not sure my vote counted on that particular occasion). On both occasions, we were reminded rather rudely of our voicelessness. For a nation recognized worldwide by the outspoken, almost boastful nature of her peoples, we have endured too many years of executive muzzling at home.
So when frustrations boiled over after June 12, it was not so much due to the actual act of the annulment (many people had long before lost any faith in the sincerity of the entire process), rather it was the realization that once more we were powerless in the presence of forces bent on maintaining our retrogressive progress. And now again, like those two contentious issues before it, an otherwise well-meaning exercise is generating as much widespread and intense public engagement for all the wrong reasons.Well then, since the issue here is branding Nigeria, it is only fair that we approach it from a brand-building perspective. Akin Adeoya has already x-rayed a number of critical failure points of the entire exercise. The least we could do here is to give a few pointers to some success factors that could be built into the process going forward.
What makes a communication exercise successful?
1. Think about the best film you have watched, the best book you have read, the most memorable ad you have seen, your favorite song. They all have one thing in common: something in them struck a powerful chord in you - either they gave you an insight into a personal issue you were dealing with in your life, or they reflected a value you cherish, or they were a metaphor for the story of your life or the action hero or heroine did something you always wanted to do, and so on. In one word, they achieved the holy Grail of communication - engagement. So think about our slogan: Nigeria - good people, great nation. Nice thought. Engaging? Hardly. Now think about this: America, land of the free. Engaging? Very. The American slogan captures the imagination in a way that very few expressions could. It is a statement and intent, a vision and a reality, a challenge and a promise. It is a desire to live and die for. Freedom.
2. What I tell you three times is true, so goes a Russian proverb. The morale: it is not enough to have a gripping slogan; it has to be repeated as often as possible until it is etched in the memory and consciousness. That is the origin and essence of the term branding. Put a hot iron on the skin of a cow long enough and it makes a lasting impression. Burn a powerful, positive thought in the mind of the Nigerian long enough and he begins to buy into it. Think about "the big black sweet wey get white line, na TomTom," or "Gala o my broda, gala o my sista, gala o im taste na kpamgba!" or better still,
"First Banki na you be number one o, First Banki o, una well done o," and even far better still, "MKOoooo, is our man O!" The longer we heard these slogans, the more we believed them, and in the last instance, we were galvanized to action.3. “If a Leopard sells goat meat, few people will buy it,” so says a Kenyan proverb. Why did Americans buy Obama’s meat? Why did they reject John McCain’s? Freshness. McCain’s meat was Republican leftover, just as a leopard’s meat couldn’t be anything else. So Obama’s message had a more credible ring to it, because it was fresh. How credible is ‘good people, great nation’ coming from our present crop of politicians? Indeed we are a good people and a potentially great nation. But that is where it ends. Give us a message that commits to steady supply of electricity, a well thought out transport network, and educational system with a standard to rival the best in the world, a credible judiciary…then, we’ll buy that meat.
Good People, great nation. Nice slogan, but it does not inspire passion, does not motivate to action. It does not present a lofty vision to which we must strive. It is easy to scoff at because there are no pillars to hold it up.
A final note: A Media broadcast by the President is a celebrated event in Nigeria. American Presidents speak to their people monthly and sometimes even, weekly. That way they can connect with their fellow countrymen and women, share their visions directly, encourage involvement and lead by example. We want to hear our President, every month. Let him speak directly to us, point the way forward.
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