ONYINYE'S MIRROR ON LIFE

Onyinye OyedeleSunday, January 15, 2006
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Ontario, Canada

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BRANDS


t is 6; 30am in the morning and we are about to have breakfast and run off to school. Time to make tea and we realize that the milk won't be enough for everyone and you know daddy's tea must have milk in it. So someone has to run down to mama Jide or Aunty Bunmi's shop to buy milk. Most times when I get to the shop, I just ask for Peak milk because that is what I grew up with. It was such a strong milk brand then that I thought Peak was the general name for milk. It was the same for Blue band (butter), St Louis Sugar cubes, Omo, Maggi, Bournvita, Milo, a particular kind of bread…….etc. These were very strong brands in the Nigerian market and even when other new products come out, some people may be reluctant to try it out. I am sure you would remember some peculiar brands that you always had in your home. We had come to know these brands for their quality and consistency so we became loyal to them as long as we could afford them. It also made life easier because you did not have to crack your brain to know what to buy, you could rely on these brands and it helped to save time.


When it comes to clothes and accessories, there are so many brands to choose from. From the high street shops to the designer wears. Some of these designer names we can't even pronounce well but just because they are quality, we stick to them. Back home, I remember trips to Tejuosho market, Balogun and Aswani to buy clothes, I did not even care about the designers just let me have clothes for school. Out here there is such an obsession for brands that sometimes you might have bought something for X amount in a big name shop only to find it cheaper in a small high street shop and then you bite your fingers. I try to cut my coat according to my size.

We live in a consumer society. Everything is commercialized and advertising gurus use all sorts of gimmicks to get your attention and entice you to spend your money. They even use celebrities and famous people to endorse their brands. I remember while studying in London, in one of my courses: Video Production, we had to produce a documentary on a topic of our choice. We were four in my group and we decided to explore Brands and Pester Power, and how it is used by children to persuade their parents. We did some filming at Canary Wharf, London and Oxford Street and we also interviewed some advertising gurus and everyday shoppers like you and me. Some people said they bought particular brands because of the image it gives them or it is in fashion, or friends are wearing that so they want to fit in…ebe ano (the happening place). Maybe someone back home has asked you to buy them Timberland Boots!!!!!!!!!!. Timber what…………I wonder if they know how much it cost?

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When you go to the supermarket or market to buy your groceries, brands are screaming. "Pick me". I also discovered that supermarkets have strategic ways of arranging their products and advertising each new season, I saw this first hand when I worked as a check out girl in one. Sometimes on the shop floor, I displayed products on the shelves. The name of each product has to be very catchy.

One of the strongest food brands I worked with in Nigeria briefly as part of an industrial training program based on what I was studying then, was United African Company (UAC) foods Nigeria PLC. I was part of the quality assurance team in one of their Port-Harcourt Mr Biggs Outlet. I remember going to inspect the factory and check cold room temperatures, also carrying out organoleptic and microbial tests on the foods. I also saw how all their foods were prepared and packaged. I was happy to be part of this team at that point because it is a reputable company. Some days when the customer queue was long I would be called from the Lab to come and help out with sales. People love this fast food outlet because of what they can get there. On special occasions, they have to put canopies to accommodate more people. I remember working on a festive day there and the crowd was something else!!!!!!!Nigerians know quality food when they taste one. I recently had some Gala (Special sausage roll from UAC foods) from Nigeria, I did not want it to finish, I kept rationing the thing. I used to think back home that Macdonald's would be like Mr Biggs, so the first day I entered one, I was really surprised. See me oh………hoping to ask for fried rice or jollof rice, meatpie and sausage roll, for where?

Brands can also be people's names. I am sure you can remember some names back home that can open closed doors of employment. Some family names are also very influential. Some names stand out in their trade or profession and you can rely on them for business, politics and friendship. There are some names however that we can remember and all we say is………ah that wan chop awa moni oh. Or ah…..that wan spoil awa country oh.

Countries are also like brands. When you hear of Japan……..You think of technological advancement and the quality of their designs: Cars, Computers etc. When you hear The United States of America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia, etc You know that these are great countries. When you hear Canada, the first thing you say is ah……otutu oh (Cold oh), then you now remember that it is also a great nation. When you hear Nigeria…..what do you think of? Use yourself as a yardstick and a standard. I still see honest people, great thinkers, hardworking, transparent and accountable people. I still see a nation with great potentials and untapped resources. A country capable of having a sustainable democracy. We should trust what we have as a nation. Nation building is not an automatic process, all hands must be on deck.

In conclusion, some brands signify quality, durability, longevity, reliability, strength, image and safety. For those in the business and trade industries, we want to rely on your brand, you are capable of doing things well. Lives are depending on you to offer them the best. People are counting on you, that is a trust that you can not afford to loose by cutting corners. People put in a lot of research and maintenance to continue to provide quality services. We need to adopt a maintenance culture where necessary for maximum and effective output in all services.

Lastly, I have come to know that even when names and Brands become inconsistent and their quality wavers and become diluted, I can choose not to be loyal to them and move on to another, because I am human, but above all I have come to know that there is a God who is consistent ……the same yesterday, today and forever and I can depend on Him.

Onyinye Oyedele is a former BEN-TV London News anchor.