Ikemba Speaks

The 7 Qualities of the Big Idea

Would you rather see the video instead? Click here. Happy New Year Everybody! It is that time of the year again when everybody….or at least, most people, feverishly set goals for the year. Most of the goals tend to have wealth creation, habit change, physical fitness, and advancement of relationship status, in common, and among the top 3 goals. It is not uncommon to hear people say things like: “This year, I want to make more money” or “ This year, I want to transit from being an employee, to becoming an employer of labour” or “this year, I want to stop drinking and lose weight” or even “this year, I must marry”. However, when you look at the New Year goals of most people, top on their list is the desire to create more wealth. This is not surprising, and is even understandable, as most of the other goals, if not all, can be facilitated, or achieved better or faster, when there is more money. To get wealthy however, is not achiev...

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.