United We Brand

Adopting a united brands philosophy may well just be what African and building nations want if they are to fulfil their desires of attaining global model recognition for some of their regional manufacturers.

This technique could be successfully tied – in with simultaneous country branding efforts of their home governments. There is a widespread ‘bond of brotherhood’ which unites brands in distant markets. Makes from the identical nations around the world which may perhaps be owned by diverse companies may possibly be far more keen to cooperate and share experiences when faced with a frequent identified ‘adversary’ or opposition. Administrators of these manufacturers would like every single other very well in these kinds of instances because the ‘bad guys’ would be the effectively founded competing global models.

When brand names request a frequent refuge less than the umbrella of ‘one nation’, they reward from the resultant ‘country of origin effects’ made well known by Simon Anholt. This could be the tactic that Nduka Obaigbena and his staff at Leaders & Company Ltd (entrepreneurs of ThisDay newspaper team in Nigeria) are pursuing.

Nduka could greatest be explained as a media mogul, entrepreneur and recently clearly show small business impresario. His deft touch has reworked lots of of the projects his ThisDay brand name has embarked on in the earlier into gold. He is a person driven by the drive to be successful and craves good results the way mortals crave foodstuff. He would seem not to be fazed by the criticisms of his detractors who have known as him names these kinds of as megalomaniac, showboy, glamour boy and political godson.

The ThisDay model has in limited a time shot to the top of Nigeria’s media landscape, solid proof that the person that his associates call ‘the duke’ is in touch, really substantially so with the waters that they swim in day-to-day, waters infested with sharks – swim alongside or be swallowed. The ThisDay manufacturer is now a effective and credible media brand in Nigeria capitalising on the complacence of the Guardian newspaper, and the demise of other titles, most particularly Everyday Periods and Countrywide Concord. ThisDay newspaper has now cornered an enviable place in the current market as the amount a single newspaper of preference among A, B, C demographic visitors. Simultaneous publishing of two editions daily in Abuja and Lagos has ensured that the logistics challenges remaining expert by the other competing newspaper titles are now a issue of the past within the newspaper group. What ThisDay is accomplishing in Nigeria is what the Guardian did in the 80s but Nduka and his group have gone methods further more by spinning off other social and funds-earning tasks which have extended their brand name identification further.

Success arrives at a selling price although Nduka Obaigbena and his ThisDay media team have observed lots of of them. They bought embroiled in the Pass up Globe spiritual riots controversy in 2002 when ThisDay posted the now notorious post about Prophet Mohammed speculating that he could have picked just one of the Pass up Environment attractiveness pageant contestants had he even now been alive. Soon following, Nduka acquired his fingers burned when backed with a war upper body the sizing of a bank vault he forayed into the distinctive but beneficial South African media market place, hence starting to be the initially Nigerian media organization to really go intercontinental, the good results of which would have spurned-off other initiatives throughout the globe. This was at a time when such company and economical relocations favoured South African companies who have due to the fact taken more than half of Nigeria’s economy. The undertaking collapsed following a 12 months. ThisDay landed into another controversy in 2006 when it recognized and released a controversial wrap-close to ad from a faceless organisation endorsing Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo for an unconstitutional 3rd expression in office environment opposite to the typical mood of Nigerians at the time.

These kinds of down-reduced ordeals are not new to the father of seven little ones. He turned Nigeria’s youngest publisher in the 80s when as a twenty – some thing yr aged, he released This Week magazine, a clone of Newsweek magazine wherever had experienced labored previously. His attempts was a trail blazing a single together with these of Nigeria’s elite troupe of journal publishers at the time such as Chris Okolie of Newbreed magazine and Dele Giwa et al of Newswatch magazine. This Week irrespective of all the guarantees it held died inevitably.

Now a survivor of the publishing activity, Nduka’s other social jobs such as the once-a-year ThisDay awards, and the ThisDay manner and fashion weekend have since become well known functions in Nigeria’s social calendar attracting A-record superstars and electricity brokers from inside of and outside the house Nigeria. Before this year, ThisDay team pioneered the ThisDay Nigerian universities rankings, a social job aimed at recognising the instructing and research efforts of Nigerian universities. Modelled immediately after the preferred Occasions United kingdom universities rankings, the ThisDay rankings is predicted to market and celebrate greatest apply in Nigerian universities, while at the identical demanding the universities at the base of the rankings table to clear up their functions.

At a time when the existing mood and discussions in the public and non-public sectors is on the difficulty of nation branding and the attendant economic added benefits, Nduka and ThisDay have scored yet another winner with the maiden version of the ThisDay new music pageant, a project that has even impressed Ben Murray Bruce, Nigeria’s king of exhibit business who remarked that ‘the display is just one of the greatest matters to happen to Nigeria’s image at this time’.

It is not stunning to see why the show which was held in Lagos over two days through the weekend of 7th and 8th Oct 2006 has continued to draw in praise from much and vast. It will truly do a whole lot for model Nigeria’s impression. Launching an yearly new music competition with the support and sponsorship of nearby providers is a strategic move for all the organizations concerned, most specifically for ThisDay which presently has an annual turnover of $35 million. Also, the presence of government officials at the occasion will help undertaking the impression of ‘united brands’ – comprising Brand Nigeria, ThisDay and the other participating manufacturers.

The songs festival could not have appear at a much better time, to enable choose attention away from the destructive reports currently being produced in the worldwide media concerning the vacation warnings becoming regularly issued by the American, United Kingdom and other western governments to their citizens, bothering mostly on Nigeria’s safety and security. The American govt experienced in 2005 predicted that Nigeria is a failed condition that would break aside inside of 10 yrs.

The ThisDay new music festival is certainly a community relations masterstroke for Nigeria and Nigerian manufacturers. The present highlighted the likes of Beyonce and loverboy Jay-Z and other functions this kind of as Ciara, En Vogue, Snoop Doggy Dog, Missy Elliot, and Busta Rhymes. The phase was also set for Nigerian functions these as King Sunny Ade, Weird MC, TuFace, Majek Fashek, Seun Anikulapo-Kuti, Asha, Dare Artwork-Alade, and D. Banj to showcase their abilities.

Speaking at the display, Nduka Obaigbena reported that the ThisDay songs festival was “to display that superior issues can however function in Nigeria. We are in this article to display that if we get the job done jointly we can score great ambitions and surpass unreachable targets”.

Hats off to him and his team for accomplishing Nigeria and Africa very pleased, ideally this would carry about improved trust from the global neighborhood on Brand Nigeria.