Brand Nigeria in Need of Oxygenation
By Charles O'Tudor
Branding suddenly seems to be the buzz word in intellectual circles. But beyond the noise let's take a closer look at our brand Nigeria in comparison with the brand South Africa. Armed with the mandate from almost two thirds of South Africans eligible to vote, the ANC embarked upon a mission to re-launch and reposition brand SA, with a clear value proposition and a better life for all, with an emotional attribute / attachment on the part of its populace that is unrivaled on the African continent.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the South African democracy and a decade of building brands in public and private. Taking a commercial or brand perspective, are we on track for a better life for all? And what have the country's two globally recognized brand custodians: Nobel laureate and former President Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki , government departments, foreign missions and initiatives such as SA Tourism, the International Marketing Council and Proudly South African accomplished?
There are several ways we can measure their impact on brand SA. First, leadership on a variety of political, social and economic issues, under Mandela and Mbeki, is globally recognized. Mandela's stature as one of the top five most recognizable brands in the world of brands like Coca-Cola and Mbeki's status as the inaugural African Union leader and architect of the New Partnership for Africa�s Development (NEPAD) underscores the strength of the country's leadership.
Second, the listings of SA brands like BHP Billiton, SAB Miller, Dimension Data, Old Mutual and Investec on the London Stock Exchange. The Nobel prize for literature for JM Coetzee, the peace prizes for Mandela and former president F W de Klerk, Mark Shuttleworth's space mission and the successful introduction of many of the world's valuable brands to SA shores has enhanced the value, viability and allure of brand SA.
And third, the need for brand custodians to be accountable means that brand valuation has become a way to evaluate the return on investment (ROI).
University's professor Roger Sinclair established the value of brand SA to be US$50bn, ranking it forth on Interbrand's list of the world's most valuable brands, after Coca -Cola, Microsoft and IBM.
Under the leadership of Cheryl Carolus at SA Tourism and Yvonne Johnston at the International Marketing tourists, SA continues to attract an enormous flow of foreign capital. Why? Marty Neumeier, the author of Brand Gap, says: "A brand is not what you say it is, it is what they consumers say it is. At least 70% of the respondents to a global study by the UK's Henley Centre said that if they trust a brand, they will recommend it to others. The benefits SA has reaped in terms of tourism and the GDP show that brand SA is a valuable economic proposition.
Though SA faces many challenges in terms of housing, safety, jobs and education, the country is a better place than it was 10 years ago. At least 70% of homes have access to fresh water and electricity and at least 70% of graduates pass their exams. Though the country's unemployment rate hovers between 30% and 40% , more professionals across all races have access to the employment of their choice.
The new SA, according to advertising luminary Reg Lascaris in his assessment of the country's brand, is immeasurable better than the old, a participative democracy where no one tells anyone who they can marry, where they can live and what jobs they can do. And it is a brand, which is why its president engaged one of the world's largest brand companies, Unilever, to partner the International Marketing Council and SA Tourism to define craft and refine the country's value proposition.
Almost all of the top 25 agencies can now boast empowerment credentials. Beyond the political and social concerns, transformation is a business imperative. Branding is even more important.
A closer look at our Brand-Nigeria reveals a seeming lack of understanding about the basic principles associated with successful brands; discipline, focus and consistency. Also there is a need for brand icons to be identified with certain attributes that the targets and consumers can relate with.
As South African brand icons, Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki represent certain values; maturity, integrity, stability and consistency. These are values that the citizenry can relate to and also aspire for. In comparison, our brand icon, President Olusegun Obasanjo is perceived as an embodiment of inconsistency, brashness, insensitivity and a total lack of understanding of the needs of the citizenry. In terms of security, transportation, housing, communications and other areas, our brand has been totally deficient in delivering its promise to the citizenry.
Brand loyalty cannot be separated from the delivery of its promise. The Nigerian brand should become aspirational for the citizenry and a Country to be proud of.
But what is our Brand proposition or promise? What is Brand Nigeria's Strategic Thrust?
In summary, Brand Nigeria beyond all the rhetorics needs as a matter of urgency a Brand DNA. This will ensure that the brand custodians get to understand the innate core attributes of the brand, deficiencies and expectations. Once we get this right the next step will be the total Reoxygenation of the brand.
Only when we get this right will the targets (Nigerians) be confident to say Proudly Nigerian.
O'Tudor is Principal Consultant, ADSTRAT
|
