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With Giants Campaign, FirstBank is Truly Woven into the Fabric of Society

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The ‘Giant in you’ campaign of the FirstBank has again confirmed the common expression that ‘apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ given the history of the financial brand and its legendary relevance to the growth of enterprises, within and outside Nigeria. 

In its usual creative conjecture, 13O-year-old FirstBank, has hit the airwaves and other media outlets with various visuals to articulate its new campaign ‘The Giant in You’. Breaking down the central message, ‘there is a giant in you’ the campaign stylishly reminds the bank customer that ‘FirstBank Puts You First so you can’ before giving the match order, ‘Live the Giant-Life.

For a bank that settles for the big ‘elephant’, as logo and has remained strong for 130 years, worlds like giant, tall and strides, used in the various visuals are simply validations of its robustness, endurance, doggedness and tall ambition. As part of the ways to convey the bank’s message to its array of patrons, SO&U, the creative agency behind the campaign cleverly selected its cast and buildings, including FirstBank’s corporate headquarters, to reflect the bigness, the tallness and the boldness of the 130-year-old financial institution to rule the world as far as banking and business support are concerned.

Unraveling the ‘Giant’ strides…

Among other reasons, the new campaign must have been conceptualized to position FirstBank as a ‘giant’ and ‘future-ready’ institution that is dependable, innovative and proactive in supporting its customers and stakeholders win in the race to the future and be in a position to take advantage of the opportunities and possibilities of that emerging future.

Driven by the conviction that  consumers want to turn their big dreams into giant successes, the new campaign reminds the consumer that in today’s world of constant disruptions and integrated experiences, the customer needs a strong, stable and supportive partner, with the appropriate platforms, innovative solutions and networks to not only support their aspirations but also be responsive and adaptive enough to anticipate their needs and empower them to success.

Looking through the visuals and the television commercial, it’s easy to conclude that the campaign narrative is not about the brand but the customer. For instance, the creative path illustrates the world as it moves and changes at lightning speed, the customer is reminded that just like the world, everything within it is also changing, from economies to businesses and even opportunities.

“We recognise that to be in sync with the world will require a forward thinking and future ready mindset …and we have created the atmosphere, products and services to help our customers,” the bank stated.

To underscore ‘the big idea’ and the ‘bringing out the Giant in you’ theme, key visuals speak to the essence of the campaign and are accompanied with long and straight legs in a demonstrative form to take the purported giant step. Here the messages are passed under the following; ready to take giant strides?, strides into the future, let’s take giant strides together, stand tall, stand out, think giant solutions, among others.

Facts and figures…

 Like Coca-Cola, the world number one brand, one other thing that has consistently worked for the FirstBank brand is that the promoters have never, for once allowed complacency to set in. The implication of this is that the bank is not only the oldest, but also one of the most digitally compliant banks.  Currently, First Bank stands tall via First Bank digital solutions, employs market-leading digital platforms and solution driven products and services. Besides, the use of AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) by the bank enables the financial brand to initiate 85 percent of its transactions via digital platforms leading to quick responses to customers’ needs and satisfaction. In this regard, FirstBank has been recognised by Interswitch as the first financial institution in Nigeria to achieve 100 million sustained monthly transactions in electronic payment and it has hit N1 trillion transactions through the FirstMonie Agent network.

Speaking during the unveiling of the new thematic brand campaign, Head, Brand and Stakeholder management at FirstBank, Yinka Ijabiyi, reiterated that FirstBank came up with the new campaign because of its belief that there is a ‘giant’ in every customer, every employee and every stakeholder. He said, “This campaign was informed by our belief that there is ‘giant’ in every stakeholder a giant dream, a giant possibility, a giant idea, a giant life and a giant future waiting to be birthed. Our commitment is therefore to provide all necessary business support, financial know-how and platforms to bring out the giant in every customer,”

Ijabiyi further pointed out that the campaign was conceptualised by the bank in a bid to show customers in its 130 years, that it has been supporting and creating giants and that it has no plan to stop anytime soon. He said the bank, in its celebration of its 130 years in business, came up with a campaign that speaks to the business essence of its brand which is making giants of its customers. “We have always done it and the fact we have been around for such a long time means good to everybody as we have been supporting businesses, individuals and government in those years. “We are making giants and there is no business that interacts with us that does not see the benefits in their business. We are making giants in our customers and we will not stop.

“We are the partner with tailored solutions for every customer, employee, and stakeholder. We have what it takes to turn dreams into giant successes. FirstBank’s services are designed to help customers “giant-size” their dreams, offering businesses the platforms and solutions needed to grow, innovate, and achieve remarkable success.” Ijabiyi added that the array of products, solutions and services offered by FirstBank cannot be compared with any financial services in Nigeria.

For its customers, the bank said “We would enable, inspire and support you with our world of financial services to help you to giant-size your dreams and live your best life”. It also said it “would give businesses and business owners the right platforms and solutions they need to grow, initiate and execute bold ideas.

Meanwhile, the creative agency behind the campaign has hinted to the media that the unveiled materials were mere ‘tip of the iceberg’ as efforts are ongoing to domesticate the same campaign in local languages to connect with customers across the major ethnic groups in Nigeria.

A peep into the past…

 When the promoters said First Bank was “truly the first, many grudgingly agreed. But deep inside its competitors – the possible grudging camp – is the truth regarding the extreme distance the bank has given others in performance and people relevance of its operations! They knew the bank was not bluffing. Not only has it rediscovered itself, but the ability to shed its ancient mindset in terms of operations and blend with modern trends in banking have left many agreeing that perhaps, the saying that the older the wine the better it gets in taste actually applies to FirstBank. To this end, it’s not by accident that First Bank has produced at least two former governors of the CBN and a Finance Minister, including Chief Joseph Sanusi and the current Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Perhaps the current campaign is an offshoot of a story-telling Television Commercial, by the bank to reflect the beginning of modern banking and how the bank has consistently grown with Nigeria’s enterprises through partnership and innovation.

The referenced TVC says it all: A combination of historical renaissance and quite prescient validation of the innovation that usually drives its bewitching communicational ads. From the groundnut pyramids of the north, which was the symbol of the regions commercial edge and the cocoa bean mountains of Western Nigeria to the rubber plantations of the East and Mid-eastern region, First Bank has applied its new campaign to remind its decades-old patrons, customers, and even competitors, that the beat has refused to abate.

Throughout the campaign, FirstBank subtly registers itself in the minds of the banking public that it’s entirely Nigerian – past, present, and the future. The well-crafted historical simulation captures how FirstBank opened its first branch in Lagos in 1894 and started helping merchandise and local traders to grow their businesses. The excitement and enthusiasm on the faces of the bank’s early customers after getting their cash books from the Lagos office say it all. Like someone who has gotten a glimpse of what the future holds with banking, the customers express surprises and happiness. The commercial captures the mood and goes back in memory lane on how the bank has helped many people succeed in their ventures. Subtly, the narrator takes viewers to Kano and reveals how the then richest men in the commercial city were making their deposit of 20 bags of Silver in an atmosphere that looks like the first operational day of the bank.

Perhaps the beauty of the commercial lies more in the way it strikes a balance between the ancient and the modern days through setting and swapping of background colours. This was cleverly explored in referencing the way the bank transformed into an online haven, driven by technology. While reminding the patrons of the bank’s transformation and technological advancement, the narrator is quick to talk about the expansion of the bank beyond the shores of Nigeria to the West-African region and beyond. The TVC also positions FirstBank as a socially responsible brand by touching on various initiatives it has embarked on. Specifically, First Bank’s contribution to Sports through its support for football and athletics is captured very well.

The ‘Giant in You’ is another chapter as the bank begins a fresh journey after operating for 130 years.

Culled from ThisDay

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Business

Nestlé Empowers Women Towards Self-Sufficiency, Self-Reliance, Nation Building

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By Eric Elezuo

“Our goal is to ensure women feel supported, valued and respected. We have been working to balance the gender makeup of our workforce and leadership. As a result, the proportion of women in managerial positions is increasing, including in our most senior executive posts,” – Nestlé 

If we have to measure the level or state Nestlé is giving women the power, authority and wherewithal to carry out their specific and basic assignments without recourse to another authority, the result will be unprecedented. Of course, this article is tailored towards that measurement, and the outcome is positively humongous. Women has found a resting beam on the efficacy and empowerment prowess of Nestlé, both as a Nigerian entity, and as a global force.

It is no secret that Nigerian women have found solace in the empowerment efforts of the dairy manufacturing giants, thereby taking charge of their own affairs, legally or otherwise towards becoming independent, self reliant, self sustaining, and of course capable of independently meeting their personal and communal responsibilities.

That is the makeup of Nigeria’s foremost food, beverage and other essential household makers, Nestlé Nigeria Limited, empowering all and sundry, with special bias to women, to becoming masters of their existence.

Charity, they say, begins at home, and so, Nestlé has anchored its placement of women on higher pedestal of empowerment and recognition from it primarily environment, as it gives women a pride of place in its employment indices. Presently, a total of 46.4% of its management positions are occupied by women. It is no wonder they won Top Employer Award in 2022 and following.

The company noted, “Our Gender Balance Acceleration Plan aims to increase the proportion of women in our top 200+ senior executive posts. We carefully monitor our succession planning to ensure that we have the right pipeline for our most critical business roles and provide career support and guidance through our Senior Leader Development Roadmap (Corporate Mentoring Program, Senior Leaders Development Assessment Center and Senior Executive Program).”

This has fulfilled one of their cardinal objectives, which is giving women the leverage to support their men, and in most cases become their own economic masters.

Nestlé’s efforts at empowering women is not limited to geo-location, and workplace excellence. Consequently, the brand on many occasions and still counting, has zeroed into communal existence, entrepreneurial capacity building, academic enablement, vocational mentorship and many more for women, giving them the needed zeal to coexist in a world erroneously described as a man’s world.

No one will forget in a hurry how during the 2014 United Nations 6th Annual Women’s Empowerment Principles event, Nestlé shared its mind bulging efforts to empower women and girls worldwide, exhibiting its works in cooperation with almost 750,000 women to provide technical and business skills, aimed at boosting education, training and opportunities, to encourage the professional development of women in the marketplace and community.

Also in August 2021, the brand launched the Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria project, the first of its kind, with the sole aim of helping rural women retailers within the company’s value chain to scale up their businesses to increase their household incomes. The programme has assumed national prominence from Nsukka and Obolo-Afor, where it was launched, reaching instantly to the suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory and Osogbo in its first and second phases.

From the initial 150 beneficiaries, the gains have continued to multiply, integrating more Nigerian women, who are presently capable of holding their own. Nestle doesn’t settle for less in its quest to create a self reliant Nigerian woman.

The project is one of the Creating Shared Value initiatives that Nestlé deploys to help build thriving communities by improving livelihoods, and designed to equip female distributors at the end of the pyramid to scale up to three times the size of their existing businesses over three months, and to sustain the new level.

“At Nestlé, we believe that by contributing to the health and wellbeing of our communities, we create shared value for all stakeholders while contributing to the growth of our business,” the corporate headquarters was quoted as saying.

The package for beneficiaries of this programme includes grants by way of Nestlé products valued at 300% of their current monthly sales and participation in training and mentorship programs.

That’s not all, Nestlé provides each beneficiary retailer with a one-on-one mentor for guidance and consistent support. At the end of the day, the beneficiaries come out grounded and rounded, gaining the ability to master the trade and remain relevant in their businesses.

With this programme, Nestlé Nigeria has propelled 332 women entrepreneurs to amplify their businesses by an impressive 300% within the span of just one year, underscoring the company’s commitment to Creating Shared Value within its value chain, tailored to bolster financial security and enhance livelihoods, which specifically targets women within Nestlé Nigeria’s value chain.

Nestlé has also empowered women to diversify their incomes with the innovative family-centered approach, known as the Income Accelerator Programme, which is aiming to close the living income gap and reduce child labour risks by encouraging changes in behavior and rewarding positive practices.

This exemplifies Nestlé’s commitment to empowering women and households collectively, towards diversifying their incomes and building income resilience beyond every other primary endeavour.

Beyond the Nigerian shores, Nestlé also tells the story of global empowerment of women towards becoming the backbone of coffee cultivation.

The story goes, “Nescafé sources coffee from 20+ countries and recognizes the vital role that women play in growing high-quality coffee. Our sustainability initiative, the Nescafé Plan, isn’t just about producing great coffee. It’s also about empowering the communities that grow it. Supporting farmer incomes is a critical element, and, in many origins like Vietnam, the program is helping achieve yield increases up to 25%…

…”So far, Nescafé Plan 2030‘s farmer training programs have reached over 148 000 farmers in 16 countries, including… Vietnam. This knowledge empowers women to make informed decisions about their farms, improve yields, and, ultimately, grow their incomes.”

Again, Nestlé is in the forefront of empowering women farmers and advancing agriculture, and has been keenly aware of women’s vital role in Nigeria’s agriculture sector. Nestlé’s Agricultural Support Programmes have turned the challenge of limited access to resources, and climate change which threatens crop yield around, focusing specifically on women farmers by providing quality seeds, modern tools, and training in sustainable farming practices.

It has also partnered with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to promote climate-smart farming techniques that empower women to combat environmental challenges and increase crop yields.

As a testament of wholesome assistance to women’s course, the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, has recognized Nestlé for transparency in advancing women’s equality in the workplace for the fifth consecutive year.

It is believed that when the women are empowered, the community is empowered, and Nestlé takes cognizance, and is working assiduously in that direction.

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Dangote to IPMAN, PETROAN: Claims of Landing Fuel Cheaper Than Ours Means Importing Substandard Products

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In response to allegations by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) about high fuel prices from the refinery, and importing cheaper fuel, Dangote Refinery has said that its ex-depot price of petrol ia pegged at N990 per litre for sale into trucks, and N960 for ships.

While defending pricing strategy, the refinery insisted that its rates are competitive and in line with international standards.

The refinery, in a statement signed by the company’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, claimed that the assertions made by IPMAN and PETROAN that they can land cheaper petroleum products meant that they were importing substandard products into the country.

“We had lately refrained from engaging in media fights, but we are constrained to respond to the recent misinformation being circulated by IPMAN, PETROAN, and other associations.

“Both organisations claim that they can import PMS at lower prices than what is being sold by the Dangote Refinery. We benchmark our prices against international prices, and we believe our prices are competitive relative to the price of imports. If anyone claims they can land PMS at a price cheaper than what we are selling, then they are importing substandard products and conniving with international traders to dump low quality products into the country, without concern for the health of Nigerians or the longevity of their vehicles.

Unfortunately, the regulator (NMDPRA) does not even have laboratory facilities which can be used to detect substandard products when imported into the country.

“Post deregulation, NNPC set the pace by selling PMS to domestic marketers at N971 per litre for sale into ships and at N990 for sale into trucks. This set the benchmark for our pricing, and we have even gone lower to sell at N960 per litre for sale into ships while maintaining N990 per litre for sale into trucks.

“In good faith, and in the interest of the country, we commenced sales at these prices without clarity on the exchange rate that we will use to pay for the crude purchased.

“At the same time, an international trading company has recently hired a depot facility next to the Dangote Refinery, with the objective of using it to blend substandard products that will be dumped into the market to compete with Dangote Refinery’s higher quality production.

“This is detrimental to the growth of domestic refining in Nigeria. We should point out that it is not unusual for countries to protect their domestic industries in order to provide jobs and grow the economy. For example, the US and Europe have had to impose high tariffs on EVs and microchips in order to protect their domestic industries.

“While we continue with our determination to provide affordable, good quality, domestically refined petroleum product in Nigeria, we call on the public to disregard the deliberate disinformation being circulated by agents of people who prefer for us to continue to export jobs and import poverty” he stated.

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Customers Get 10% Bonus on Data Through MoneyMaster

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Customers of MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB), Nigeria’s top payment service bank, will now enjoy an attractive 10 percent data bonus offer.

The bank’s commitment to enabling Nigerians to manage their finances through effective offers that make every naira matter is clearly demonstrated through this project, which aims to reward devoted clients and attract new ones.

Glo customers can access the promotion using a number of banking channels, including as the MoneyMaster PSB app, MoneyMaster PSB Web banking, and the USSD banking code *995#.

Customers that reload N1,000 or more will instantly receive a 10 percent data incentive. The data bonus to clients is said to rank among the best in the nation.

Unused data can be rolled over to the next subscription, and the data purchases have a 30-day validity period.

Julius Arhebun, Head of Agency Banking at MoneyMaster, said on the bonus data offer: “We are dedicated to providing our customers with products that improve their lifestyle and assist them in managing their finances.” With this deal, both new and current customers can take advantage of prolonged access to high-quality internet services, whether they want to browse popular websites, stream their favorite content, or keep up with the latest trends on their preferred social networking apps”.

Arhebun further added that: “To enjoy the benefit, existing customers can simply buy a data bundle of N1000 or above from their mobile wallets, savings account or individual current account via our USSD banking code *995#, mobile app or web banking. New customers can enjoy the offer by opening accounts via the USSD banking platform or downloading the mobile application.”

MoneyMaster PSB is a leading provider of innovative digital financial products and services that transform lives and contribute to sustainable living. With a mission to deepen financial inclusion, MoneyMaster has been instrumental in providing financial technology services to bridge the gaps between the banked, underbanked and unbanked population.

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