If you can see beyond your hatred, reservations, negative predictions and biases, you will understand that Portable means business. In today’s world, there is an audience for every content.
Portable has his audience. He is not just popular. This nigga is influential. He is so active on social media showing up daily, shamelessly and loudly.
Dropping videos back-to-back, despite the criticism. He purely represents the street. He speaks the language of the street. Portable is a marketing force for the street.
Influencing a product is more than signing papers, wearing branded T-shirts and taking pictures. When it comes to marketing your product, influencers are very powerful.
This is because people know them, people like them and people trust them. However, not every celebrity is the perfect influencer for your product. Being popular is not the same as being influential.
Every celebrity is popular, but not every celebrity is influential. Being popular means they know you. Being influential means they listen to you.
Nnamdi Kanu gave a sit-at-home order in the South-Eastern Nigerian, even sitting governors could not stop it.
Odogwu Bitters is a street product for a street influencer. That drink is mostly for the hood. Portable represents the drink. I don’t think any influencer will market this new product better than Portable.
Do you think Portable would be the right influencer for a tech product or a real estate company? Any food or transport company that approach Portable may be wasting their funds.
In less than 48 hours of signing the brand ambassadorship deal with Odogwu Bitters, Portable has posted this product more often than any celebrity would do. He even released a song for Odogwu Bitters.
Portable puts his energy into everything he does. He took samples of Odogwu Bitters to his street boys.
He pulled a large crowd. Odogwu Bitters is currently the most sought-after spirit drink in Sango-Ota where Portable comes from. I was at the supermarket at Akure and people were already rushing Odogwu Bitters in cartons. So fast?
Obi Cubana made a right choice with Portable. He may not be the best in character or decorum, but he will sell Odogwu Bitters as if his life depends on it. ₦50 million for a hustling rising star no be beans.
Besides, this is Portable’s first major deal. In business, result and value rules out ethnicity and morals. Business does not answer to emotions; it answers to results. Portable is the right person for the job.
Obi Cubana is influential in the East. He needs a street influencer to penetrate and capture the South-Western market. Plastic bottled-spirit drink is more popular in the South-West, while dry gin and beer bottle rule in the South East.
Obi Cubana using Portable to expand his product to the Yorubas is a wise business decision and a perfect calculation. The goal of hiring an influencer is to sell your product.
As long as Portable is marketing this product excellently, he is a worthy investment. Every negative opinion is noisemaking.
Who would you hire as an influencer to market a weight loss product – Eniola Badmus or Sabinus? For a male fashion product – Ebuka or Brodashaggi? For an anti-aging cream – Kaffy or Taaooma? For a musical product – Naijabrandchick or Laycon?
Before you choose an influencer for your product, there must be synergy between the brand/product, your audience and the influencer. This is the biggest mistake most African businesses make.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant