How Enobong Kennedy redefines t-shirt business

Enobong Kennedy is the co-founder and vice president, marketing and strategy, Brandocks, an e-commerce start-up that allows users to customise their t-shirts, jerseys, polo shirts, formula one shirts and any kind of apparel online and get them delivered to their doorsteps.

Having worked as a marketing professional for over 10 years, Enobong identified a gap in brand consistency and apparel merchandising in Nigeria and decided to bridge it. In doing so, the marketing professional alongside her partner Ayodeji Fashore established a business in that regard in 2014.

“The world is moving into agric, retail, and travels, but there has really been no focus on brand consistency and merchandising, which is the gap we are trying to close. It was easy for me to identify the gap because I was a marketing professional,” she says.

The business started out off-line and later migrated to the online space. It was re-launched last year by Enobong and Ayodeji, her co-founder, who manages the entire business platform from end to end.

“We realised that technology is the next big thing. We also realised that technology is where the world is going into, so we decided to marry that off-line experience online and that is what gave birth to Brandocks,” Enobong says.

The entrepreneur started her business with initial deposits from clients, which was used in project execution.
“When we started four years ago, we were lucky because we were dealing with corporates we used their funds to execute the projects. The only money we were spending was on samples.”

The young entrepreneur says her business has grown tremendously since starting.

Enobong reveals that the business has five full-time employees and lots of contract staffs, saying that it hires workers on based on the nature of a project.

She says that the business is focused on promoting ‘Made in Nigeria’ as a brand, which is why she sources all raw materials locally.

Answering questions on what the business is doing differently, the entrepreneur says that the retail arm of the business has helped to sustain the entire enterprise.

“Our retail arm of the business has helped us remain in business because it allows clients to order in pieces and get them delivered to their doorsteps. The convenience we provide has also helped us stay in business,” she explains.

She states that the customisation market in the country is huge, as it is difficult to do without customisation in many cases.

“We are in partnership with some major wholesalers of textiles in Aba.

“As soon as we start churning out large numbers, we will approach local textiles makers for partnerships,” she says.

Responding to questions on challenges, the marketing professional points out that “the greatest challenge for us is the time of managing our quality control processes. We spend time managing and educating our tailors on what the clients want, and this is where bulk of our resources goes into.”

She identifies the country’s huge infrastructural gap as a major challenge confronting her business.

She urges the government to ensure quality checks and standardisation of products and machinery in the country.

The entrepreneur also wants the government to provide basic infrastructure such as constant power, good roads, and efficient railway system, stating that these are key for business growth and survival.

She tells Start-Up-Digest that the business plans to start exporting indigenously produced apparel to Africans in the Diaspora and also capture other markets outside Nigeria.

She also plans to establish a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative where kids in underprivileged communities will be kitted.

When asked her advice to younger entrepreneurs, Enobong says, “Quitting the job is not necessarily the first thing. You must draw up your business plan, identify the viability of your business and then identify how to scale up your business.”

“You must identify the need your business is addressing and seek mentorship and partnership because you cannot do everything alone. Where you have advantage, own it and kill it. Use your strength and tap into the resources you have.”

JOSEPHINE OKOJIE