The Nation Newspaper

Category: Brand week

  • MNP adverts: Gainers, losers

    MNP adverts: Gainers, losers

    To comply with the NCC Mobile Number Portability (MNC) scheme, the telcos invested hugely on advertising to ensure higher equity in the portability game. But reports by NCC suggest that the money spent on advert was a waste considering dismal number of porters though media directors believe it wasn’t, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    when the Nigerian Communications Commission started the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) scheme last year, the advertising industry was thrown into wild jubilation. The scheme provided ample opportunities for the agencies to overcome the declining marketing budget crippling the industry.

    Although the Nigeran Communications Commission (NCC) accordingly embarked on the MNP to make Nigeria telecom service subscribers enjoy the benefits of migrating from one network to another, in search of quality service, while retaining their original phone numbers, irrespective of the network the subscriber is using. This was made possible by the launch of the MNP across the networks of GSM operators, said NCC.

    Also, to outwit one another, aggressive marketing became the game changer as Telcos, which are the top advert spender more than other sectors of the economy, flaunt their wealth, tactically poaching brand ambassadors from one another, in an attempt to win the portability marketing onslaught. But with a recent figure from NCC, which was reported last week by a national newspaper (not The Nation), the multi-billion naira advertising spend may have gone down the drain, as only a dismal 80,424 subscribers have ported in the last 10 months.

    It was revealed that between May 2013 and February this year, MTN, which is the biggest telecoms company, recorded 36,819 cases of subscribers porting out of the network, followed by Airtel, Globacom and Etisalat with 22,595; 12,357; and 8,653 cases. The figures also revealed that within the period under review, MTN recorded monthly out-porting figures of 3,409; 2,719; 3,142; 3,925; 4,266; 4,453; 4,491; 3,052; 3,667; and 3,695. Also, Airtel recorded 1,190; 1,315; 1,327; 5,826; 6,520; 1,447; 1,004; 1,199; 1,429; and 1,338. For Globacom, it was 1,646; 1,122; 1,367; 1,354; 1,267; 1,204; 1,206; 973; 978; and 1,240. Etisalat had the lowest number of subscribers who ported out with 768; 646; 917; 934; 1,019; 1,001; 1,129; 626; 806 and 807 for the period. In the report, MTN accounted for about 45.78 per cent of out-porters; Airtel, 28.09 per cent; Globacom, 15.36 per cent; and Etisalat, 10.75 per cent.

    This figure, however, has underscored the number of clicks the MNP advertisement enjoyed on social media, despite the over N20 billion MNP advert budget by the Telcos.

    Checks by The Nation on Tuesday showed that MTN Saka I Don Port campaign generated 185,622 hit on Youtube; Airtel’s The Move campaign, 557,410; Glo’s Move to Greener Pastures, 557,410 while Etisalat Switch TVC also generated 43,768 hits in addition to other platforms such as traditional media used to promote their MNP offerings.

    Ten months down the line, the result is shocking with Telcos appearing to be the biggest loser in the porting game. MTN first undertook a major marketing coup by signing Hafiz Oyetoro a.k.a Saka from Etisalat to herald its campaign. Etisalat and Glo also competed in equal measure while Airtel made a statement, too.

    Giving reasons for the low figure, the Managing Director of MediaShare, Mr. Dele Odugbemi, said the low figure didn’t mean the Telcos’ advert spends were a waste. He said the introduction of incentives to prevent their subscribers from porting might be the reason MNP recorded such dismal figure.

    His words:“Conversion is low because the networks offered existing subscribers enough incentives to stay. I witnessed portability campaigns in Kenya and South Africa and the results were just about the same…you have more to lose than just your number if you change your network. So, it’s only done in extreme circumstances, such as poor service or high cost.”

    Also, the Managing Director of Starcom Media said the figure did not reflect that the MNP advert campaigns are ineffective. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with either portability creative or the media exposure. If anything, the Saka porting had more talk ability than any other ad in recent past. The issue then is quality of service by providers. May be no better option. The other problem was the cumbersome process of porting,” he noted.

    Also, Odugbemi added, “the spend isn’t a waste as porting is strategic and not tactical. What is important is to make the market aware they can port when they choose to and that job was done very well. The level of number portability awareness is very high in this market because the campaigns developed were memorable ones… switching networks isn’t as easy as it is made to sound…your recharge loading details, checking balance etc changes. So, that you are aware you can switch numbers and keep your number doesn’t mean you will do it when you consider the other factors.”

    Beyond the advert delivering increased portability, experts said infrastructure is still a major challenge which may have been responsible for the low impact of the advert on subscribers.

    A marketing communication specialist, Mr. Achang Agbamuda, said: “There is no way this campaign was going to benefit the operators because the infrastructure is still a huge challenge and for the simple fact that NCC embarked on it is face-saving initiative.”

    While the NCC is being urged to review the framework of the MNP scheme, the Head, Media and Public Relations, NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, said the commission had not seen enough reasons to commence the review of the MNP scheme.

    “That some people are saying we need to review some conditions of the MNP does not mean the commission will automatically start reviewing the terms,” he said. He added that the infrastructure on the ground would not permit the implementation of some of the proposals, adding that possible security issues were also being assessed.

    Chief Executive Officer of TPT, a PR agency, Mr. Charles Igbinidu, said: “The campaign is not totally a flop as suggested from some quarters.” He said the portability campaigns have, at least, achieved one goal, which is awareness. “I am sure many Nigerians are now aware that they can change their operators and still retain their numbers. So in the area of awareness creation, it has been a success. I also believe that MTN’s ‘I don port’ campaign is a classic. It is a very creative campaign and the media relations leveraging has also been superb.”

  • Cola brand equity heading south

    Cola brand equity heading south

    •As preference for tea, energy drink, bottle water increases

    The Cola drink market share appears to be heading south, despite the huge marketing spend to sustain market penetration. The reason for the decline is not unconnected with consumers’ growing preference for tea, energy drinks and bottled waters for years as latest findings by Beverage Digest have shown that consumers defected from the category at a faster rate last year.

    Despite the effort by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple Group to market lower-calorie sodas, such as Pepsi Next and Dr Pepper Ten and various packaging options, such as smaller cans, the growing need of consumers to watch their weight and sugar level has continued to make the category suffer brand switch.

    With the market showing similar trend, observers have said ‘Coca-Cola range, Pepsi and its sister brands Crush and 7UP as well as La Casera and other carbonated soft drinks are having it tough.

    Although a market observer said beyond the preference for other beverage drinks, the cola and other soft drink brands are also suffering from indirect and direct competition.

    “Apart from the preference for other drinks, which are direct competitors, the telecom service providers are fast sharing consumers’ purse with the soft drinks. People want to buy recharge cards; they want to reduce sugar-coated drinks, hence, its effect on demand for soft-drinks,” said Lekan Babatunde, a brand analyst.

    “Added to these direct competitors, carbonated soft drink (CSD) plight might have been compounded in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, such as Ghana and Benin, because of the unrelenting activities of ambitious telecoms operators,” he noted.

    However, to address obesity, which has become a serious issue for CSD manufacturers and their ilk to contend with in Nigeria, Coca-Cola in America in the last 10 years has responded to the obesity debate with a series of ads to encourage consumers to be active.

    Meanwhile, Beverage Digest revealed that, despite Coca-Cola efforts to save the market, carbonated soft drink volume declined three per cent last year, compared to a 1.2 per cent decline in 2012 and a one per cent decline in 2011.

    The category has reportedly seen declines for the last nine years, despite the industry’s massive advertising and marketing outlays. Two years ago, PepsiCo committed to spending an additional $500 million to $600 million on its core brands, of which Pepsi is one. More recently, Coca-Cola committed to spending an additional $1 billion on media and brand-building efforts by 2016.

    “The industry’s headwinds are not abating, and results are worsening,” said John Sicher, editor and publisher at Beverage Digest. “This puts a premium on sweetener innovation.”

    The major beverage players have all been working to develop natural, low-calorie sweeteners as consumers shy away from the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas and the calories in traditional sodas.

    Still, soft drinks remain the largest single beverage category, controlling about 43 per cent of the market, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation. Categories that did see growth last year included ready-to-drink coffee, energy drinks, bottled water, sport drinks and ready-to-drink tea. In addition to soft drinks, fruit beverages and enhanced waters saw declines.

    “Beverages endured a transitional year in 2013,” said Michael Bellas, chairman/Chief Executive Officer at Beverage Marketing Corporation.

    “Even in the face of economic challenges, healthier products thrived and even formerly floundering segments like ready-to-drink coffee demonstrated their potential. Certainly the state of the economy is crucial for overall beverage category success, but so are products that connect with the evolving American consumer.”

  • The stout war

    The stout war

    Since the beginning of the year, Legend Extra Stout from the stable of Nigeria Breweries (NB) PLC, has been unrelenting in its campaign to take over the market. Others, such as Castle Milk and Turbor King, are following closely behind. Despite this marketing onslaught, the popular Guinness Extra Stout has yet to respond, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    The stout market is experiencing a boost. Thanks to innovative marketing.

    The market, which parades old rivals, such as Guinness Extra Stout and Legend Extra stout; and new entrants, such as ‘Castle Milk Stout’, Dark Ale and Turbo-King, is becoming more competitive following the ever-changing taste of consumers.

    With new entrants striving to stimulate demand, the story of the old rivals has continued to follow the narrative of the Biblical David and Goliath, mustering enough marketing budget to fight one of the most daring campaigns beyond the above-the-line media to outwit one another.

    Though analysts at Proshare said Guinness Extra Stout is the market leader, the inability of the brand to step up its campaign in the year despite brand presence, is making analysts to believe the brand may lose to close chaser, Nigerian Brewery’s Legend Extra Stout.

    ”It’s as interesting as it is instructive. Legend Stout is positioning itself as the competitor to Guinness, the premier stout in the country,”says a Proshare analyst.

    Despite its dominance of the market in the last 30 years, the premier stout might face some difficulties, according to sources, as sales decline where the old rival brand push its marketing cmpaign to get to the top spot.

    “To gain and maintain market share, the brands are engaging in repackaging and rebranding as well as innovative campaign themes to push themselves up as a dominant brand. Though observers believe that market followers, such as Castle Stout and Dark Ale, may have decided to enhance their brand equity in regional markets, Legend Extra Stout from the stable of Nigeria Breweries, is pushing its brand up for the market leadership position,” Brimstone Edward, an analyst at BrandPullPush, said.

    Last year, Guinness made one of the most impressive brand activations using the African Nations Cup in South Africa to drive its Fly With the Eagles. The Guinness Colourful World of More Concert was a major campaign for the Guinness Stout in the same year. The event lived up to expectation as one of the greatest musical concerts that connected consumers of the brand at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The footfall could be compared to fans rushing to the stadium to watch a match between the Super Eagles and the Samba Boys of Brazil. The show, which featured Flavour, Tiwa Savage, Chidinma, and P-square, was electrifying as guests danced and savoured the drink.

    The concert was aimed at heralding the new look of Nigeria’s oldest stout brand, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. The following day,  Nigerians woke up to a Guinness-sponsored wrap around campaign for its repackaged stout brand in some newspapers, a toast to its market innovation designed to create customer satisfaction, though not without some criticisms.

    According to Managing Director/Chief Executive, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Seni Adetu, “At Guinness Nigeria, we are widely known for our consistency in delivering great brands with ground-breaking innovations and unique experiences to our consumers.

    ‘’The concert was a wonderful experience with the array of talents featured.”

    Earlier last year, the company sponsored 100 fans of the Super Eagles to South Africa to support the team at a victorious outing after 19 years of gracing the podium as the best football team in Africa.

    According to brand communication analysts, providing consumers with an unusual “freebees”, such as the Guinness Colourful World of More Concert and trips to South Africa are some novel ways brands connect with their consumers.

    A lecturer in Mass Communication at Redeemers University, Mr. Myke Esiri, argues: “Such experiences bring brand confidence, great bonding and identification with the brand, and, ultimately, create brand loyalty. However, in continuously maintaining the consumers’ loyalty, the brand must be consistent in terms of quality and having set the standard must always create more innovate ideas to wow their consumers. Overall, most consumers will generally associate with brands that give them such unforgettable experiences.”

    Also, a Public Relations guru and former Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Jide Ologun, said: “When brands come up with such innovative ideas, it shows they care about their consumers. As an investor, your basic business is to get people to patronise you and when you show you care with unique experiences for your consumers you make a bold statement. It develops your business, giving back to your consumers.”

    However, since January, this year, Legend Extra Stout has been making efforts to outwit the market leader to reach the top. A few weeks ago, the brand handlers kicked off a campaign tagged “Black REALvolution” and the market was led into the warfare where Legend, a market challenger, is pushing for the top spot.

    A brand analyst, Toye Olatunji, wonders what Legend Extra Stout has in stock to get to top of the hitherto monolithic market chart.

    The activation was spiced with poetry, drama, celebrity performance as well as a 10-minute video that heralded Legend.

    The event also witnessed the unveiling of a new Legend bottle: Golden, sexy. Earlier, adverts appeared on the worldwide web, saying there was “Black REALvolution” on in town. Also, there were outdoor messages driving the campaign around town akin to the “Three Orange Men” campaign that was used in the early 90s to relaunch Mirinda soft drink.

    The Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Hubert Eze, described the new Staniol neck labelling of the Legend Stout bottle  as a milestone in the lifespan of Legend Extra stout, adding that it is one of Nigeria’s most enduring brands.

    “What we just unveiled is the culmination of one of the most successful social media campaigns, which kept Nigerians guessing for weeks. We also had a tour bus traversing the length and breadth of Lagos, creating awareness about this unique packaging re-launch. We presented the BlackREALvolution as a movement and it is, indeed, a movement for consumers that yearn for more in terms of satisfaction and quality,” he said.

    Also, to capture the market, brand managers are deploying other ideas, such as REAL DEAL Consumer Promo, to enhance brand equity.

    “As we all know, the only constant thing in life is change.  And for the change to be meaningful, it has to be an upgrade. Today, Nigeria’s fastest growing stout brand, Legend Extra Stout is being upgraded,” Eze said.

    He said the REAL DEAL National Consumer Promotion would fly lucky winners into Dubai in an all-expense paid weekend.

    “For the 2014 edition, Legend Extra Stout National Consumer Promotion is bigger and better. This time around, beginning from the f April 7 to June 7, Legend is taking 30 lucky consumers to Dubai to shop for gift items worth up to a million naira each in an all-expense–paid trip. The 30 lucky winners will emerge through series of transparent raffle draws that would be held at different locations across the country in the promotion,” Eze added.

    Meanwhile, the marketing campaign of Legend Extra stout may not become leader of the market category soon, according to the owner of the brand, but to explore innovative marketing approach to show quality. Its brand managers are training their preiscope on the future.

    The Marketing Director, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Walter Drenth said: “I don’t think we are responding to any competition; as stated earlier, innovation is in the DNA of Legend and we believe this will progressively push the brand to its deserved place at the top. A quick flash back about our support for Legend in the last few years will convince all that rather than responding to others, other players are following our footsteps. This explains why the brand has, in the past years, remained the fastest growing stout in the market. We have to keep growing; we want to give consumers the best by emphasising the quality of our brand. This is part of our strategies. And again, I want to reiterate this; it’s part of our ways of showcasing a premium quality.”

    Drenth added: “Basically, there were two things: change and innovation. Here in Nigeria Breweries, change and innovation are important to our success. Also, our consumers are open to change and often ask for it. In line with this phi1losophy, innovation is part of Legend’s growth strategy and we showcase this through the re-launch, which everybody cherished. Now, from the brand perspective, because this brand is quite exciting, the thinking behind the revolution was done to take our consumers through a journey in change. We conceived an idea that would give them something better and something they will never forget in a hurry.”

    He said the brewery is keen on moving forward from its second spot to the top position.

    “We want to move forward, we want to improve on how to serve our consumers better,” he further said.

    With the challenger stirring at competition and market followers limiting themselves to advertising and marketing becuase of the inability to face the big spenders, industry watchers are waiting to see how Guinness will respond to the onslaught.

  • Ad agencies are not poor, says Sobanjo

    The Chairman, Troyka Group, Mr. Biodun Sobanjo, said there are juicy accounts as against the picture painted by some of his colleagues that many ad agencies are not doing well.

    He said: “These are some of the things I don’t agree with. There will always be juicy accounts; they ask for guarantee and you deliver. Owners must eyeball the clients. Many agencies want to hang on to the brief and accept anything and when the procurement guy gets involved, he starts to cut down on margin.”

    But, the Chairman, Market Space, George Thorpe does think so.

    Speaking at a summit by Marketing Edge in commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of Marketing Edge magazine, Thorpe said the notion of juicy accounts is a myth and should be challenged in the interest of the profession.

    Thorpe, who is co-founder of MediaReach OMD, Tequila and TBWA Concept, said when agencies win multinational accounts, it makes a major headline in the newspapers hence prompting the use of various adjectives, such as ‘lucrative’ and ‘juicy’, whereas the agency is broke and yet busy working for the clients.

    He said to look financially healthy to lure more clients, an agency will buy a new car for the chief executives and paint the office.

    “When an agency wins new accounts, the marketing publications give a caption, such as juicy accounts and you see it in the CEO’s car, the office economy and the agency, on its part, a throw party, but nobody asks how the company is doing financially because people measure the success of the business with a 4wheel drive car, office architecture, rather than the balance sheet profit and loss account,” Thorpe said.

    He continued: “These GSM companies spend some money you can never imagine, but for us agencies, none of them qualify as juicy accounts. When you have a GSM account, you will throw party, increase your workforce because of the demands of handling such accounts, but at the end of the year, you don’t have a good cash balance. I don’t think any of our clients qualify as juicy or lucrative account.”

    Also, the former Marketing Director of MTN, Mr. Bola Akingbade, argue that 50 per cent of advertising budget is a waste.

    He complained that media agencies often mismanage media budget.

    “I do not want to critique what Thorpe said. But often 50 per cent of an ad budget is a waste. People do not know how to manage a media budget.They are many blind media buying, but credit should go to Thorpe for bringing accountability to the media buying through media star which enhance accountability,” he added.

  • PR is dead, says expert

    A Public Relations (PR) practitioner and Head of Jericho chambers, Robert Phillips, has declared the obituary of PR in his latest book, titled: Trust Me, PR is dead!

    A Visiting Professor at Cass Business School, London and co-author of Citizen Renaissance, Phillips has seen it all in the industry.

    He has been working at the leading edge of communications since co-founding Jackie Cooper Public Relations in 1987. A former President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Edelman, the world’s largest PR firm and Global Chair of its Public Engagement & Future Strategies group, for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets, Philips has been advising global corporations and writing, publishing and speaking on the future of communications for over 25 years.

    Last year, Philips co-founded Jericho Chambers and launched the Progressive Communications Network to promote the transformative agenda and to help business make real the ideas of radical honesty and radical transparency.

    Jericho Chambers speaks to communication through action, not words, and the fact that corporations would need to change their behaviours before they change their communication.

    However, his book appears to provide answers to the communications challenges.

    “We are all naked now – so we might as well look good,” said Dr Mohamed “Mo” Ibrahim, a Sudanese-British mobile communications entrepreneur and billionaire.

    Philips, who in 2012 quit his highly-paid and high-profile job at one of the world’s largest Public Relations (PR), said: “I no longer believed in either the business model or the purpose of the business I had chosen to profess.

    ‘’I felt like an imposter and a hypocrite and I knew it was time to quit. I had no plan in November 2012. I wanted to take time to think through the implications of the failing, tired model of Public Relations and what might replace it. And I wanted to write a book. What turned out to be this book,” he he added.

    “It was not just that the global financial crisis and/or the social digital revolution had changed the world irreversibly (both did); nor that clients were growing weary of big consultancy firms with cookie-cutter solutions, in endless sales mode, under-performing against expectations (they were). Instead, it struck me that the PR industry was about to sleepwalk over a cliff – and I had no desire to either lead or follow its decline,” he declared.

    Though he noted that the book is part personal, partly observational, partly survival manual peppered with anecdotes, interviews with business leaders and politicians and practical navigation tools.

    Trust Me, PR is Dead is an optimistic book.

  • SO&U staff win Miami ad scholarship

    Two SO&U staff have won the Miami Ad School Scholarship Competition.

    One of the recipients, Ms. Adenike Akinbisehin, expressed gratitude to the organisers of the competition for creating a platform that “encourages and rewards creative excellence”.

    She explained that her decision to participate in the competition was to enable her “imagination roam, without having to consider limitations posed by cultural or production concerns”.

    Adenike also said the competition, which was “an exciting opportunity for growth, was fun and was, indeed, one of her proudest achievements”.

    The second staff, Mr. Ifeanyi Mazi, said it took him four days before the ideas hit him. For him, “this is just the beginning; the best is yet to come”.

    The SO&U Creative Director, Mr. Anthony Ekun, commended the staff for their success.“I am not surprised by what Ifeanyi and Nike have achieved. Their creativity and passion is consistent and very inspiring.

    “At SO&U, we are confident that we will be seeing more of their achievements in the years to come.”

    Mazi won the keenly contested MAD Laifer’s category with Sandra Ebulu.

    Also, another staff member of the agency at the Lagos Advertising and Idea Festival (LAIF) Awards, have been offered the opportunity to visit France for this year’s Cannes Award, which is the world’s biggest yearly awards show and festival for professionals in the creative communications industry.

    The agency’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Udeme Ufot, expressed delight, saying: ‘’Greatness can only be achieved with passion for excellence and willingness to move out of one’s comfort zone. Nike and Ifeanyi are shining examples of the achievements of commitment and hard work.”

  • Airtel introduces promo in Sweet Sensation outlets

    Airtel Nigeria is partnering Sweet Sensation to increase the value of the two brands.

    The deal is expected to make electronic airtime recharge available at every outlet of the fast food brand.

    The service, branded, ‘Refresh and recharge’ was unveiled at the Sweet Sensation, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.

    It is coming two weeks after the telecoms firm unveiled Airtel Premier, an exclusive club for elite customers.

    The Lagos Regional Operations Director for Airtel, Mr. Adebayo Osinowo, noted that Airtel conceived the promo for its customers in addition to the numerous convenient channels available for access to recharging their lines and purchasing data bundles.

    “The service, which is first of its kind in telecoms products and services in Nigeria, was borne out of the need to give customers of Airtel Nigeria quality service as well as convenience and value.

    “Each time Airtel customers walk into any Sweet Sensation outlet to get their meals, they can also top up their lines with Airtel Easy Recharge, which is a convenient, time-saving and secure way to get airtime without scratching cards,” he added.

  • Experiential marketing as game changer

    It has become the game changer that is prompting agency owners to consider setting up an experiential marketing agency within their group to stay in business.

    While clients are slicing marketing budgets in relation to other promotional mix, experiential marketing agencies are feeding fat, though delivering on return-on-investments.

    As a result, these have heat up debate on the role of experiential marketing to sustain brand recall and influence purchasing decision.

    According to experts, “Experiential marketing is a form of advertising that focuses primarily on helping consumers experience a brand. While traditional advertising (radio, print, television) verbally and visually communicates the brand and product benefits, experiential marketing tries to immerse the consumers within the product by engaging as many other human senses as possible. In this way, experiential marketing can encompass other marketing strategies from individual sampling to large-scale guerrilla marketing.”

    With the power of the emerging promotional mix to win consumers via exploring entertainment among other activities that engages consumers higher than traditional promotional mix, the marketing communication industry has massive use of the promotional mix to gain consumers attention.

    NBL’s ‘Gulder Club Ultimate’, an engaging party ship liner for industry giants, celebrities and other fun lovers on a novel ride across the country; Nescafe ‘Mug Flight,’ ‘Legend Real Deal’ and the ‘Peak One million endorsements’ are some of the recent experiential campaign which has helped the brands sustain their brand recall in the competitive market.

    Recently, Nigerian Brewery launched an experiential campaign to engage their brand with consumers via, BlackRevolution. The experiential campaign was meant to activate the new bottle for its stout brand, Legend Extra Stout but the use of BlackRevolution as the experiential campaign, which was designed by Oracle Experience, an experiential marketing agency, the BlackRevolution, explored Live Show with notable celebrities, such as Femi Anikulapo, Tuface Idibia, Comedian Gordons, to thrill the audience.

    The Experiential campaign also engaged consumers with a drama titled, First vs Real, which depicts the brand’s (Legend Extra Stout) readiness to wrest the reins of leadership out of the hands of the market leader.

    The agency used the short documentary to highlight the Legend brand to remind the target market, which was represented by selected audience at the Bar Beach, where the activation was done, to stay connected with the brand using all celebrities, the theatre and the campaign headline, BlackRevolution, as the experience.

    The Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Hubert Eze, shed more light on the Legend Extra Stout staniol re-launch.

    He said: “We presented the BlackREALvolution as a movement, and it is indeed a movement for consumers that yearn for more in terms of satisfaction and quality.”

    The Chief Executive Officer, Oracle Experience Limited, Mr. Felix Eiremiokhae, said an ideal experiential campaign should make people talk about the brand and not the artistes.

     

  • Coke may soften marketing over unrest during World Cup

    Coca-Cola has unveiled plans to adapt its World Cup sponsorship and soften its celebratory tone in Brazil if unrest returns to the streets.

    As the company launches its biggest World Cup marketing campaign, Coke Executive Vice President, Joe Tripodi, said it would react to any protest to reflect the mood of the nation.

    Demonstrations flashed across the South American country last year as the Confederations Cup started, with Brazilians angry at the high level of spending on the World Cup compared with public services. The protests outside some matches, including the Brazil-Spain final, turned violent, with tear gas floating into stadiums.

    “That (World Cup) spotlight can act as an opportunity to tell a story of happiness, but it can also be a spotlight to tell a story of grievances and concerns that they (the public) have about the direction of the country,” Tripodi, Coca-Cola’s chief marketing and commercial officer, said on the phone.

    A litmus test of Brazilians’ attitude towards the World Cup may come when the trophy tour, organised by Coke, reaches its 90th country this month and begins a six-week tour across Brazil.

    “We hope there is no unrest,” Tripodi said from Atlanta. “But we recognise these things happen. You always have to be smart to have all kind of Plan Bs, Plan Cs and Ds to prepare for any contingency. And if certain things happen, you might have to change the tonality of your marketing or communications… to make sure our messaging is better reflected the mood in a particular country,” he added.

    The same social media channels Coke uses to promote its products can quickly be used to create a backlash. “The worst thing is you can be complicit by silence,” Tripodi said.

    “The world we live in is full of massive disruption, frequent chaos and change all the time,” he said. “So as a company and as a brand if you are not prepared to respond…, then you aren’t going to survive.”

    Coke’s advertising has appeared in World Cup stadiums since the tournament was last staged in Brazil in 1950, and it has been an official FIFA sponsor since 1978.

    The latest marketing campaign features fans across the world, from a Japanese region hit by the 2011 earthquake-tsunami to the West Bank, collecting tickets.

    Rival PepsiCo is relying on the allure of soccer stars, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and the Netherlands’ Robin van Persie performing tricks on the streets of Rio de Janeiro in a campaign released recently.

  • Playing by the rules

    In a bid to sanitise advertising, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has clamped down on those not registered with it. Some stakeholders believe that APCON’s action is right, others think otherwise, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    Many practitioners were caught unawares by the action. After several warnings, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) clamped down on those practising advertising, but not registered with it. Its action, it said, was pursuant to its fifth code which spells out those who can practise the trade and their qualifications.

    Relying on the law establishing it, the council officials and policemen swooped on advertising firms which it claimed are harbouring unregistered practitioners.

    Those grilled by the police, according to APCON, include Product Manager, Samsung Mr Manomahan Chandroth; Marketing Manager, Radio Lagos Mr. Kayode Adunmadeyin; Commercial Manager, Top Radio Omololu Omigbule, Head of Client Services, Blue Seal Communication Yemi Egbebiyi, Strategy and Business Executive of DDB Lagos Fifemayo Aiyesimaju; Marketing Manager of Multi-Choice Nigeria Akinola Salu and Head, DSTV Media Sales Holeka Maringa.

    Stating the reason for the action, APCON’s Head, Planning, Research, Corporate Affairs and Strategy Mr. Ralph Anyasor, said: “After several sensitisation visits to advertising establishments and warning notices, the body has commenced the arrest and prosecution of offenders.”

    He said APCON would ensure due process in handling the matter to send the right signal to stakeholders that the reform has come to stay. The council said police investigation would be the first step in the prosecution of those perceived to be engaged in illegal practice.

    Reacting, DDB CEO Mr. Ikechi Odigbo told The Nation that the agency’s lawyer is engaging APCON on the issue. He said none of the firm’s men was arrested. Odigbo added that any irregularities regarding the agency’s professional membership have since been addressed. APCON’s action, he said, would make people take its reform serious.

    The Public Relations Manager, DStv Caroline Oghuma, said none of the company’s staff was arrested. “To begin with, none of our staff has been arrested by APCON. Mr. Akin Salu who you mentioned does not work in a marketing or advertising capacity and Kholeka Maringa, who is the Deputy General Manager, Media Sales is based in South Africa.”

    Multichoice, she said, is working to ensure its marketing and advertising workers comply with required laws. “We are working to ensure that our marketing and advertising executives are compliant as required by law,” she noted.

    The Legal Adviser, West Africa, Samsung Senibo Bara-Hart told The Nation that none of its product managers was arrested.

    “To our knowledge, there has only been an inquiry made by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, which is fact-finding in nature. It is, therefore, incorrect to allude to the arrest of any Samsung staff for any illegality as no such thing has occurred.”

    APCON’s move has generated reactions from stakeholders, including the umbrella body for some of the firms, Advertising Association of Nigeria (ADVAN). Its President, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, told The Nation that APCON is empowered to arrest illegal practitioners.

    “They have the law that backs them up against illegal practitioners. The issue is that people should embrace self-regulation, rather than allowing themselves to be handled in a crude manner. If practitioners embrace self-regulation, we will have minimal intervention like this,” Oyeyemi said.

    Before APCON embarked on the crack down, Oyeyemi said ADVAN had been educating its members about the reform. APCON, he noted, also engaged stakeholders to prevent the use of the “big stick.” “The industry was educated about the reform to the best of my knowledge. Stakeholders were engaged. Secondly, I think that when such reforms are done and stakeholders refuse to comply after being engaged, then they are open to such clamp down,” he added.

    Endorsing APCON’s move, the Managing Director of Harmony Concept, Mr. Kayode Oluwasona, however, advised that it should engage stakeholders more.

    “It’s a good thing I think. The advertising industry has been bastardised for so long that you really need such sanity. To be seen as an industry regulator, APCON needs to be taken serious and this move will make people see them as being serious. It should be sustained, but APCON should continue its engagement process so that it would not be found wanting by those who would claim ignorance of APCON stakeholder’s engagement activities,” Oluwasona said.

    APCON Chairman Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi said the council is not against foreigners or practitioners. The reform, he said, is in the interest of the industry and the economy.

    Akinwumi explained that the introduction of the code of practice would help to strengthen regulation and ensure professionalism. He said under the new regime, APCON has undergone transformation, which resulted in the fifth code that has since become a law. The new law would enable APCON to regulate the sector and make it more productive, he said.

    “The council has also developed various frame works for the relevant licensing procedures, which would follow the approval of the code. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, advertising practice has become professionalised like medicine, law, engineering etc. and charlatans can no longer practise unhindered. APCON has government’s full support and backing to enforce compliance. Under the law, APCON can prosecute defaulters, and if such people are found guilty, they stand the risk of paying a hefty fine or being imprisoned or both,” Akinwumi said.

    The Managing Director, Noah’s Ark, Mr. Lanre Adisa, said the reform would help stabilise advertising and attract more funds and investors.

    “It should help advertising business to be more profitable to investors. There are all sorts of intruders that make the business not profitable for investors. But the APCON reform is a welcome development,” he said.

    To encourage compliance, APCON has reinstituted the Advertising Standards Panel Best Practice awards.

    The Chairman of the Advertising Standards Panel, Mr. Ade Akinde, said the essence is to encourage advertisers, their agencies and the media to comply with provisions of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice and other advertising laws.