Made in Nigeria

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www.thesparkng.com How would you react when you see a brand, assume it is Made in Nigeria, then confirm it when you read the details on the pack? SPECIAL FEATURE The CREATIVE Confectioner ZOOMABAR The Beginning Rubbing shoulders with brands who have led a market for years might be a Herculean - add that to the fact that Nigerians mostly prefer ‘assorted’. Scratch that, Zoomabar is here to fill a gap they saw in the market. Imagine going to the market to look for Ijebu Hair. The idea-driven entrepreneur, Yinka Obagun says, “I was looking for a granola bar with no added sugar and no preservatives and I couldn’t find anything. This gap birthed Zoomabar. Today we are the first Nigerian NAFDAC registered bar that has no added sugar and no preservatives. It’s made with only organic ingredients like Almond Butter, Fresh Shredded Coconut, Flaxseed, Chiaseed, Pure local honey, Organic Oats, Organic Sunflower Seeds and Dried Blueberries.” Competing Favourably We don’t really like monopoly. Not especially when we weigh the benefits alongside the demerits. And since we know that Zoomabar has strong competition, we wanted to know how she pushes through to the consumers. Yinka replied, telling us how “fierce” the granola bar market is and how the main competition is with foreign brands. However, she says those brands are not in the same league with Zoombar. Yes, we want to boast. “They add a lot of sugar and use a lot of preservatives. Also we only use organic products. To correct this we try to educate potential customers on the benefits Zoomabar has. It is fresh and has no added sugar and no preservatives. We do not cut corners and we bring only the best.” The best it is...a trial will convince you or how do they say it again? Zoomabar, Selling The Nigerian Identity Do you know that companies in the US pay particular attention to branding - to sell the American story? Well, it is important. Yinka agrees. She says, “I think it’s very important to show where you are coming from, especially if you have dreams of exporting your product. It’s one of the ways you can positively tell your country’s story. At Zoomabar, all our packaging is made in Nigeria. From our wrappers to our Point of Sale boxes. Also, our colour choice represents Nigeria as well but also indicates health and wellness - Green: synonymous to health (as the branding experts say). A lot of the products we use are also sourced locally from farmers in various parts of Nigeria.” Never underestimate yourself and don’t lose focus on why you started. Aiming High “I started last year and wanted to be everywhere. For a product that has a short shelf life and was relatively unknown... this was the biggest challenge. We realised as much as we would have liked to, we can’t be everywhere and so we concentrated on strategic locations that were profitable for us. We are also working on another product.” Lesson: focus. Motivation Let’s ask you, what keeps you motivated? Okay, you can’t answer here but, for Yinka, it is “The fact that what I do is actually enriching lives for the better. So when I feel like giving up at times, I get a random message encouraging me or someone ordering in bulk. God always sends you light that encourages you not to give up. For Zoomabar I truly believe the best is yet to come but I am so thankful to God for where we are.” Challenges Stepping over challenges and doing it better is pertinent. You might not know it all, and since it is said that ‘no knowledge is a waste’, take this from this experienced entrepreneur: “One of the biggest challenges is getting suppliers who actually deliver the right product on time and within the budget. You have a lot of suppliers who try to cut corners. Once we find out, we give you 2 more chances and if nothing changes we move on. We are trying to build a brand that is synonymous with quality. This cannot be achieved with sub standard products.” For Young Entrepreneurs “Understand your market. Is there a gap you are trying to fill? What exactly are you trying to sell and to who? This will inform your price point. A younger demographic will not want to spend a lot of money on certain things. Are you mass market or niche? Do you have plans to export? Once you have addressed all these questions and more in your business plan and you feel you are ready to start your own business. Please pray and have a strong network. Never underestimate yourself and don’t lose focus on why you started.” 34 fli @thesparkng
The Spark | Ignite / Connect / Achieve www.thesparkng.com To start off, let us get the basics out of the way with a few definitions. The Oxford dictionary defines communication as “the imparting or exchanging of information…” through a particular medium(s) which could be traditional (TV, Radio, Newspapers, etc.) or non- traditional (mostly digital/ unconventional) media. Oxford also defines Marketing as the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising. BULLSEYE The MaIN Speak In a society like Nigeria, peculiar challenges exist in transferring brand messages across various demographics, see how the industry can stay ahead Chinwe Greg Egu When communicating, it is, however, important to ensure that you are not just communicating, but doing so effectively. Effective communication occurs when “the intended message is delivered, received and understood”. Marketing, however, is largely dependent on effective communication as it involves passing the right message around goods and/or services, delivered at the most accurate connection moments thus ensuring receptiveness and understanding by your desired audience. Therefore to market successfully, communication must be effective. As with any country or audience, communicating effectively within Nigeria requires at minimum, a basic understanding of Who you are talking to, What appeals to them and Where the most suitable place to expose your message is. I will briefly touch on the regional peculiarities of Nigeria which serves as a guide on how to craft your message and the evolution of the population make up which guides you on where to expose this message. Nigeria is broadly divided into three parts: The West, The North and The East. Understanding the regional peculiarities is paramount to ensuring that communication is crafted in a manner that ensures relevance and resonance. The West is characterised by a large number of urban cities and is the most internationally oriented region with cities such as Lagos. This means that communication and marketing within this region should ideally comprise of international cues being that this is what appeals to the people within this area. The North being more conservative due to the high concentration of Muslims means that communication within this area cannot be perceived as “risqué” as it could be in other regions. One must ensure that religious sensitivities are taken into cognisance as that could make or break a brand. The exception, in this case, is Abuja which has more similarities to the Western cities than the rest of its Northern counterparts. Last but not least, the Eastern zone of Nigeria. This region is home to the Igbos, who at their very core value their heritage. Leveraging the importance of local pride in communication and marketing is key to unlocking relevance and resonance within this region. Nigerians are generally proud of where they come from but understanding the largely fragmented nature of what appeals to the Nigerian audience could be the difference between achieving your communication and marketing objectives or not. In a country of over one hundred and fifty million people, Nigeria has a healthy spread across the different age categories. The evolution of the population makeup makes it necessary for the communication source to understand the lifestyle of its intended audience. Depending on who one is trying to appeal to, one must evolve with the population. For example, choosing a brand based on its communication style in my teenage years as a student is subject to change in my more adult years as a young professional or even as a mother. It is important for marketing professionals to understand the lifestyle of the people to whom they are trying to communicate with. While the individual is growing older and going through changes, a brand which has the objective of appealing to teenagers must ensure that it also evolves to suit the preference of the new generation of teenagers — what appealed to teenagers in the ’80s is very different from what appeals to teenagers today. However, the brand must retain its appeal to its chosen TA and this can be done through communicating effectively. A second leg to understanding the generational makeup when communicating within Nigeria is determining the medium through which one decides to expose their communication. It is not enough to develop effective communication material without ensuring that it reaches your desired audience. Depending on who you are trying to reach, there will be a preference for Traditional Media or Non-Traditional Media. If you are trying to reach the millennials who are always on the go, Non- Traditional media forms will be most appropriate e.g. Digital, Social Media, etc. Communication intended to reach a significantly more mature audience (65 and above) will, for the most part, do better on Traditional Media platforms. This is an extra layer to consider in addition to the regional peculiarities when communicating and marketing to the Nigerian audience. Much like an onion, there are many layers to consider when communicating and marketing to the Nigerian audience and, the more you uncover and analyse, the more effective your communication and marketing are. In conclusion, as marketing professionals, we must acknowledge the importance of understanding the fundamental principles that guide communication and marketing. However, within the beautifully complex and fragmented context of Nigeria, one must apply layers of considerations to successfully communicate. Depending on who one is trying to appeal to, one must evolve with the population. fli @thesparkng 35
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