Mr. Nosakhare Uwadaie, CEO, Media Supermart
By Raheem Akingbolu
Integrated marketing communication agency, Media Supermart, MSM, has formed a strategic relationship with an America-based non-governmental organisation, Population Media Centre, on entertainment education programming.
The relationship was formed to evolve a viable means of communication tied to educating women on reproductive health issues, and the two partners have advised business owners to use the platform to reach out to their target market to improve bottom lines.
The disclosure was made at a roundtable discussion held to unveil new plans of the organisation in Lagos recently. Population Media Center is a nonprofit organisation that helps create serialised dramas on radio and television where characters evolve into role model; thereby resulting in positive behavioral change.
In his welcome address, the Chief Operating Officer of the agency, Mr. Nosakhare Uwadaie, said the existing relationship between both organisations was informed by the need to collaborate in a way that would assist each of the partners in achieving its lofty goals.
Nosakhare noted further that the relationship was buoyed out of the desire to help in finding point of interest between corporate bodies and the NGO.
He said, “I think this platform is a good bargaining point and a vehicle that ought to be exploited by any serious organisation concerned about improving on their bottom line. The belief of placing product or advertising in this kind of program by brand owners is absolutely real.
“Moreso, it is an opportunity or avenue where the competition of the social and private enterprise finds a convergence. More people tend to be interested in the product because they recognised them on the basis of the fact that their activities are tied to a movement. I think this is also essential to drive brand activation and decision making by consumers”, he said.
Also speaking, the President of the Centre, Mr. Williams Ryerson, said the relationship between both parties came as a result of the need to avail corporate enterprise, a platform in achieving their goals.
Speaking on the feedback from the programme when it was kick started in Nigeria, Ryan said that the feedback has been immensely wonderful.
“Our records show that 70 per cent of the women in the north who listen to our program have responded in great measure to messages on health based related issues. We expect significance audience as we go along or move nationwide” he stated.
He recalled that the programme, which kick started in the Northern part of the country, yielded positive result with a good number of listeners tending to behavioural change.
According to a report made available to journalists, the research methodologies have been adopted and broadcast in 27 countries worldwide.