Ikemba Speaks

  The first time i heard this expression about a decade ago, i marveled at the sheer ingenuity of the mind that conceived it. As antithetical as it sounded, my young mind did not fail to grasp the meaning , as i was quick to compare and connect it with an earlier encountered similar business phrase: think big, start small! The art of thinking local and acting global couldn’t be more needed in any field than brand advertising, particularly in our clime here! In the bid to create world class advertising, get a shot at Cannes and other similar awards, and mirror our colleagues in the western world, we fail to see that what truly attracts us to their advertising is the originality of their stories. A quick look at the largest selling brand of cigarettes in the world, Marlboro, shows the impact of local thinking , and global execution. The perception of the Marlboro brand is that it is proudly Texan! “When Texans roll, they roll big” is a cliche we have gotten used to ...

The new advertising/branding word in vogue now is "cool". Every brand wants to be seen as cool! And the definition of cool in this case, is usually, "an A list nollywood actor/actress" , "an A list music artiste...preferably male, between 18 and 30....already made...an aspirational figure and a role model for the hordes of Nigerian youths whose mantra in life is INSTANT GRATIFICATION..." Nobody looks at the real influencers anymore! Who are these influencers? They are the household names that your 6 year old son knows by face and by voice, the household names that the provision store woman down the road smiles and pauses for, temporarily diverting her attention from you for, when he/she comes on the TV screen placed at the corner of the shop....the household name that you jocularly call every okada rider, suya seller and mai gad that you have a soft spot for! Mind you, these household names are more likely that not, average or str...