Nigerian Celebrities and Brand Promotion

Various Blue Chip companies in Nigeria, operating in diverse spheres such as Manufacturing, Telecoms, Banking, Consumer services are developing with fresh concepts that would position them in advance of their rivals. The post Independent epoch (1960 till date) has witnessed the continual influx of companies both local and International in to the marketing arena, wanting to compete within the Nigerian open market Championship. A event held to find out which companies products/services thrived one of the most inside the Nigerian Market. Their performances were rated through the profits posted in the Companies Annual General Meetings. A couple of who started the race at its inception remain in contention to the golden prize, while their counterparts have fallen along the way side.

Your competition to dominate the Nigerian market has exploded tougher each and every passing year, companies have deployed various marketing strategies "in and out of your box" within a bid to steal industry. Such as the regular utilization of promos by companies luring customers to purchase many and eventually wining whooping monetary rewards with an assortment of consolation prizes, game shows/lottery, where juicy monetary packages are up for grabs by customers who participate and obey stipulated instructions have grown to be rampant. These 'over flogged marketing strategies', have propelled a couple of to check towards the direction from the celebrities (specially those in the Entertainment circuit) to invoke a Sales- Reload needed to thrust them far ahead of their competitors.

Inside the eyes of the public, celebrities have emerged being a rare unique type of Homosapiens who navigate around by having an aura of greatness, and possess the golden touch effective at transforming the standard into extra-ordinary within a splitting second within their respective chosen career. They hold the power to keep ones eyes riveted on them, igniting the star struck syndrome on the fans. They easily stir up excitement from the crowd with some cringing their necks much towards the nerves discomfort, in the bid to trap a peek at them. This phenomenon is most beneficial described during live concerts carried out by popular artistes when the crowd adopts a frenzy, together with the babes needless to say screaming their names(when they are guys) and shouting "I Adore you X", amazingly shedding tears, and sometimes fainting or nearly handing out at the slightest physical exposure to the heavens or otherwise.

The posters of these great women and men who wield the financial wands of their hands are kissed and spoke with by their fans who have them hung in the corner of these rooms, and dream endlessly about how precisely good they may happen to be together, profess their undying passion for them, adoring, idolizing them, thereby provoking the great Lord to jealousy. Celebrities by reason of their popularity naturally contain the capability to influence people to swap loyalty towards the endorsed brands, making such adverts to linger continually inside their memory data banks. With a wider pedestal, celebrities like James Earl Jones endorsed "CNN", Catherine Zeta- Jones "Elizabeth Arden", and Pepsi has continually used International premier footballers and artistes to advertise its brand.

In Nigeria, the idea of using celebrities to promote various brands is at its lowest ebb before 2007. Advertising companies for the pay roll of rival companies delightfully used "Unknown faces" to try to lure potential customers into acquiring the products being projected in order to maintain customers loyalty or initiate a cross carpeting to the standby time with the displayed products, from the Electronic media(dominantly TV).

4 Explanations why CELEBRITIES WERE HARDLY Accustomed to PROMOTE BRANDS BACK IN THE DAYS

1. IGNORANCE: Most Advertising practitioners are not conversant with the concept of using celebrities to promote the brands. We were holding hired to merely advertise, showcase the products of the clients to viewers, that they can did. They were not deeply associated with any online marketing strategy to out do brands from rival companies.

2. INDIFFERENCE: A couple of were rather indifferent, adopted a lackadaisical method of the concept, given that they belief that using celebrities did not have any relation to the product quality production of the adverts produced, so just why bother with them?

3. UNWILLINGNESS To invest: Most Clients were unwilling to pay the fees required to hire the celebrities to advertise the brands within the advert (which was not as expensive when compared to what obtains today). Just one or two consented on the soliciting and eventual utilization of celebrities including the now defunct Universal Trust Bank (UTB advert: Chief Zebrudaya and Jegede in the New masquerade TV series fame), Visine eye drops (Regina Askia), Morning fresh (Bimbo Oloyede), Panadol ( Ovuleria, Akpena inside the TV series with the New masquerade), New Elephant Blue detergent (Chief Zebrudaya, Samanja)

4. LOW COMPETITON: A handful of companies with rivals producing brands in the same sector existed. Within the 80's we basically had two known rival brands of products drawn from different spheres for eg Detergents "Omo and Elephant Blue", Soaps "Lux and "Cussons Imperial leather", Soft drinks "Coke and Pepsi", Cars "Peugeot and Volkswagen". However a couple of companies produced brands that went unchallenged like Okin biscuits, Peak Milk, Maltina, Robb, Thermocool fridge/freezers.

The sport has changed with Companies eagerly parting with cash to ensure that celebrities are effectively accustomed to promote their brands through the electronic media (still dominantly TV) depending on its large viewership base, and in many cases paper media is also used.

Listing of NIGERIAN CELEBRITIES Employed in BRAND PROMOTION:

1.Omo detergent (Adesuwa Oyenokwe - TV presenter ) 2.Chivita ( Jide Kosoko- Nollywood actor) 3.Chi Exotic (Sunny Neji - Artiste) 4.Peak Milk ( kanu Nwankwo- International footballer) 5.Hollandia Milk( Ali Baba- comedian, Julius Agwu- comedian, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde- Nollywood actress, Bukky wright- Nollywood / TV actress) 6.Lux (Genevive Nnaji- Nollywood actress) 7.Amstel Malta (Dakore Egbuson- Nollywood actress) 8.Onga (Kate Henshaw- Nuttal- Nollywood /TV actress) 9.Robb( Julius Agahuwa- International Footballer) 10.Harpic ( Nkem Owoh- Nollywood actor, Bukky Wright- Nollywood/TV actress, Joke Silva- Nollywood / TV actress ) 11.La Casera (Ikponwonsa Osakhiodua- Radio presenter) 12.Power Fist (D'Banj- Artiste) 13.Ok Sweets ( Osita Iheme, Chinedu Ikedieze, both Nollywood actors) 14.Mimi Noodles ( Bukky Ajayi - Nollywood/TV actress) 15.Guinness (Tu Face Idibia- Artiste) 16.Zain (Bryan Okwara- Mr Nigeria) 17.Yoyo Bitters ( Jide Kosoko- Nollywood actor) 18.Damatol (Desmond Elliot- Nollywood actor) 19.Lagos Local government around the payment of Tax ( Kate Henshaw- Nuttal, Bimbo Akintola, Funke Akindele, (all Nollywood/TV actresses, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeem Christian Church of God) 20.Malta Guinness (Basket Mouth- comedian) 21.Etisalat ( Banky W- Artiste) 22.Glo (RMD, Joseph Yobo, John Utaka, D'Banj, Ego, Madam Kofo, Sunny Neji, Funke Akindele, Basket Mouth, Ramsey Nouah jnr , Monalisa Chinda- Richards, Ini Edo and more

It is a fact that some customers mindful of the mouth watering take home pay tucked safely within the kitty with the celebrities, are certainly not moved by the adverts believing more sometimes absolutely nothing the celebrities do not use those products at all, opting rather to work with products from rival companies or those made by companies abroad which are not established here. Whatever the hype made currently with regards to their presence from the adverts, getting them endorse the merchandise will not automatically bestow a "snail proof seal" on the sale with the products. For one, it's germane the celebrity used must ideally fit the manufacturer that is being projected, other wise called the "product match". Therefore factors like appearance, charisma, credibility, acceptability, attraction sparks relating to the celebrity and also the target consumers, are fundamental and can't be waived aside, to be able to generate not merely the customers fascination with the merchandise and also to consider practical stages in purchasing it.

As an example the use of Nkem Owoh (male) within the Harpic advert was obviously a mismatch. Like a norm in Nigeria, guys do not clean toilets in your own home, as it is often thought to be part of the domestic duties of your woman. Therefore, the audience to promote any toilet cleaning items are "women". The application of the celebrity was hinged on outstanding success recorded as a Nollywood star, hence they felt his popularity would effectively promote the emblem and tremendously boost sales. They must have remarked that using him was a wrong move as women considered it as being merely a advertorial propaganda to make them purchase the product. His stepping aside brought about board the remarkable Bukky Wright, though following her predecessor's formulaic advert. Women easily heated up to her, as well as the stereotyped message became realistic, casting out earlier doubts as to the product's effectiveness which have lingered on of their minds before the celebrity swap. Joke Silva in addition has taken over the manufacturer promotion reins from he,r regrettably with the monotonous advert. Imagine employing a man for any diapers advert, a treadmill geared towards promoting an array of baby or cosmetics! Regardless of how attractive the man is, it doesn't matter how humorous the advert happens to be, at the best it might result in a well packaged splitting seconds side show applauded by the women folk.

The impact Akin ( Chinedu Ikedezie) and Pawpaw (Osita Iheme) stated in promoting "OK Sweets" would not have been the identical if the "adult looking" celebrity had a trial at it. Children regard the duo as "Children stars" to who they can relate with, though naive about their real ages, or their wherewithal to comprehend they are "little men" with child like facial and physical features who have lighted the lives of Hollywood fans. Children have gladly embraced the items prompting their parents to acquire the treasured sweets.

"Etisalat", a Telecoms company that made its debut to the highly competitive Nigerian Telecoms market in 2008 was confronted with view of enduring the 3 major players "MTN", " ZAIN" and "GLO", though not under rating the presence of individuals that could give them a run for money such as Starcomms, Multi Links, Visa Phone, Reltel , Intercellular. They'd hitherto resorted to marketing aggressively, with some other adverts spearheaded by unpopular faces promoting their brand using the electronic and print media. A rest has been termed to get been achieved when "Banky W", the sensational R n B artiste with all the hit track "Ebutte- Metta" which made waves from the music front was adopted to promote the brand. His smooth velvety voice along with the closing lyrics "080,0809ja for life" did the trick. Nigerians took an excellent liking on the song along with different quarters, adults and kids were heard reeling the "0809ja for life song", soaring the Etisalat brand to improve heights.

Celebrities can be used to introduce a brand new brand, break the cycle of sales stagnancy that have hitherto held the item bound, and dispel nose diving sales rumors being peddled by rivals. The application of celebrities sometimes includes a devastating impact on sales the place that the celebrity endorses one brand name and sometimes appears with all the competitor's, or suffers a serious challenge in his/her profession. Whether or not the sole purpose of using Nigerian celebrities in adverts to advertise the firms brands, having a view to having this prior set projected sales profit and even surpassing same has been attained, lies coded for the mysterious sales card that this companies have held securely of their hands abiding doggedly with the principle of "for our eyes only".

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