Integrated marketing communications activities are expected to be kicked off nationwide by brand owners and agencies as the general elections ebb without violence.
Corporations’ marketing campaigns were put on ice because of anticipated conflict that usually trailed previous presidential elections. Insecurity led to shifting the ballot this year from February 14 and to 21 to March 28 and April 11.
Investigation showed that, now that the coast is clear, there will be massive marketing communication campaigns in the coming weeks.
Political campaigns
Political campaigns, particularly those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Party (APC), have dominated the marketing communication space. From outdoor hoardings to television, radio, and press, political advertisements have constituted over 80 per cent in the past five months.
Political parties also invested hugely in experiential activations across campaign grounds and roadshows.
Marketing communication experts said Nigerian politicians are beginning to recognise the importance of political branding and marketing as a science to win votes. Politicians are adopting the marketing principle that competing brands deploy to win bigger market share.
The strategies include brand positioning, leveraging personal strong points, integrity, endorsement, brand offerings, and benefits.
The campaigns of President Goodluck Jonathan and President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, spent over N900 million in advertisements.
Brands’ readiness
Any form of campaign by any brand in the heat of electioneering would have got drowned in the political noise. Now, corporate organisations plan to roll out marketing campaigns and introduce new products.
When political campaigns were on, MTN Nigeria, the organisation with the largest marketing budget, called for pitches for its public relations business.
Those currently holding the account are MarketingMix, owned by Akin Adeoya; and Xlr8. MarketingMix, led by Calixthus Okoruwa.
Other agencies contending for the lucrative account are Mediacraft (headed by John Ehiguese); C&F (Nnemeka Maduegbuna); Chain Reaction (Israel Opayemi); Absolute PR (Akonte Ekine); Blueflower (Chido Nwakanma); and one other agency.
MTN invited the agencies to its head office in Lagos on Tuesday, March 31 in preparation for its mega campaign to be unveiled in a few weeks’ time.
Airtel Nigeria has engaged CMC Connect (headed by Yomi Okusanya) for its marketing campaign. ‘Trybe’ and other pitches from Airtel will kick off in high velocity.
Skye Bank is also deep in preparation for sensitising consumers on its collaboration with Mainstreet Bank. The campaign could have started from March 1 but not for the shift in the polls.
Sources disclosed that the bank has engaged The Quadrant Company led by Bolaji Okusaga for the roll out.
Unilever Nigeria that could not wait for the election to be over unveiled new Lux variants two weeks ago but the advertisement campaign was put on hold till April 12, and will be supported with brand activation activities.
Nigerian Breweries (NB) and Guinness Nigeria have plans to engage consumers with different campaigns. NB recently merged with Consolidated Breweries but the promotion of the brands of erstwhile Consolidated Breweries has not commenced.
Coca-Cola will roll out full advertising campaign on its “your name on coke’ campaign.” The brand has not been able to go full length in the press as it has done in the out-of-home and electronic media.
PR sanitation
Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) has affirmed its readiness to work with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to enforce the law regulating PR consulting business in Nigeria.
PRCAN rose from its extraordinary general meeting in Lagos with a mandate given to its executive committee to work with the NIPR and the security agencies to use all legal means to enforce Bye Law No. 3 of 1993 which empowers PRCAN to regulate PR.
Presenting his roadmap for 2015 during the first quarter extraordinary general meeting, PRCAN President, John Ehiguese, moaned about the manner foreign PR agencies set up shop in Nigeria without the knowledge of industry regulatory bodies.
“The public relations consulting business is one that is regulated by law. Before any foreign agency can set up in Nigeria there are conditions to be met as in other jurisdictions too.
“You cannot just go into South Africa and set up an agency. You will not be allowed, because the laws are there. Nigeria cannot be a country of anything goes,” he insisted.
“Public relations consultants in Nigeria can compete favourably with their counterparts in other African climes like South Africa and other countries with highly developed public relations industry but one thing we need to work on is the coordination of the industry in terms of reforms.
“Before a foreign PR agency can set up in Nigeria, there are conditions to be met; 75 per cent of the company shares must be owned by Nigerians, the company must be a financial member of PRCAN, senior executives of the of the company must be members of NIPR and certified to practise PR.”