What follows the birth of a child? Jubilation! Celebration! The presence of this bundle of innocence for many is like a blank sheet waiting to be inscribed on with the most beautiful story. And it is perhaps with this thought in mind, that many people around a new born often wonder aloud : what will this baby become someday? A president? A lawyer? A doctor? A new born baby is usually a great promise. A symbol of hope.
If this be the case, then why are only few rejoicing with Guinness Nigeria on the arrival of its new baby, Harp lime , which came late last year ? What is so damning about a mother brand bringing forth a baby? Why are many apprehensive about this new baby, with brand strategists confidently predicting doom concerning its market success and even longevity?
The truth is that brand extension in Nigeria has over the years become a replication of the abiku phenomenon from the Yoruba mythology. An abiku according to yoruba mythology is a child who repeatedly dies shortly after birth, or a few years after birth. One thing according to the myth is for sure, the abiku child never becomes an adult. The evil in the abiku phenomenon, is that this very peculiar child continually haunts the woman who she has singled out as a mother. Repeatedly, she possesses her womb, gains entrance into the earth via birth at the allotted nine months, and frolics on this plane for but a short while, before callously taking exit without a single thought for her mother or any earthly acquaintance at the behest of her fellow abikus cooling it in the beyond in the main time. It is to this mischievous group soul that she owes her allegiance.
This scenario captured by the great poet and Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, in the poem, Abiku, and John Pepper Clark in a poem with same title, is usually one of extreme agony for the unfortunate parents/victims of this dark entity who continually rests over at their abode and unfeeling takes exit to be back again. So each time the mother of abiku puts to bed, there is little celebration and a great deal of apprehension for obvious reasons.
This apprehension which greets the birth of the abiku child, is same with which products which hit the market as a result of brand extension are met in Nigeria. Brand experts just know that like the abiku, these new entrants are fated to die. And this is from antecedents. Extended brands which had but a short stay in the market make quite a list. Guilder max, Diet Coke, Indomie Pepper Soup, Guinness Extra Smooth, Maggi Crafish, Fanta Orange and Pineapple, are some extended brands which have fizzled out of the market or only exist as living- dead brands.
The fact is that Nigeria is described by brand experts, as one of the most inconsistent brand extension experiment in the world, with statistics showing that only as negligible as one out of a dozen extended lines thrive in the market. What factors can this trend be attributed to? Why have extended brands failed repeatedly to flourish on the good name of their mother brands ?
In the case of the recent brand extension initiated by Guinness Nigeria which introduced the Harp lime into the market, brand analysts collectively see it as an ill-informed experiment based on the premises that the mother brand, Harp large, is fighting a tough battle to adequately position itself in the market against a most formidable rival, Star large, and as such any extended brand introduced will only drain from this effort. Without mincing words, these strategists advice Guinness Nigeria to immediately withdraw the extended brand, Harp lime, from the market in order to concentrate all efforts at competing favorably against other brands of beer.
Giving an informed perspective on the high failure rate of brand extension attempts in Nigeria, Olu Akanmu, a strategic Business leader who is currently the Managing Director ,Retail and Consumer Banking at BankPHB, says that a successful extension can only be done by a strong brand because you cannot give what you do not have. Opining that an extended brand like the GulderMax failed in the market because the mother line was already loosing strength, Akanmu explained : “The “ultimateness” of Gulder had become questionable and its extrinsic (lifestyle) character has become amorphous. Its equity had become diluted and weak, yet it sought to extend itself. The result with the benefit of hindsight is largely predictable. An extension out of a weak Gulder is unlikely to be strong.
Akin Adewakun, a brand and marketing writer corroborates Akanmu’s views on why brand extension may fail when he questions the advent of Harp lime , an extension from Harp large into the market. Adewakun explains that since the mother brand, Harp large, is struggling in the market, there logically was little chances of the extended brand making much impact in the market. He believes that the weak mother brand should fight for a respectable market and mind share before embarking on any extension move.
Another reason why an extension may fail according to Akanmu , is when the extension aims at taking on a competing brand with an overwhelming fortress. He says if you want to determine the strength of a brand and its potential to extend, look at the strength of the brands in the category you want to extend to.Analysing the failure of Guildermax in the market he explains that: “compounding the GulderMax challenge was the fact that it sought to take on the very strong “Authentic” Guinness Stout in its territory. It did not matter if GulderMax was attacking the outside flanks of the Stout category. The Guinness Stout fortress was too strong. Guinness launched the 1759 campaign. It first campaigned its authenticity in huge capital letters on billboards that it has been the original stout since 1759. It followed with a contemporary lifestyle expression of the modern stout drinker who is not the old stereotype physical macho stout drinker, but a young corporate executive meeting his friends for drinks at the bar, after work at six o clock. The launch of the Guinness Extra Smooth, the lighter stout extension, was part of the Guinness defensive game. The fortress built against GulderMax by a strong Guinness range of brands was just too strong” he explained.
Brand Experts are also of the view that depending on the defining character of a brand, it will look like it is easier to extend down, though with significant risk of equity dilution of the mother brand, than to extend up.
According to Akanmu, another way to succeed in the market with a new entrant by a mother brand, is not to extend but to launch a different brand. Providing a clearer picture of this, he cites the Toyota example explaining that : “Toyota in creating the Lexus range recognized that “quality” at the topmost end of the car market is expressed differently as Luxury which Toyota cannot express. It did not go into the luxury category as an extension but launched a different brand. If the value proposition is distinctively different, a new brand to express the new value proposition single-mindedly may be better than a brand extension. This brand will however need a lot of investment”
For products and categories where the purchases are done on an emotional level, experts opine that a clear expression of extrinsic character of a brand is critical to unlocking the value of its intrinsic character. This they say must be resonating and never allowed to become amorphous so that the target may have what to hold to.
While disagreeing with Al Ries’ so called immutable laws but confessing that : “ They however set a good agenda for marketing discourse of this nature” Demola Olusunmade, a brand expert, expressed the fact that brand extension in Nigeria has worked a number of times, especially when the extension is not an encroachment into the territory of a competing brand that is rather too formidable.
“ Panadol extended to Panadol Extra, did and is still doing well. It is easy to point to these successes as exceptions rather than the rule but I think the mortality level recorded by extended brands is similar to that of new brands. The key point is to avoid extending into a strong number one’s territory. I think Panadol Extra wouldn’t have been this successful if the likes of “Alabukun” had not been mismanaged to their death. Even though Alabukun was aspirin based against Panadol Extra’s Paracetamol and caffeine, the average consumer which both target only know a strong pain reliever and not the active ingredient. To them, Panadol Extra is a good alternative to Alabuku.”
According to Olusunmade brand extension succeeds in varying degrees, depending on the level of consumer purchase involvement. He says : “Where a product goes through a chain of decision parameters (technology products for example) people tend to look beyond the brand names and dig further into what’s in it for them. That is why General Electric can be GE on a light bulb and still be GE on a dishwasher, an electric cooker, brain scanners and aircraft engines. Same goes for LG, Panasonic, HP, Microsoft etc. At the other end of the ladder are products with low purchase involvement. OK sweet is OK sweet, the brand started out by being deliberately (or accidentally) amorphous so it can offer any variety of candy brands under the OK name and still be relatively successful. Compare this with TomTom which was built on a mono-flavour menthol platform. Vicks Menthol’s “Baba Blue” is another success story in this category.”
Declaring that an analysts like Ries took too much of an extremist view on the dangers of brand extension, Olusunmade says that the challenge is to be careful not to want to take on someone (brand) whose stature is overwhelmingly dominant in an attempt to upscale, or alienate your critical mass in an attempt to downscale.

When President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law, the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill, which for more than a decade the Nigerian media and its supporters campaigned for, stakeholders agreed that the president and the National Assembly had given the media an opportunity to advance the cause of democracy as well as the economic and political destiny of the nation. The (FoI) Bill empowered the media and members of the public to seek information at the highest level of governance for the advancement of public good and individual prosperity. The House of Representatives passed the Bill on February 24, 2011 and the Senate delivered on promise on March 16th. Both Chambers passed the harmonized version on May 26, 2011.It was conveyed to President Jonathan on May 27th, and he signed it on May 28, 2011. Ekiti state and Lagos state have since adopted the Freedom of Information Act at state level and extended the response date from 7 days to 14 days.
This bill is perhaps the greatest victory for the Nigerian press regarding its freedom since the military era particularly the Abacha regime during which the official secrecy act and other draconian decrees reigned supreme and the junta’s brutality made it an impossibility to seek public information or criticize government. In this new era, the (FoI) bill makes it an offense punishable by law for any public official to withhold public information from a person who requests for it, such official can be fined to the tune of N500, 000 and may serve one year prison sentence. It also protects the officials who release such information. One of the benefits of the bill is that it helps to fight corruption and provides the public with information by which it could hold public officials accountable. It would also help the governed to understand the government in an in-depth manner. The public can now make an informed opinion concerning national issues and pressure the government accordingly. The media and law enforcement agents are the greatest beneficiary, because they constantly need information to do their work effectively. The ball is now in their courts to ensure that the law helps them to do their work well.
Having suffered in the hands of military dictatorship for a very long time, the way forward for the Nigerian media is to fully exploit the potential of the (FoI) bill for the betterment of Nigerians and our democratic prosperity. The expectations in many quarters is that with the bill, the Nigerian public and the media will be able to enjoy full access to public information at all levels of governance from both the public institutions and private establishments that make use of public funds. However, it seems that this has not been the case as Nigerians still complain about lack of transparency, for example, during the recent NLC industrial strike and the subsidy removal saga, many still talked about the lack of transparency of the Nigerian oil sector. No one knows who the so-called cabals are or those who are behind the reported corruption of the oil sector. A massive flow of information in the media would contribute to press freedom and robust journalism. Taking the subsidy issue as an example, it is easy to observe the widespread ignorance that surrounded the matter. Most Nigerians on the streets who carried placards did not understand the meaning of the word subsidy, and the issues that surround it; even the very educated ones are not really clear about what was going on. Many were on the streets because the price of fuel has gone up, transportation fare has risen and pure sachet water was no longer selling at N5 naira.
The Nigerian media need to rise up to the occasion and do what is expected. It is impossible for investigative journalism to thrive unless the media rises to implement the (FoI) bill in full gear. The Nigerian Union of journalists must come together to set up a strategy for its full implementation at all levels so that Nigeria can reap the gains. Everyone agrees that corruption is the bane of the Nigerian society since one of the benefits of the bill is to fight corruption, it places a responsibility on the Nigerian media to ensure that government officials do not hide information that can help Nigerians hold them accountable.
Alfred Opubor, Nigeria’s first mass communication professor, was reported to be fond of drumming it into his students’ ears at the University of Lagos in the mid 1970s that “facts are sacred, but comment is free” and “every conscientious reporter must take steps to speak to all relevant parties before filing a story”. What the professor was saying was that the cardinal principles of journalism should be practiced in Nigeria as well. This (FoI) presents a unique opportunity for the Nigerian media to go all out for information and inform the average Nigerian in such a way that he can no longer be deceived by unscrupulous politicians and business men, looting public funds.
The media must ensure that it is no longer business as usual and that the (FoI) bill does not become another one of Nigeria’s laws that fail at implementation. It must not become a toothless bulldog that looks scary but cannot bite. Unless, the media enforces this law, no one will, and the situation would remain like the past, when it was difficult to obtain useful information and officials were scared of loosing their jobs if they released certain information, since they did not have a legal backing. Today, the situation has changed with the bill signed into law. It is now left for the Nigerian media to bring the law out of the cupboards and put it into action. All the civil rights organizations, Newspaper Proprietors Association, lawyers, members of the academia, journalists, who fought for the signing into law of the bill need not go to sleep because the fight is not yet over. The fight should continue until we see that there is a free flow of information at all levels of governance and those who need information get them. The stakeholders who fought for the bill should ensure that it truly contributes to press freedom and that all secret information are released so that the nation can thrive, not in the shadow of lies and deceit but in the light of truth and economic prosperity.

How did the music start?
I have been doing music for a long time and I have just released a new single titled: ‘‘Follow me,’’ It’s about 10 years since I started performing music professionally. I started in school but I am trying to exhibit it to everyone now. I was in Osun state College of Technology, in Esa-Oke. I was reading Mathematics’ and Statistics. My friends used to come and see me in my room and then I was always singing for them. While I was in school, I had many friends partly because of my father’s legacy. People were drawn to whatever I say, they laughed even when it wasn’t funny. Many people thought I would go into drama and not music actually but I have always loved music and I have to do what I love. Even my father thought I was going into drama I am good in acting but for now, I want to focus on music and then may be later on, I will go into drama. I do not want to start drama first because if I do that I will not be able to go into music.
It is not that music is easier. In fact, music is harder and much more challenging. You have to create a sound, that many people would love to listen to all the time. In Drama, if you can act most of the works are already done. All you need to do is to pick up your script and get on set. Music on the hand, takes a lot from you. You need to do everything yourself, especially in Nigeria where we do not have proper recording companies. You have to do all the aspect of the business yourself.

How about Funding?
People have argued that I should go into Drama first and then branch into music later or do both, side by side but I tell you., it is not that easy. My father started as a musician but he has to abandon music for king sunny Ade. He could not combine it. The moment he realized that he was good in comedy and he was making it, he became distracted; you just have to face one. The argument that I should go into drama and used the money there to fund music is not acceptable to me. One will always find a way to make it. I have a good direction of where I am going. Look at Wasiu Alabi Pasoma. When he started acting, all the Yoruba actors began calling him to come and act in their movies, his fan base in the music scene began to decline. You se, he had to go back and re-focus on his music. Anything that we need to do that is great, require focus and determination and most of the time it is not easy.

What do you have to say about your father?
I want to say that I am very proud to be his son. He is truly a legend, an icon and he got to the peak of his career. It was not easy for him though. He suffered in the hands of piracy and he almost commit suicide but for the intervention of people like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Olusegun Obasanjo, and many eminent Nigerians who stood by him. It was then, that he released Mosebolatan. That was the movie that consoled him. It was well received despite the fact that Orun Mooru was pirated. I am glad that he was able to survive that era although he sold some choice property to settle the loan that was used to finance that movie. Piracy remained one of the great problems of our nation. We cannot fold our hands and looked and allow it to destroy our entertainment industry. You see, my father took great pains in producing his movies, if you put any of those movie to the cinema today, people would still rush to see them because of the kind of quality and technology that went into the production. He took a huge loan from the bank and piracy dealt with him. Tunde Kelani, in the UK shot the movie. It was a great one. I am happy that he survived that period.
What I admire about my father is his humility. He became so famous and he made money but you cannot see any sign of pride in him because he never allow those things to get into his head. His humility is very profound. We never had any security guard at home when my father was in active entertainment. He is a very simple man because; you never know how rich or how poor he was. He took life simply.

His new album, Follow Me,
The hit song is Hip Pop, it is a very danceable, club and party song. It has some very serious local percussion and it talks about the beauty of Nigerian ladies. We have been working on it for about a month now and now it is out, It is currently enjoying airplay on radio stations across the country. I have a management company in the United States. They saw my single on You tube and they loved it. I released two singles last year and so this is not the first. I also did a collaboration with a group based in the US. I have not been discussing with any Nigerian record label. I am still on the look out. I am looking for a label that loves my work and is passionate about promoting it. Look at Mo Hits records, they do quality music and everything they release is superb because they do their home work . My father used to say that the next generation would see his movie and that they are evergreen. This is because the movies are well produced and they do not use foul language. Every song cannot be about women. We need to sing songs that add values to the society. I love Michael Jackson because of this. His lyrics are good. They have deep meanings. If you do a song and three or four years after, people cannot relate with it and love it you did not do a good job. My father said when he wants to shoot his movie, it cam take a whole year and sometimes two. Orun Mooru was shot by a film company in the UK. They used to study the weather before they go to locations in those days. They were experts. I appreciate King Sunny Ade too. I was with him at his home once. He hosted me. I always call him on phone. He accommodated me and he encouraged me.

Message to His fans.
I want to tell my fans that they should watch out for me. Follow me is hot. They should expect more from me. I will not let them down. I want to thank all those who believe in me.

4 Small Business Lessons from the SME Toolkit Nigeria Conference 2011
Randall Kempner

The SME Toolkit Nigeria Conference held in 2011 may have come and gone, but the memory it cajoles in the minds of those who witnessed the event is unforgettable. It was a well organized and well attended event put together by the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan-African University with support from her partners – IFC, IBM and Etisalat.
The 4 Small Business Lessons are excerpts from the keynote delivered by Randall Kempner of Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) as compiled by Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. “CFA”
Small Business Lesson 1
Randall stressed the importance of small and growing businesses to the survival of any economy especially in developing countries like Nigeria. He therefore encouraged SME owners present to remain committed to their dreams because they are the drivers of any economy not only in Nigeria but in most countries of the world.
CFA’s Thoughts
I have often said that Entrepreneurship is one of the surest ways of lifting Nigeria / Nigerians out of poverty. Think about it, who would employ all the graduates that are jobless today? It’s either they become business owners or join small businesses scattered all across Nigeria otherwise a lot of graduates will remain jobless for a long time to come.
Small Business Lesson 2
Randall admonished business owners to be mindful of technological trends irrespective of their opinion about it. According to him, if small business owners choose to ignore technological developments, then it may be possible for their competitors to edge them out of business.
CFA’s thoughts
I have often heard Small Business Owners say they are not on the Internet or they can’t see the benefit of the Internet to their business. My response to them is usually in this direction; every business in today’s world should be on the Internet. Granted, it may not be your no. 1 marketing strategy but it should be part of your plans because the world has gone online!
Small Business Lesson 3
Randall also stressed the need to be mindful of technology. In his words, “not all technology that matters is information technology and not all relevant technology is high technology. Throughout emerging markets, billions of dollars can be made and major social impact achieved by the implementation of simple mechanical technologies that will address human problems. Before you think about how to build a business based on your iPad, think about irrigation pipes, water pumps, and basic healthcare products. ”
CFA’s Thoughts
The small business lesson here is that SMEs should invest in technology only when it will have a direct impact in their bottomline and not invest because everyone else is doing it. Imagine, someone who acquires a Blackberry only to “ping”, neglecting other key functions of the phone.
I remember how the Moderator of the event made us laugh, when I got on the stage and he announced to everyone that I was carrying an iPad and that Randall just said it didn’t matter; it was very funny, so we all laughed
Real growth has to come from the emerging markets. It’s their responsibility – Randall Kempner
Small Business Lesson 4
Finally, Randall made it clear that no amount of gadgets or devices or online strategies can replace people. He stressed the need to invest and develop your people because when all is said and done, it all boils down to people.
It is your people that will get online to tweet or respond to your customer’s queries via email. So take care of your people.

Source: http://nigeria.smetoolkit.org/blog/nigeria/2011/11/small-business-lessons/

The marketing convergence of the movie and the corporate world has been described as a necessary one which has to be developed if the fledging Nigerian movie industry popularly known Nollywood should move forward with its attendant benefits for nation branding.
Elimihe Osezuah, CEO Elose Plus Media Limited, made this observation in a recent chat with our correspondent. He says “Good movie cannot be successfully done in present day Nigeria without informed and selfless co-operation between the corporate world, which constantly stands in need of the best and cost friendly ways to mobilise its top marketing millions, and the idea driven, highly credible world of entertainment. This has to happen by way of supporting great works of entertainment through the phenomenon of branded entertainment whose return on Investment (ROI) to the brand can hardly be rivaled elsewhere”.
According to Osezuah, the business of movie making and television is founded on realism, which is a veritable environment for brand growth though realism does not mean life cannot be edited. For him, real life can be very boring between take-off and landing points. However, in movie, there must not be a dull moment, but every director worth the title, must ensure that the connections are realistic. “There are two things crucial to marketing in movie making before you start talking of technology: story and theme. Every story must have a socially relevant message, flow on a universally logical plot and be delivered within a technological tradition that resonates with human nature.
For brands to fully explore this opportunity, marketers and agencies must understand the nitty gritty of branded entertainment. For now, it has been confirmed that over 40% of traditional advertising spend is wasted worldwide because of the phenomenon of selective attention of the targets. Marketers can successfully gauge the media habits of their targets, but that is just the beginning, what will make them listen attentively to your pitch when you meet them when watching a Champions League game, for instance? With an expertly orchestrated branded entertainment campaign, the story is always different, because you take your message to your targets through their gods and idols on the screens, he explains.
Advertisement has been seen as a message from a paid sponsor about an identified product to a specific target, with the intention of getting favourable response from that target in favour of that product. So believability is negatively affected!
Expatiating further, he says that the concept of branded entertainment on the other hand is a public relations styled third party endorsement. It does not sing the praises of brands in a movie, rather it plays on the qualities and essence of the brand. The assignment of the branded entertainment practitioner is to place the brand in its natural habitat (expected environment) to breathe and live in a movie. A deep knowledge in branding and production surely sets the real placement Agency practitioner apart. “Branded entertainment plays on the product in use and this has to do with the person using it, his social status, the place it is used, the time and mode of use. It can also be used to teach people other ways it can be used. Above all, deploying the concept in support of a brand is more cost effective compared to the huge financial outlay on traditional advertising. However, branded entertainment is not an alternative to traditional advertising, but a support to it”.
All these are possible because resentment in branded entertainment is extremely low. According to him, the audience has made up its mind to watch the movie and the characters in the movie are doing things that are credible within a credible medium. Research has also confirmed that when theatre goers go to the theatre the guard against advertisement is lowered, while the viewer’s attention is drawn to the brand in a systematic way and usually by a third party who helps to build emotion around the brand. Branded entertainment needs a thorough application of the branding theory, submitted Osezuah.
To execute a branded entertainment campaign, a legal agreement between the marketer and agency is necessary in stipulating the agreed deliverables. Talking about deliverables, he submits that while in traditional advertising TV and Radio spots are harshly marred by limitations occasioned time constraints, in branded entertainment the advertiser is on a platform on which he or she can credibly explore. This is because more time span is possibly allotted to the brand without necessarily having to spend much. He adds that branded entertainment could be used as agents of political socialization, to feel pulse of the populace on some knotty policy issues and ideas of government. Governments all over the world, except you-know-where, use the business of TV and cinema to sell their ideals, inspire their peoples to achieve and attain and so instigate national development and social cohesion. How much do Nigerians know about the heroism of Nigerian soldiers at ECOMOG from the days of IBB to OBJ? Whereas everyone in the world is aware of the heroism of American soldiers in Vietnam and Iraq!
Despite, these advantages enumerated by Osezuah, the lack of understanding of the concept has perhaps alienated the corporate world from getting into branded entertainment via the movies. “This explains why movies could not attract this enormous support as it is popularly done elsewhere in Europe, the America and some parts of media conscious Africa. We must all understand that Television and Cinema are primarily cultural platforms, and the producers, directors, actors and all the minds that orchestrate contents for them are cultural agents who must be given wings to soar if the society will ever gain relevance in this world.
Speaking on the issue that some marketers hold that Nollywood stars cannot sell their brands, he says “There is no argument more uninformed that this. The medium is not personal, it is communal and within it is the magic of trust. When the story and all elements of the production are well construed and executed the individuals in it are lost to the world of realism it evokes. I tell Broad Street, put their money into Surulere (Nollywood) and Nigeria will grow faster and stronger economically. However, a thorough understanding of the subject and its business, and aligning with a professional branded entertainment agency is bound to deliver the goods and move the brand idea forward, because a truly branded entertainment agency goes as far as doctoring the script to meet with world class standards, planting the brand message into the script in a very credible and logical way so that it does not appear like an annoying tacking which is what we often see on our screens and ensuring that legal documentation is done properly.
During shoot the branded entertainment experts are present to ensure that the terms of the clients are respected, and after editing they also preview the film to be really sure. Owing to the level of professionalism and knowledge base of the business, the entry level is rather high. Elose Plus media Limited is humble to be a known player in that business in Nigeria.