Whenever I tell people that I am a pure Ngwa breed from Abia state, the next response is, “Is that not the tribe that eats human beings?
I have been privileged to travel to various parts of Nigeria. I have met with people of various tribes and cultures. There is a way Nigerians perceive people of different tribes.
Sometimes, we like them even before they talk. Sometimes, we hate them, even before we meet them. This is why some parents have vowed that their children will never marry from certain tribes.
In Nigeria, we believe that Ijebu people are stingy. Ondo people are full of agídí. Ijesha sabi curse well. No tribe has sugarcoated mouths like Ibadan. Ìbàdàn tí ò jálè, ojú lóró.
Hausa okada riders are the most reckless. Oshogbo is the home of herbs. Calabar women are good in bed. Kogi is the headquarters of juju and charms. Ekiti people too sabi book.
Ile-Ife people are very lazy and extortive. At 9 am, most businesses in Ile-Ife are yet to open. Before Lagosians started selling a sachet of pure water for ₦20, Ile-Ife took the front seat.
In most Nollywood movies, there is usually a poor guy struggling in the village. His uncle, who stays in Lagos, visits the village during Christmas.
In one of the visitations, this uncle decides to take him along to Lagos. After some months, this poor guy becomes tush and very rich. We see these scenes often in most Nollywood movies.
Permit me to say that Nollywood is one of the reasons Lagos is highly populated. The perception they have created for most Nigerians is that once you get to Lagos, your own don better, and you will become rich after some months. Is that not how Lagos has been branded?
Whether or not you intend it to happen, people form their perspectives about you and your business. This is why you need to shape and control how you brand your business.
People buy your brand before your product. This is why a fairly used iPhone is more expensive than a new TECNO phone. Branding affects your price and sales. Sales affect your revenue.
Branding is the reason why people that are not as good as you are or businesses that do not offer quality products or services like you do, make more sales than you do.
Branding is beyond logo, colours, hashtags and fonts. Branding is more about PERCEPTION. There is no successful business without a strong brand. As you grow your business, build your brand too. Build a strong perception of your business.
A friend of mine was hired by one African restaurant to design flyers, logos and all of that. The young man who owned the restaurant thought he needed these elements to drive more sales.
Of course, his decision was right. Notwithstanding, despite all the money that went into improving the brand and advertising, he made no significant sales. My friend was worried as well. So, he consulted me.
We continued struggling and encouraging ourselves until we discovered that he had an underlying problem that was sabotaging all of our efforts. Most of those who visited the restaurant often complained about the quality of food they sold.
We did not notice this until one celebrity visited the restaurant. She complained about their fried rice and shawarma. She even took pictures of these stale foods and posted them on her social media pages. We were lucky enough to view one of her posts.
Here the problem lay. While we were displaying beautiful pictures, glamorous fliers and adverts, the perception of people towards the restaurant was directly opposite. The brand visual identity did not commensurate with the brand perception.
Can you answer these riddles?
- I am a network provider in Nigeria, my customers often have free excess internet data, but there is usually no strong internet network to use it. What am I?
- I am a Nigerian artisan; I am mostly known for disappointing my customers, especially during festive periods. What am I?
- I am an olive cooking oil, but Africans have turned me into a prayer oil. What am I?
Sometimes, the location of your business may be creating a wrong perception of your business. Sometimes, the name, colour, or logo of your business may be creating a wrong perception of your business.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant