The Nation Newspaper

Category: Business

  • Brand 2012: The story so far

    Brand 2012: The story so far

    The year has had its up and down times. It started on a wrong note with the nation-wide strike crippled the economy. The future  looked grey. In the mist of the trials and tribulations came a glimmer of hope for businesses as the curtain gradually drops on the year, reports Raji ROTIMI sOLOMON.

    The year 2012 has been productive and successful, with its gains and losses. Though the year started on a sad note, Nigerians were greeted with the subsidy removal declaration by the Federal Government.

    The malignant action threw the country into prolonged pandemonium, which eventually led to a nation wide strike.

    This time of the year in the corporate world is very crucial because it is time to plan and strategise for the year. But Nigerians where experiencing economy shut-down, political tension, Boko Haram insurgence among others.

    The future of the year looked bleak, every sector of the economy was affected, and the advertising industry was not left out. Most companies cut-down on their advertising budget; some even dropped their contracts with their agencies, many advertising agencies had to down-size.

    Though these were the ugly sides of the year, the brighter side over shadowed it. The industry churned out lot of creative works ranging from TV commercials to radio jingles to captivating billboards and so on. Brands came out in different styles, in the banking industry. Diamond Bank came out with a new logo which stirred up controversies.

    The success story of Legend extra stout from the stables of Nigeria Breweries, won the quality Gold Monde awards. In the telecoms sector, Airtel was recognised as the network with excellent customer care services.

    MTN came out with the highest price for promo during its Ultimate Wonder promo, as they offered an aeroplane or equivalent in cash. With the doubts that followed the ridiculous offer, MTN was able to redeem their pledge as they mesmerised the people. In the food category, Indomie’s song of mama do good ooooo became an award winning jingle.

    Furthermore the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) awards pronounced Insight Communication the best agency of the year. Marketing Edge brand personality awards conferred Enyi Odigbo, Chief Executive Officer Caser’s Group, as the brand personality of the year. Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), celebrated its 20th year anniversary. Brandpower awards also recognised Brand changers and Vintage brands.

    Despite the odds against them advertisers and agencies still weathered the storm of the year. Flood was another impediment that disrupted progress in the year’s success. Speaking with an industry expert, ace journalist and publisher of the Marketing Edge magazine John Ajayi, said: “Year 2012 has been a mix bag, full of ups and downs. The first quarter of the year didn’t look too good; there was struggle in the industry. Most companies cut-down on campaign and promotional budget. Some companies like Globacom owed different outdoor advertising agencies millions of naira which almost crippled the agencies and not just that alone, started their own in-house agency that now handles their adverts and all. But by the second quarter stability came into play.”

    2012 in retrospect shows that with all the odds on the side of the industry it still managed to blossom. If only there was a hitch-free situation, there would have been more success stories recorded.

    Though there’s never a hitch-free situation but at least we can project for an enabling environment for year 2013. According to John Ajayi “if only the economic reforms promised by the government are executed, then the industry would experience exponential growth. Take for instance power, if we can achieve stable power supply, more manufacturers would cut down on cost of production and would eventually make them focus on advert campaigns.

    “It is a chain effect situation; good facility gives birth to higher quality production worthy of advert which results to high patronage of advertising practitioners. We look forward to a better and brighter year in 2013, and I believe that as long as governments implement their reform policies and advertising practitioners tap into it then we would have a blissful year at the end of 2013.”

    With expectancy we look forward to an exciting, productive and fulfilling year ahead. Happy New Year.

  • A union for Lagos mega concert

    At this time of the year, most brands close shop to take stock of the outgoing year. They do this for strategic reasons, but for Star, Nigeria’s number one premium lager beer, being number one comes with its challenges. The main thing is staying ahead of the competition, writes WALE ALABI

    Nigerian Breweries Plc.,makers of Star lager beer, is partnering with the Lagos State Government to host the first-ever Lagos Cross Concert on December 31. The concert, which is being tipped to be the biggest in Africa, will feature some of the biggest stars in the country including Tuface Idibia, acts from the EME crew; Wiz kid, Skales, Shaydee, Niyola and Banky W, artistes from the Mavin crew with the likes of Wande Coal, D’ Prince.

    Other artistes that will be part of the Lagos Cross Over Festival are Tiwa Savage, Omawunmi, Burna boy amongst others.

    The Cross Over Festival is expected to kick-off on the eve of the new year and usher in the new year. In addition to the exciting array of artistes lined up for the event, the venue is another reason that will make the concert stand out. The concert will be held at the Eko Atlantic City, just beside the majestic Atlantic Ocean that was once the Bar Beach.

    An added twist to the festivities is the Star Mega City. For the 12 days leading to the Lagos Crossover Festival, revellers will be treated to fun and excitement at the Lagos Mega City. The series of activities will see upcoming artistes, comedians and other acts thrilling the audience. There would also be dancing competitions and raffle draws that will see lucky winners smiling home with fantastic instant prizes.

    The Star Mega City was opened by Governor Babatunde Fashola last week. Since its opening the village has been a beehive of activities with fun seekers trooping in to enjoy themselves.

    While calling on Lagosians to visit the Star Mega City, Governor Fashola added that the crossover concert was a perfect way for fun-seekers to end the year.

    “I must say the Star Mega City is a unique concept. The exciting thing about it is that it is exploring the tourism potential of Lagos State. I want to urge Lagosians from all walks of life to be at the Star Mega City and then at the Crossover Concert on the evening of December 31, as it will be the perfect way to end the year,” Governor Fashola said.

    Corporate Affairs Adviser of Nigerian Breweries Plc. Mr Yusuf Ageni lent credence to Governor Fashola’s speech. In his words, “Lagos holds a special place in the heart of Star, as well as Nigerian Breweries. Thus there was the need for the company to contribute something special to the state at this time.”

    He added: “Nigerian Breweries started its first operations in Lagos and it was also in Lagos that Star, Nigeria’s first locally brewed and longest surviving lager beer brand was born. So, we have a special bond with Lagos State. That was why we decided to get involved in the festival.”

    According to Ageni, the 12 days of celebrations at the Star Mega City would be filled with ample entertainment as the year winds to a close. “Star Mega City was opened just to spread the values that Star is all about, which is fun and excitement. We will have live music, comedy, dancing and DJ’s who would all be present to thrill revelers non-stop. After the Mega City celebrations, we will move on to the Crossover concert,” he enthused.

    Encouraging Lagosians to take advantage of the event, Ageni said the Lagos concert was designed to bring Year 2012 to a grand end. “We just want Nigerians from all walks to life to enjoy the moment. Yes, there may have been challenges in the course of 2012, but we are all still alive and there is every reason to Shine On,” he concluded.

  • Professional bodies urged to emulate PRCAN

    Marketing communications guru Mr Biodun Sobanjo, has praised the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) for its commitment to the professional upliftment of its members.

    Sobanjo, who is Chairman, Troyka Group, urged other associations to emulate what he described as a “fantastic gesture” by PRCAN.

    He spoke when the group visited The Quadrant Company, a member of the Troyka Group, following its declaration as the “African Consultancy of the Year”, courtesy of industry tracker The Holmes Report.

    A PRCAN member-firm,The Quadrant Company, is Nigeria’s oldest public relations consultancy firm. It won in a competition that involved distinguished agencies such as Arcay, Gina Din, Hill & Knowlton and Porter Novelli.

    Sobanjo acknowledged the zeal and commitment of PRCAN leaders, especially the President, Dr Phil Osagie, who is the pioneer Chief Executive of The Quadrant Company and the immediate past President, Mr Nn’emeka Maduegbuna, Chairman of C&F Porter Novelli.

    He said with the passion for the profession demonstrated by the PRCAN executive committee members and other member-firms, the future of the public relations practice in Nigeria is, indeed, bright.

    PRCAN Vice President, Mr Chido Nwakanma,who led the three-member delegation to the Troyka Group, said the top ranking of The Quadrant Company represents an endorsement of the standard of public relations practice in Nigeria.

    He said: “The Quadrant Company set the tone for the emergence of full service public relations agencies in modern business communication in Nigeria, and it is fitting that TQC is getting this recognition in its 20th year.

    “TQC has come of age as has public relations consulting in Nigeria. Your award validates the claim we make in PRCAN that public relations practice in Nigeria ranks with the best and is available under the umbrella of PRCAN member agencies. We, at PRCAN, congratulate you on this achievement.”

  • LG Electronics wins award

    LG Electronics, a global leader in consumer electronics and home appliances, has won the 2012 Most Trusted Brand Award as the most trusted home appliance brand in Nigeria.

    The award was awarded by BrandHealth in recognition of LG Electronics’ innovative products that have made quality home appliances available to Nigerians.

    Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of BrandHealth, Mr Emman Udowoima, said: “Going by the research we conducted, the LG brand is undisputedly the most trusted home appliance brand in Nigeria. LG has distinguished itself going by the array of quality products it has on offer.”

    Also speaking, the Corporate Marketing Manager, LG Electronics, Mr Rajesh Agnihotri, said: “We are committed to providing our teeming consumers with first-rate products that meet their peculiar needs. Our responsive posture is what has endeared many to the LG brand.”

    The awards is organised annually by BrandHealth, a brands research company. This year’s event was the third edition. It is an initiative developed and executed as a campaign to mobilise Nigerian consumers to ask for accountability from organisations who offer them goods and services.

  • FAO food price index drops by three per cent

    The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Food Price Index averaged 211 points last month, down three points (1.5 per cent) from October and the lowest since June 2012. Except for dairy, international prices of all the commodity groups included in the Index fell in November, with sugar undergoing the sharpest dip, followed by oils and cereals. The decline puts the November index value nearly three percent below one year ago.

    The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 256 points in November, down four 4 points (1.5 per cent) from October but still 27 points (12 per cent) higher than in November 2011. The decline was driven by a weakening of rice and wheat prices which more than offset the increase in maize quotations. Rice traded lower, mostly on abundant exportable supplies. Wheat values fell especially during the first half of the month as fears of an imminent export restriction by Ukraine receded. By contrast, maize markets received support on concerns over supply prospects and weather conditions in South America.

    The FAO Oils/Fats Price Index averaged 200 points in November, down 6 points (2.9 percent) from October, and the third consecutive month of decline. The main driving factor remains abundant palm oil production, which, combined with weak world import demand, has led to further build-ups in inventories. Better than expected soy yields in the United States and large global availabilities of rape and sunflower-seed oils also weighed on the index, as did lingering concerns over poor economic growth world-wide.

  • Fed Govt advised on funding for farmers

    With a large proportion of the population directly engaged in small scale agriculture, the Federal Government has been urged to participate in agricultural value chains with adequate funding of farming.

    Speaking with The Nation, Deputy Director, Grants Management and Reader, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Dr Kola Adebayo, said lack of access to finance has constrained the efforts of small producers across the value chains.

    According to him, agriculture, including agri-processing is an area that is typically starved of funds.

    Agri-processing companies,he noted play a major role in adding value to agri-commodities and in many cases link up with wholesalers/retailers to market the products.

    He said agric processors are important players in the value chain, since they can spur rural development, by ensuring off-take of commodities from the producers and at the same time provide employment opportunities.

    According to him, the needs of agro-based agro-based small and medium size (SMEs) for appropriate credit, are rarely met and this limits their capacity to support the agricultural sector in realising its full potential and contributing meaningfully to national economic development.

    He noted that it is the responsibility of the government and of the Central Bank to nudge banks towards a more inclusive approach which fulfils the needs of the agriculture sector.

    Adebayo said the agriculture sector is a seasonal one with a longer gestation period and is exposed to a host of risks.

    For this reason, he said traditional financial products do not really meet the needs of players in the agri-value chain.

    To change the situation, Adebayo said financial institutions will have to make efforts to develop financial products suited for the agriculture sector.

    He said financial products that are poorly designed are of limited use to the value chain players and severely limit the growth of the sector.

    According to him, development of financial products has to be supplemented by some form of financial literacy which enables the farmers to understand the different financial products available, the right mix and the real cost of funds.

  • Fishermen express concern on harvest

    Fishermen in Dutse, Jigawa State, have expressed concern over inadequate harvest of fish because of the cold and dry weather caused by the harmattan.

    At Jidawa Dam in Dutse Local Government Area, the quantity of fish caught by fishermen has dropped by 50 per cent since the beginning of harmattan.

    A cross section of fishermen, who spoke with NAN, expressed their displeasure about the development, which they said was capable of driving them into the labour market.

    Mallam Abubakar Abba, a fisherman, said he was recording low catch, as the fish had moved to the deep sea.

    He stated that before the harmattan, he was catching 200 pieces of fish daily and lamented that the number had decreased since the cold and dry season started.

    “Fishes bury themselves underneath the water during cold weather and this is making fishing difficult.

    “We spend many hours in the water without making good catch, unlike before when large quantity of fish were caught within a short period of time,” he said.

    Another fisherman, Mr. Shehu Sule, who said that the occupation was not lucrative during the harmattan, regretted that the situation had exposed them to losses, as they could not catch adequate fish to meet local demand.

    The fisherman, however, commended the state government for the construction of access road in the area.

    ‘’The road will facilitate easy access to the area and reduce wastages of fish.”

  • Farmers hail govt

    The Jigawa Chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has praised the Federal Government for distributing fertiliser and other inputs to irrigation farmers in the state.

    The chairman of the association, Alhaji Adamu Maigoro, said in Auyo, Jigawa that the gesture would assist farmers and encourage agricultural activity.

    The Federal Government had distributed 7,200 tonnes of fertiliser at 50 per cent subsidised rate to rice farmers in the state. The Federal Government also distributed 2,400 tonnes of improved rice seeds free to the farmers this season under its agricultural palliative programme to accelerate rice production in the country.

    Maigoro said the measure would enhance farmers access to fertiliser, and seeds and encourage them to produce more.

    He said: “We praise the Federal Government over the support and we will put more effort to double paddy rice production.

    “More than 48,000 hectares of rice plantation was earmarked for cultivation in the state.

    “Some of our members have also set up rice mills in Hadejia to enhance rice production in the state.”

    The chairman further commended the Jigawa Government for providing 2,000 tube wells and hand pumps for irrigation farmers in the state.

    “The state government is also clearing typher grass on the Hadejia River Basin. This exercise will encourage irrigation activity and provide means of livelihood for peasant farmers,” he said.

  • How to reverse decline in bee population

    Former head, Apiculture Unit, National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Imo State, Mr Victor Obi has said the beekeeping industry needs new strategies to tackle decline in honey bee colony populations.

    Speaking with The Nation, Obi said bee populations have fallen sharply, and urgent action was needed to reverse the decline.

    Obi said bees are very vital in food production as they are nature’s most prolific pollinators.

    As a result, he said fewer plants are being pollinated, which affect their bearing fruits. This is a phenomenon that is now globally spread. This has major implications for farming and food supplies, as one-third of the world’s fruits and vegetables would not exist without the help of bees and other pollinators.

    According to him, the decline of populations of bees and other flower-visiting creatures caused concern about pollination.

    Obi blamed the decline on a number of factors, including climate change, loss of habitat, disease and the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. He added that the impact is preventing bees from carrying out their vital role as a result of upsetting their life cycles.

    Obi added that bees and other pollinating insects are vital to the production of crops, including fruits, vegetables and herbs. He urged the government to take decisive action to protect bees and other important pollinators.

    Bees are important pollinators of wild plants and agricultural crops across the world including tomatoes and berries thanks to their large body size, long tongues, and high-frequency buzzing, which helps release pollen from flowers.

    Bees in general pollinate some 90 per cent of the world’s commercial plants, including most fruits, vegetables and nuts.

  • Growth scheme saved us, says minister

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has described the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) introduced in the outgoing year by his ministry as the saving grace for the agriculture sector.

    Reviewing the ministry’s activities in Abuja, Adesina said: “But for the GESS, Nigeria would have seriously felt the impact of the flood disaster that occured in some parts of the country.”

    With GESS, he said the government withdrew from direct fertiliser purchase and distribution, and introduced an alternative, tranparent and efficient system of distribution built on the voucher system.

    Under the scheme, he said registered farmers receive e-wallet vouchers with which they redeem fertiliser and seeds from agro-dealers.

    Before the scheme, Adesina said only 11 per cent of fertilisers purchased and distributed by government got to genuine farmers.

    In some cases,he said government fertilisers found its way to the markets and foreign countries, to the detriment of Nigerian farmers.

    As at December 6, he said , about 1,585,980 farmers showed up at operational redemption sites in the 35 States and Federal Capital Territory(FCT) for the 2012 GES season.

    About 1,113,685 farmers have received their farm inputs (government subsidised fertiisers and free seedlings) so far. Over 873 agro-dealers are participating actively in the scheme. These figures,he explained excluded 2,639 farmers reached under the cotton seed multiplication programme and 27,834 farmers under the cotton seeds distribution programme.

    Out of the five million transactions processed through the GESS, in terms of languages, 45 per cent was in Hausa, 25 per cent in English, 17 per cent in Yoruba, 12 per cent in pidging English, and zero per cent because those in the Igbo speaking areas chose to transact in English Language.

    On a regional basis,he said 197,656 benfitted from the GESS in North Central, 234821 in North East, 560,932 in North West, 49,484 in South East, 95,302 in South south and 30,014 in South west, which has started the planting season before the GESS Scheme was launched.