Compass Consulting extends footprints of US-based hair-care firm to Nigeria

Compass Consulting, a business developer firm, has entered into partnership with McBride Research Laboratories, an American-based hair-care product firm to expand the American company’s footprint in Nigeria.

Interested in the Nigerian market, which is hard to be ignored by any international investor because of size, McBride Research Laboratories, maker of Design Essentials product, told BusinessDay that the company was extending its market to Africa, “a place it calls home with great potentials.”

Cornel McBride Jr., president of McBride Research Laboratories, who was in Nigeria for the unveiling of the partnership, exhibition and training the trainers for the usage of the product, recognised the tremendous market size of Nigeria and believed that the product for treating all kinds of hair both natural and extensions would find the right space in the market based on its quality.

“We have launched the product in Ghana last month, we will launch in South Africa in August and Uganda subsequently, and this is a move to deepen our presence in Africa,” he said. With several years of experience in African American hair care, Cornel was confident in the Nigerian market for his product.

The trend now is that consumers are choosing to wear their hair natural, he said, saying “our product range is that we can straighten your hair if you desire to wear your hair in natural state or if you have weave or attachments, we have products that can help ladies maintain them.”

To tackle the market with different hair products, Cornel and his partners are deploying a new approach for sales and distribution. As in US, it is engaging hair stylists, students in hair beauty on training and unique service offering as a niche marketing strategy. “Our company is investing in training and educating trade partners who will be capable of applying and selling the product.”

Also speaking at the unveiling of the partnership and training of the potential trade partners of the product, Tokunbo Chiedu, CEO of Compass Consulting, who was pleased on the partnership with McBride to market the product in Nigeria, was confident on the product quick penetration in the Nigerian market.

“The brand owners made a business visit into Nigeria recently to identify who stakeholders are and to find out who would represent their brand. 

At that time, Compass Consulting saw a huge potential to work with this brand and we are happy to be the distributors and training of users and potential users in schools serving the beauty sector of the product, which is a strong brand in the US,” she said.