‘Government needs BTL as re-inforcer action on policy dissemination’

Among the marketing communication mix, why did Tequila prefer Below-the-Line marketing platform?

It’s not really a point of “preference,” it is more a point of “market relevance.” When you consider what other Tequila offices do worldwide, we’re kind of unique in our basket of offerings: from event management and product launches, to merchandising, sampling and sales activations, to POS design and production and retail services, we cover a vast array of services. They may be broadly categorised as BTL, but in truth we are also very through-the-line in our approach to business as well as our offerings.

Is the growth of social media a threat to the growth of experiential marketing?

I really don’t think so. In fact, I believe that social media is very complementary to experiential marketing, and honestly can only make our work more experiential. If you go to South Africa, Europe and America, experiential marketing has actually integrated social media into the execution of campaigns, and it’s also happening in Nigeria. Heineken had an experiential event in April called Race to the Final, where hundreds of Heineken consumers contested for tickets to watch the UEFA Champions League Final on May 25. Facebook and twitter were active and crucial elements of the activity for the contestants. Other brands have also endeavoured to do so and it will only be a matter of time when what we see as intermittent utilisation will be very common place.

What is Tequila niche in the market?

Now, that will be telling (laughter). But seriously, it would be a factor of different things: the clients we have the privilege to work for, our team, our culture and work ethic… different things that position us strongly in the market. We have great clients: Unilever, Etisalat, Multichoice, Visa, Nigerian Breweries, to name just some… these are clients who appreciate us for the depth, breadth and performance we bring to their marketing and sales matters. As a team, we pride ourselves in being very thorough and committed in the execution of our work; and I can say that our level of value addition is very high with all our clients.

Can government tap into BTL activity to promote programmes?

Absolutely! Given the demographics of Nigeria, the infrastructure challenges, the diversity of ethnic groups and cultures, and the sheer task of effectively communicating to all and sundry, government programmes will actually achieve far greater message-penetration with BTL activities. It is simply based on the dynamics of ATL and BTL functions: advertising gives you reach and awareness, BTL activities give you awareness, engagement, interaction and the sense of accomplishment that audience is grasping the essence of your messaging. BTL messages are not restricted to 60 second capsules. And that is precisely why government programmes should utilise BTL activity as a complement to and a re-inforcer of ATL activity; especially as relates to health, social and environmental issues, behaviour change initiatives, policy dissemination, etc. The sooner the government can leverage this holistically, the better.

What is the relevance of research in your business?

Research is very key at the point of proposal development because you must obviously make recommendations for a certain line of action from an informed position. What you also find out is that when you have won the business, the learning you gather in the course of execution are gems of knowledge that feed into better appreciation and performance in the field, and for the client’s business.

How do you ensure security in experiential marketing; is security an issue?

Security is definitely an issue and must be carefully mitigated for. We work with various professional security firms for our events and activities, as well as the regular law enforcement agencies. Who we choose and the degree to which we deploy them are determined by the nature and location of our activity. It can never be a one size fits all situation, but it goes without saying that very robust security arrangements must always be in place. And this is all encompassing – it goes for events, clients and the clients’ guests, but also in the field with promoters and brand ambassadors.

What is the cost of insecurity in the North to the business of experiential marketing, or how are you coping with it?

Insecurity in some Northern parts of the country has an attendant impact on the cost of security measures we must put in place when operating there. In some cases, the risk of operating in the North makes it more meaningful to forgo activities altogether, and the reasons are pretty simple, the associated cost are not just financial, they far exceed that single element.