‘Nigerian clubsides lack branding’

Niyi Alebiosu, Abuja - 28.08.2008

Every Nigerian professional club has been described as a product that lacked following and good sponsorship because it lacked good and corporate branding, thereby making it difficult to be acceptable by its consumers.

Managing Director and CEO of MEDIACOM Nigeria, Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, stated this yesterday while delivering a paper on ‘Designing and Developing An Effective Marketing Structures and Policies for Premier League Clubs’ at the ongoing Nigeria Premier League (NPL) international seminar organised by Globacom at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

He pointed out that Nigerian clubs were not well-managed like their counterparts in Europe, where clubs are regarded as brands.

“Our (Nigerian) clubs are not even near anywhere to be called brands because how many people in the country identify with them? When I say people, I mean fans. As we all know, the big four in England, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, enjoy so much mileage from fans because they are brands all over the world,” Ikpe said.

He said that the clubs in Nigeria can improve on their image by contracting experts in marketing in a bid to improve their brand name before the corporate world.

“When you go to any corporate entity in a bid to seek sponsorship, there are salient questions that such prospective sponsors want to know. Such companies might not ask directly but they expect the clubs to know these things.

“Prospective sponsors would want to know the location of the club, database of their fans,” said Ikpe.”