2010: All Eyes on You (II)

Last week we considered three companies MTN, NB and Etisalat, and the opportunities they are likely to offer the market consumers and practitioners alike. In this edition, we will be focusing on some likely developments and the personalities behind them.
Rebranding Nigeria
There is a saying that if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. The rebranding Nigeria project has attracted a lot of flak since inception. No doubt, the passion and verve with which Prof. (Mrs.) Dora Akunyili pursues her rebranding Nigeria project as the Minister of Information & Communications could be described as infectious especially when she vibrates on national stations. But of what import are the vibrations, one may ask?
The reality is that perception is everything and the people’s perception does not favour madam as far as her present assignment is concerned. While trying to disabuse the perception about her as a square peg in a round hole, the country’s precarious situation has continued to dog her path. For instance, the image debacle is made worse by government officials and their covert attempts to cover up “information mismanagement” on the president’s health and the country’s blacklisting as a terrorist nation, no thanks to Farouk AbdulMutallab’s un-heroic attempt at bombing an American aircraft. These and many more continue to add to madam’s baggage which is becoming increasingly burdensome.
Can madam possibly re-enact her days as the DG of NAFDAC when she deservedly received accolades of one of the best performing government officials in the country? This is very possible if she can decipher between the numerous myopic and self serving “traders” pretending to advise her on how to get the country out of the woods.
The fact is that the Nigerian marketing communications industry is replete with brilliant consultants who can proffer solutions on the most professional way to help Madam Minister achieve her goal of giving the nation a crisp and sound public image. Madam has to reconstitute her kitchen cabinet on this project to make a head-way in 2010 else the status-quo, motion without movement, will remain.
Austin Ofomba, Marketing Director, Coca Cola
This gentleman is one of the glowing lights of marketing profession in Nigeria. From Guinness Nigeria’s school of marketing, Ofomba joined Coca-Cola before moving to FCMB as vice president, Branding & Communications.
He recently returned to Coca-Cola as Marketing Director, taking over from Koffi Amagashie, the Ghanaian import. Working in this all important position for the global number 1 brand in the country says a lot about Ofomba’s professional prowess. All eyes are on this gentleman. Coca-Cola is also in the limelight this year for her audacity to try something new.
Reason is that the brand could be blazing another trail for other multinationals to emulate. The last couple of years were characterized by global operations jettisoning local expertise for key positions like marketing director and so on, while embracing expatriates for these jobs. Guinness, since God knows when, has had this position filled by expatriates. NB has also adopted the same practice since the exit of Bola Akingbade. Coca-cola joined till about the end of the last quarter and Unilever falls into this category too!
With this development, Ofomba has joined the likes of Idorenyen Enang, commercial director, Cadbury and president, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN). Expectations are that in 2010 this class turns the tide in favour of the emergence of highflying indigenous practitioners in key position of authority in the conglomerates.
141-Worldwide: The Agency to Beat
Bunmi Oke, managing director, 141-Worldwide, leads a crop of youngsters otherwise known as the “winning team” of 141. In barely five years of existence, the agency is replete with all kinds of awards and juicy businesses to go with them. There is seldom a pitch in the market today without 141-Worldwide featuring prominently.
The agency continues to build-up clientele in frenzy, with businesses across the Nigerian market. Last year it grew its British American Tobacco business to cover the WACA area, that is, the West African sub-region encompassing the Anglophone and Francophone countries in the territory. It also has the IEI business covering Ghana and Nigeria.
Like a thief in the night, the agency “stole” into a First Bank pitch last year and made away with a chunk of the business previously handled by older agencies. With these striking moves, all eyes are on this young shop as the agency to beat in 2010.
MindShare Revs for Centre Stage
This company is about five years old but really never got off the ground until lately. An offshoot of the media department of Prima Garnet, the company, led by Austin Emwemasor, is gathering momentum by the day.
It recently won the entire Nestle Nigeria business through network business realignment. Towards the end of last year, it also won Zain’s media business hitherto residing with Media Perspective. Slowly but surely, the Media Initiative (MI) shop is joining the ranks of established MI’s like Media Perspectives, Initiative Global, Universal McCann, Media Reach and Media Com.
Therefore, it is likely that an alteration in the graph of companies operating in this segment of the industry will be witnessed in 2010.