MTN Nigeria Communications Limited has launched its new campaign pay-off known as 'Go' in a ceremony attended by the crème de la crème of the society including Onari Duke, the wife of the immediate past governor of Cross River, Donald Duke.
Duke told the gathering that MTN has over the years developed its campaigns, adding that in the new pay-off, people are encouraged to "'Go' for whatever they desire, aspire for higher achievement, 'go' against the tide, 'go' start something, 'go' be the man or the woman, 'go' lend a hand, whatever you do, don't stand still, give it your best."
According to Duke, the telco started with 'The Better Connection' as its pay-off line in 2001, then to 'Your Best Connection,' but in April 2005 it launched 'Everywhere you Go' to harmonize and create a universal brand promise in all MTN operations across the continent.
Meanwhile, the general manager of consumer market at MTN Nigeria, Kola Oyeyemi, said the launch with the theme 'GO', positions the telco as a company that encourages men and women to go and conquer the world, knowing that man desires to live a better life, desire a secure future, progress and change.
Oyeyemi noted that the 'Everywhere you Go' brand philosophy portrayed the MTN brand in the manner of an enabler in the life of the consumer.
"It was founded on the core MTN values of leadership, integrity and can-do spirit, and so on, which aptly explains why MTN continues to dominate the telecom sector of the Nigerian economy," he said.
In addition, he pointed out that due to the company's leadership on coverage and market share in the Nigerian market, consumers' interpretation of the pay-off was more from a geographical than from a brand philosophy perspective.
"There was, therefore, a need to migrate people from their perception of 'everywhere you go' being geographic, to seeing it as a philosophy of the brand. It was for this reason, that the company restrategised and began last year the launch of another brand value proposition, that is, 'Moving You Ahead' and the subsequent campaigns," he said.
He explained that the 'Moving You Ahead' pay-off was meant to take consumers from one level to another as long as they remain with the MTN network, adding that to lend credence to the telecom giant's value proposition, many Nigerians have been empowered economically.
"In the various promotional activities being undertaken by MTN, many people's lives have been changed. People have won cars, cash prizes, to name a few. The company has also organised seminars for entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs to empower them to 'GO' out to fight and conquer poverty, simply because they have remained with the MTN network," he said.
The MTN Group in Africa and the Middle East, he said, believes that consumers have the ability and the capability to be what they want to be if they have the needed encouragement and support.
By: Remmy Nweke, Published by: Highway Africa
