were yet to comply with the authorised DStv commercial bouquet for viewing centres.

    She said the NCC would not relent in ensuring that  a greater percentage of viewing centre owners convert to commercial bouquets accepted for commercial viewing.

    According to Mrs Alphaeus, copyright laws outlines cable piracy, re-broadcasting Piracy, Commercial Piracy, and Circumvention Piracy as acts of piracy.

    “The visual inspection was to check on the level of compliance of the DStv commercial licence at viewing centres in Lawanson, Surulere environs,” she added.

    Meanwhile, NCC raided locations in Abuja and Benin for illegal distribution of DStv signal. It also raided 14 hotels in Lagos for commercial piracy and the hotel owners have responded positively by complying with the commercial bouquet option.

  • Searching for Brand Nigeria

    Searching for Brand Nigeria

    According to the United Nations (UN), South Africa recorded 88.6 rape cases per 1000 and  55.9 per cent murder case in 2007, making it one of the highest crime spots in the world.  Yet, South Africa in 2007 remained one of the leading global brands.The manager, Brand South Africa, Wendy Tlou, says Nigeria too could become a global brand, if there is synergy between the government’s communication and national brand building efforts, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    When she mounted the podium in the  conference room of Four-Point by Sheraton in Lekki, Lagos, as the  guest speaker at the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) Golden Lecture series last week, some members of the audience remembered a South African commercial which used a Nigerian model to market South Africa.

    Indirectly, the commercial, as interpreted by some reviewers, showed that Nigeria is still in search of a global brand identity. “Ok, she is the woman behind Brand South Africa (BSA) who produced the commercial,” an audience whispered to his colleague.

    Dressed in a flowing evening gown made of Ankara batik which she bought on arrival, the Chief Marketing Officer, Brand South Africa, Wendy TIou,  looked at herself on the podium and  giggled.

    She said: “This is a beautiful narrative about Nigeria but no one is telling the world. I got this when I got to Nigeria.” She was invited  to speak on Destination Marketing: A Case Study of The South Africa Experience.

    Moved by this and other good things she had heard about Nigeria, TIou, whose family is a victim of the apartheid struggle, narrated how South Africa changed the country’s stereotype through marketing communication.

    TIou  said: “I work for a company, Brand South Africa. We worked through with and through stakeholders, using partnership and collaboration and support mechanism. It is important to know that when you have such critical brand you need not to fail. How do you do it? Destination branding was critical and so the South African President then, Thabo Mbeki. He understands its importance. So, he ensured that we report directly to him and that was the first step that made us to get the first step right.”

    She recalled one big mistake Brand South Africa made at the outset of its work. According to her, said in their communication strategy design, the South Africans, business organisations, civil organisations and the media – were ignored. What the team did was to run off to the international market, trying to sell the country.

    She said:“One of the mistakes we first made in the past was that we went out to the world to market our country, promised a lot to the world. But we didn’t work on our people. However, we learnt that very quickly and in a very hard way. We later changed our strategy and worked through stakeholders such as government, civil society group, business communities and South African media. “We defined our target audience which included the international communities, South Africans, South African influencers, local and international media, South African government at all levels among others. One fundamental thing we did is change their perception and demonstrate how South Africa has changed in the last 20 years to these identified groups.”

    In all, she noted that one of the keys to a successful nation branding initiative is to separate it from the government communication programme. Tlou said the inability to separate the two distinct functions could hamper the progress of a nation brand building project.

    She noted that while the government’s activities and achievements could go a long way in supporting a nation’s brand building, having the managers of that process to also act as mouth pieces of the government could be counter-productive. “The secret of successful destination marketing lies in separating national communication from government communication. The mistake we all make is to assume that government is the only source of information about the country. Government is a great source of information in terms of how it is running the country; it is not however the only source. “The role of government is to communicate the steps and programmes, what service delivery it is putting in place to ensure that the lives of the citizens are improved every single day, while the role of the nation brand builders is to position the country to the world as a destination for tourism and investment, irrespective of what administration is in power at any particular point in time,” she said.

    According to Tlou, although ‘Brand South Africa’ is the brain child of former President  Mbeki and also reports directly to the Presidency, it operates independently as a private enterprise.

    Speaking further, she argued that building a successful national brand is not about a geographical location but about the people in that location. According to her, the government must obtain the buy-in of the citizens, who then naturally become the project’s ambassadors.

    “At the heart of nation brand building must be the people of the nation. If the people are not convinced to buy into the dreams that the country is selling to the world, the whole effort will be nothing but a waste of resources,”she added.

    Tlou lamented that Nigeria has concentrated on lots of advertising rather than changing the narrative of the country through public relations. “What changed the image of South Africa is not advertising but we changed the narrative through PR. We didn’t apply advertising agency but a PR because what we want to change was the narrative. As a result, we didn’t not talk about government but about South Africa and what it stands for,” she explained.

    However, the former Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mrs Nkechi Ali-Balogun believes that with or without the South African lesson, Nigeria doesn’t lack the idea of what it takes to rebrand the country, given that the country parades world class marketing communication strategists.  The problem is that government employs non-professionals to handle the nation’s rebranding campaign. This has left the country with virtually nothing show in terms of destination branding.

    President of PRCAN, Mr. John Ehiguese, said the choice of the theme was informed by past failures of Nigeria at nation brand building. He noted that there were lessons to learn from South Africa that has successfully turned itself into a tourism and investment destination of choice in Africa.

    “The choice of this year’s theme was informed by the simple fact that over the years, our country Nigeria has made several efforts at destination marketing, but it does appear those efforts have not been particularly successful. On the other hand, South Africans who came out of the harrowing experience of apartheid have successfully turned their country into a destination for tourism and investment.

    “So we said to ourselves that perhaps there are some lessons we can take home from them. Hence the choice of Wendy Tlou, who happens to have been deeply involved in the whole process in South Africa,” he said.

    As South Africa commences the next phase of her rebranding for the next couple of years, she said the Brand South Africa looks forward for a partnership with Nigeria, as the two giants of Africa, for the African Rising Campaign.

     

  • Law firm launches policy dialogue series

    To offer best practice and keep with the trends,Olisa Agbakoba & Associates (OA&A) now Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL) is set to strengthen its commitment to clients by providing legal solutions through a newly launched “Policy Dialogue Series”(PDS).

    During the unveiling of the firm’s new  OAL logo, its Senior Partner, Olisa Agbakoba said the PDS is driven by the need to address issues that impact on the polity, legal systems, regulatory and institutional framework.

    Banking on its partners, such as the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN), London Maritime Operators, Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the Capital Market Lawyers Association, Maritime Arbitrators of Nigeria, International Chamber of Commerce, the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others, to drive the platform, Agbakoba said the series  is designed to bring together business operators, regulators, entrepreneurs, lawyers and government heads. They will engage in on maximising Nigeria’s economic assets towards growth and development among  other related issues.

    He said as part of the Dialogue programme in 2015, the firm will engage in serious dialogue and economic interrogation with policy makers, experts and stakeholders on several topics.

    “The topics will include Waking up Dead Capital- Shipping sector, Aviation, Small and Medium Enterprises, Space law development, Strengthening our regulators and Strategies for raising alternative revenue in the face of dwindling oil prices,” he said.

    Agbakoba disclosed that the drive of the firm in 2015 will be to strengthen and develop its capacity to facilitate the provision of quality legal services to its clients adding that to support the global perspective of the firm and desire for excellence, the firm has imbibed a new name, logo and identity.

    “Because OAL understands that delivering legal solutions and engineering change will require more than a name, OAL’s enviable network of relationship will be deployed to effective use,” he explained.

    He explained that OAL resource base is phenomenal with hundreds of publications on development law covering space, privatization, economic reforms, aviation, shipping, maritime, institutional reforms and investment law and reports from participants in various committees in federal, state and international level.

    “The changing face of Nigeria’s economy requires different approach in policy formulation, review and services. Economists and developing law experts now understand and advocate that law plays an important role in economic reforms and development, because certain legal and institutional frameworks are particularly conducive and enable economic growth,” Agbakoba reiterated.

    Priscilla Ogwemoh, its Managing Partner noted that  firm which has over 63 years of experience in providing legal services has built a reputation as one of the leading law firms in Nigeria, dedicated to excellence, commitment, integrity and uncompromising service and has offices in Lagos, Abuja, Onitsha and Port Harcourt.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Tic Tac rewards promo winners

    Three winners have emerged at the Tic Tac  event tagged ‘Shake and Share’ Promo to mark its 45th anniversary.

    Tic Tac, a brand from the stable of Ferrero, is one of the leaders in the confectionary segment of the market.Winners of the promotion’s grand prizes of iPhone 6 include Buoyant Ikor- Lagos Ejimole Loveth Chiamaka – Port Harcourt and Ita Okokon-Lagos.

    During the roadshow, orchestrated by Route 712 Agency, Tic Tac promoted special promo picture contest “shake and share” that offer consumers the opportunity to win 3 Apple iPhone 6 and other numerous consolation prizes, such as Samsung Smart Phones, Limited edition Tic Tac  T-Shirt, Face cap, Key holders, Flash drives, Pen and Free Tic Tac product.

    Announcing the winners, at a prize presentation in Lagos, the country representative of Ferrero, Adewale Adediran said the mint confectionary brand was embarking on the initiative as a mark of respect for its consumers and  show deep appreciation for their consistency toward the brand.

    Adediran pointed out that the fact that consumers have had a memorable experience in the road show is an attestation that Nigerians appreciate and love the brand.

    Tic Tac is available in two flavors that include mint and orange and is offered in an iconic and stylish plastic package format of 33 pills at 70 Naria.

    He said: ”Tic Tac has come a long way. It is famous all over the world for its unique rattle sound, its stylish transparent plastic packaging and its inimitable refreshing and pleasant taste. It is also recognised as the most famous mint in the world and in the top five ranking of sugar confectionery brands in the world.”

    Over 180, 000 consumers participated in the show. Meanwhile, of the consumers, more than 2,000 had reportedly entered into iPhone 6 promo while over 50,000 Tic Tac products were sampled.

     

  • P&G launches product

    Procter and Gamble has  launched its newly improved Pampers Baby-Dry into the market.

    At the launch at Agbara in Ogun State, Christofer Fuchs, its Associate Director R&D Baby Care Europe Middle East and Africa, said the firm is committed to the healthy development of babies.

    “Our newly improved Pampers diaper is borne out of extensive research and development, consumer studies and continuous feedback from consumers. We do this to ensure premium comfort for our babies and consequently contribute to the happy and healthy development of babies.