03/03/2024
*Erisco Foods - the complete dymistificatiin of a struggling brand*
I watched with pity as the Chief promoter of this brand Eric Umeofia use his own hands and mouth to desmantle and destroy a brand that he had laboured so much to build.
As I watched him in his cheap Ankara suit with tomato paste logos all over, I bent my head in desperation and pity. He was fuming, he was going to fight 'her' and will never back out. By the time he finished, I was in tears.
This man had just used his own hands to forge the biggest PR backlash on his own company with which if care is not taken he could be facing a market boycott or a blacklist from social media denizens who will come after him.
As soon as I finished watching, I went on X which I never do and truthfully, he was on the slab. From his big head, to his tardy dressing, to his products and even his family, he was being pilloried.
Then I now decided to go even see what was causing all of this. The lady Chioma, in a Facebook post had lamented how she tasted 'too much sugar' in the tomato paste since she had gone for it when she codnt find the ones she was used to.
This was a PR gift from heaven. I know just what my brother Emeka Opara at Airtel or the whizkid Bolaji Okusaga formerly of Quadrant would have done with that.
By the time, they finished with it, everybody would be buying Erisco to even taste the sugar but no, Eric goes on rampage.
He invites the police who arrest her, drive her over night to Abuja and it takes the Federal consumer protection agency to secure her release.
Now as if that is not enough, he goes on air to threaten a N5b suit against Chioma if she doesn't apologise. You see how this man prepares a poison chalet for himself to drink in the full glare of the public.
To further erode his credibility, Chioma goes public in tears rendering a classic case of David and Goliath and we all know what happened to Goliath.
The sad thing is that, this Eric would have PR and branding experts around him and advising him o but will he listen?
He is suffering from what I have come to identify and describe as the Founders pitfall. The Founders pitfall is the obstinate arrogance that comes with the realisation that - I built this from the scratch and as such you can't knw my business more than me.
This leads to opaque arrogance, thick headedness and eventually stifles inclusion in decision taking and enthroning a despotic mien in management.
Eric looks a classic case of this syndrome as I watched him the other day. He is angry, eyes bulging, spittle flying around the studio and at some point, on live TV, shouts at an aide-bring that sample beckoning that one who was off camera.
It took the professional calmness of the presenter to stop that sacrilege on live TV.
How Mr Eric expects to win this self inflicted war beats me.. Already Nigerians have raised N1. 9m on social media to defend Chioma. Lawyers will fall over themselves to defend her free. Womens rights advocate will jump into the matter, every human right organisations will join the fray and even innocent bystanders will also enter the matter.
Even Government with all its power avoids things like this, talk less of a consumer brand that is facing all they are facing doing business in Nigeria and then will now come snd add this one on top of their head.
Mr Eric is the one that needs to beg Chioma and apologise to her otherwise, the backlash would be such that he may not even have a business to run in the next 12 months.
He should listen more to his brand custodians and immediately hire crises managers and then stay clear. He has done more than enough damage to his brand.
The girl didn't do anything wrong. She only just made an observation which could either be wrong or right and unilaterally endorsed other brands which remains her right.
What Erisco needed to have done, was invite her on a tour of their factories so she can see how the product is made and then if she is satisfied give her a years worth of the product and make her a brand Ambassador. Finish
All these police, court case and wearing cheap clothes and spitting all over TV is needless. He simply just missed a terrific PR opportunity. An opportunity that very serious brands beg for.
See those who handle UBA brand image. He should go learn a thing or two from them or those who manage Mr Elumelu's brand image.
I think they are the best in the industry and that is why you see Mr Elumelu's brand image very strong and endearing despite his continued exposure in the media.
See how Ameachi Akobi and his team handled the recent PR attacks immediately after Herbert Wigwe passing.
Stoic silence which is a powerful tool in PR warfare was what they deployed. They however reached out very stealthily to credible platforms with facts and data complete with court judgements to show true position and allowed those ones do the fighting, but in public, it was silence of the graveyard till it blew over.
Brilliant. That is how brilliant PR and image custodians behave and ply their trade. Silence or strategic engagement none of which Mr Eric seems to understand.
Mr Eric would need to learn a lot about media and PR if he is going to build and endearing brand for himself. We will not support him just because he is a Nigerian brand, he must earn our respect and it's not by harrasing an innocent young woman and dragging her thru police and the courts that would endear us to him and his brand.
This is a lose lose for him. He shd cover his face in shame.
Come and beat me. Shior.
*Duke of Shomolu*
