Articles

Jan Koum picked a meaningful spot to sign the $19 billion deal to sell his company WhatsApp to Facebook earlier today. Koum, cofounder Brian Acton and venture capitalist Jim Goetz of Sequoia drove a few blocks from WhatsApp’s discreet headquarters in Mountain View to a disused white building across the  railroad tracks, the former North County Social Services office where …

Acton, who said ‘looking forward to life’s next adventure’ after rejection, and partner Jan Koum now celebrating $19bn deal It turned out to be an expensive mistake for Mark Zuckerberg. A $19bn (£14bn) one to be precise. In the summer of 2009 Facebook turned down WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton for a job. Like any other dejected interviewee, he used Twitter …

By Ayodeji Ayopo A brand should have some basic attributes that will make it stand out in the market place. The brand needs to be properly defined for the consumers to know what its stands for and what makes it different from the others. It is only a brand that has a significant edge that will stand out in the …

by ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI   As advertising spending of companies continue to dwindle, advertisers resort to reality shows to engage consumers with their brands, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI. Going by recent reports from both local and global ad rating agencies, Mediafacts published by MediaReach OMD Nigeria and Nielsen, a global research firm, advertising budget has continued to take a dip year-on-year. The …

by Ayodeji Ayopo Word of mouth is a potent marketing tool that can be used to engage consumers. It has been proven and tested over the years as one that can either make or mar a brand. It is true indeed that consumers value opinions expressed directly by them. This reflects in the way they utilize the messages transmitted by …

Is the Grass Greener on the Glo Side? Mobile Number Porting from network to network and how the telecoms companies are dealing with it, has been big news in the media lately, since the services became available in April 2013. All the telecommunication giants have been throwing everything they have at securing their share of potential new subscribers and for …

Steve Babaeko leads a team of young creative talents as CEO/Chief Creative Officer, X3M Ideas. With the incursion of foreign agencies, Babaeko who has 17 years hands-on experience and nine months in the saddle as CEO, advises that local agencies must deploy insights from local culture and nuances as comparative advantage over foreign agencies in this interview with ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI …

As the dark beer market gets more competitive, efforts by Nigerian Breweries to leverage on the Gold Quality Award conferred on its Legend Extra Stout at the 51st Monde in Athens, Greece, as strategic marketing advantage is yet to translate to improved sales to make the brand the first choice dark beer. ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI takes an inside look at the …

By Gbenga Salau BRANDS from Nigeria are already making inroads into other African countries. But the consensus among many Nigerians is that consumers who make these brands successful in Nigeria are not respected enough, with their rights willfully violated, despite a number of government agencies charged with the responsibility of protecting consumers’ interest and rights. In other to truly make …

The Yuletide season provided a vantage platform for brands to reward consumer loyalty through series of sales promotion. What surprises one the most is that banks adopted several platforms to outdo one another in the reward scheme. The promotional activities are aimed at sustaining the established bond with the consumers. I guess banks leveraged on the economic situation to connect …