Ikemba Speaks

The reason why for-profit brands set up shop is fundamentally to get their identified prospective costumer to buy (products or/and services) from them. From the outset, brands set out to get their customers to buy from them. The focus of all activities from product/service design and package, distribution channel (s), pricing and positioning is essentially aimed at getting the customer to buy from them. While there is nothing wrong with working towards getting customers to buy from you, it is rather a case of putting the cart before the horse. This is because, before any customer would even get to the point where he/she considers and decides to buy from you, he/she needs to first buy into you. Expecting a customer to buy from you when he/she is yet to buy into you, is like expecting a girl to accept to marry you when she has not dated you, gone out with you, nor being on dates with you. The act of a consumer buying from you, is akin to someone investing in a busines...

Today is world hepatitis day. As the world marks today, it is important that we understand what hepatitis really is, how it affects our lives, the facts and figures about it, and how we can protect ourselves from it, so we can live longer and more fulfilling lives. WHAT IS HEPATITIS: Viral hepatitis  is liver inflammation brought about by a virus. It may present in acute (recent infection, relatively rapid onset) or chronic forms. The most common causes of viral hepatitis are the five unrelated hepatotropic viruses hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E. While the most common types Hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination, or treated when they occur, effective treatments for hepatitis C are available but expensive. FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT HEPATITIS In 2013 about 1.5 million people died from viral hepatitis. Most deaths are due to hepatitis B and hepatitis C. East Asia is the re...

The need to have a personal brand cannot be overemphasized, particularly in an increasingly competitive environment where the economic law of scarce resources and endless needs and wants can’t be truer. The population of the world daily experiences geometric growth, while the resources needed to meet the needs of the population is actually reducing by the day. Personal branding therefore is no longer negotiable or a luxury. It is a NEED. Survival of the fittest can as well start reading….”survival of the best branded”. While personal branding may sound like the exclusive reserve of the highly intellectual or exposed or rich, it actually is something anybody, irrespective of background, education or culture can practice. An understanding and aggressive implementation of the eight steps below would no doubt, put one in good stead, to build his or her personal brand. 1.       Discover yourself. One of Plato’s most profound quotes is “Man, know thysel...

Last week, I talked about The Big Idea. This week, I am looking at Branding. Personal Branding......Product Branding and everything in between. Basically, how to join a "BRAND GANG" What is a Brand? A Brand is a Promise. Branding is why you ask for Pepsi instead of Coca-Cola, why you ask for Samsung instead of iPhone, why you prefer a BMW to a Ford. Everytime, you look at a brand, there is an unspoken communication. Compare these set of convos between a soft drink and a consumer: CONVERSATION 1 Brand: Hey Dear. You know I promised to refresh you, quench your thirst, and make you look hip among your friends. Consumer: Yes you promised. Brand: And when you consumed me, did all I promise happen? Consumer: Yes they did Brand: Now, do you want some more? Consumer: Always. CONVERSATION 2 Unbranded Product: Hello Consumer:  (No Response) Unbranded Product: (Screams louder…and is pushed into the face or hand of consumer) Consumer: Who/What are you? ...

With the advancement of technology comes the replacement of existing technology. These are the losers of the smartphone boom.

What is the big idea of your life? The term “Big Idea” is perhaps one of the most used terms in the marketing communications industry – Advertising to be precise. According to Milward Brown, The Big Idea is the driving, unifying force behind a brand’s marketing efforts. Underscoring the importance of the big idea, another advertising legend, David Ogilvy says “You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas. It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.  The Big Idea is the essence of a brand’s being which ensures that the brand reaches full potential. It is that core, from which direction is derived. While originally an advertising concept, the big idea is applicable to every sphere of human activity, from business, governance, leadership, to even marriage and human relationship. Understandi...

Hello Guys. Today is Saturday, and there are bound to be many events, mostly social anyway, that many of us would be attending either as guests or speakers. Weddings, Concerts, Shows.....name it. If you are an Emcee, and a busy one at that, you probably have a gig today. No nerves......as you do it pretty often, and can hold your own easily. However, if you are a newbie, and still get the nerves and sweaty palms before you grab the microphone, Seda Erdem's tips above should help you. Cheers.

In the year 2000, Yuji Yokoya, the Chief engineer for the 2004 Sienna, was commissioned to understand the minivan market better, propose ideas for building the 2004 Sienna, execute the ideas, and generally manage the end-to-end process of producing and marketing the 2004 Sienna.  This was on the back of Toyota’s Archrival, Honda’s minivan, Odyssey, outselling Sienna nearly two to one. Hitherto this moment, Toyota had attempted to stamp their authority on the minivan market with their production of the Previa and the smaller Sienna, attempts that proved futile. As the proposed 2004 Sienna was proposed to be made for the North American audience, Yokoya drove the existing smaller Sienna and competitors’ minivans 53,000 miles through every state in the U.S., every province in Canada and every state in Mexico. His goal: to understand the problem and fix it. Extreme as his approach may have seemed, its results led to an unbeatable, industry revolutionizing product, th...

The social and economic impact of technology is widespread and accelerating. The speed and volume of information have increased exponentially. Experts are predicting that 90% of the entire population will be connected to the internet within 10 years. With the internet of things, the digital and physical worlds will soon be merged. These changes herald exciting possibilities. But they also create uncertainty. And our kids are at the centre of this dynamic change. Children are using digital technologies and media at increasingly younger ages and for longer periods of time. They spend an average of seven hours a day in front of screens – from televisions and computers, to mobile phones and various digital devices. This is more than the time children spend with their parents or in school. As such, it can have a significant impact on their health and well-being. What digital content they consume, who they meet online and how much time they spend onscreen – all these fa...