The Nation Newspaper

Tag: consumers

  • EKEDC pleads with consumers over outages

    The management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has appealed to consumers in FESTAC Town, Lagos over the irregular power supply in the last two weeks.

    Mr Godwin Idemudia, Assistant General Manager, Head, Corporate Communication, EKEDC made the appeal yesterday in Lagos.

    Idemedia said that the outage was due to faulty underground cables that supply electricity to the area.

    He assured that constant power supply to the town would be restored on April 29.

    “I want to assure the affected consumers that electricity supply will be restored to them on April 29.

    “Most of the installations in FESTAC Town were built underground but it is quite unfortunate that people have erected buildings on these cables.

    “This,” he said, “has made it occasionally very difficult for our engineers to trace fault anytime the cable is faulty.

    “We are being confronted with this problem daily and this has led to the delay in restoring power supply to our consumers in the area.

    “A mighty building was erected exactly where the present cable got damaged, thereby making it difficult for our engineers to rectify it on time.

    “Even some of the consumers in the area protested to our office in FESTAC Town last week but we assured them that work is ongoing on the said cable,” he said.

    He said that the engineers have discovered an alternative way to rectify the cable.

    He urged the customers in the affected areas not to vandalise EKEDC equipment in their neighbourhood because of the outage.

     

  • CPC alerts consumers to dangers of unhealthy foods

    T  HE Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has embarked on a  campaign to alert consumers to the dangers of eating unhealthy foods.

    It said this was part of its activities to mark this year’s World Consumer Rights Day .This year’s event  had as theme, Consumers’ right to healthy foods.

    The Consumer International celebrates World Consumer Rights Day yearly to promote consumer rights, protest market abuses and social injustice meted out to consumers, and places a demand on business operators that consumer rights should be respected.

    The CPC said it was drawing the attention of consumers to the health risks in consuming unhealthy foods, which are low in fibre, vitamins, high on fats, salt, sugar and tropical oils and are of little or no nutritional value.

    At a briefing, Head, Lagos Office of CPC, Mr. Tam Tamunokonbia, said: “As you all know, a consumer is anyone who buys or uses any product or service. Since there is none that does not buy or use products and services, we all are consumers. It is the consumers’ rights to buy and use healthy foods and that is what we intend to focus on this year.’’

    He explained that the CPC chose to sensitise consumers on consumption of healthy foods in schools, churches, mosques and other public places to educate Nigerians on their salt and sugar intake. “We intend to enlighten Nigerians on the dangers of consuming unhealthy foods,” he said.

    Tamunokonbia noted that in most cases, such unhealthy foods lack the necessary vitamins obtainable from fruits and vegetables. He saidunfortunately, these junks or unhealthy foods when taken regularly, cause diet-related diseases, such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases-all leading to premature deaths.

    As part of the campaign, he said the Lagos Office of CPC was at two Churches, St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Ikeja, and the Foursquare Gospel Church, OPIC Estate, Lagos, to sensitse the members.

    According to him, members of both churches were astonished at the revelations by the council. “This is expected to continue throughout the year,” he said.

    Tamunokonbia said a follow-up to the “Walk for health” by the Council in Abuja, the Lagos Office and other Zonal Offices participated in the “Walk for Health programme” from Ilupeju to Oshodi to Ikeja through Maryland, Ikorodu and back to the Council’s Office.

    Meanwhile, talks have been carried out by various senior and junior secondary schools across Lagos, and a few others are scheduled to take place shortly. In addition, interviews and spotlight programmes are expected to run on radio, television and in national newspapers.

    “It is expected that the tempo will be sustained and extended to eateries, supermarkets, restaurants and market places through the year,” Tamunokonbia said.

    As part of the sensitisation, CPC has also begun an advocacy for the adoption of a consumer-friendly labelling for beverages and food products in the country.

    Its Director-General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, said in Abuja.

    She asked for a change in the nutritional information put at the back of these products, which, she said, was incomprehensible.

    “The CPC is advocating that manufacturers adopt the consumer friendly ‘traffic light’ nutritional labelling as it is very simple for consumers to read and understand at first glance,” Atoki said, noting that “most consumers lack the skill or time to interpret detailed nutritional information on the back of the package.”

    The DG noted that the Council was using the opportunity of the celebration to sensitise consumers to make informed decision on what they purchase and consume, adding that there was also the need for them to check the labelling of these products, as well as for the manufacturers to adopt best practices in line with the council’s mandate.

  • ‘Bonding with consumers target of campaign’

    ‘Bonding with consumers target of campaign’

    Basking in the success of Share a Coke campaign, with only just about ten weeks into it, the Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, opens up to Jill Okeke on the many aspects of the campaign, including the strategies, challenges and the initial reactions of consumers.

    What business factors or research inspired ‘Share a Coke’?

    When you look at our core targets, which are the teens, we had to look at a campaign that will resonate with them. And when I talk about the teens, they are people that are born mostly post year 2000. For them, they are people that are restless, they want something that can connect with them. You know when you connect with them, you can’t miss it; they just get you. And so, for us, we were looking for that campaign that will be disruptive and at the same time resonate with the teens.

    Before now, they were used to the conventional ways brands communicate through promotions, and other ways, but this was the disruptive campaign that we wanted to use to catch their attention and the good thing about the campaign is, in as much as our focus was primarily on the teen, we also looked at it as an all inclusive campaign, so it doesn’t alienate anybody.

    Why did you choose this time/period to introduce this campaign to this market?

    When you have something new and something as big as “Share a Coke”, you don’t want to sneak it in, you also want to do it at a time people are most receptive to your campaign.

    So, we, in a subtle way, introduced the campaign towards the end of December last year, tying it to the season.

    It’s also for us a good way to set the tone for the year in terms of what is expected from the company and from the brand coke.

    So, at the beginning of January, we started off the campaign extensively across the country.

    What inspired the choice of names for the campaign?

    You know that as Nigerians we are very creative with names. We recognised the fact that there are lots of names out there. So we got these names and validated these names with our guys out there on the field. So if you are working in the north, we believe that you are more conversant with people from the northern part of the country. We also recognised the fact that though a person is a northerner, it does not mean he/she lives in the north. So, I may be a northerner but I live in Lagos; I may be an easterner and I’m in the north.

    After getting these names which cut across, we now had to segment it by region and the segmentation was; the first filter was looking at people predominantly from that area. If I am a westerner, there is more likelihood that I live in the west; some other people may live in the northern part of the country.  In Lagos, for example, it’s like everybody’s land, northerners, easterners, foreigners all live here; and so there were a lot of considerations, we didn’t just use one filter across. We looked at regional peculiarity; we looked at the market needs. We also recognised the fact that we cannot have everybody’s name on the pack. We also have experiential campaign that we started up which is where people have the chance of personalising their own can, so it’s going round the country.

    On our social media space, we are also informing people about the venues where they can go and personalise their own can of Coke. But beyond just the physical pack which bears your name, there is also opportunity to go online and create your own virtual can.

    While choosing the names, did ethnic/religious differences prove a barrier?

    Not particularly, our focus wasn’t about religion. It was really about getting the right name in the different locations.  The major consideration wasn’t let’s get 50% Christian names or 50% Muslim names. We were particular about the names that are very popular.

    You decided to focus on the teens originally, but from what we see, the campaign has caught on with the adults too…what are your thoughts on this?

    As I said, the primary focus was on the teens but this is all inclusive and even in our campaign, we made sure that we did not just do things because you know every brand has their primary target that they communicate with, but we know that Coke is for everybody; it is a universal brand.

    Why we focused on teens was basically from the communications perspective and also because we need to recruit more people into our franchise.

    What was the initial reaction from consumers and indeed the market, when this campaign broke till now?

    When we started off the campaign, we started ceding off to influencers in December towards Christmas. What we did was to make names of a lot of celebrities, media people, and it was more like a teaser and we presented it to them like “from Coke to you”. Now, reading a few comments online, people felt it was just for Christmas, that we were giving those people a special gift for Christmas and so people were like, ‘oh… is it only these people you are giving, what about us?’

    And then subsequently, we started rolling out to trade.

    I think beyond our own expectation, consumers have helped to embellish the campaign, which is the beauty of marketing. You tell the consumers things and they take your story and run with it.

    So would you say that the campaign has been widely accepted by consumers?

    I think that goes without saying, really.  And like I said, beyond what we expected, consumers have done a lot. There was the guy who proposed with bottles of Coke. That proposal went viral. That was awesome. A lot of opportunities are opening up from the campaign and I just think the acceptance is beyond our expectation, really.

    So are you saying people can now come directly to make orders for their events?

    As it is now, one of the attractions for this campaign is the fact that consumers can get it at a price in which they would ordinarily get a Coke even though the cost of producing a personalised bottle is a lot for the company.

    However, for us, it’s about putting the consumers at the heart of our business. But beyond the individual packs that we are giving out, like I said, there have been opportunities and request for those special event, so we are working on that and we are trying to put in mechanism in place to be able to satisfy those demands, so until then we will know how the logistics and the prices will go.

    What metrics are used to measure the impact of SAC?

    There are different metrics; there is the metric from the consumer angle in terms of acceptance; in terms of how unique the idea is; in terms of the love they have for the campaign. There are also metrics from the business perspective, because at the end of the day it is about the bottom line. So is it translating into sales? What is it looking like? And so far, we are just about 10 weeks into the campaign and the result is already above projection.

    What other exciting innovations should consumers expect from Coca-Cola?

    As I told you, we started off this year with this bang, which is a way of announcing that we have a lot to offer this year. I can assure you that we have other exciting campaigns that we are going to execute this year. We are asking consumers to suggest names they want to see on the pack, which is a way of driving excitement for the campaign. For example, names that are really not out there or popular, people have the opportunity online to drop those names that they want to see on the Coke pack which we will then try and inject into the campaign as we progress.

    What differentiate this campaign from others?

    I have worked in two big multinationals; I have seen a lot of campaigns and it’s not because I now work with Coca-Cola, but I haven’t seen a campaign like this. In fact, somebody was telling me over the weekend that we should continue with the campaign forever. That’s how far people love this campaign. And the reason is not farfetched; it’s like tapping into an innermost need of people. Everybody no matter who you are wants to be recognised; everybody wants to feel a sense of identity, in the sense that they matter. So it’s like going on the shelf and seeing your name, I mean nobody needs to define it for you; you get the feeling that you are part of the campaign.

    What does it cost to personalise Coke?

    It’s a technology which is also innovative in itself and which also costs us more money. I may not be able to give you absolute value. But we are paying like multiples of what we would normally pay, because the normal label is one wheel that shows Coca-Cola all the way. We are now talking of putting one name at a time. So it costs us more than what we would ordinary pay for the label and it also requires some technology which we have also leveraged on. It’s also our own way of showing that it’s really about the consumer; that our consumers matter to us.

    You know we could have told consumers to pay 20 percent more and they will be willing to, but for us we are looking at the campaign as a means of getting attention of the consumers and bonding more with them and that is the primary objective. Yes, at the end of the day it translates into money because people want to buy. But I’m being very honest with you; one of our objectives wasn’t driving money, because the money would come, it’s more about the affinity.

    So, again to reiterate all that I have said, the campaign is in line with Coke’s mission to inspire shared moment of happiness for the consumers and their loved ones, and that is the whole essence of this campaign; to give back to the consumers, showing them recognition and showing them how much we value them. Nothing really can be more personal than your name and what can be more personal than your name swapped with the iconic Coke logo.

  • Coca-Cola: Bonding with consumers

    Coca-Cola: Bonding with consumers

    To draw customers closer, Coca-Cola Nigeria has introduced Share a Coke activation through which it puts their names in its bottles, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    Customer is king”, so goes the adage. The reality in this aphorism is brought home in the marketplace where the consumer determines what to buy and who to buy from.

    Consumers want more than the functional satisfaction of a product or an informative and interesting advertisement. They want brands to see and relate with them not as statistics or mass targets but as persons with their own views and emotional needs. Simply put, consumers want an experience! Brands that can meet this craving will win consumers over.

    Some consumer-focused brands, such as Coca-Cola, understand this shift in consumer orientation they are putting in efforts in ensuring that they offer unusual consumer experiences. Coca-Cola appears to have taken this response a notch higher with its ongoing Share a Coke campaign.

    With the Share a Coke campaign, not only is Coca-Cola satisfying its consumers’ cravings for recognition and brand experience, it is doing so in a very personal way that has struck the right chords with consumers everywhere.

    This reality was evident when the brand thrilled students and other consumers at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) campus with on-the-spot customisation of Coke cans. Teens and adults thronged the venue to get their names and those of their friends branded on Coke cans. A majority of the lucky persons who got the personalised cans, even if they consume the content, but will leave certainly keep the cans as prized memento.

    This campaign speaks to them and appeals to that basic human need to be recognised.   It was their moment in the sun and they were not deterred by the scorching Lagos Sun; they basked in the excitement of having their names and that of their loved ones replace the iconic Coca-Cola logo on the cans.

    The event started with interested students standing in line to get their names on Coca-Cola cans. As they approached the attendants clad in Coca Cola tee shirts, they offered the names they wanted on their cans of Coca Cola and in less than 10 minutes, they were given their customised Coca Cola cans.

    The consumers also got an opportunity to capture the moment at the Coca-Cola branded selfie stand.

    Nnamdi Ekechukwu, a second year student of Psychology,  said iconic brand Coca-Cola got it right again as always in reaching out and bonding with consumers.

    According to Nnamdi, the experience was satisfying for him as he was able to get his nickname customised on a Coca-Cola can. Similarly, Olayinka Daramola, a 22-year-old final year Chemistry student echoed the sentiment, adding that the experience was fantastic that and she was grateful to Coca-Cola for the chance to get various customised cans of Coca-Cola for her friends and family.

    A platform for sharing happiness among friends and family, the Share a Coke campaign kicked off in December and has captured the hearts of Coca-Cola lovers nationwide.

    Speaking to journalists at the event, Senior Brand Manager, Colas at Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Gbolahan Sanni, who was excited about the large turn-out, explained that the Share a Coke campaign was conceived to bring about a fusion of happiness and sharing among Nigerians nationwide.

    “For us at Coca Cola, we have made it a point of duty to constantly evolve well-tailored campaigns which enable us effectively retain the confidence of our consumers in their preferred soft drink, Coca-Cola. To this end, we are thrilled to bring the Share a Coke campaign directly to the University of Lagos. We believe it is important to share love and happiness with one’s friends and family,” he said.

    Sanni said the company is aware that a lot of individuals have been unable to find their names on Coca-Cola bottles in their local stores. That’s why we are taking Share a Coke to the next level, customising Coca-Cola cans for everyone in their locations at a give-away price of N100 only,” he added.

    The Share a Coke campaign will be taken to several other locations across Nigeria, giving many more Nigerians the opportunity to experience thrill of the Share a Coke campaign first-hand for themselves.

     

  • Val Day: Close Up launches game for consumers

    Val Day: Close Up launches game for consumers

    Close Up, a premium brand from the stable of Unilever, has launched a new campaign, Cupid Games, to win over the youth.

    The Cupid Game, which signed on A-list musical stars Yemi Alade and Davido as campaign ambassador for the game, is expected to challenge young people to express themselves to loved ones without feeling timid.

    During the launch, Davido and Yemi Alade demonstrated how the game could be played before a participatory observation by The Nation.

    Top 10 creative participants will be rewarded with exciting prizes like Beats by Dre headphones and get invites to cupid games grand event where they get to hang out with Davido and Yemi Alade.

    The grand prize winner will go home with a brand new MV Agusta Brutale 800cc power bike, second and third will get a pair of personalised Apple Mac Books and Ipads respectively.

    The Brand Building Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Mr David Okeme, during the launch said Cupid game is an engagement platform by Closeup for young adults to connect and show their loved ones how much they care, especially at valentine.

    Also, the Category Manager Oral Care, Oiza Gyang, added that Closeup Cupids Dare Game is a conversation starter meant to get people closer while demonstrating the extent they would go for love.

    Closeup over the years has been able to reinforce its understanding of Nigeria’s oral care needs and re-state its commitment towards sustaining its position as the best oral care product in the market.

  • Consumers bemoan high price of kerosene

    Consumers have expressed disappointment over the inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to sell kerosene at its filling stations at the regulated price of N50 per litre, two years after it launched the Kero Correct Scheme (KCS), aimed at selling the product to consumers at a cheaper price.

    A market survey conducted in Lagos and its environs reveals the harrowing experience consumers go through even before they can buy kerosene at higher price.  In the NNPC-owned retail outlet in Idimu and Ikotun visited by The Nation, consumers were buying kerosene at N95 per litre.

    Also, retail outlets owned by the major and independent oil marketers especially in Ikeja, Mushin,  Egbeda, Idimu, Iyana-Ipaja areas of Lagos, kerosene sells for between N130 and N150 per litre. The independents also charge extra N5 per litre if they power the pumps with generators.

    A manager in one of the retail outlets of Mobil Oil, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said NNPC does not have direct control over major oil marketers, adding that there is a limit to which the National Oil Company can impose the prices of petroleum products on them.

    The source said his outlet sells kerosene at a much higher price, adding that consumers have been buying the product. Also a staff member of Owena Motels, Akure, Ondo State, who simply identified himself  as Samuel Olowokere, said the price of kerosene goes for between N120  and N130 per litre in various petrol stations in the state.

    He said the petrol station owned by independent petroleum marketers, major oil marketers and NNPC sell kerosene at higher prices.

    The President, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association of Nigeria (LPGAN), Dapo Adesina, said the scheme was not laudable, in view of the problems in the industry. He said consumers are used to buying kerosene at a rate far above regulated prices because they use the product for domestic purposes. He     said awareness on the usage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas otherwise known as cooking gas has just started, noting that consumers use kerosene often.

    He said the issue of subsidies paid on petroleum products has generated controversy such that the government is trying to stop it.

    He said: “There is nothing concrete to say about the scheme because there are flaws in it.  The government is complaining about the subsidies it is paying importers on petroleum products, and at the same time, wants to sell kerosene at N50 per litre. There is no way NNPC can sell the product at that amount without subsidising it.  The scheme is not something Nigerians should be talking about now. It amounts to a misplaced priority for the NNPC to be talking on the issue of selling kerosene at N50 per litre. Why can’t the government discuss the issue of gas, which Nigeria has in abundance and is not paying subsidies on.”

    In his reactions, the General Manager, Group Public Affairs, NNPC, Ohi Alegbe, said it was wrong to say that consumers are not buying kerosene at a much cheaper price at the filling stations owned by NNPC.

    He said NNPC is monitoring developments in its mega stations, affiliate stations and floating stations across the country in order to ensure that consumers buy the product at N50 per litre.

    Alegbe said the corporation is using its staff and volunteers from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to coordinate activities in its stations to enable the scheme achieve its goals of making consumers buy kerosene at N50.

    He said volunteers were being brought into the project to help monitor discharge and sales of kerosene as an independent feedback system, adding that they help in promoting transparency and ensuring that the product gets to the desired end users.

    He said: “NNPC is using its retail outlets for the implementation of the scheme. The Corporation has 37 mega stations, 524 affiliate stations, and 12 floating stations.  The floating stations are in the riverine states such as Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and others. NNPC located the floating stations in the areas to enable people living the creeks to buy kerosene at a cheaper price.

    According to him, the price of kerosene has crashed to N70 per litre, adding that the price is going to fall further as the scheme gets underway.

    He said the scheme aimed at cutting several layers of middlemen who made it difficult for end users to enjoy the subsidy on the product.

     

  • Electricity consumers bemoan scarcity of pre-paid meters

    Electricity consumers have expressed disappointment over the inability of the distribution companies (DISCOs) to provide them with pre-paid meters.

    They lamented that they have been forced to live with pains associated with the arbitrariness that goes with ‘estimated billing’ system of the DISCOs.

    Some of the consumers complained that they have even paid for the metres but have not been given, wondering why it should be so, especially now that the sector is in the hands of entrepreneurs who, government said, are better managers of business.

    A man who identified himself simply as Samuel said he  cannot understand why the investors cannot supply metres to their customers.

    “These so-called investors seem not to know what to do. In my view, the first step to   profitabilit would have been to provide customers the pre-paid metres free of charge. “Then they should monitor how often they vend because people may want to sabotage the system. It is when people pay for energy consumed that they will make money.“

    Another customer in Egbeda, a Lagos suburb expressed frustration. “I am on estimated billing. I am forced to pay between N7,000 and N10,000 monthly. I do not run a manufacturing outfit,” he said.

    This is coming even after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), had in October 22 last year, ordered DISCOs to provide metres to their customers within 45 days to reduce the problems of consumers.

    The Nation check revealed that customers daily besiege offices of the DISCOs for pre-paid metres.

    But a staff of IKEDC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the firm might roll out metres before April, adding that efforts are on-going to give metres to customers soon.

    ‘’The metres may be free. Nobody knows. But what it is certain is that the company would roll out metres soon.

    The General Manager, Consumer Services, IKEDC, Ms Olubukola Ojurongbe, had in an earlier interview with The Nation, said the company was making efforts to solve all the metering problems facing it. Ojurongbe said the DISCOs were not responsible for the scarcity of pre-paid metres in the country, promising that IKEDC was not folding its arms on the issue.

  • Legend rewards consumers, others

    Legend rewards consumers, others

    Nigerian Breweries has rewarded three Super Falcon players Onome Ebi, Azizat Oshuola and Esther Sunday who for oustanding performance at just concluded African Woman Nation Cup in Namibia.

    To connect its brand essence with the legendary quality of the players as way of leveraging the Legend Stout brands, the brand handlers celebrated the palyers at the week four of the Legend stout ctivation tagged Legend Taste, Tell and Win in bar promotion.

    The event took place at DC bar, Bako Estate, Lagos and De Dems Bar, Akowonjo, Lagos respectively.

    Other consumers of the brand were also given the opportunity to win prizes ranging from crates of Legend extra stout to refrigerators. Arogundade Rotimi and SK Afolabi emerged the biggest winners in Akowonjo.

    Oshuola, who emerged the most valuable player at the Namibia tournament, said that they were at the event to unwind and meet their supporters have a highly competitive event in the South African country.

    Speaking on the present of the Super Falcon stars, the Marketing Manager Legend, Gulder and Life, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Emmanuel Agu, said the Super Falcon player presence at the event actually confirm the brand as the true Legend since legend can only interact with legend.

    “The ladies are legend, they have done Nigerians proud and this brand has also done the nation proud by winning Monde awards as the best stout beer in quality and taste. This is a clear indication that the brand is a legend.”

  • 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.”

     

  • NAICOM mulls development plan for consumers

    NAICOM mulls development plan for consumers

    The National Insurance  Commission (NAICOM) will unveil  an insurance development plan that will include the Insurance Consumers Association of Nigeria (ISCAN), Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel has said.

    He made this known at the  launch of Public Enlightenment and Consumers Protection Programmes of the Insurance Consumers Association of Nigeria (ISCAN) in Lagos.

    Daniel, who was represented by the Commission’s Deputy Commissioner Finance and Administration, George Onekhena, said other stakeholders would also be included in te programme       .

    He explained that the development plan would help to consolidate and ensure that insurance goals were achieved.

    He said the insurance industry is not of help to many  people.

    He said: ‘’People should be able to take at least life insurance regardless of their financial capacity.

    “This is what insurance is all about and the commission feels that the development plan will help with this situation.’’

    The NAICOM boss urged insurance firms to support  ISCAN, adding that it is a business meant for all  stakeholders.

    “The support is necessary as ISCAN activities will increase public demand for insurance and also help to improve the place of insurance stocks in the capital market as well as create employment.

    The National President of ISCAN, Adm. Isaac Areola (rtd), said the association was formed solve the problems created by insurance.

    According to him, the presence of insurance is not being felt by the people.

    He said the body would ensure that claims were paid and awareness created.

    He said the materials on the  activities of the association would be printed and distributed to people.

    The Director-General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs Dupe Atoki, said the council would assist ISCAN.

    Mrs Atoki, who was represented by Mrs Oluwaleke Ogundipe, CPC Director, Surveillance Department, said it would offer the council’s channels to distribute materials of the asociation.

    President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) Ayodapo Soderu said if the consumer’s rights were recognised by operators and the responsibilities of clients respected, the industry would flourish as well wrest itself from perennial image problems.