First Bank has been in the forefront of promoting the creative arts through sponsorship and support. Goddie Ofose looks at how its latest project Before 30 (B430) helps to reinvigorate the brand.
Art is a hard sell. That is why organisations are reluctant to use it to communicate the value of their brands. But some have begun investing marketing budget to promote works of art because of the growing acceptance among consumers.
The creative industry is on the upswing, perhaps the main reason brands are buying into it. For instance, First Bank supports the creative arts, such as Dare Ark Alade’s ‘Love like a Movie’, South Africa Umoja, Calabar Carnival, and most recently Before 30 (B430).
Creating iconic brands
A few years ago, The Economist defined the word ‘iconic’ as the ‘adjective of the age’ in its Intelligent Life magazine. The article came with illustration that paired an image of Jesus Christ with a jar of Marmite.
More recently, Martin Kemp’s book Christ to Coke suggests that you can actually compare the Messiah to a good old soda. Heresy, Christian believers would say. Marketing, brand believers would counter.
However, there is a profound and historical correlation between religion and marketing. This is true of Christianity and contemporary brands people define as iconic.
While we often use iconic to refer to a powerful entity within contemporary society, the word originated with Eastern Christianity and referred to a religious work of art – typically a painting.
And though the very first icon is more than 2,000 years old (and looks like a TV storyboard of our time), there is a strong connection between these ancient religious icons and contemporary iconic brands.
Both have something in common: they reduce their message to the max to diffuse it to the many.
The most celebrated iconic brands take that lesson from religion. Contemporary brand iconography reduces the complexity of the culture behind a brand and enables it to travel across society.
First Bank backs B430
Before 30 is a drama series centred around four women living in Lagos and the pressure they face to get married before they turn 30. Their stories are told through the eyes of the lead character, Temi Coker (Damilola Adegbite-Attoh), in voice over.
Why would a conservative First Bank buy into a thing like this? “We are known for supporting courses and this is a course because it’s rooted in sincerity, and that is really what as a brand we stand for,” explained its Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney.
“If we cannot have an honest conversation among ourselves as a people about the things that drive our economy forward, about our people and their health, and things that ensure that we are a nation of productive people, then we wouldn’t be doing what we should be doing as a company.
“We are not here just to make money; we are a bank that actually believes in being a nation builder in supporting the nation.”
On how this would enhance the bottom line and build more equity, she said, “First, it is the conversation, a discussion, and a topic of this particular ‘Before 30’.
“It is also around the production, it’s about the business of art, the business of movie making, and it was decided that we want to do it in a standard that is exportable and that will compete anywhere in the world.”
Marketing through carnival
Consistency is one of marketing’s greatest weapons for brands to endear themselves to consumers.
MTN, though a telecoms brand, has positioned itself a music brand through sponsoring music reality television shows. Amstel Malta has done same in the film industry. It started AMBO and is now lead sponsor of Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Award. Amstel Malta is seen by all as a movie brand.
This is the same advantage First Bank has gained with Calabar Carnival. Every year, it supports Africa’s biggest street carnival.
Ani-Mumuney disclosed that the bank’s partnership with the Cross River State government for the past seven years has given the bank a good platform to showcase its love and appreciation for art and culture, while bringing excitement to Nigerians.
She said First Bank, as a heritage brand, is keen to align with courses that project the values of the nation in positive light across the globe.
“We are proud of the achievements of the Calabar Carnival over the years and remain committed to supporting the festival as well as partnering with similar events that have the potential of enhancing the country’s status on global ratings.
“Our involvement with the carnival since inception has raised its profile among local and international tourists who yearly look forward to enjoying the bank’s technology-driven products and services.”
Umoja enters
The Umoja (Zulu for “the spirit of togetherness”) was only imagined in Nigeria prior to First Bank bringing in the South African dance group.
When it was real that Umoja was coming to town, it became clearer that Nigeria’s oldest financial brand was considering itself a contemporary brand rather than a conservative one.
The sponsor’s underlying importance was to make a statement that heritage brands do not necessarily fade with age but renew to suit evolving stakeholders.
The one day performance – aimed at celebrating heritage and the performing arts, and ultimately restoring theatre, the arts, and stage performance in Nigeria – attracted high net worth individuals in private and public sectors, corporate organisations and the diplomatic corps.
First Bank used Umoja to connect this group with its premium banking offering.
First Bank believes
Ani-Mumuney said, like Nigerians, First Bank believes in the art of story-telling to reposition the brand. “If you think about us as Nigerians we grow at story-telling, I think we all love story-telling as Nigerians.”
First Bank also supports small businesses, which was the reason it partnered with Nemsia Studios to produce B430.
“There was a time when the performing arts in Nigeria were at the top of their game. If you remember plays in Ife in those days, true talents rose from there.
“First Bank has been around for 120 years. We have always supported the arts, but there has been a renaissance since four years ago so much so that we actually created a sub brand first in the arts and we have very many reasons for that.
“Beyond that, again still looking at the business of art, we believe that we can begin to really understand the pipeline and the value chain really better. Look at what is happening now; we have Ebony and Arise TV which can compete with the biggest channels in the world.”
