Deaconess Doyin Ogunbiyi, former Managing Director, Gateway Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), was the casualty of the rift between Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, over the latter’s comment on the state of roads in Abeokuta, the state capital, last year.

Oba Gbadebo, the immediate past Chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers and Obas, was almost deposed by Daniel over his effrontery to challenge the state government over the terrible state of roads within his domain. In the melee, Ogunbiyi was relieved of her position for challenging the state Commissioner for Information Orientation who was believed to have written a powerful press statement against the traditional ruler. Although she was later appointed as a member of the Gateway Oil & Gas, Ogunbiyi later threw in the towel citing personal reasons and the suffering of her business as reasons.

Ogunbiyi speaks on these issues and her rumoured love relationship with the governor.

No regret

I have no regret for what I did that later saw me out of the GTCD. In fact, if I have the opportunity, I will do so again. What I did was in good faith. As a professional public relations practitioner, I have no regret for my action that cost me my job. PR is about reputation management. Anything that will tarnish your image is what PR manages. Absolutely, I have no regret for what happened to me. It is expected of anybody that says the truth, because truth is bitter. There are better approaches to that issue that saw me out of the tourism office. I don’t want to go into the tutorials of that now.

Why I resigned

I am a very spiritual person. I placed my decision before God and He alone has given me the go-ahead to do what I have just done. It is final. There is no going back. Before I took the decision, I went before the Lord and He gave me the go-ahead. I know I will not regret my action. There is nothing anybody can do about personal decision. This was a decision I made about five months ago, precisely in March. I had wanted to make it a birthday gift to myself. After my exit from the GTDC I re-opened my public relations office which I had shut for some time. I opened up my clientele again. PR is the life blood of any organization. Nobody can do without it. Every organization needs public relations. If after one year I unceremoniously left office, yet I am what I am today, I know deep down in me that I will not regret my action. My resignation will only give me opportunity to concentrate my resources and energy on my own business which has suffered lull for almost six years. I closed up this office to concentrate on business activities.

PR has no barriers

I can’t continue to practice with all barriers. My clientele has to cut across all boards, across parties, across social strata. It has no barriers. As a PR consultant, the publics are my constituency. There should not be any barrier, either political, religious or status. As a professional and as a PDP card-carrying member, I should not hesitate to work for other political parties who want my PR consultancy. If you are a medical doctor and a card-carrying member of the ruling PDP, and somebody is dying in ANPP, AC or any other political party, are you saying you will not attend to him? We have to relive that out of politics. We should practice politics without bias. If today in the state, I have to generate money through PR and Marketing for the state government. If I have to take money from the ANPP or AC, I will gladly do so. We should not allow politicking to affect relationship. Relationship is everlasting and politicking is transient. Everybody will come and go. If any of my siblings is in the opposition, will I not talk to him for life. If you spoil it today and you need tomorrow, how would you get it after government.

Life as an oil & gas member

Thank God, it is all over. I did my best as a member. What I received as a member of the Gateway Oil & Gas was N20,000 monthly. That’s what the appointment attracts and that’s just the truth, nothing, but the truth.

Resignation and Daniel

When reminded that her action might generate reaction from Daniel that gave her the appointment, Ogunbiyi said: “Action begets reaction. I don’t want anything to make me change my mind. Once I make up my mind on doing a thing, I go ahead to do it. I did not tell the governor before taking my decision. If I had contacted people before I took the decision, it would manipulate my soul, and I did not want that to happen. When the governor removed me, there was no prior consultation with me. He took his decision based on policy matter. I am taking my own decision based on business and career matters. There is no misunderstanding in that area at all. I don’t want us to narrow it to him as a person. It is a decision that I have taken to move my business and career forward.

Asked why she took the board appointment after her unceremonious exit from the GTDC: “I took the appointment not on my will, really. I did it on sentimental basis. I have tried for these past months and I can no longer cope with it. I took the appointment in good faith and I am also quitting in good faith. I think I should even be commended for taking the appointment at all. If I had wanted to consider the way I was booted out of my former office, I would have rejected it out rightly. It was magnanimity on the state government and magnanimity on my part too.

Daniel versus Alake

You can’t talk about my resignation without referring to what led to my removal from the GTDC. Truth exalts a nation. If you want blessing, if you want to be exalted by God, you must always tell the truth. That was exactly what I did. Anyway, there is no regret. When such an incident happened and I was confronted by the office of the Chief of Staff who told it to my face that I was not part of the system. Then, the following day, I was removed. It is just logical to link my removal. In my spirit, yesterday is gone and life goes on. I don’t bear grudges with anyone. I don’t have a place in my heart to hold offences. That’s the secret of my youthful look.

As a PR consultant, I know deep down in me that if there had been consultation, communication and research into the situation then, it would not have happened the way it did. It was a PR error. I have no regret at all. If tomorrow I still need professionally to speak in the same way, I will still speak, no matter whose ox is gored. What I did was to protect the interest of the government and it was misconstrued. As a member of the government, I had to work in the interest and progress of the government, That was exactly what I did. I was loyal to the government, in fact that was what prompted my action. That was extreme loyalty. PR is about truth. The slogan of PR is: ‘Say it as it is.’ How can I as a professional know that curing an headache with panadol will be better than only water and I refuse to administer that, just because I am afraid of the patient? I am a typical Egba woman, born and bred in Abeokuta, drank Ogun River. I say it as I see it.

Daniel my boy friend?

Insult. Where did you hear that? There is nothing like that and that’s the truth. Whatever you would have heard outside that is mere rumour. I don’t reckon with rumour. That’s their business. My conscience is clear. It is the stock in trade of our people. I don’t bother about that, since my conscience is clear. I don’t waste my energy contending with falsehood. I was a secret admirer of Daniel during his campaign in 2003. I admired his strength, industry and gut through which he traversed the length and breadth of the state. That was just that. Nothing more. In 2003, when providence brought him into power, I served in three different workgroups before my several appointments.

_{Culled from The Sun Newspaper}

Chief Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf was born over fifty years now. In 1974, he secured a Diploma in Journalism from the British School of Journalism and Television, and in 1975, he secured Certificate in Public Relations from the now Chartered British Institute of Public Relations. - Henley Management College/Brunel University between 1982 and 1983 for his Master of Business Administration [M.B.A] degree; and the University of Lagos for his M.Sc. degree in Mass Communication. Not done, Chief Yusuf, attended the then Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye, for Law programme and  graduated before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School for the mandatory Bar Certificate Course. He was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar and enrolled by the Nigerian Supreme Court as Solicitor and Barrister.

THE decision of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN) to review downward, the commission rate to 15 per cent with its attendant implication on the revenue of advertising agencies notwithstanding, there may be rise in the number of marketing communication firms this year.

This is the prediction of Mr. Henry Alade, Chief Operating Officer, Troops Integrated, a Lagos-based marketing communications outlet.

His forecast is premised on the expansion that the Nigerian business environment has continued to witness in the last couple of years.

As part of resolutions reached at its Annual General Meeting held on October 24, 2007, the association had expected its members to commence the implementation of the new commission rate regime from January 1, 2008.

In the last couple of weeks, members have embarked on enlightenment campaign sensitising the public, especially stakeholders in marketing communication industry to the latest development.

The NPAN claimed that the decision was not new, "it was first taken at the NPAN's general meeting of August 26, 1999, held at the Champion House, Isolo, Lagos."

The association explained further that, "in many parts of the world where agencies are still on commission, the rate is within the new margin decided by the NPAN. In fact, in Portugal in 2005, some agencies agreed to unilaterally slash commission rates to 10 per cent to shore up the dwindling fortunes of newspaper industry there. In India, the world's largest democracy and a reference in pluralistic media, agency commission remains 15 per cent. In South Africa the rate is 16.5 per cent."

Although, the regulatory body of advertising in Nigeria, the Advertising Practitioners' Council of Nigeria (APCON) was quoted to have recommended the new NPAN's position, investigation revealed that the Advertisers' Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) as well as the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) was not in support of the decision.

Their argument was that a reduction in commission would reduce their budgets and upset their schedule. It was even claimed that some ADVAN members earn the commission directly and pay their agencies fixed, negotiated rates.

Rather than reduce the commission, it was gathered that ADVAN members preferred a slight increase in rates.

But NPAN President, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola insisted that reversal of the decision was unlikely more so when some media houses had begun implementation.

On whether there would be sanction for any defaulting publishers, Chief Ajibola said "sanction has not be considered", expressing optimism that it "is a popular decision" that meets the aspiration of print media owners.

The boss of Troops Integrated, Alade, however believed that, commission rates reduction or not, there are signs that the New Year portends business breakthrough for agencies. "I can see the feeling all over. I know by the end of this year, many of us will be counting our blessing. At Troops, we will have one or two brothers that will follow us soon. Even, there are a whole lot of undercover agencies that is yet to come out in their true colours. So, I see a great industry doing a great thing this year 2008."

He said his firm is not afraid of competition, the expectant result of rise in marketing communication agencies. "We are ready for the battle, although we are still young, but we are not young because all of us came from a different background, all of us came with different experiences and the guys you see, everyone of them have done one or two great things in the industry, but on various great grounds, so we are really old schools, and we all have what it takes to take the industry by surprise."

Alade explained that the name of the agency was a reflection of owner's desire to "look at marketing from the military position. We are trying to change things, try to do some things right, and the only way you can do such thing is by coming in with full force to gather armies that are of like minds to face the battle. So, that is why we picked that name Troops from the military setting."

He does not believe that the market is already saturated. And with more than 70 marketing communications agencies in the country, the Troops, he stressed, is already creating a niche for itself. "This occurrence is not yet over. A whole lot of agencies are still coming behind and the fact is not far fetched. It is a pointer to the growth of the Nigerian economy at large, because right now everyday is like the general scenario around human beings, they give birth to a child today, definitely there is somebody that is going to drop dead today, it's just a vicious circle. Everyday brands come in, ideas and strategy for brands come in, and everyday the people who will push the brand forward are forming things to be on ground. It is very big, but though a small market. For every player, there is always a way to go. For every player as long as you know what you are doing and what you are in for. So more are still coming".

The strength of his outlet, according to him, lies in the deep appreciation of what he termed 'Active Engagement.' He explained: "Active Engagement evolved over the years. What we knew was the traditional set up of below the line, along the line, through the line, down the line, that is what we have been hearing, but right now, we are looking at the marketing setting from a different angle, and now we need to do something that will take everything together, as a brand. When you are working on a brand, you are looking at the brand, engaging the consumer full time. You look at the brand from the strategy angle of it, you dissect it, and you look at the suitable way to attack the problem of the brand or the brand features. So, you are looking at a full time Active Engagement all around our services coming in with new rules of engagement, not the old way of doing things."

The firm, he revealed, has propriety tools which Alade called 'the intelligent stamp.' "It is like you write a document and you put your stamp on it. The intelligent stamp indicates our approach to brief. Once we receive your brief, we dissect it and execute it. We put our stamp on it and say, yes!, this is powered by Troops, and then post, and the pre-activation, this means that the processes of activation is being followed strictly by Troops."

His assessment of the industry underscored the fact that there exist loopholes that his company has come to correct. "There are loopholes.

But I wouldn't disclose them. It is part of our strategy. Those holes are what we are coming in to close and closing them right now to the glory of God. One or two things are already on board, that we have tried out some of our strategies and I can say at the moment it is working."

Although, the market is growing, the enabling business environment is yet to be created, Alade lamented while calling on government to focus on creating social amenities that facilitate rapid economic growth. Provision of uninterrupted electricity supply is one of them.

Alade began his Marketing Communication career from the old Group Africa where he retired as a compere; moved to the Creative Office, later to the Client Service Department and ended up in the Operations Department before he later moved to ESP communications as a Client Service Person. He was moved to Operations, and later left for TQA as Head of Experimental Marketing before he final quit to pursue his dreams.

_{Source: The Guardian}

By Kabir Alabi Garba

NEARLY a decade ago, he and some his colleagues within the same age bracket bestrode the marketing communication industry in a manner that could be described as 'rebellious'. They were more or less challenging the status quo. With their intellects as the major ammunition, having acquired experience from some of the big advertising agencies around then, coupled with the high educational certification, their song was that advertising enterprise should be done differently, albeit creativity and value added. They labeled themselves strategists. They exhumed passion and vibrancy preaching the gospel of brand management philosophy from the purview of consultancy services. 

There and then, new marketing communication outlets began to spring up and foremost of them is Adstrat with Mr. Charles O'Tudor as the Principal Consultant. Seven years down the line, O' Tudor reminisced that the risk embarked upon then had opened up new vista of opportunities in the marketing communication sector. And to mark the accomplishment so far, his firm, Adstrat will certain roll out the drums on May 31, 2008 "to celebrate success, to celebrate seven years of brand excellence, brand strategy and to celebrate the future we are prospecting. 

"It a well-known fact that without the future there is no today, without yesterday there is no tomorrow. We have gone seven years into market and research has also proven that most entrepreneur efforts do not go beyond the first four and five years of existence. In fact, 50 to 60 per cent of most enterprise does not survive the first four years. We have done four, five, six, and we are now doing seven. So for us, it's a landmark year. Seven is also very significant. For us, it represents perfection, refinement. And we are really doing a lot to re-verify our own belief that we are here on the long run, and here to celebrate our achievements in retrospect, and using them as a case study to propel us to achieve better, because our major competition is ourselves. If you don't retrospect you cannot accomplish."

To him, repositioning the brand as number one marketing communication firm with exceptional bias for consultancy, it is a mile-stone, and a cause for celebration. "We started in Surulere, later moved to Anthony Village, now we are in highbrow GRA, Ikeja, we have a bigger office, we have world class facilities, we have everything you expect to have in a global brand, we have them here... facilities, human capital, everything in place. On top of this, we are also celebrating the fact that we are opening up our Calabar office. What that does is also giving a stand in brand repositioning. We also celebrate our membership of the Independent Networks (IN). It is a network of brands, brands consultancy, communication agency and PR services that have come together to create a global network of professionals, professional agencies and consultancy that has a presence in 90 countries and all continents. What that does for us is exposure to best of standards, best of training, best of experience and of course, the exposure in terms of the brands you are going to work for. It goes more global than local. We have access to the brand we work for, any brand coming here must automatically pass under the network, but it is not a normal relationship that is why it's being called the independent network. You keep your operational methods, you keep your name; but any global brand you work for, you have to standardize in terms of the global approach. So we are now global. The head office is in UK while the operational office is in Paris." 

But most company celebrate 10, why the choice of seven? "Seven is a perfection. It represents perfection, regeneration. For us, it's a landmark because it's happening at a time when everything is working out in favour of the brand now and the future."

The dreadlock brand strategist mentioned the long list of clients that the firm has serviced over the years as another reason why celebration is desirable. "They are many: Polo, Bevista, Sosoliso, GTBank public offer, First Atlantic public offer, Manny Bank public offer, Chartered Bank public offer, Afribank public offer, First Inland Bank. They are so many, we have partnered with so many nations. We are not very noisy, we do work, we don't talk; the work should talk for itself. So we like to celebrate, let the brand celebrate the work. I have now come to what we call competition, Vista International, AMAA Awards, the one we did in South Africa, South Africa Women Conference. We've done so much in branding for a long while." 

But the strength of the company and its staff lies in the understanding that the only competition they have is Adstrat. "No any external brand." 

How? "Do you know when you set out to compete against yourself, you will score your worst free kick, because everyday you will want to improve on your standards; the human capital, remuneration, the quality of the work, the thought processes. If you've created something you've done yesterday to the client, you are using that work you did yesterday as a case study to do another work for a new client. So our biggest challenge all this years, first of all, was recreating the standards which we have created from internal, because the client is coming for a reason and there is basis on the structure of somebody else job, so you are trying to recreate your own standard. The biggest challenge in putting down all that resources together internally to create the resources for the next client is the biggest challenge.

"Then the other challenge now is growing the business from the explorer point of view, from one level to the other, without, incurring too many losses. In any economic environment, you must have losses. Especially where you cannot perform or plan what you have left. So our biggest challenge have always been putting in place new ideas. This is because clients come here for the creativity and the ideas. So you must surpass your own last ideas for the next one. That was the major, the biggest challenge... to regenerate new ideas, and service our clients exceptionally." But besides consolidating successes, "we are also breaking new grounds," he added. 

But what manner of celebration when opening a new office in Calabar, Cross River State is also considered as an achievement that should be mouthed. "We are members of the global network. We are almost opening up everywhere. We are represented in all the continents because of our strategic partnership. We are global. We are represented in over 90 countries now. Our interests are protected in 90 countries and all continents for you to conquer Nigeria. Many people are going African. But they don't have the market in Nigeria. There is a lot of work to be done in this country. There are lots of brands looking for help. We will conquer Nigeria, and use our global presence to conquer the world. But first of all, you need to conquer the Nigerian market and ensure that you are represented. He who wants to do branding within Nigeria must be well represented in the major places in the country: Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Kano, and others. 

He debunked the allegation that Adstrat always parts ways with clients in 'controversial manner', just as he clarified the circumstance surrounding the agency's business relationship with brands such as Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA), Intern Reality TV show, Genesis... among others.

"In branding, our operational methods are either project base or retainership. Our philosophy and our methodology are two fronts; we can come in as interventionist, meaning a brand needs a kind of specific attention. The brief may be 'help us to regenerate this brand'. We do it, and we move on. We don't hold on tight to a particular client. But it all depends on the client. We can serve as consultants to a project or retainers.

"For instance, Genesis wanted to re-brand, re-strategize, because there was a specific problem in place. We solved the problem. They wanted to go beyond being just hotel to a fast-food outlet, and they had too many small hotels all over. Our challenge was to create different identity for these small hotels, we delivered, case closed. They wanted to unveil their 5th anniversary in a way that would reposition role of the media in the inner market. Delivered! So your response would be determined by what is expected of the brief. That is the issue. Was it delivered?

"As for AMAA! We create a case afresh. What people knew as AMAA before was not standardized. It was not on retainership, but project base, and delivered. In the case of the Intern show, it was not handled by Adstrat, it was a project of the principal consultant. And it was delivered. It was an outlet for one of our brandings. It was just an external attribute of what we are trying to do internal. We did it but I was the face representing the peculiar interest of our brands, so I was not a promoter. We didn't draw the master plan. It's not our project. We only worked in contract with the owners to ensure that everything works well. We didn't create it."

With the affiliation to Independent Networks, would there be a change of name to reflect the new status?

"Never! Adstrat remains. It's for the independent network. That's why we agreed to join them. The brand called Adstrat will never change. We have an option to either retain our name or put it in form, but it is optional. Adstrat remains as it is. That's the brand." 

The job of a brand consultant, he asserted, "is standardization. But he must also create the template that will drive the communication from external. Somebody must create the template that will drive the communication in synergy with the brand language. Right from the word go, he creates the brand behaviour campaign, the brand attitudes and the brand manifestation and you ensure that there is a synergistic approach in terms of articulating that across all media." 

The experimentation in the last seven years, he sings, has brought about "professionalism. Specialization. That's my achievement. It is not Naira and Kobo. And I am okay. A state government is employing us, other state governments are talking to us, and other brands are talking. I am proud to tell you that when people want standardization in terms of core brand management, they know where to go."

His verdict about the advertising practice in the country presently is a reflection of a vintage Charles O'Tudor who is ever controversial. "It is not growing. The creativity, the content, the value driven proposition to the client and consumer is not there. When you create an advertising contract, as a brand consultant, you must bring about brand standardization. No more, no less."

* Source: The Guardian Newspapers