Is The Customer still King?

Is the Customer still the King?
By Yemi Olakitan
This was the question on the lips of participants at the customer behaviuor symposium held at the old parliament building at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos recently.
The Symposium, which was organized by Logica Media group, was part of efforts by the company to create a platform for brands experts’ discussion. Speaking at the event, the chairman of Logica Media Group, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye said the symposium will give brands experts an opportunity to share creative ideas and an opportunity to learn from one another.
He said the yearly events would create a new generation of brands that are committed to customer satisfaction through innovation, customer service and information.
The theme of the symposium which was: ‘The customer is King ’ served as the bedrock of the discussions. In a paper delivered at the event, Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria reiterated the importance of brand loyalty as a guarantor of profitability, market share growth and sustainable success in the market place.
Emphasizing that the customer is king, not only Nigeria but anywhere in the world, Oyeyemi said brand

loyalty cannot happen without a thorough understanding of the consumers and a deliberate decision to satisfy and exceed customers’ expectations via both care and surprise values.
Speaking further, he said it is the responsibility of the whole organization from top to bottom and not just a departmental job. Oyeyemi was of the opinion that consumer promotions do not represent loyalty schemes. He said reward schemes are not strong enough to command brand loyalty. According to him, the customer will begin to develop loyalty to the promotions, not to the brand itself and when the promotion is no longer forthcoming, the loyalty dies.
‘‘A loyalty scheme must be strategic and pivotal to the life of the brand or organization. More insight driven and relevant loyalty schemes are the answers.’’ He said. He econcouraged companies to always consult the experts when in doubt. He said the professionals will help them develop impact loyalty schemes with the potentials to deliver on the company’s objectives and promise's to the consumer.’’
In another dimension, Oyeyemi said most organisations focused on the visible and more obvious pieces of information about the customers and are oblivious of what lies beneath the surface, ‘They must probe deeper into the world of the customer to understand their motivations, needs, aspirations, and belief systems which could hold the key to the levers that could open the door to customer satisfaction and loyalty. In depth customer knowledge is critical for the enhancement of customer loyalty.’’ He said.
He pointed out that relevant and compelling value propositions are at the heart of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. An excellent delivery of the brand promise is also non-negotiable. Congruity is a critical element here. Whatever promise a brand makes must not be in dissonance with the experience it delivers to the consumer or customer. In the event of a brand promise delivery challenge, the disaster recovery system must be genuine, responsive and timely. One nasty experienced properly handled can make a customer even more loyal than a customer who never had a nasty experience.
‘’ In addition to meeting and exceeding the customers in terms of core values, every moment of truth is a critical moment. Every moment of interaction with the brand and the organization should leave a taste in the mouth of the consumer. This taste could be sweet or sour. A marketing oriented company’s job is to ensure a sweet taste is left in the mouth of the consumer at every moment of truth’’
According to Oyeyemi, Customer service must be woven into the fabric and essence of the organization and must have executive backing and leverage. The customer is king and the brand is alive or death because of him.
Another notable speaker was Mrs.Llolia S Emakpore, Director, Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Nigerian Communications Commission. Speaking at the symposium, Emakpore reiterated the importance consumer’s position in business and commercial enterprise. She said the customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is the most important visitor on our premises .He is the purpose of our business enterprise. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.
Speaking further, Emakpore said brands and organizations must work hard and develop their consumer into fans. She said they could do this by protecting the rights of the consumer in every front. She enumerated these rights as the –rights to safety, the rights to choose, the rights to be informed, and the right to be heard.
She said her organization must ensure that the consumer is satisfied in such a way that they can come back for more. She said brands must turn their consumers into fans.
‘’When they become fans, they will recommend the brand to others. We must ensure that the consumers remain the king by eliminating all dissatisfactions or frustrations experience by the consumer. Minor dissatisfaction may lead to a change to competing brand.’’
‘‘In order to ensure to build consumer loyalty, we must use motivations such as pricing incentives, advertising, brand extensions which eliminate frustrations and leads to growth.’’ She said
In ensuring that the consumer remains king in Nigeria, Emakporie said companies must ensure that the views of the consumer are heard. They must ensure that that strong mechanism for feedback is put in place so that they can improve on the quality of their product.
At the end of the symposium, participants ask relevant questions concerning the subject matter. Other dignitaries who attended the symposium included: Emeka Okpara, Head Branding Communications, Zain Nigeria, the convener, Yinka Oguntoyinbo, MD Logica Media
Logica Media Group, which hosted the event, has been in the vanguard of brand and marketing development in Nigeria. The group was the organizer of Brand Director’s conference, held in November 2009. The Conference had Professor Steve Woodgar of Oxford University, UK and Bola Akingbade, former Marketing Director of Heineken international as guest speakers. Logica Media is involved in advertising, events management, Publishing, exhibition, and all aspects of marketing communications. Logica Media is the organizer of the yearly Telecom Award in Lagos.

Why I Am Documenting JJ Rawlings, By Yemi Olakitan

Why I Am Documenting JJ Rawlings, By Mohammed
By Yemi Olakitan

THE story of Ghana and the role played by former President Jerry Rawlings in setting it on a stable political course are the focus of a new documentary that will hit the screens soon. US- based writer and musician, Mohammed Naseehu Ali, who was in Lagos for the Black Heritage Festival recently, is recording the documentary. According to him, it is necessary to record the story of Ghana as she emerged from austerity to prosperity so that African people, especially the youth, can learn from it now and in the future. Mohammed believes that filmmaking is an important tool for democratic development, hence devoting his skill and resources to the current project.

According to him, such a project will enable African people understand and appreciate Ghanaian democracy and see if her experience could be an option for a functional African democracy. Mohammed admitted, however, that Ghana is still growing and there are still many challenges to overcome. We can learn from the past, said Mohammed, adding that he believes that in telling the tales of Ghana's democracy and the role former President Rawlings played, one cannot ignore the power of film to convey messages, and help influence course of society.

Originally from Ghana, Mohammed lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and three children. He is a new generation immigrant to the United States. A graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and Bennington College, Ali has published fictions and essays in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Mississippi Review, Bomb, Gathering of the Tribes, and Essence. He is a versatile writer of short stories and novels. His book, 'The Prophet of Zongo Street,' received wide reviews and acclaim.

Speaking on his origin, Mohammed said he is from a Hausa clan in Ghana. ''Sometimes people in Ghana argue that I am a Nigerian and that there is no Hausa in Ghana while the Hausas in Nigeria say that I am a Ghanaian because the Hausa language I speak is different from theirs; that is why I have decided to be an American in order to put an end to the confusion,'' he said.

On his project, Mohammed said he would be interviewing several African leaders, especially Ghanaian leaders, who witnessed the Jerry Rawlings revolution. He said he intends to make the project all encompassing. The former President, he said, is a colossal figure in Ghanaian politics whose influence cannot be overemphasized.

''Jerry is a very important figure in Ghanaian politics. Where Ghana was in 1979 is not where it is in 2010. Within the space of 30 years, Rawlings has been in the minds of Ghanaians and they have loved and hated him. He is instrumental to the changes we have in Ghana today. As a result of what he did in Ghana, there will never be a coup there again.'' he said.

IN 1979, Rawlings, with six others, was arrested and charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and sentenced to death. While awaiting an appearance before the court, Rawlings was rescued from custody by a group of soldiers; and with the support of both the military and civilians, he ousted the corrupt Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council to power.

Rawlings signed the orders for the execution of some former military dictators and they were killed under the watch of his government. These former military rulers were Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong, Akwasi Afrifa, and Fred Akuffo. Five other generals Ÿ Joy Amedume, Yaw Boakye, Roger Felli, Kotei, and Utuka were also put to death. Rawlings ruled Ghana for a total of 19 years and contributed to the democratic and economic stability of the country. According to Mohammed, in the 70s Ghana was in a desperate situation under a corrupt leadership but Rawlings contributed to the change in the country's politics and economy.

These historical facts, said Mohammed, must be seen on film. He will also be interviewing ordinary Ghanaians aside political leaders. ''The Nollywood of today is not recording our history. Look at the Nigerian-Biafran war for example, is it on film? It is not enough to write about these events we need to put them on film. We need to tell our stories on film''

''This is my first documentary. I grew up in Ghana and I saw the revolution and I have been writing ever since. I saw the horrors of what was happening. It is a story that I want to go back to and try to understand what really happened and learn from it.''

Contends Mohammed, the two most important figures in Ghanaian history are the late Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry Rawlings. ''Jerry Rawlings is loved by many and hated by some but no one can deny his political stature in Ghanaian history. It is also important to assess the mind of those who hate him''

''The brutality that came and characterized his government made people afraid of him. The general feeling in Ghana now is that if they misbehave, Rawlings will come back. I am not a huge supporter of him but I am a realistic person and no matter what you say, he is a huge force in Ghanaian governance. There was something Rawlings did that worked in Ghana and somehow that thing is still working there till today."

MOHAMMED, who witnessed events of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival, commended the efforts of the State government under Babatunde Fashola to promote arts and culture. He said the scale of the festival impressed him immensely. He believes that the festival has great potentials to develop tourism in the state.

''I am impressed by what they tried to achieve; the multiple venues, the performing arts and the culture.

I believe that with the commitment of the Fashola government, Prof. Wole Soyinka and many others, the festival will grow. The Governor seems to have a great idea; he believes that Lagos State's development will affect Nigeria's development and that Nigeria's development will affect the entire West African sub-region''

While in Africa, Mohammed will visit the Kwara State University and the University of Ghana as a guest lecturer. He hopes to take the documentary on a tour of West African cinemas when it is completed.