---

---

Nigeria: Delivering Vision 2020 to the Market - the Mechanics

Prof Ogwo

5 January 2009

---

Following the activities that heralded the coming together of the Marketing Institute in Nigeria, in 2008, Prof. Ogwo.E. Ogwo, Professor of Marketing, former Vice-Chancelor, Abia State University and Renaissance University delivered an inaugural lecture of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), tagged "Marketing and Vision 2020: Challenges and Prospects. Princewill Ekwujuru was there to capture the moments. Read on.

Marketing and Vision 2020

The core tasks or challenges that would become paramount as government through whatever agencies seeks to introduce and get the Vision 2020 known and accepted have to do with what the public response or reaction to it would be. For indeed, the response or reaction of the society to the Vision 2020 would determine the success or failure of the programme. What would then logically follow from what is said above is a recognition of a need to:

•Assess the probable public response to the Vision 2020 as presently packaged Devise steps to promote a favourable response. This would involve explaining the key tenets of Vision 2020 to the people which itself implies knowing what needs to be explained and how if. is to be explained. Both (i) and (ii) above forcefully suggest a third need namely;

•Determine people's predispositions and attitude to the subject matter of Vision 2020.Clearly executing these tasks, calls for research and more appropriately marketing research and communication. Indeed, what is sketched above is very much akin to what takes plane in the marketing process of new product development. (Katona, 1981).

From what is sketched above, we are able to summarize the key elements in fashioning out the challenges that face marketing with the Vision 2020 programme; The Cause, Vision 2020: a programme which its sponsors believe would accelerate Nigeria's economic development.The Sponsor or Change Agent: The government or its agencies who want to 'sell' Vision 2020;

The Audience or Society or Target Adopters: individuals, groups or the entire society who are the target of appeals to accept Vision 2020;Channels: communication and other influence pathways or media through which influence and responses arc exchanged back and forth between the Sponsor or Change agent and the audience/society/Target.

Change Strategy: The method adopted by the change agent or sponsor to effect acceptance of Vision 2020, or to make their attitude and behaviour towards it favourable.

The strategy that is recommended is what has come to be known in the marketing literature as social marketing was first introduced in 1971 as a subdiscipline of marketing which seeks to apply marketing principles tools to advance a social cause or idea, Kotler and Zaltman (1971).

It usually involves the design implementation and control of programmes that seek the acceptance of a social idea or practice within an audience group, utilizing such marketing concepts as market segmentation, consumer research, product concept development and testing amongst others to maximize the target adopter's response, (Kotler and Roberto, 1989 p.24).

In the paragraphs that follow, we shall be sketching out our proposal on how the tools of social marketing can be applied to market the Vision 2020.

The Marketing of Vision 2020 would involve the following processes: (i)Defining the 'market' for Vision 2020 (ii) Designing Vision 2020 to fit the market (iii) Delivering Vision 2020 to the market; (iv) Monitoring, Evaluation and Review of Vision 2020 Programme Performance.

We shall now consider the details of the involvement of each of these processes.(i) Defining the market for Vision 2020 Technically, the 'market' or audience for Vision 2020 is the entire country, including also the relevant segments of the international community.

This 'market' is thus very heterogenous and 'selling' to it would be rather cumbersome. There is thus the need, as part of the definition of the 'market' 'or Vision 2020, to breakdown the total market into fairly homogenous sub-markets, a process known in marketing parlance as Marketing segmentation. Although in pure Marketing theorizing, the bases for market segmentations are usually well defined, the peculiar circumstances of this particular market, call for an adoption of more pragmatic bases for segmentation. Consequently, the following segments are suggested: International Community NGOs

The Political Class, Civil and Public Servants, Universities, Students and Youths, traditional rulers, sports stars, media, film and other tasks involved. Defining the market include researching to know the key segments better, including getting to know their views on Nigeria's economic development and the Vision 2020 programme.

Identifying segments and or individuals and groups who are antagonistic to Vision 2020 for whatever reason.Generally raising the salience or significance of our economic development problems and linking their solution to Vision 2020.

(ii) Designing Vision 2020 to fit the market

The next stage of the marketing process is that of designing Vision 2020 to fit the market.

The aim here is to design the message and essence of the Vision such that it will effectively convey the wishes of the sponsors and eventually the approval and support of the audience to the preferred economic development approach. Key marketing tasks needed here include:

•Interpreting the Vision 2020 plan as a solution to Nigeria's economic development problems;

•Fashioning out a version of the interpretation made above to suit each of the market segments earlier defined and isolate. In this way, there would be a different version of the Vision 2020 directed at the International community. For example, from that directed at NGO's 'Dressing' up Vision 2020, that is packaging and branding it to accord with the positioning of Vision 2020 as "the answer to Nigeria's developmental questions."

As example, to accord with the Vision's positioning as the answer to Nigeria's developmental questions, it could be dressed up with the brand name of breaking through developmentally and symbolically packaged as an eagle soaring free from a cage. Of course all this would have greater impact and meaning if the ultimate source, Nigeria as a nation is seen to be taking other actions to spruce up its image. Essentially this would be a task for leadership at the highest level.

The design must be conscious of the fact that there would be many opponents to Vision 2020 even as it is positioned as "an answer." This is so because there are many, locally and internationally, who because they are benefitting from the present situation do not see that they could benefit even more from a successfully implemented Vision 2020. The design must take account of this, for these opponents too, constitute a vibrant segment of the 'market' earlier defined.

Delivering Vision 2020 to the market

The next marketing task is that of delivering Vision 2020 as designed-positioned, branded and packaged to the various segments of the audience or adopters or population. Paramount in the message that would be 'delivered' to the audiences or segments is a fairly palpable mental picture of what Nigeria would become at the successful implementation of Vision 2020. This must clearly demonstrate how Vision 2020 will add value to the country and her people.

Beyond the extensive use of all media of communication, including specialised media, like academic journals and the internet, these other delivery outlets should as appropriate, be considered and used: special events(fairs, convocations, sports gatherings, quizzes or competitions for prizes); public lectures; town union meetings; public rallies; meetings with opinion leaders, broadly defined etc. Some of them that could be explored in these encounters and in the media.

Be the first to Write a Comment!

---