The Nation Newspaper

Tag: brand building

  • Expert advises practitioners on effective approach to brand building

    Expert advises practitioners on effective approach to brand building

    The Regional Managing Director, Impact Porter Novelli, Mr. Tim Walmsley, has urged PR professionals to adopt story-led communication when designing messages for the brands in their portfolio and depart from brand-led communication approach which often bores the target audience.

    During his visit to Nigeria recently, Walmsley observed that most PR practitioners are led by brands architecture to communicate messages to the target market. According to him, this trend is fast fading out as researches have shown that story-led communication have proved to resonate with consumers better.

    “Now, communication agencies are moving to the idea of story-led communication through multiple led channels into communication eco-system, which surrounds individuals and consumers,” said Walmsley.

    He said this method would make brands more compelling and powerful in their communication because the brands are put in a story to project its value and propositions, thus putting the brand in the centre of communication.

    Walmsley view contradicts the norm in the country where PR experts bore consumers with the brand stories which are rather overhyped with unnecessary adjectives. To change this trend, he said: “We need to think of the content we are creating and how the content fits in the environment. Essentially, we need to think the way journalists think which is the primacy of the story, dialogue and consumer feedback. When you think in that form, we will act differently as Communication Company.

    “If you look at advertising done by creative agencies, they believe that brands are the story teller, they believe that the brands are the centre of communication, but we all know that the consumers are the end of brands. It is what we think about the brands that make the brands to work.”

  • Why shoppers are useful for brand building

    Why shoppers are useful for brand building

    Most brands are becoming increasingly conscious of the place of shoppers in building brand equity. Most of them have resolved to using insights –driven marketing and merchandising initiatives to satisfy targeted customer needs to achieve growth. TONIA ‘DIYAN writes.

    Experts say that successful retail campaigns go beyond delivering increased sales; they improve relationship between the brand, the shopper and the retailer. This explains why companies spend a large chunk of their budget driving awareness amongst consumers. It is also the reason why, over the years, brands use shoppers as strategic approach to enhance in-store experiences in order to increase sales, ensure brand equity as well as create brand appeal.

    Today, retailers have resolved to using insights –driven marketing and merchandising initiatives to satisfy targeted customer needs, enhance the shopping experience, and optimize business results for themselves and their suppliers.

    To build brand, the shopper is engaged more meaningfully at the point of purchase so as to increase sales and loyalty even when he isn’t the one to consume the product.

    Companies that have integrated the shopper into their workflow have not forsaken him at all; instead, they have integrated him as they know there is a place and need for him in building their brands successfully.

    The Center Manager for Ikeja City Mall, Sander Norman, describes a shopper as “One who passively develops a relationship with a brand and actively seeks out that brand. He focuses on overall messages and aspiration and looks for convenient solutions that will provide more value and differentiation while he is in front of the shelf.”

    Experts say that considering the fact that 76 per cent of buying decisions are made inside stores, more attention should be paid to what happens in this context.

    Sometimes, majority of grocery purchases are unplanned but, luckily, this brings retailers and brands closer, as they are both interested in the shopper. Retailers are constantly looking for shopper solutions that will set their stores apart, which is why brands focus on shopper-centric merchandising ideas.

    For instance, Belinda Inuanne, a regular shopper at Ceddi Plaza, one of the shopping malls in Abuja, finds it difficult to remember the particular brand to buy once inside a store. She has problem making choices most of the time. She is also easily attracted to the competition either by price or impulse.

    Indeed, as retailers come up with more innovations, number of products and brands increase simultaneously and new rules are also set up to push sales and satisfy consumers. That is why the Chief Executive Officer, Delightsome Gifts Concepts, Gbagada-Lagos, Modupe Shopeju has demanded more brand participation as well as in-store promotional vehicles, saying it has become one of her major sources of income over the years.

    Also, Internet shopping has contributed to creating more deal-conscious shoppers who have no problem in substituting brands or changing shopping habits.

    In short, it is useless to spend too much energy in building brands that shoppers cannot find or are overwhelmed by the competition at the moment of purchase inside the store.

  • NEXIM Bank: Between brand building & brand equity

    NEXIM Bank: Between brand building & brand equity

    By its constitution, ownership, role and market definition, the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) is far removed from the category of the regular brands that could be profiled for direct demonstration of the interplay and influence of Equity and Brand Positioning, as brand management ingredients. In the first place, it is an institution of government, it has defined mandate, and its ownership or ‘share-holding’ as its owners prefer to be called, are the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance.To that extent, one is constrained to see it purely as a government institution or agency. Add to that, the Bank is funded by these two powerful government institutions, and their investment is guarded and guided by a Board of Directors carefully selected and appointed by them.

    Established by Act 38 of 1991 as an Export Credit Agency (ECA), it started off with a total investment capital of N50billion, owned in equal equity participation between the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated (whatever that means). NEXIM Bank’s vision is “TO BE THE LEADING AFRICAN EXPORT DEVELOPMENT BANK” while its mission is “TO BECOME A FIRST CLASS INSTITUTION PROMOTING A DIVERSIFIED EXPORT BASE THROUGH THE PROVISION OF FINANCE, RISK BEARING AND ADVISORY SERVICES IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT TRADE POLICY”.

    MC&A DIGEST was once relating with this brand. The perspective of engagement then was one of advocacy, having built some level of belief around its mandate and reason-for-being. My brief interaction with the Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Roberts U. Orya, left me with the impression of a mission driver dedicated to his job. The only issue we did not align perfectly on is the strategic importance he places on ‘Nollywood’ as an economic growth driver, for which he is committed to spending as huge resources as he can gather.

    Beyond that, his initiatives for economic diversification through focused investment in non-oil sector, especially solid minerals, agro-processing and the Coastal corridor for trans-national shipping…are quite laudable. We also shared thoughts on issues bothering on adequate financing for the Bank, in the face of the growing number ofinvestment opportunities, with potentials for driving Nigeria’s economic diversification and employment generation, opento the Bank.

    My take from the interaction with the establishment, when I did, is it’s near in-exact target market profiling. It bothered me when I tried to relate the air of ‘good performance’ around the Bank at close contact and the otherwise ‘poor showing’ on issues relating to the Bank’s expected involvement in the real or outside world (its market). I couldn’t really figure out what is responsible for that disconnect then, but I was quite sure if the Bank gets well-funded, it will post more impressive results, so I stopped worrying about my fears.

    So, it is understandable that the Minister of Finance praised the Bank’s performance at the inauguration of the present Board of Directors, on August 23, 2013.  At that same meeting the Minister said identified with the three areas of the Bank management’s strategic thrust I listed above. What counted at that meeting were the results evident, upon financial report and clientele expansion. Evidently, this was a time when the Bank that was hitherto a financial drain pipe started posting profit, three years back-to-back. If we put in consideration that this same bank is in dire need of fresh funds, one can only join the SME in praising the leadership of Mr. Orya.

    But the truth is that NEXIMBank is disconnected from the critical mass within its target market group, and not optimizing its potentials in its efforts towards opening up our economy BECAUSE  the tool of marketing communication is not effectively and efficiently complementing the efforts of the Bank’s technical  component – to drive its over-all market performance.

    NEXIM Bank is only present in the minds of the elite locals andforeign or international targets for purpose of mind presence. Even the media platforms NEXIM Bank is present are far removed from the critical mass segment of its target audience group, taking the bottom-line in the nation’s economic transformation agenda into consideration.  The media engagement strategic focus must be of at least 60% presence among the educated male and female population within 28/40 years age bracket. Like in the days of MAMSA, NEXIM Bank should be at the vanguard of driving change for economic independence, self-employment, entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity for economic productivity. NEXIM Bank’s engagement should be structured to galvanize grass-root economic participation, stimulate creativity, industry and entrepreneurial spirit among the youth population, being the future of this country. NEXIM Bank must expend enormous resources towards driving thisgroup for productivity, using communication for economic development as the driving force – in the case of NEXIM Bank.

    Suffice that for a strategically important development finance institution such as NEXIM Bank, communication is such an important tool for effective and efficient performance, since it is not too seriously challenged in profit generation as indeed a commercial bank, for instance. The Bank has a mandate to deliver on, and the shareholders have provided funds; the challenge therefore would be in driving CHANGE in entrepreneurial spirit, economic engagement, self-application and productivity. To achieve these, the Bank must structure a communication strategy that will address its core essence and deliver at the very critical value touch-points, which in the case of NEXIM bank is driving economic development through attitude change and human capital appreciation and engagement.

    Some may argue that NEXIM’s mandate does not expressly include human capital development, but let it be known that orientation and innovative thinking are part of human capital development. NEXIM should be involved in advocacy, awareness generation, sponsor innovative learning, etc., to galvanize the youth for economic re-orientation. The one common vehicle for this is grass-root communication. Under this concept, town hall meetings, workshops, skill development centers, theme awareness campaign in conventional and penetrative media will all help the bank connect with this group of people. I have met with young entrepreneurs who have been scrapping to work out agro-processing businesses and yet never knew of NEXIM. Some are so innovative and prospective, you will lend to them. Yet these people, mainly young graduates, are left wallowing in poverty, borrowing from friends and relatives, while NEXIM Bank is busy selling its ‘products’  in foreign magazines, newspapers, digital platforms…because they must be present in the news platforms of international market.

    MC&A DIGEST like to state, categorically, that Bank’s Communications strategy need some measure of rework. It should not be cosmetic and patronizing of regulators and top-end investors who can support them at times of accountability (based on half-truth).  It should stimulate CHANGE among the youth for creativity, productivity and economic empowerment …the economically weak but educated young people who are skilled enough to drive change, if empowered.

    The global perspective for NEXIM as indeed all Development Funds Institutions is connecting the bottom of the pyramid of the local economy with the global opportunities, which is in line with the World Bank and World Economic Forum’s focus on global competitiveness and economic development. That is exactly what EXIM Bank of India is doing, driving grass-roots presence for fundamental economic change and development.

    As a brand, NEXIM Bank its marketing communications strategy must align its drive for Brand image manifestation with the growth in its equity value, optimizing its achievement in delivering on its promise, at the critical value touch-points that will help its target audience’s endorsement. So when we expend so much energy in trying to create any brand’s desired image, we must be guided by its projected equity value. If at the end of its total personality value, the perception scores higher than its achievement in the area of its core value essence, the brand would have invested in propaganda instead of brands communication; that is what NEXIM Bank must run away from at this time. Accountability beacons and we must be exact in our projections and target achievements.

    NEXIM Bank’s communications present strategy amounts to propaganda. The brand will need proper Brands Management expert engagement with bias for Marketing Communications to drive its efforts towards higher productivity.

  • Social media and brand building: The Chivita example

    Keen examination of the trend in marketing initiatives will easily reveal that social media is developing as an important avenue for companies to build brands. The ascendance of social media rests on three fundamental human relationship values namely the self-expression it engenders through product education, its ability to share information with friends and the attention it generates through word of mouth. More importantly, social media enables brands to connect with customers in a way never before possible with scale.

    For instance, Chi Limited, makers of Chivita Premium fruit juice, entered the market nearly three decades ago. During the period, the company worked hard to earn consumers’ loyalty and respect through its many flavours, promotions and campaigns. Along the way, Chivita became a household name. Nonetheless, the brand is set to grow bigger with its adoption of social media for brand building. Chivita Premium has a Facebook page that is growing daily and is full of action. The overwhelming response to the daily tips on Healthy & Natural Living by visitors to the page has resulted in over 70,000 clicks on the Like button within the short period of its introduction.

    In addition, thousands of visitors to the site engage in lively discussions on their daily experience with the brand.

    A brand’s equity depends on two things: the level of awareness it commands among consumers in its category and how positive the consumer is about what they know about the brand as perceived by its image.

    With comments like “Chivita Premium is the best and original juice in Nigeria” and “I love Chivita, my day is incomplete without a taste of the orange flavour” by some visitors to the page, it becomes easier to appreciate the premium value of the Chivita brand.

    Stanley Omeokwe, a follower of the Chivita Premium Page, had this to say about the brand: “I have tasted all the flavours in Chivita. The flavours are incomparable with the flavours in other juices. Thumbs up!!!” another follower of the page, Promise Ozioma, said “I cherish Chivita so much because it is so nourishing.” The page parades several one liners like “nice,” “I feel good drinking Chivita,” “my best juice,” or “I love my Chivita,” in addition to clicks on Like button on comments that cumulatively run into thousands.

    All the way through the Chivita Premium Facebook Page timeline, Chi Limited, educates consumers through the ‘Chivita’s go and do’ tips.

    Examples of such tips include: “Try to get as much physical activity as you can. Skip the elevator and take the stairs, walk to the supermarket instead of hunting for parking space” or “Exercise at least four days a week for about 30 minutes daly. If it’s all not possible at a go, break your workouts into smaller sessions.”

    Visitors to the page will also learn the health benefits of oranges from Chivita where it is disclosed that “oranges, like other citrus fruits, is an excellent source of vitamin C (provides 53.2 mg per 100 g, about 90 per cent of DRI); Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant.

    Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the blood.” Another Chivita’s go and do lesson says “Limit sugary and caffeinated beverages.”

    What makes apples so great is a question that is regularly asked because of the saying that ‘one apple a day keeps the doctor away.

    One of the entries on Chivita’s fruit facts provides the answer to the riddle. “The soluble fibre found in apples binds with fats in the intestine, which translates into lower cholesterol levels and a healthier you.”

    Chivita Premium contains no added sugar, no preservative and no added colours. Made of 100 percent pure juice, Chivita Premium comes with the goodness of health and natural taste. It is available in three sizes of 1 Litre (10 packs in a tray), 500ml (10 packs in a tray) and 250ml (24 packs in a tray). Chivita Premium Fruit juices are rear blend of the best of Nigerian and imported fruit juices. Interestingly, Chivita Premium Facebook Page also rewards visitors to the page through a game known as Chivita Friendometer. A follower of the page who decides to play the game automatically gets a discount on up to 5 Chivita Premium cartons. The more friends that a player has who also like the page and the more correct answers to questions about the friends, the more the chances of the players winning prizes like iPad 2 or Samsung chat phones.

    According to Managing Director of Chi Limited, Mr. Roy Deepanjan, “The need to inform consumers on the benefits of consuming 100 percent fruit juice as well as providing useful and life enhancing health tips necessitated our facebook page opening. We want to nurture long-term relationships with our consumers through the Chivita Premium Facebook Page in an engaging and mutually beneficial way.”