Mr. Fix Nigeria!: Feb 20, 2009

“When individuals rise, the community will rise, and ultimately the nation will rise.” The preceding quote culled from the forthcoming book – BRANDSARISE, constituted the overriding essence of presentations at the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment Season II held on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos.

Riding on the thematic platform – “Breaking Barriers, Taking Territories”, BRANDSARISE Season II was a star-studded experience featuring notable individual brands like Chief Dele Momodu, Charles O’Tudor, Uche Nworah, Joshua Awesome, TY Bello, Chude Jideonwo, Koffi Nuel, Sammie Okposo, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Sound Sultan, Ruggedman among others. In a soul-stirring presentation titled; “Wired to Win”, Founder of the Motivational Speakers Network [MSN] Nigeria, Mr. Joshua Awesome challenged youths to discover, nurture and deploy the potentials locked within them as this was the only way they could become impact-driven and life-changing personal brands.

On his part, Publisher of Ovation International, Chief Dele Momodu fought to hold back tears as he reminisced, chronicling memories of his troubled rise from being a nobody who could barely speak the English language to a celebrated media icon today. He summed up his life experience as a man who was “born to fly” challenging today’s youths to hold on tenaciously to their dreams regardless of life’s obstacles that are bound to confront them.

Mr. Charles O’Tudor, the Principal Consultant of ADSTRAT BMC Limited – host organisation of BRANDSARISE Season II, delivered the main presentation centered on the theme – “Breaking Barrier, Taking Territories.” In the presentation, which lasted over thirty minutes, the renowned Brand Strategist spoke passionately about the Nigerian situation attributing the nation’s travails to the dearth of sound and visionary individual brands who understand the strategic essence of leadership as a tool for social reconstruction. Mr. O’Tudor took the audience through a scholarly tour of global case studies ranging from national brands like Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and personal brands like Richard Branson and Bill Gates who harnessed the power of thinking within – defying borders and conquering uncharted territories. Noting that there is the urgent need for knowledge-driven individuals to arise in line with the current global realities as against the current arm-chair and kid-gloves disposition characteristic of the Nigerian experience, Mr. O’Tudor challenged young Nigerians to arise to their full potentials.

It was simply awesome watching renowned showbiz icons as TY Bello, Sammie Okposo, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Sound Sultan, Ruggedman, Koffi Nuel among others taking their turns to do the unexpected – speaking [as against singing] life-changing nuggets to young people. Perhaps, this phenomenon can be easily described as one impressively unique attribute that places the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment series on a class of its own.

It will be recalled that BRANDSARISE Season I, which was held at the Cultural Center, Calabar, CrossRiver State, was a huge success with over 500 young people in attendance. The event also featured renowned role model brands from the entertainment industry such as Ali Baba; Teju Babyface; Weird MC; Mr. Charles O’Tudor, the Principal Consultant of ADSTRAT BMC Limited and Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke who flagged off the event. Major corporate supports for BRANDSARISE Season II came from Visafone, Dudu Mobile, Seed Media, BusinessDay, as well as UNILAG FM. Mr. Kingsley Mordi, Head of Brand Management, Visafone who led the Visafone team to the event was on hand to present Visafone handsets, SIM packs, recharge cards and T-Shirts to participants who answered questions about the Visafone brand and facilitators’ presentations. He then pledged his company’s continued support and commitment to the BRANDSARISE initiative.

BRANDSARISE, as an initiative of ADSTRAT BMC Limited, made its debut as a series of articles published in BusinessDay over a period of time. A select compilation of these articles will be published as a compendium – the BRANDSARISE book, in the second quarter of the year. It addresses historical examples and approaches made by individuals, corporate and state entities at building their brands. It also provides strong insights into scientific and quintessential principles as adopted universally by various successful brands. From the youth perspective, it seeks to encourage individuals to rise, because when individuals rise, the community will rise and ultimately the nation will rise. BRANDARISE is taking the challenge of imparting and impacting the Nigerian youth with these values, as the custodian of the future, to rise to their full potential by discovering, developing and deploying their originality.

The Abraham Maslow hierarchy of need holds that as we move upward on the ladder, our physiological needs become displaced by the desire for self-actualization and satisfaction. ADSTRAT BMC Limited, arguably Nigeria’s leading Brand Management Consulting firm, has continued to record tremendous progress in the branding industry, by consistently setting the marks, raising the bars and inventing models. Having contributed immensely to the Nigerian branding experience, ADSTRAT BMC Limited considers the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment series as its Corporate Social Responsibility geared towards adding value to our nation in her odyssey to national greatness.

With the overwhelming success recorded at Seasons I and II of the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment, the BRANDSARISE train can only coast on to greater heights. Hence, ADSTRAT BMC Limited is currently fine-tuning strategies for BRANDSARISE Season III scheduled to hold at the nation’s premier University – the University of Ibadan.