A
2015 research compilation by the Media & Intelligence Unit of BHM
1. The Difference Between
Public Relations and Advertising
Advertising is defined as
having: a verbal and or visual message; a sponsor who is identified; delivery
through one or more media, and payment by the sponsor to the media.
Public Relations, on the other
hand, helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding
acceptance and cooperation between an organization (or brand) and its publics.
It involves the management of problems or issues; helps management to keep
informed on and responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the
responsibility of management to serve the public interest, and helps management
to keep abreast of, and effectively utilize change.
The table below
sums up the modern delineations of the differences between PR and Advertising.
Prior to the advent of integrated marketing communications, the
Nigerian marketing communications industry exhibited a disposition more
towards PR, with town-crying and hawking being the earliest forms of
advertising. These have survived in many of Nigeria’s rural communities till
date.
2. History and
Challenges of Public Relations and Advertising
The development of modern public relations in
Nigeria began circa 1948, when the then colonial administration set up a
public relations department with offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna and Enugu. In
charge of the department was PR expert Mr.
Harold Cooper, and alongside his team of expatriates and Nigerians their
activities initially concentrated on publicity work dealing with problems
arising from World War II, such as shortages of goods and the imposition of an
austerity regime by the colonial government. One interesting novelty was to address
a letter of welcome to all Nigerians returning from overseas, offering them
assistance towards the finding of jobs or resettlement in other ways.
Similar publicity
activities were simultaneously taking place in such large organizations as UAC, and the Nigerian Railway, which for example used the services of Ernest Ikoli, a veteran journalist.
Harold Cooper was
succeeded by his deputy, Mr. John
Stocker, who was assisted by such Nigerian professionals as Ayo Lijadu, and Mobolaji Odunewu in consolidating and expanding government
information and PR activities in the country.
With the economic
and political growth of Nigeria, came unique challenges of public
communication. As the country moved towards the emergence of political parties
and the fight for Independence, campaigns for the Nigerianization of both the
public and private sectors resulted in a PR revival. Foreign firms which
dominated the economy of the country saw the need for some form of PR
activities, calculated to meet press criticisms and the people’s misconception
of their roles in
Nigeria.
1950s to 1960s:
The next
significant changes in the development of PR in Nigeria began with the
attainment of Independence, the discovery of oil and the shift of emphasis from
general trading to industrialization. Companies like UAC and Shell were
compelled to launch planned programmes covering government press and community
relations. The creation of PR departments in companies increased, alongside the
development of Nigerians to man such offices.
Nigeria’s first
set of PR consultants set up shop in the late 50s and existed until two decades
thereafter, with a chief focus on press agentry. Founding consultancies were:
OAB Press; Publicity Services Nigeria Limited; Gab Fagbure & Associates;
Gab Idigo & Associates; Uloma Nwachukwu & Associates; Bob Ogbuagu &
Associates (Bob Ogbuagu) and Praction Partners Limited.
PR gained
significant professional identity in 1962, with the establishment of the Public Relations Association of Nigeria (PRAN) under the
leadership of late Dr. Sam Epelle, a
former director of the Federal Ministry of Information. The Association helped
to draw together an increasing number of practitioners who over the years had
become members and associates of the British Institute of Public Relations.
Mid-60s to 80s:
From the mid
sixties to the mid-eighties, the Public Relations Association of Nigeria
subsequently adopted the more professional name of the Nigerian Institute of
Public Relations in 1972. Mass Communication, crucial to effective marketing
communications practice, was first introduced as a course in Nigeria at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the University of Lagos and the Institute of
Management Technology, Enugu. The evolution PR in Nigeria in the private and
public sectors resulted in the establishment of more PR firms, in turn causing
the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) to be founded in
1984. Six years later, the long-standing Nigerian Institute of
Public Relations was chartered in 1990.
With respect to media
advertising, print media made inroads into Nigeria in 1859, with Iwe Iroyin, a Yoruba
language newspaper published by Reverend Henry Townsend at Abeokuta. Within was
an advert - an announcement for the Anglican Church.2
The main challenge
to media advertising remained low literacy rates, but the need to capture the
the Nigerian public necessitated some formal research into advertising because
by the 1960s, more than 300 firms were registered to do business in Nigeria,
and the country’s population was already formidable, standing at 55 million. At
the time, one in four people living in Africa were a Nigerian.
The US Department
of Commerce researched the existence of various media in Nigeria, naming these
as crucial for firms hoping to reach the Nigerian consumer market for US goods,
as reproduced below:
VARIETIES AND
COVERAGES OF ADVERTISING MEDIA (in Nigeria, in the 60s)
|
Media
|
Disseminating
|
Receiving
(Estimated)
|
|
Radio
|
5 broadcasting
Stations
|
1.5million
sets in use
|
|
Television
|
4 TV
broadcasting Stations
|
14,000 TV sets
in use
|
|
Motion picture
|
90 Theatres
|
5 million
persons annually
|
|
Local English
newspapers
|
4 major dailies
|
Circulations
from 47,300 to 114,600
|
|
Local English
Newspapers
|
4 major weeklies
|
Circulations
from 28,000 to 147,300
|
|
Local English
language magazines
|
4 major
monthlies
|
Circulations
from 25,000 to 108,000
|
Source: U.S
Department of Commerce, Market for U.S Products in Nigeria (Washington D.C .,
1964), PP48-51)
The main modes of
advertising in these early days were Radio, considered particularly effective,
as it bypassed literacy levels. Motion picture adverts were also popular,
because many people visited theatres for recreational purposes. But perhaps the
most widely used advertising formats were paper, cardboard, metal posters and
signs near the point of sale. Personal selling was a hit; in particular,
product sampling was widely practiced in market areas, as well as sales
promoters with loudspeakers and moving vehicles, a technique, which is still in
use today. Experts quickly discovered that advertising was
“generally more effective when direct, forceful and continuous.”
Examples:
“The ubiquitous
‘Guinness gives you power,’ next to the bulging biceps of an African arm has
made Guinness stout the biggest seller in Nigeria.”
“‘Buy Raleigh, the
all steel bicycle’ on radio, billboard and poster has kept this manufacturer’s
product tops for years.”
Other challenges
were that at the time, an estimated 80% of the adult population had little or
no formal education but they were still an important consumer base. Also,
businesses quickly realised that Nigerian consumers were not a monolith, to be
communicated with in the same way. Raymond Baker, then president of Oversees Economic
Development Incorporated of New York, summarized the advertising landscape
of the times and advised thus:
“The Yoruba of the
Western Region is a very outgoing and friendly individual, while the Hausa of
the Northern Region is rather quiet and reserved. Colors may be important; for
the Yoruba, blue is always favoured. Even the direction of hands and eyes is
sometimes significant. Marketing in Nigeria must be considered with an
appreciation for the tribal and cultural background, as well as the education
and income of the people.”
He ended with: “gradual
changes can be expected to take place in techniques of advertising and
promotion, and in the long run, improvement of the education and literacy of
the people will bring further changes. Product advertising expenditures may
require a large percentage for development of brand image, and introductions of
new items may become possible through media campaigns,instead of more personal
promotions.”
SOURCE:
Baker, R.W. , Marketing in Nigeria Journal of Marketing,Vol.
29, No. 3 (Jul., 1965), pp. 40-48
3. Case Studies
comparing successes and failures of Nigerian PR and Advertising
Advertising:
Virgin in Port Harcourt vs Mama Na Boy
Relying on pun as
its chief linguistic device, airline company Virgin Atlantic’s widely
successful campaign tapped into the sociocultural premium placed on virginity,
and the skeptics who believe virgins are hard to find, through its use of
taglines such as: “Who says there is no virgin in Port Harcourt?” and “the real
Virgin has arrived” respectively.
In contrast,
telecommunication provider MTN had an advert where a mother-in-law received a
call, breaking into song and dance when told “Mama na Boy,” meaning her son’s
wife had just given birth to a son.
This
cliche, despite being used in society daily, was deemed offensive by many
Nigerians and NGos, as critics said the words “Mama, Na boy’’ reinforced the
Nigerian mindset relating to the
preference of boys over girls as children. MTN pulled the advert, and commenced PR
measures to overcome the resultant bad press.
PR: Indomie vs My
Pikin
In May 2004,
rumours surfaced that Indomie Noodles was causing
illness and death in those who ate them. The National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) closed all factories and distribution
facilities belonging to manufacturer De-United Foods Industries Limited (now
known as Dufil Prima Foods ltd), * while carrying out its investigations. As
public outcry and fear increased, then-CEO Roger Yeo refused to focus on the
negatives by publicly declaring his companies’ losses. He instead appealed for
the conclusion of all investigations, scoring points with some members of the
press and public by saying: “our distributors are angry because they have been
selling and eating this brand for 10 years.”
When NAFDAC
recalled a few batches of products but gave the company the go-ahead to resume
operations, De-United Foods Limited kicked off with public adverts in
newspapers and radio announcing the news, as well as a pledge to ensure the
best quality. The company then embarked on an aggressive PR drive; road shows
were organized, where free noodles were given, with promos and
education-focused CSR activities becoming a staple for De-United Foods till
date.
On 19 November
2008, NAFDAC was told children were dying, after consuming a syrup called
“My Pikin.” By the next
day, 11 cases were reported, with 8 children dead, but manufacturers Barewa
Pharmaceuticals immediately released a statement, categorically denying being
responsible (without carrying out checks), and instead reassured the public to
keep buying. This contributed to a worsening of outcomes as by February 2009,
at least 84 children were dead, and NAFDAC had discovered the company was
indeed culpable and begun prosecution proceedings. In May 2013, a Lagos Court
ruled that the company be wound up, its assets forfeited to the government.
Two employees were also sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment.
PR (digital):
#Surulere versus Sound Sultan
In January 2014,
producer Don Jazzy and artiste Dr. Sid released “Surulere,” which means,
“Patience is rewarding” but ran an online campaign on social media where they
juxtaposed personal pictures, encouraging their followers and the public to
stay focused on their goals and be patient. By the time the music video was
uploaded on YouTube on 23 January 2014, fans and celebrities alike had also
begun uploading pictures of them transitioning from grass to grace. Because
they could relate to the artistes, the public bought into the concept and also
tagged their own pictures with #Surulere. The song remains a hit and the term
is still used on social media. #Surulere is now fully entrenched in local
lingua, an enduring PR boost for the artistes and their company Mavin records
in the eyes and hearts of the public.
A little over a
year later, in May 2015, singer Sound Sultan intended to release a new
song titled ‘Oba Lola’ but tweeted that he would only do so if he got 2000
retweets from the public. Instead, the artiste faced great ridicule, with
people mainly mocking him and counting the slow pace of retweets. However,
after 23 hours, the post finally got 2,100 retweets and Sound Sultan kept his
side of the bargain.
4. Consumers’
Perception of PR and Advertising
The medium
matters, e.g. food and drink adverts are better retained when presented with
moving images - as seen on TV, but also achievable via web and mobile media.
Sales promotions should be regular, while billboards must be designed with
caution.
Case Study A:
Bournvita food drink
A survey of 315
consumers examined “the influence of advertising on consumers’ purchase of Bournvita, manufactured by Cadbury
Nigeria Plc. Of more than 12 different food drink brands, which featured
in this study, Bournvita topped the brand preference table - both in the food
drink industry in general, and in Cadbury’s own food drink brands in
particular. According to the respondents, advertising and quality are the major
factors responsible for the success of Bournvita. Very few subjects cited other
reasons such as price, packaging and availability for their choice of the
brand.”
“A combination of
electronic and print media is employed in advertising Bournvita but television
is seen as the most potent and effective medium by 71.43% of consumers.
This may be
because Television combines motion, sound, and special visual effects. The
product can be demonstrated and described on T.V, which also offers wide
geographic coverage and flexibility as to when the message can be presented.
The implication of this is that price and other variables seem not to count
much to the consumers as long as the quality of a product is maintained and the
brand is also supported by heavy advertising reminding and persuading consumers
to continue to buy.”
Case study B: PR
and Advertising among GSM networks
A random sample of
500 students of four Universities in the North–east were given detailed
questionnaires. The authors report that: “Advertisement and
sales promotions influences initial purchase and additions; this was indicated
by the respondents as 80% of them agreed that advertising and sales promotions played
a role in their addition of [another telecoms] network. Sales promotions should
be done at shorter intervals, since it was found to induce more purchase from
customers.”
They recommended:
“service providers should use the television in advertising their services” and
“the benefits of the service should be stressed in all advertisements, such as
the bonuses and free gifts available, because what customers are actually
looking for, are the benefits.”
Case study C:
Amstel Malta billboards in Onitsha, Nigeria.
There is such a
thing as getting carried away; this study notes that using everyday people in
campaigns may serve brands better in the long run.
A sample of 373 individuals, “ drawn
purposely from the population of Amstel malt consumers in Onitsha” and surveyed
via questionnaires “showed that models in billboard advertising attract more
attention to themselves than to products advertised and that audience recall
models in billboard advertising more than the product advertised. It was
therefore concluded that audience attention was more on models used in
billboard advertising.”
The study recommended
“billboard advertising should use models sparingly and concentrate on making
the product or service advertised more conspicuous on billboard to ensure easy
[brand]
recall.”
5a. When PR proves
more valuable than advertising
Case Study: The Planned Parenthood Foundation
strategy
As the world began understanding AIDS in the 80s, a need also
arose for the promotion of healthier sexual reproductive practices and family
planning in Nigeria. The Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN)
decided to lead with a PR campaign, by using music to propagate the need
for a wider use of family planning and condoms.
PPFN’s Adebola Adejo, said the method
was used because at the time, “there was more of a listening audience than a
reading audience.”
The campaign kicked off with renowned artists Onyeka Onwenu and King Sunny Ade producing and
singing two songs ‘Choices’ and ‘Wait For Me’ (sponsored by America’s John
Hopkins University), with the latter track sung in pidgin. A national launch
came by late 1989 and both songs were immediate hits, rising to the charts and
remaining there for weeks on end. Over 30 newspaper and magazine articles
were written about the release of the album, “Wait for me.”
In addition to performing to large crowds and publicising child
survival and family planning through live performances, King Sunny Ade and
Onyeka Onwenu also visited maternal/child health and family planning clinics
and gave talks on family planning to the public, all of which garnered added
press coverage.
The deliberate concentration on PR rather than advertising was
revealed when Adejo, said: “Sunny Ade is a well known polygamist who now
tells his audience he knows the evil of polygamy, given how much it costs him
to take care of his large family. This in a way helps others who plan large
families to think before jumping into it.”
About two years
later, the songs were then linked to Public Service Announcements from June
till November 1992. Impact assessments later revealed that family planning
awareness which stood at 45% in 1990 when the Ade-Onwenu album was released,
climbed to 75% awareness by 1993. Contraception prevalence in Nigeria also
increased from 3.5% in 1990 to 10%in 1993.
5b. Using
advertising where PR would have been more effective
Case Study: Gala
Sausage Roll vs Indomie Noodles
At the end of
January 2012, UAC Foods limited utilized bulk SMS to send text messages to customers
informing them of a price increase from N50 to N70 thus:
Some customers
were vocal in their denouncement of this technique:
This would not be
the first time.
The company had
also used radio adverts to announce a price increase from N40 to N50, which had
rubbed some customers the wrong way. Five years
before the SMS message from UAC Foods, a customer complained in 2007.
Altogether, this
trend of events meant that the customers expressed that the company was not
listening, as shown in this excerpt culled from the comment thread:
“...stupidly they tried using adverts to improve sales.”
By contrast, that
same year, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of
Indomie Noodles focused on relating with the public, when they increased
product prices.
It started in
early September 2012, when customers began to grumble that there seemed
to be a change in the price of Indomie noodles.
Just three days
later, the company kicked off its Super Millionaire Promo, which encouraged
people to buy more of the higher-priced 120g Indomie noodles, to stand a chance
to win millions of Naira weekly.
The promo was not
given a time limit, initially tagged as “for a limited period.” It therefore
continued, even as more people realized there was a price increase. The image below is from November 2012.
Newspapers were
awash with interviews of winners, while the
company continued to engage with the public, notably on social media. Here is
an exchange on Dufil Prima Foods Plc’s Facebook Fanpage between a consumer and
the company:
Dufil Prima Foods Plc also
went ahead to carry out a different promo with a longer duration called Indomie
Flash Contest, which gave consumers the chance to win a months’ supply of
Indomie. By the time this promo ended, around mid-2013, its customers were
fully eased into, and therefore firmly settled into the new price regime.
6. Practitioners’ perception of PR and Advertising
Audience
segmentation and the deployment of digital channels is crucial – Nwakanma
“Modern
communication management requires more listening than speaking. This concept
finds support in the public relations planning model that positions research
and action before communication and evaluation. (We have to) segment audiences
effectively…(it is) time to draw up a Nigerian communication demographic map.
A significant
portion of youths is now to be found only in that (digital) space. This is
moreso as the 87 million persons on the Internet in Nigeria actively engage
social media. The 2015 elections mobilized them
for participation, at least online. Public communication managers must engage
and define. Otherwise, citizens - informed, uninformed or plain obnoxious -
would define at will.”
-
Chido Nwakanma, MD/CEO of Blueflower Communications Limited.
Digital will be huge - Ogunmefun
“Digital marketing
is going to be huge and there are a lot of things that would happen in the
digital market space only if the environment is conducive for it to thrive.
Things have started happening but it is not at the scale that it is meant to
be. The truth about it is that traditional advertising can never go away.
The two main problems we have in the
advertising industry is data collection; we lack a lot of data in this
industry. The second one is building professional capacity in terms of the
staff members. Perhaps if we had adequate training institutions that would
prepare people for this sector, the industry would grow.”
- Kunle Ogunmefun,
Vice Charman, Bluebird Communication Limited
Digital media
presents both challenge and opportunity - Ehiguese
“The ascendancy of
digital media is a challenge to the extent
that it is one of the manifestations of how media forms are evolving, affecting
consumer information consumption habits, and ultimately impacting the way we
communicate with the consumer. But then it also presents many opportunities.
With online media, speed is of essence because of its real-time nature. Adverse
news or information online can go viral within minutes and cause severe damage
to a brand or company’s reputation. That is why one of the most important
elements of Online Reputation Management is “listening.” You must be listening
to the online conversation as it affects your brand, so that you can respond
promptly to address any negative or inaccurate piece of information before it
goes viral and causes reputational damage.”
- John Ehiguese,
President, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria and Group
Managing Director of Mediacraft
We must master our
fears - Ofili
“The Internet and
mobile technologies are not a threat; they are only
additional new dimensions to the broader parts of communication - the other
half of our marketing communication practices. All we need to do is master our
fears of its over-advertised powers and threats to our profession, and go ahead
to own it by domesticating it within the creative department, or locate it as
an independent department within the reach and practices of the creative
department for their mutually close operations. This is how we should respond,
rather than allow newcomers threaten us with their young language and practice
as to make us change ours so readily, like one suffering from inferiority
complex.”
- Chike Ofili, CEO Reputations
Consulting
6. The Future
New niches,
M&A likely in the industry - Ehiguese
“We need to be more creative in our business development drive, to
identify new market niches and opportunities. And they are there, waiting to be
harnessed. [As for] mergers and acquisitions in the industry, essentially
in order to build scale, to be able to gain more clout, and to service big clients
effectively...we haven’t seen much of that happening yet in Nigeria, but it will come
with time. The merger and acquisition fever appears to have caught on globally,
and I believe that it’s just a matter of time before we begin to see it in
Nigeria.”
- John Ehiguese,
President, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria and Group
Managing Director of Mediacraft
People no longer
just consumers - Shobanjo
“Marketing communications is about
connecting people and brands, is about doing something educative, entertaining
and useful for people and also about tapping into the human element; it is not
just about making 30-second commercials. The digital revolution has ensured
that people are no longer just consumers, but participate in the creation of
ideas and products, production and distribution, as much as any marketing
communications agency.”
- Biodun Shobanjo,
Chairman, Troyka Group
The roles can be
swapped at any time - Oluwasona
“We need to address
our collective psyche. The ‘client’ of
today needs to realize that he is the ‘agency’ of tomorrow... I have seen some
of my former clients become outright agency staff. The reality I am trying to
draw out here is that roles can be swapped at any time. There is no inferior
partner in a brand building relationship. There therefore should not be a
superior partner.”
-
Kayode Oluwasona, Managing Director, Rosabel Leo Burnett
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