Econet Wireless PR Pitch: Quadrant Regains Account
By Tunmise Adekunle
Nigeria's leading and pioneer public relations consultancy outfit and the PR arm of the Biodun Sobanjo-led Troika Group, The Quadrant Company, has emerged winner of the recently held pitch for the Econet Wireless Nigeria (EWN) public relations account.
THISDAY checks revealed that the management of Econet Wireless threw the account open about three weeks ago when it invited some public relations firms in the country to pitch for the account that was then being handled by The Quadrant Company.
Notable among the PR firms that received invitation letters as signed by EWN's chief marketing manager Bolaji Balogun include: front-line JSP Corporate Communications, innovative TPT International Limited, up & coming Edison Ross and The Quadrant company that had been handling the account since inception of Econet in Nigeria.
The brief according to THISDAY checks requested for these agencies to provide intellectual and purposeful PR in the area of corporate social responsibility, media relations, event management and community relations. At the end of the various presentations, Quadrant emerged winner with JSP emerging close second, ahead of TPT and Edison Ross. THISDAY further gathered that against common norms of account presentation, where the managing directors leads top management to listen to presentation and ask questions, the recent Econet Wireless presentations were made to middle level managers with one of two top management staff. Even the chief marketing manager Bolaji Balogun who called for the pitch was said not to have been at most of the presentations.
THISDAY checks also revealed that the brief was written on Econet Wireless name, contrary to industry expectations that the pitch will be called in the name of much expected Vodacom(the leading South African telecoms giant with over 80% of the South African market) as it was with the advertising and events pitches.
As it is, industry watchers are of the believe that when Vodacom eventually takes over Econet Wireless Nigeria, couple with avowed determination to take over Nigerian market within one year of beginning business , the PR handling will be too much for Quadrant to handle. A school of thought says a new pitch may be called to include FCB Redline and The Agency. Both of which are South Africa's PR consultants to Vocacom and Telcoms South Africa which is Vodacom's majority share holder.
Another school of thought believes Vodacom will pick from the runners up. According to them they are about the leading agencies with the muscle to work on the Vodacom brand.
The postulation of more that one PR firm is based on the example of MTN the market leader that Vodacom will want to upstage. MTN began in 1991 with Corporate & Financial, engaged the service of Marketing Mix last year as a second line PR firm and it's quietly searching for a third line PR outfit.
|
