Daily Independent (Lagos)
Goddie Ofose
7 February 2010
The Oregun headquarters of Unilever Nigeria Plc, one of the frontline household products manufacturers in the country, has become a beehive of some sorts following the invitation to pitch for activation and PR businesses of the company few weeks ago.
The situation, according to a source, has led to the marketing director, Mr. Dominic Kimani, to temporarily change his mobile phone number that is known to most of the agencies' bigwigs that entered for the pitch. In most cases, visitors to marketing director's office are thoroughly screened by security operatives to foil any plan from pitching agencies to lobby the company top officials.
The agencies, which include the incumbents, have thrown caution to wind by employing all kind of intrigues and strategies to lobby decision-making personnel on the business to ensure that the juicy activation/event and PR account berths at their coast by the time it is announced.
It would be recalled that Unilever Nigeria announced its interest to hire new activation/event and PR agencies to partner with the company to delivering experiential activations in the Nigerian market three weeks ago. The announcement, however, has generated lots of response from the industry practitioners making the multinational the first to stir the marketing communications industry with a pitch in 2010.
However, the development has thrown open for contest the businesses that have as incumbents Integrated Troops, Neo Media and EXP as brand activation agencies and Marketing Mix and The Quadrant Company for PR taking charge of the PR needs of the multinational.
As the curtain fell on the call for the submission of bids on 29 January 2010, Daily Independent investigations reveal that over 10 brand activation agencies and well over 30 PR shops have submitted their bids for the pitch, which lasted for two weeks.
Since the curtain fell on the submission of interest, the entire episode has been characterised with high level intrigue and lobbying, said a source. "Some directors of the company have gone into hiding with express instruction that every visitors to marketing director's office and marketing department be thoroughly screened before entry is granted".
The source also disclosed that Kimani's office and home has witnessed unprecedented human traffic and gift from all sort of quarters in order to get favour from the office of the Unilever's marketing helmsman.
According to sources, part of effort by the company to checkmate the infiltration of the company's rank is the plan to invite some Unilever directors from other countries particular in South Africa, Kenya and the UK to supervise the presentation to ensure that underhand dealings are properly checked.
Some incumbents on the business have also embarked on repositioning campaign to put them on the advantage because this is said to be one of the criteria from Unilever for getting the business. EXP has blazed the trail in this regard so far because according to a reliably source "it is one of the incumbents that is marked down to get a slice of the juicy business."
Daily Independent investigations also reveal that Integrated Troops and Marketing Mix are unlikely to retain the account not because of performance but because the two agencies, brand activation shop and PR respectively are directly and indirectly linked to Ademola Adedoyin, who recently ended his romance with Unilever Nigeria as employee.
Mr. Adedoyin, the ex communication channel manager of Unilever Nigeria is allegedly touted to own Troops, the brand activation agency that is one of the incumbents and friend to owner and chief executive officer of Marketing Mix, Akin Adeoya.
While EXP according a reliably source has been assured to get at least a slice of the business, but Ehi Braimoh's led Neo Media hope of getting something out is hanging in the balance. It was gathered however, that TQC is gunning for the full PR business of the conglomerate.
Debunking speculations that his departure had caused some agencies their business Mr. Adedoyin said "they are still working but Unilever only need more agencies. They were informed last year October and agreed to participate in review, I still work on assignments for them," he affirmed.
However, investigations also reveal that there is plan also to bring in a foreign agency to partner a local one to take care of PR needs of the company, while activation account would be given to EXP, South Africa brand activation with full operation in Nigeria and other two shops. "I can assure you that EXP would certainly get it but the same can not be said of other incumbents," a source revealed.
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