Leo Burnett Lagos, a Humankind company and a leading creative advertising firm, has urged brand builders and communicators to discontinue the strategy of building retail across products but people.
Lekan Lawal, COO of Leo Burnett Lagos, stated this at the recently concluded 2019 Global Africa Forum on Communications (GAFCOMM), held in Kigali, Rwanda, with the theme “Speak for Africa: New Frontiers for Africa’s Global Growth Story.”
While speaking on the topic “The Leo Burnett Way” as well contributing at the panel session, titled “the future of retail in Africa”, Lawal said, “Retail should be designed around people, not products. It should be designed in the context of multichannel shopping. We must deliver a relevant message that meets our shoppers’ needs at every channel along her path to purchase.”
According to him, the battle is on already. Africa is one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world, he posited, adding “Household consumption has increased even faster than its gross domestic product (GDP) in recent years – and average annual GDP growth has consistently outpaced the global average.”
Lawal said “the vast majority of consumer spending on the continent still currently takes place in informal, roadside markets. But the consumer today holds the most power – better connected, and better informed. “So then, how can brands connect with these consumers in a manner that is resonant and relevant, in order to build stronger relationships, in their quest to push the growth Agenda,” he queried.
“This African consumer is driven by hope and fear; hence we must understand them to a granular level. The more confident they are, the more they spend. The less confident the more they go into saving mode. Deeper understanding the African consumer, both as a consumer and as a shopper therefore is crucial to winning in retail,” he recommended.
Speaking further on “This is the Leo Burnett way”, the adman reinforced how his agency has helped various organizations solve complex retail problems, particularly withthe introduction of the ‘ARC’ tool, Leo Burnett’s edge to connecting with African shoppers, scientifically mapping their journeys and designing based on a deeper understanding of their behavior across various key channels.
Commenting on how Africa can solve it challenges through communication, Lawal said, “Most disputes are as a result of breakdown in communication. Africa must commit to a holistic campaign that deliberately projects its best to the world, and even more importantly work towards improving their continent.
“Communication will play a big role in fostering meaningful dialogue among different African nations, and nurture a shared vision for the continent’s future. Most developing countries have a diverse society. Some are deprived of access to the mass media, and thus ever silent in the process of national dialogue, Leo Burnett Boss said.
According to him, this great divide, both in terms of access to information and contribution to knowledge, generates social and political tension, not to mention horrendous economic injustice. “This cannot go on. We, in the field of communication, need to exert our best in bringing together the diverse cultures in the developing world into a mosaic with distinct parts or a fully integrated rainbow of colors that every citizen is proud of,” Lawal said.
UBA extends chatbot Leo to IOS users
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has extended services of its chatbot, Leo, to its customers on Apple Business Chat. This category of customers can now communicate directly with businesses using the Messages app on iPhone and iPad.
Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, group managing director, UBA, made this disclosure at a ceremony held recently in Lagos.
“As a brand focused on providing excellent customer experience, we are always looking for new ways to serve our customers easily and on time; we are therefore thrilled to support Apple Business Chat, which gives us a powerful and engaging connection with our customers,” he said.
According to him, most of their customers prefer iOS, while the bank strives to exceed their expectations when they experience UBA.
“Apple Business Chat makes communicating with us as easy as messaging a friend, so we expect it will quickly become our customers’ preferred customer service channel,” the bank’s GMD said.
He noted that UBA customers could use the services of Leo through the Apple Business Chat to open an account, buy airtime, check account balance, make account transfers and pay bills. With Business Chat, customers can always reach a person real-time and are always in control of whether they share any contact information with a business.
“Today, we are covering a segment that has been missing for some time. It is our desire to ensure that we put Leo everywhere, and it is now on the iOS platform as the users approached us that they needed to enjoy the service that Facebook and WhatsApp users had been enjoying from Leo. Consistently, we have been the first in the use of intelligence banking, this is the first time this is happening in Africa. Leo is live in English on the iOS platform, and by the end of October, it will be live in other languages. As you know, Leo is already on WhatsApp and Facebook in English, French, Portuguese and Swahili languages,” Uzoka explained.
Mr. Austin Abolusoro, group head, online banking, UBA, added that the bank was always looking for ways to improve its services to its teeming customers.
“We are leading financial industry AI in Africa. Our customers have been increasingly asking for mobile services that make their lives easier, and Leo has become a growing choice for his convenience and personal solutions, over a million customers are already on the Leo platform.
“Before now, customers can only come to the bank, but today we are on social media as well as on the iOS platform, and the launch of Leo has helped customer to get their complaints resolved without physically visiting the bank. Leo makes use of available data to resolve complaints and where more information is needed, Leo will transfer the customer to human agents,” Abolusoro noted.
Nigerian Kemi Adetu tops Yahoo 50 HERoes List
Nigerian Kemi Adetu has emerged No. 1 on Yahoo’s top 50 HERoes future female leaders 2019 list. The initiative, organised by Involve’s Diversity and Inclusion Network and supported by Yahoo Finance, celebrates inspirational women who are not currently senior executives in their organisation but making a significant contribution to gender diversity at work.
Since its inception in 2016, the initiative has recognised hundreds of female executives across the world after series of high-level assessments. This year, the 50 recipients of the future leaders’ award were selected based on the influence of their role, impact on women inside and outside the workspace and their business achievements.
Kemi Adetu is an associate of the Financial and Strategic Investor Group at Standard Chartered Bank and member of the bank’s Gender Engagement Network, where she is actively involved with influencing key stakeholders within the organisation on the importance of improving gender balance in the work place.
She is also the founder of two recent initiatives, Glow Up and Fempire Professional Network. Her work at Glow Up seeks to equip children across African and the USA with the knowledge to become economic leaders in their immediate environment. With Fempire Professional network, she keenly provides a more robust support system and platform for an international community of female professionals.
While receiving this award in London, Adetu expressed her delight and further reinforced her commitment towards driving gender balance both within and outside her organization. “I am veryhonored to be a recipient of this prestigious award from Yahoo Finance andit is encouraging to know that our efforts in creating a gender-balanced world isbeing recognized. In our quest to fully achieve this, I believe that we need more women to be more confident and believe in themselves as well as the potential and skills they execute in the work place. This is a great opportunity to expand my access, and empower more women with the tools they need to learn and grow, including mentorships, networking opportunities and training workshops especially in Africa,” she said.
In her role at Standard Chartered’s Gender Engagement Network, Kemi continues to push stakeholders towards improving gender balance through its internship and graduate programmes.