The Nation Newspaper

Category: Brand week

  • TINK Africa launches trends worth billions

    TINK Africa, a start-up consumer insights firm, has unveiled a marketing tool platform named Consumer Trend Report where advertisers and agencies can assess information on trends which they could use to build their brands.

    Titled: Wired For The Future, the trend-spotting company also launched a website, Trends Worth Billions to provide instant access for the target users.

    The launch was a culmination of TINK’s local and global trendspotting tours that kicked off in June this year with the African Outdoor Advertising and Exhibition; Women in Marketing Conference [WIMCA] held July; Breakfast With the creatives in August as well as the Social Media Week Johannesburg which was held September and Advertising Week New York – October.

    The founder of TINK Africa and former Marketing Manager at Insight Communication, Franklin Ozekhome, who has spent a decade in advertising (media planning, brand strategy, account management, digital planning, marketing and new business) says he “knew it was time to roll out an innovation company. Africa was on a ‘roll’ and needed new thinking; strategies and experiences that would help brands stand apart in the minds of consumers.

    He said  that “the impact of popular culture – afro-pop music and sounds, reality TV shows, pop-candy videos, celeb fetish, techvolution, minipreneurism and the rise of technology start-ups and co-creation hubs – was being felt across industries – fashion, mobile and telecoms, fast foods, retail, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, online shopping, tourism and health -, and revolutionising the Nigerian market. Brands, therefore, had to rethink and re-strategise how they were branding, marketing and communicating to the digital consumer.”

    According to Ozekhome, “the growth of transmedia storytelling, branded content, contextual planning and digital advertising is a big blow to the business models used by ad agencies and the type of engagement formats developed by marketers. Brand teams are now compelled to redesign and share brand experiences, platforms and products that not only have marketing ‘baked-in’, but are also engaging, sustainable and resonate with consumers.”

  • Heineken engages consumers with new campaign

    Heineken, an  international premium lager beer, has unveiled @wherenext, a revolutionary new digital experience which is part of the fully-integrated global campaign, ‘Cities of the World’. This is in line with its determination to give the Nigerian consumer an experience that will last for a long time.

    The Twitter-based @wherenext service aims to help consumers explore new experiences of their cities, using a brand new and innovative social tool. The digital experience of the ‘Cities of the World’ campaign marks a milestone in the evolution of Heineken’s digital marketing strategy.

    Acting as a social compass, @wherenext reads the pulse of a city by using real-time location-based social activity to show where is hot and guide urbanites to new adventures off their beaten track.

    The new digital platform – developed in collaboration with R/GA London – is a solution to findings from recent Heineken research which revealed that consumers experience a ‘fear of missing out’  on the exciting experiences in their city.

    The research also showed how consumers from different cities seek a different ‘social currency’ in each urban environment. People who live in them want to break from routine, experience new places and embark on urban adventures that will add to their social currency.

    For example, Lagosians believe in “jaye”, a local parlance for “enjoying life” as a lifestyle. New Yorkers see ‘making it’ as the ultimate social currency whereas people from Rio de Janeiro see happiness as the absolute mark of achievement. For Londoners, it’s all about personal development and defining success for themselves.

    “Our world-class marketing campaigns are global, integrated and digitally-driven as everything we do is inspired by and oriented towards our fans. The success of the Heineken brand is rooted in a commitment to continual innovation,” said Mrs. Ngozi Nkwoji, Senior Brand Manager Heineken.

    “We boldly break away from traditional beer marketing approaches to create stories that inspire people to be courageous and aspirational. @wherenext and Cities of the World is the latest iteration of Heineken strategy, using rich consumer insights to respond to their desires to explore the great adventures in their cities.”

    On how it works, Mrs. Nkwoji pointed out that the social-media-based service uses a unique algorithm that listens to social media activity, such as tweets, check-ins and photos across popular platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare and analyses which locations are trending. The platform will help people navigate nightlife, overcome their fear of missing out and live their city to the fullest.

    Throwing more light on the digital experience, JP Maheu, Managing Director, Global Brand & Agency Strategy at Twitter, said: “Heineken is a consistently innovative brand on Twitter, and we’re excited to see them continue this into the lifestyle and entertainment space with the @wherenext campaign for Cities of the world. The initiative is really creative use of Twitter. It’s well-suited to the real-time and mobile nature of the platform and will give fans a window into the most vibrant experiences in cities around the world, right in the palm of their hand.”

     

  • Car owners can now earn advertising revenue!

    Car owners can now earn advertising revenue!

    Transit advertising is growing at a fast rate, creating competition for traditional media. The new fad in advertising is evolving from being a communication  wrap-around on company cars, mass transits and commercial vehicles, among others. The trend is offering individual car owners an opportunity to earn some income by allowing their cars
    to be used  for advertising communications, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    Trend-spotters in advertising communication are not sleeping. Everyday, they are awake, devising a cost-effective platform for advertisers to enhance the impact of campaigns on brands and create return-on-advertising-investment. In the latest trend, Nigerian private car owners are offering a viable platform for advertisers and advertising agencies. This benefit has been enjoyed by owners of land, taxi cabs, public mass transit and a host of others for a long time. But, with the new window for private car owners to rake in advert revenue, car owners are now advert message and campaign drivers.

    Transit or driven media, is the practice of covering or wrapping any vehicle in vibrant, custom-designed vinyl sheets, turning a vehicle into a mobile billboard. The purpose of this is to provide advertising impressions. Unlike a stationed media such as billboards, transit advertising has an advantage of moving to any location after approval from outdoor regulatory authorities. The media, it is believed, has the power to further shrink the market share of traditional 46-sheets billboards and its modern form, Digital LED billboards which are stationed at specific locations, mostly traffic areas.

    Branding a private car for transit advertising is not common in Nigeria. Media planners for a long time had relied on public mass transit, taxi cab or buses designed for sales promo while most companies also wrap their official vehicles with their communication materials sometimes.

    The reason is that branded vehicles enjoy more audience than stationed hoardings. According to Outdoor Advertising Magazine, an international publication, wrapped vehicles have a 97 percent recall rate and 96 per cent of survey respondents thought transit advertising is more effective than traditional outdoor advertising. Another survey by a research firm, 3M, also noted that 91 per cent of the target noticed the text and graphics on these wrapped vehicles with 80 per cent recalling the specific advertisement.

    This perhaps explained why the platform is popular abroad. For example, in some advanced markets, where such discovery had been established, brand owners are increasing their spending towards this line. A media company in South Africa, Provantage,  reported that this medium is reaching an estimated 18.2 million commuter daily. “This advertising medium poses enormous benefits for both the car owner and advertiser. The car owner will be compensated for every month which they have the advertisers’ campaign on their vehicle – which enables them to make extra cash. Advertisers benefit from getting enormous exposure for their brands, reaching their target markets for a lower cost than they would have to spend on other traditional and non-traditional medium of advertising,” say brand experts.

    During the unveiling of the new trend in Nigeria on Monday, the managing director of brandmycar.com, Amaka Okolo said that advertisers are searching for cost-effective means of promoting their communication materials. She said the branding of private car though new in Nigerian marketing space, provides low cost mobile out of home advertising spaces on private cars and transit vehicles for effective brand messages and communication.

    “This will help connect people with brands, match car owners who want effective mobile exposure, giving them a source of living and take the brands into smaller localised places where regular outdoor advertising cannot,” she said.

    She said the goals of the platform is also to drive outdoor advertising, where it is most effective and visible, as car owners commute daily to schools, shops, churches, mosques and works. According to Okolo, “What makes this service unique is that it is the first of its kind in Nigeria and it is easily reached, very flexible, visible and recent.”

     

    How it works

    Okolo explained that all car owners are expected to cover a minimum of 200 miles per month, so as to be paid an agreed amount to them. She said before such money is paid to car owners, the advertisers will verify compliance of cars through vehicle tracking reports to prevent falsehood by car owners. When engaged by advertisers.

    She noted that the tracking report will show how many miles the car has covered within the agreed period of time the advert is supposed to run, this way, advertisers will know how far the advert has travelled.

    Okolo further said that advertisers can either pick the cars they want online or can allow the company pick for them and then do the vetting.

    She said that presently, there are about 700 branded private cars functioning in Nigeria. Under her company, brandmycar.com, but that this figure is low compared to what is obtainable in advanced countries. She believed it will grow as more advertisers buy into it.

     

    Demand for transit ad

    The Chief Executive Officer of Noisemakers Advertising  Limited, one of the agencies that specialises in transit media, Mr. Jubril Dixion, believes that the platform is one of the a most effective platforms because of its reach.

    According to him, “My experience convinced me that the platform is not only effective but important for brand building. It is the way through which one can take campaign to consumers, wherever they are,” he said.

     

    Regulatory issues that maystall the new trend

    Corporate brands political parties/politicians and even religious bodies have found vehicle branding and advertising as a very effective way of advertising their products and winning souls. It is not unusual in Lagos to see a BRT bus bearing the “Glo-Rule Your World’ advert, a taxi branded with the advert of a particular brand of condom or luxury bus with the lingo of ‘The Lord Chosen’. All these are pointer to the fact that the brands are reaping bountifully from transit media.

    Despite the level of awareness and increased use of this platform, the fact that not all the branded vehicle on Lagos roads have the government seal of approval has often become an issue of discourse in many forms. To ensure that car owners are not harassed, Mrs.Okolo said any car owners subscribing to have their cars branded will be screened and ensured that they have valid driving documents such as vehicle insurance, drivers licence, certificate of road worthiness among others. She said after that has been been verified, a LAASA permit will be secured for car owners.

     

     

  • Firm unveils Banga fruits extracts

    The nation’s culinary market has received a big  boost, as Pally Agro introduced  Banga, a canned fresh palm fruit extracts, into the market.

    The new product, the company explained, has become imperative to ease the burden associated with preparing palm fruit extracts by Nigerians.

    The company’s Director, Anwuli Onyeagu, said though Banga is a popular fresh palm fruits extracts among Nigerians, it is still not accessible to those who would have loved to make it part of their culinary, due to the herculean task of preparing it.

    Onyeagu explained that the new product, which comes in two sizes of 400 and 800 grammes, will revolutionise the nation’s culinary market and set quality standards in that market segment.

    She noted that besides being the first company to produce such product in the nation’s market, its freshness and natural oil remain one of the factors that would set the product apart from competition.

    While expressing the company’s readiness to fight for its own share of the market, she explained that the firm is already cultivating a farm, which would give it the needed advantage of getting its raw materials fresh to complete its production.

    Besides employing both direct and indirect marketing to push the new product, the Banga team,  would also be visiting universities across the country to further bond the new offering with its target market.

  • Optimising awareness with unrented media

    Optimising awareness with unrented media

     Promotional items in branding are set to have their own share of the marketing budget. Experts believe that the  drive for  cost-effective platforms would guarantee emerging promotional mix a good place in marketing, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

    From branded apparels to specially printed premiums, otherwise called promotional merchandise or souvenirs, advertising items are more than colourful clever giveaways.    They’re brand ambassadors that can improve a company’s bottom line at low-cost budget. The right promo items – presented with a strong support programme – have the power to build a better, enduring brand.

    Called unrented media as a below-the-line media tool, they are articles of merchandise (often branded with a logo) used in marketing and communication programmes. The items are usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or slogan, and given away at trade shows, conferences, and as part of guerrilla marketing campaigns.

    The use of T-shirts, caps, key chains, posters, bumper stickers, pens, mugs, mouse pads, clocks and diary, among others, as the promotional conveyance or media is not new in marketing. It is as old as the world itself. Findings revealed that the first known promotional products in the United States (U.S.) were commemorative buttons dating back to the election of George Washington in 1789. During the early 19th Century, there were some advertising calendars, rulers, and wooden specialties, but there wasn’t an organised industry for the creation and distribution of promotional items until later in the 19th Century.

    Jasper Meeks, a printer in Coshocton, Ohio, is considered by many to be the originator of the industry when he convinced a local shoe store to supply book bags imprinted with the store name to local schools. Henry Beach, another Coshocton printer and a competitor of Meeks, picked up the idea, and soon the two men were selling and printing bags for marbles, buggy whips, card cases, fans, calendars, cloth caps, aprons, and hats for horses. The idea later became popular in marketing and politics across the globe.

    In 1904, 12 manufacturers of promotional items got together to form the first trade association for the industry. That organisation is now known as the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), which currently has more than 10,000 global members including Nigeria. PPAI represents the promotional products industry of more than 22,000 distributors and approximately 4,800 manufacturers.

    Though, it is commonly used by brands to support other marketing efforts, but also it is not uncommon to find value merchandise display tourism, campaigns for governments, political parties and their candidates.

    Communication expert believe that “most people remember a brand, and feel more favorable about the brand after receiving highly-perceived value merchandise.”

    Not all branded items or value merchandise are created equal. There’s a brand treasure, and there are trinkets and trash, but providing customers brand treasure according to a study can increase positive perception of the brand by over 70 per cent.

    Last year, Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study stated that branded items reinforce the advertiser’s connection with the item hence, bonds them with consumers and customers.

     

    Why it is becoming popular

    The PPAI president in Nigeria and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dugo, a brand promotion items company, Mrs. Ngozi Nzegwu, said the use of promotional items is gaining momentum in the marketing mix in Nigeria. She said while traditional advertising platforms such as television, newspapers, magazines and billboards, among others, are becoming expensive and hardly create the bond and experience for customers, they have become the tools for building brand awareness. Nzegwu said: “Brand awareness is the most common use for promotional items. Marketers also use promotional items to facilitate employee relations and events, tradeshow, traffic-building, public relations, new customer generation, dealer and distributor programmes, new product introductions, employee service awards, not-for-profit programmes, internal incentive programmes, safety education, customer referrals, and marketing research.

    “The days of high saluting of advertising in the papers so that you can be seen is gone. These days when recession hits the globe and marketing budget in Nigeria is not immune, so, it is what you see and touch and feel that gives you the lasting impact. “So, that is where promotional products and whatever tools of expression to keep your brand in the face of your clients play a greater role. Promotional items branding is a constant reminder to build. I call them the gifts that keep giving.”

    Nzegwu also explained that worldwide, the use of promotional items has been embraced by government officials and political parties and their candidates as well as non-governmental organisation. “Promotional items are also used in politics to promote candidates and causes. Promotional items as tools for non-commercial organisations, such as schools and charities are often used as a part of fund raising and awareness-raising campaigns. A prominent example was the live strong wristband, used to promote cancer awareness and raise funds to support cancer survivorship programmes and research,” she noted.

    Using Promotional Merchandise in Guerrilla Marketing (a marketing strategy in which low-cost, unconventional means (including the use of graffiti, sticker bombing, flyer posting, etc.) are used in a (generally) localised fashion to draw attention to an idea, product, or service) is a recent and popular phenomenon. Items are branded in such a way to create a unique visual effect, attracting more attention and displaying a strong marketing message. Promotional products become particularly useful in this type of marketing, due to the wide range of products that can be tailored to specific campaigns and the various ways in which they may be printed.

    In July 2009 published research demonstrated that the top 10 promotional merchandise products were pens, bags, clothing, plastic items, USB memory sticks, mugs, leather items, polyurethane conference folders and umbrellas. The July research from a representation industry focus group also found that the current fastest growing product was hand sanitiser, which at the time coincided with the outbreak & growth of swine flu in the UK and Ebola in the world.

  • Global hotel brands eye Nigeria

    The President of the White House Hotel, Ikeja, Mr. Austin Eruotor, has said many global brands are eyeing the country, despite the challenges facing it.

    He said the country has witnessed lots of negative perceptions, but they have not prevented foreign hotel brands from coming into the country.

    “It is a big market and so many brands, mainly international ones, are coming to the country. These brands have realised that they make a lot of money in Nigeria because of our population, our oil industry, and we have a lot of other mineral resources, which encourage investment. Many investors in the world are realising that Nigeria is a place to be, despite our security challenges,” he said.

    He said despite the influx of global hotel brands, the locally owned ones are not affected by the competition. While celebrating the 10th anniversary of White House, Eruotor said the growing fame of the Nigerian entertainment industry has provided the need for local hotels to rebrand and create unique offerings in other to remain in business.

    “And when you look at the American economy, they are not doing well, and the European economy is at a standstill. Nigeria has become a beautiful bride of the world economy. There are lots of opportunities, which do not exist in America and Europe. Nigeria is now the place to be. Everybody is coming to Nigeria in spite of all the negative publicity we get. Our entertainment industry is really helping our local hotels to reposition and rebrand,” he noted.

    Citing the experience of White House, he said in the past 10 years, the hotel has been able to stay afloat despite competition from global brands and it has ridden on the entertainment industry to remain a sustainable brand.

    He said: “In the past 10 years, the facility has hosted programmes that featured celebrities such as P Square, Tuface, Dbanj, DZ Jeez, Tunde & Wunmi Obe and Timaya. White House Hotel turned 10 on October 1. You would agree with me that 10 years is not a joke in the life of any brand. We started as an entertainment/event centre, which was mainly a hall. Today, we are a full hospitality brand.”

  • Marketing in 21st century is challenging, says ADVAN President

    Marketing in 21st century is challenging, says ADVAN President

    The 21st Century customers are global citizens resident in your neighbourhood. Many of them are connected to the internet and can compare company prices with competitors. You fail them they switch to other brands,” the President of Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN)/General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, told about representatives of various advertisers at this year’s edition of ADVAN award for marketing excellence.

    With growing understanding of how consumers are changing the marketing game, Oyeyemi said the growth of internet and mobile phone penetration, 21st Century consumers have been transformed and as a result, the marketing landscape is being forced to gravitate towards the consumers.

    “They are so powerful such that they are brutally demanding and they know the global standard. They are not emotional and no longer loyal. If you fail them they switch their loyalty. This transformation has changed the marketing landscape in the 21st Century. Research variables and methodology too have changed with technology innovation. You no longer wait for long to get research results because of technology,” Oyeyemi said.

    He noted that the change has also collapsed the historical product distribution structure as mega malls; adding that e-commerce and new generation of logistics companies are also changing the marketing game.

    “Historical distribution structure are collapsing as mega malls, e-commerce are up. Night markets are disappearing and new generation of logistics companies are springing up. We are all aware of how traditional advertising is under threat. Internet penetration in Africa is changing marketing. Mobile device, social media are creating one of the most destructive impacts on the marketing industry,” he added.

    He noted that to avoid the wrath of consumers, advertisers must co-create product proposition with consumers. He said when consumers are involved in brand development from conception, packaging to the end result, it will be easier to relate with consumers in the 21st Century.

  • ‘Our air-conditioner’s built for African market’

    The newest Japanese technology, Daikin’s residential air conditioner, is said to be specially built to serve African and, indeed, Nigerian consumers.

    The President, Daikin Middle East & Africa, Hiroshi Fujioka, said this at the product introduction in Lagos.

    The product would be distributed, sold and serviced in Nigeria by Panaserv Nigeria. The 2014 model product launch was hosted in conjunction with Daikin Middle East and Africa.

    Product line up of 2014 models of air conditioners was unveiled at the ceremony. According to Fujioka, Daikin air conditioners have been developed in order to meet Africa’s most challenging needs for the best air conditioning”.

    According to Suraj Rupani of Panaserv Nigeria Limited,  the new entrant has built-in protection against power fluctuations and blackouts. “As a standard, the equipment is protected against over current, over-voltage and under-voltage,” he said.

    Other features that come with the Japanese technology include energy saving feature, which offers efficient operation on its equipment with lower electricity consumption, up to grade A (EER).

    Rupani said Daikin indoor units offer whisper quiet, a huge departure from the current products in the market.

  • Applied Media launches new advertising channel

    Applied Media has launched a unique and innovative advertising medium, the applied media floor graphic panel.

    The new channel, according to the firm, will provide for advertisers, brand owners, media agencies, media buyers, large and small businesses, government and non-government agencies with new opportunities to promote their brands within environments of significant dwell time. It will also help them across transport hubs, shopping centers, walkway, car parks, airports, access roads, banking and financial access points, tertiary and high institutions, as well as leisure parks.

    Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patrick Ogebe said: “Many people nowadays spend 70 percent of their time out of home and are constantly exposed to all forms of advertising. Applied Media provides a new high profile brand exposure to meet the changing behaviour of consumers and allow interaction whilst maintaining the traditional strengths of outdoor advertising.

    “Our patented technology will change the game in the outdoor industry by delivering an unrivalled product and service whilst facilitating a new way to advertise at new locations with direct brand engagement with a defined audience.”

    He further explained that Applied Media is always looking for prominent media spaces with high footfall and vehicular traffic to install surface applied graphic systems, thus turning space into an asset.

  • Coca-Cola reviews PR account, appoints new agency

    After a recent review of its Public Relations account, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited has appointed The Quadrant Company, a local affiliate of the Fleishman Hillard network, its new public relations consultants to handle its corporate and beverage brands. The appointment took effect last month.

    Its Public Affairs & Communications Director, Clem Ugorji, said The Quadrant Company was selected through a keenly-contested pitch involving six PR agencies in the country, including the former agency, C&F Porter Novelli.

    ‘The recent pitch for the Coca-Cola PR account was informed by our policy to periodically evaluate and refresh our capabilities in order to effectively drive our growth plans.”

    He noted that the agencies all demonstrated remarkable competencies and that The Quadrant Company was adjudged to be well positioned to sustainably deliver on the expectations in the fast- evolving PR landscape,” said Ugorji.

    The Managing Director of The Quadrant Company, Bolaji Okusaga, was delighted his company netted the accountr.

    “We are pleased to emerge winners in the keenly competed pitch to render PR consultancy services to Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited on its corporate and beverage brands. We feel honoured to win a contest that also involved other eminently qualified and professionally competent agencies. The Quadrant Company shall bring requisite professional competences to bear  on sustaining the brands on the stable of Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited as well as the corporate brand,” said Okusaga.