First Bank, KIA TVC

-Brand Plagiarism or Sheer Coincidence?

What litters our television screens in form of advert are so similar that makes one wonder what has happened to creativity. Creativity comes from the spark of an idea: but what causes the spark? The concept to creativity often begins with a lead that is either concrete or abstract, just like any good piece of art which is usually inspired by a strong connection that holds the creator to his work. There are no limits to where a lead might come from sometimes they resonate from the commonest of imaginations. However there are limits to which one can imitate a lead. It is believed that after the individual get the lead he then infers is own step from there.   

A recent observation shows how brands are adopting concept of other brands to project theirs. The recent act of plagiarism is displayed in full flare between KIA motors and First Bank Plc, where both ran a TVC with sharp similarity in concept, whereas that of KIA motors was more characters acting their roles without saying anything under the background tone that of First Bank had it character a man who voiced out his words telling how he like his different activities and his bank.

The First bank ad had lines like ‘I like what I do’, ‘I like going on holiday with my family’, I love football, I like my car, I like my bank and so on while that of the KIA though voiceless has boldly written captions like ‘I like it, I like fun’, I like caring, I like uniqueness, I like my car’. These line make one wonder, is this plagiarism or sheer coincidence of idea? 

The First Bank TVC titled “My Bank and I” is currently running on our national television depicting a man who likes, gadgets, football and even family amongst other things, ending with a statement “I like my bank”. With a cursory look at both TVC one will understand immediately the similarity.

The KIA motor TVC also running on CNN titled “KIA Open Drive” has got the grand slam champion and former world No1. Rafael Nadal who feature as part of the character in the TVC had the slam where he stepped on the KIA car to get a good lift to smash the ball.

After examining both TVCs, Martins Ogumah, a marketing communications expert, pointed out that the elements employed in the Kia TVC, had a connection with Kia as a brand. He said the concept used in the Kia TVC, depicted innovation, creativity, uniqueness and durability which can be attributable to cars.

On the other hand, Mr. Ogumah believes that the First Bank TVC, lacked connection with respect to the fact that the TVC seems disjointed in trying to link the elements of the TVC with the bank itself. He also cited an example in the First Bank TVC where the actor, said he loves football. Mr. Ogumah, questioned the relevance or link between loving football and First Bank.

He concluded by stating that although both TVCs have similar themes, it was obvious that the creative use of the “I like” theme for the Kia TVC, connected well with what was advertised. While for First Bank the elements used seems disjointed in the depiction of First Bank as a brand. He opined that the First Bank TVC may have been inspired by Kia’s.

Another brand analyst, Patrick Makau a Kenyan national Abuja Nigeria his of the opinion that since the KIA TVC is aired only on international TV it’s nothing related to plagiarism.

‘The KIA TVC is for international audience for a particular international event, which means it’s for peculiar target audience, they can be excused. While that of First Bank is for the African market especially Nigeria and not on international TV like CNN we can say they have a message to pass to their consumers. A brand’s identity is an important representation of the company’s image and reputation. It’s far more than a logo and needs to be carefully considered and crafted around a distinctive and authentic idea. Choosing a strategic brand design partner is essential to uncover your brand’s DNA and then bring it to life in a unique and compelling way to truly connect with your audiences, build loyalty and help your business survive and grow. Protecting this intellectual property legally is equally as important. So if it’s a matter of plagiarism this two international brand will not take it lightly with whoever is the culprit.’

Another person who preferred anonymity said it’s a common phenomenon to see brands imitating or copying another in this part of the world. He cited an example of another brand he feels are in the same shoe with KIA and Firsbank.

‘I was struck by the similarity of the Silverwater Resort brand to that of Emaar Properties. But the similarity of the brand identity made me feel like the whole experience was not authentic.

The Silverwater and Emaar brand marks are very similar in graphic style and elements used. So much so, that without putting the logos side by side, the Silverwater logo seems like the Emaar logo in another colour. I even queried whether they were owned by Emaar, which would have made sense – apparently not!

Of course, there are several possible scenarios. One of the logos could be an imitation of the other, it may have been inspired by an already present design style or it could be just by chance that the designs look similar. Unfortunately, with brand identity design, there is a thin line between plagiarism, inspiration and coincidence.

The meat of the story however borders on the issue of plagiarism where one copied the other. It leaves one guessing who then copied and who then generated the original concept of the TVC? To clarify on the issue of similarity both party were reached to speak on their own side of the story was rather distasteful. As at the time of filling this report the agencies that handle advertising activities were exonerating themselves from the ad as having not to do with it.

In a visit to First Bank to hear their own side of the story was met with a cold respond as the Personal Assistant to the Head of Marketing Communication told our source who came to hear their own side said “the head of marketing communications and the deputy are out of the office for a function and no other person is allowed to speak on this issue” she gave our source a phone number with an extension code that never went through to call back.

Similarly a visit to Dana Head office, management of KIA motors a few blocks away from the First Bank was some worth similar are the receptionist told our reporter that all the mangers were out of the office and the head of communication was on leave out of the country.

Both the First Bank My Bank and I, and Kia Open Drive TVCs. Our concern, is whether the similarity in both TVCs, is as a result of different sparks that led to similar results? Or is it a case of blatant plagiarism?

Sex Appeal in Ads and Consumer Behaviour

-Biodun Obisesan

Fascinating images of drop-dead gorgeous models in scantily claded clothes are ubiquitous in T.V commercials, billboards, brand logos, pamphlets; all in a bid to seduce the average consumer to buy a product. In short, sex in advertizing is not just in T.V commercials magazine, retail shops and on the internet, but also on the side of the bus you board to work, the wall of the sidewalk, the aisles of your local newspaper and even in the airspace above your head.

This phenomenon is steeped in the long held traditional belief, at least, in the mind of the brand connoisseurs, that sexually suggestive adverts have the propensity of increasing sales in a highly structured and competitive marketplace like ours. It might also tickle your interest to know that it is not just clothing and perfume companies that use the overt suggestion of sex to peddle their respective products. Ever caught the sight of emotion-ridden inscription on Tee-shits with lines such as: Take me home tonight? Your body is calling me? A sex goddess is born? Touch my body? Pump it like is hot? I am available for you; the list goes on and on. The intention is to use witty but salacious lead-ons to captivate the interest, of prospective consumer.

But, does sex appeal ads necessarily sell? Or, to what extent can you confidently say that half-nude models, sexually appealing packages or over-hyped products actually succeed in cajoling us to buy certain products? It is true that the human attention span is undeniably vulnerable to subliminal messages, codes, sexual images because it satisfies our wishful thinking, dreams and fantasies.

On a visit, recently to a chain store in Lekki, I saw, in dreamy eyes, male and female mannequins (what you might call dummies) on display. The female mannequin left me drooling with its protruded and unnatural breast on a gown while the male had a well-built Spartacus- like body on a shirt. These trends abound in the marketplace where adverts are woven with compelling brand identities in order to make appreciable sales. Little wonder, top Nigerian celebrities are paid mouth-watering sums to represent the brand image  of perfumes, costumes, alcohol, phones, to mention but a few. The purpose of this is to fulfill the fantasy and boost the ego of customers who see the product as a means to connect to their ‘idol’.

In a 2007 experiment, Ellie Parker and Adrian Furnham of University college town set out to study how well we recall sexually suggestive commercials. They divided sixty young adults into two groups. The first group watched a bizarre film laced with sexual violence while the second viewed a family comedy (soap opera) decidedly un-erotic. Then during the break, the first group watched a series of sexually suggestive adverts for shampoo and beer, while the second group viewed adverts devoid of sexual contents. The question once the session was over: what do you remember? Turns out, the second group had better recall of the advert than the first group who could not remember the advert. Bottom line: Overt sexual advert or commercials are eclipsed by the sexual content itself. This takes the shine off the essence of the product being advertised

 Today, the supposedly rascally but productive advertising model of deploying sexual innuendoes is dubbed the vampire effect, referring to the fact that the erotic content was diverting attention from what the advert is actually selling to the consumer. Another twist in using sexually appealing advert to get across to consumer is the controversy it creates. X-rated books, music, pictures, movies, depicting pornography all have a way of arresting the attention of even the least of us. In the same way banned books have become the must-read phenomena of the year, viewers will not mind paying huge sums just to be privy to a banned sexual commercial. Controversy is a more potent factor for the astronomic sales experienced from a product advert laced with sexual connotations. Of course, sex which is innately hardwired for our survival as species is powerful. But in many cases, it is the attention that can be more effective than the suggestive content itself.

The outcry and rage witnessed in public places on the issue of ladies wearing skimpy, exotic, seductive, crazy and sexy clothes have not eradicated this trend; instead its notoriety and controversy have been enough motivation for others who have joined the fray in order to curry public attention too. Hence, when it comes to what truly influences our behavior and gets us to buy a product, controversy is often a major reason. Naturally, these provocative ads spark public outrage; however, the implicit content of the embattled advert gives it an alibi and the needed commercial push to sell even higher.

In 1995, Calvin Klein released a series of provocative T.V. commercials whose steady camera work, low lighting, grainy resolution and setting appeared to capture a mild porn video. Upon its release, the American public was incensed. This prompted the US video censuring board to scrutinize the content of the controversial advert. Kalvin denied all the accusation of pornography, claiming they merely depicted glamour. In the end, Kalvin pulled the ads but the controversy created news- and more free publicity.

 Finally, it could be declared as a fact that a brand’s potency is in direct proportion to the number of consumer its product can connect to. Consumers are far likely to identify with a brand image who looks more like them. This is where target audience comes in. They often respond more favorably to “real people” or “ordinary” people in print and T.V commercials. Therefore, ads, or product packages featuring supermodels and superficially attractive celebrities are less effective compared to those featuring “real” people. The average consumer out there needs to be assured that the product is within their financial capacity. Now, imagine an A-rated celebrity like Genevieve Nnaji on the ads of a perfume, cruzing on a yatch in the Bahamas. Does it ever seem that the average Nigerian lady would want to buy? Over-hyped products more often than not do not necessarily result in huge sale. The flamboyant and exaggerated content often betrays the brand promise of the product in question.

Brand Identity & Relationship Management:

The Rite Foods Saga

What makes a brand lies really in what the brand reflects into the prospective consumers’ eyes and minds.  This, in summary is called brand identity.  Research has revealed that what shapes brand identity goes beyond marketing. Having a brand identity that resonates positively within the market the brand operates is very important; however this should not be pursued at the expense of the various publics of the brand or company either as employee or distributor.  Brand Scholars have identified two key factors that mould brand identity; they include Visibility and Credibility.

Visibility in the sense that, most prospective consumers look for highly visible, well-defined brands and businesses to identify with, so the "look and feel" of a brand identity plays a major role in their decision making process. And credibility in terms of establishing and reinforcing specific positive characters, using strong messages in a professionally developed system to project a personality that will keep the brand steps ahead of competition.  A good brand identity creates brand loyalists and ambassadors who will ultimately determine the success or failure of the brand.

With this two key factors that determines brand identity, what brand identity is Rite Food Limited, makers of Rite sausage roll trying to project in a world where consumers have become conscious of brands that do not live up to high moral standards required by corporate citizens. One of its key distributor was handed over to the police and he was reported to have died in police custody after an arrest initiated by the company itself.  

The story making the rounds in the media  has it that Mr. Ademola Adedeji, a distributor with Rite Foods was arrested over an alleged debt of about N20 million. It was gathered that Mr Adedeji, owner of Ademola Stores who distribute Rite Foods products in places like Lagos, Ogun, Ghana and Benin republic was awarded the best distributor of the company in 2010 when he made sales of over N250million. But few months later, the celebrated hero turned villain. It was reported that Mr. Adedeji went to the company to purchase goods worth N400, 000 only to be called by the General Manager of the company that he owed some millions and was arrested immediately. Mr. Adedeji did not come out alive from this detention. All efforts to get Rite foods to comment on this incident proved abortive.

The management of the company took up paid advertorial in the newspapers to explain their position stating that the late distributor issued a dud cheque to the company and they had to involve the police since the issuance of dud cheque is a criminal offence. The company thus washed its hands off what happened after that.

But the questions that will dominate the minds of the other distributors, consumers of the product and brand conscious members of the public who are aware of the development include; how would Rite Food want to be identified in this whole picture?

The wife of the deceased was said to have reacted aggressively claiming that the company is responsible for the death of her husband. According to her “My husband was an honest man who had won an award in 2010 for making huge profit for Rite Foods ltd.

‘My husband drove to work that day and was very strong, no history of illness is linked him, and he was just 39year old. Whatever the case, why will this company arrest and kill my husband, who made over N250millon sales for them just because he was accused of owning less than N2millon which they cannot be verify?’ she lamented.

 Most consumers are livid over this development. Bayowa, a staff of Alumaco, a company based in Ikeja and regular consumer of sausage rolls says, “every evening, on my way from work I insist on either gala or super bite. I can’t spend my hard earned cash on a product whose owners are not people-friendly”

Another consumer who simply gives his name as Kayode,  is of the opinion that the makers of both Biggi and Rite sausage rolls have not done anything good with the treatment melted on their distributor, Mr.Adedeji who lost his live over a dud cheque.

“I love their product but I was sad when I read about that issue in the newspaper. It’s inhuman on that company’s part. I think there are betters ways they could have handle the issue without it leading to the man;s death.’ He said.  

According to a major distributor of Rites Food Ltd located in the heart of Ojota, who spoke to our reporter on the grounds of anonymity, “before now we do collect goods and pay with our cheques, since the last two weeks, Rites Foods Ltd gave a new law that we can only pay cash directly to the company’s account and present the teller to a cashier in the office before goods can be released to us.

“This new development may not be unconnected with the recent event with Mr Ademola Adedeji owner of Ademola Stores.”

Another distributor, Hakeem Onifade in Ota, Ogun state said he ceased to be a distributor of that brand when it became obvious the management of the company does not care about them.

‘I don’t know Mr. Adedeji but I heard of the incident. If someone who made such huge amount for the company could be treated that way, what hope do people like us who have not made up to 20 percent of that amount have? Am not going to step into that place again, at least there are better brands of sausage rolls that people patronize, so why should I risk my life with Rite foods when we all know  that credit facilities cannot be ignored in our society?’ he quipped. 

Some brand analysts have commented on the possible negative impact such an incident can have on any brand. Mr. James Agama, a brand strategist said, “We are probably faced with an organization that has very little regard for the media and possibly believe that branding and marketing only means good product packaging, publicity and an aggressive sales force. It is apparent that they never had a PR plan because after the story broke in one newspaper, there was no plan in place to manage follow-up stories.

Explaining further on the impact this type of development can have on the image of the brand, Agama stressed that it will result in negative brand associations especially amongst stakeholders like distributors, consumers and workforce. Agama further x-rayed “The Company may not attract very good talent for example. This will most likely affect people’s perception of the company”.

On what the brand should have done before things got this messy Agama suggested, “They should have put a good PR plan in place to address the issues. They should have come up with their own side of the story and possibly engage the family of the deceased to sort out things. Silence or playing the Ostrich will not help the brand in any way. They need to make a statement but they would need to be careful, concise but never confrontational.

“At this point, the best response will be to engage all stakeholders in discussion as well as cleverly using social media to relate their side of the story;” he concluded.

Another brand commentator, Michael Otons from Orange brand Academy, feels that what should be uppermost in the mind of a brand handler or owner is what and how he wants the consumer to perceive his product or brand. In his words, “no brand conscious company will sit and hope that any crisis will go away. The image of a brand could be bad, sometimes caused indirectly by the things the brand associates with. I doubt if the company directly caused the death of this man, but since the brand is linked in a way, the company should have made strategic efforts to bridge the gap between the bad brand image and the desired brand identity.  Besides, distributors are like life blood to companies. Hardly will a company survive without them. Why should a company arrest the distributor they once celebrated? Do they have a brand manager at all? They are playing games with their survival.”

Don Jazzy, D’banj Part Ways
**As Don Jazzy Moves Out of the Lekki Mansion

The duo of Mo’hits pair D’Banj and Don Jazzy are on the edge of calling off their long-time relationship due to some irreconcilable differences.

It was gathered that things went quickly downhill last year following the deal signed with Kanye West’s record label G.O.O.D music. An investigation revealed that the terms of the agreement are far more in favour of Don Jazzy, who was signed as an in-house producer, a realization which didn’t go down well with D’Banj.

An impeccable source in the Mo’hit camp revealed that Don Jazzy’s is the only artiste signed to the label (G.O.O.D Music) and has already produced a track on the new joint album by Kanye West and Jay-Z (Watch the Throne), while D’Banj is just waiting around for his turn, and that is after Don Jazzy finally finds his feet with the US based record label.

The cracks in their relationship nearly became obvious early this year when D’Banj came under fire from Nigerians for his perceived nonchalance to the fuel subsidy removal and Occupy Nigeria protests. In his recent interview with Sahara TV, the artist dismissed the criticism, saying that he was busy shooting the video of “Oliver Twist” at the time the protests broke out and didn’t even know such thing was happening back home.

In contrast, Don Jazzy quickly identified with the masses by stating his displeasure with the Goodluck Jonathan administration on his twitter account saying; he blames himself for voting or supporting the Jonathan candidacy.

However, we gathered that Don Jazzy has since moved out of the mansion they once shared in Lekki Phase 1 and he’s currently squatting with Dr Sid, the same estate that Wande Coal lives on Victoria Island.

We learnt that D’banj’s new lifestyle has become unmanageable for Don Jazzy while D’banj on his own side sees Don Jazzy abandoning him to hone the careers of other members of the crew such as D’Prince, Dr Sid and Wande Coal whom he considers as “backup singers.” D’banj has reportedly made several uncomplimentary comments about Don Jazzy who he accused of going around in “pyjamas and t-shirts.”

Another source revealed to us that D’banj has also accused Don Jazzy of delaying his album release by giving “excuse after excuse”. The award winning artiste wants his album released before any member of the crew at the first quarter of this year but thinks the prolific producer is not showing any seriousness about it.

 Our source further told us that hopes of reconciliation have been dashed as the duos can no longer work together.

“Things are so bad now that there are many shows that D’Banj does where he fails to remit any money to Mo’hits,” the   source said. “He accuses Don Jazzy of being too laid back and not attending meetings and negotiations but still feels entitled to collect fifty percent”, he continues, “D’Banj and his brother, K-Switch are the new landlords at the Lekki Mansion now”, he stated.

However, our source confirmed that its very sure that D’banj will soon launch his own record label which will have himself and his brother, K-Switch on it, while Wande Coal may finally leave Mo’hit amidst the controversy because he is always seen as threat by D’banj.  

The source also added that Sunday Aare, who has been their manager for over seven years now works for Don Jazzy only.

Meanwhile, those in the known gathered that some mutual friends of D’banj and Don Jazzy have started the process of settling the disagreement between them, but our source insists that they have both decided to go their separate ways and will soon be announced to the public.