Independent 20170816-readme.ng

INDEPENDENT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017
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B3
Brands&Marketing
Adekanmbi
Marketing communications experts
have said that bulk data
will assist to transform the way
marketing businesses are done.
Bayo Adekanmbi, Chief
Transformation Officer, MTN
and Steve Babaeko, Chief Executive
Officer/ Chief Creativity
Officer, X3M Ideas, made the
disclosure at a learning session
tagged “Marketing in the Era
of Big Data-The Changing Paradigm,”
organised by BRAND-
CRUNCH, an online brand and
marketing platform.
In his submission,
Adekanmbi stated that massive
data is shaping the way businesses
are being run globally
and there is now a cross industry
shift due to data disruption.
In the marketing space, he explained
that bulk data can be
used to predict the sentiment
of customers on their ability to
Why Nigeria Failed To
Re-Brand, By Practitioners
In
Branding practitioners
have identified poor
funding, lack of clarity
of purpose and
insincerity on the part of
government as some of the
reasons the various efforts
at re-branding Nigeria had
failed in the past.
The observation was made
in Lagos at the Meeting of
Minds forum, organised by
Brandish Publications recently
where some practitioners
in the nation’s integrated
marketing communications
sub sector of the economy,
argued that unless some of
those issues were addressed,
the dream of effectively
re-branding the country and
making it attractive to foreign
investors would remain a mirage.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi,
former Chairman of
the Advertising Practitioners’
Council of Nigeria (APCON),
argued that one of such attempts
in the past, the ‘Good
People, Great Nation Campaign,’
which he played a major
role in, did not make the
desired impact due to lack of
proper funding by the government
of the day, among other
reasons.
He said: “For instance, at
a time, we requested for N50
million to set up an office in
Lagos for the campaign, there
was no response. I, as the
Chief Executive Officer of the
campaign team was shuttling
between Abuja and Lagos
every other week, spending
my money. I was never reimbursed.
He added: “All these contributed
to the little or no
impact the campaign made
then”.
He also identified inappropriate
nomenclature for
the campaign, as one of the
reasons it failed to resonate
with Nigerians, while insisting
that the campaign was
rather attitudinal and not a
re-branding exercise as erroneously
labelled.
He faulted the branding
initiative that was unveiled in
2009 under the then Minister
of Information, Dora Akunyili
saying that “Professor Dora
Akunyili wasn’t a student of
communication, but she is
very brilliant. The critical
error was to name that exercise
re-branding. What she
had in mind was something
that would change the attitude
of Nigerians and not about
re-branding the country.”
It would be recalled that
under the late Dora Akunyili
as a Minister of Information
that the country unveiled a
new branding initiative which
Babaeko
had the campaign theme, “Nigeria.
Good People, Great Nation”,
as a replacement of the
failed ‘Heart of Africa’ project
that was unveiled under former
President Obasanjo.
Dr. Jonathan, who was then
a Vice President, attended the
ceremony where he explained
that the campaign was “a
genuine way to re-orientate
Nigeria(ns) toward believing
in themselves again, and to
change the perception of the
country both locally and internationally.”
He also added that failure
on the part of Nigerians to see
such campaign as an enduring
project that must be given
a chance, instead of quick-fix,
also contributed to its inability
to resound with the target
audience.
Experts Harp On Value Of Bulk Data
To Marketing Communications
buy. He added that brands now
target customers at a certain
time based on insights gathered
from Twitter keywords
like #Thank God It’s Friday
and others.
He added that with Big Data,
a lot can be done, ranging from
monitoring of competitors’
effort in the market and monitoring
the reach of news item
and its impact on a brand’s perception.
He said, “Internet of Things
(IoT) connects all manner of
end-points, unraveling a treasure
trove of data. Ubiquitous
networks and device proliferation
enable access to a massive
and growing amount of traditionally
information. Analytics
and business intelligence tools
empower decision makers as
never before by extracting and
presenting meaningful information
in real time, helping
us be more predictive and reactive”
In his contribution to the
brain storming event, Babaeko
said that Big Data analytics
will help practitioners understand
the changing consumer
behaviours and competitive
activities, which will help advertising
agencies, marketing
communication practitioners
and brands decide on what creative
or campaigns to launch to
engage consumers.
He therefore urged practitioners
to embark on retooling
of its personnel to be able to
survive in the new ecosystem,
which is technological-driven
and ever changing.
Speaking on the importance
of the digital trend, convener
of the event and the publisher
of BRANDCRUNCH, O’Lekan
Babatunde, said: “The Nigerian
marketing industry should not
be caught napping as the era of
Big Data dawns on everyone.”
Indomie Bags
LCCI’s Award
recognition of business resilience
and excellence despite the
harsh operating business environment
in the country, the Lagos
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (LCCI) ,has conferred
‘Brand of The Year’ Award to
Nigeria’s leading noodles brand,
Indomie Instant noodles at the
just concluded LCCI Commerce
and Industry Awards 2017,
which took place at Oriental
Hotel, Lagos, recently.
The objective of the yearly
Award is to recognise, promote
and celebrate private and public
institutions operating in Nigeria
for best business practices,
growth through innovations,
business sustainability and positive
impact on the people and
society.
Receiving the award on behalf
of Indomie, Group Head, Public
Relations, Dufil Prima Foods Plc,
Ashiwaju Temitope, thanked the
organisers of the award, saying it
was an honour to be recognised as
the Brand of the Year.
According to him, “We are
honoured as a brand to have won
this prestigious award and this
is to further attest to the fact that
Indomie Instant Noodles is not
just the leading Nigerian noodles
brand but also the most preferred
instant noodles in homes and everywhere
noodles is consumed.”
Ashiwaju further expressed
that: “Consumers remain the focus
of our business; and Indomie
will continue to give them value
for money through our innovative
products which consumers
have come to know us for over
the years in order to meet their
daily needs.”
Rivers Now Open For
Outdoor Business
– RISAA BOSS
The Acting Managing Director,
Rivers State Signage and Advertisement
Agency (RISAA), Engr.
Chukwudi Dimkpa has called on
corporate and business organisations
to take advantage of the
improved outdoor advertisement
landscape and invest in Out of
Home industry in Rivers State.
Dimkpa said the city of Port
Harcourt and its environs is beginning
to wear a new look following
the ongoing clampdown on unauthorised
billboards and Signages.
The exercise which began from
Mile 1, Ikwerre Road, Airport
Road, Igruwuta, Rumukpokwu
and Rumuokoro has now been extended
to YKC Road, Peter Odili
Road LNG Nkpogu and Eastern
by Pass Roundabouts.
According to the RISAA
boss, “The enforcement exercise
is aimed at complimenting the
efforts of the Governor Nyesom
Wike led administration to improve
the scenic beauty of the
state, attract investors and improve
commerce.