BBNAIJA: LESSONS FOR BRANDS AND MARKETERS

Imagine you've been asked to choose a housemate that resonates with your brand, who would it be?

I bet this is not something you'd expect from the acclaimed show, but, there are two sides to a coin. So, could there be any lessons from Big Brother Naija Season 5 for Brands and Marketers?

If so, what are these lessons?

Like some of you, I have never been a fan of Big Brother Naija but the lockdown edition got me locked. Wondering how?

Nigeria Twitter timeline changed the game for me, I moved from being just an ordinary waka pass to observing and paying attention. That didn't happen by seating in front of the television screen with eyes fixated on the Big Brother Naija Channel, but, with active listening and monitoring on Twitter, I was able to draw up lessons from the show.

LESSONS FOR MARKETERS AND BRANDS

What stood out for me on Big Brother Naija is how each housemate at the different points represented an emotional trigger to influence viewers behaviour.

You will agree with me that during the show viewers experienced one or more of these emotional trigger listed below:

1. Fear
2. Time
3. Belonging

If a brand can creatively utilize these emotional triggers strategically, what do you think will happen to the bottom line?

Don't imagine it, see for yourself.

Oppo as a brand took advantage of the emotional build-up from the show to position her new product, ultimately yielding result. A major indication that the marketing effort was not in vain.

FEAR was employed on two-levels on Big Brother Naija Lockdown edition

• Fear of missing out on the show.
• Fear of your favourite housemate losing out.

It's simple, missing out on the show could be fatal for your favourite, the fatality could mean getting evicted from the show. Battle of words against words was drawn and with no rules to how far manipulation can be devised, I saw supporters fighting to move their favourite housemates from obscurity to visibility. Fear is a powerful emotion employed causing a ripple effect on Twitter as supporters went hard trying to make sure their favourite housemate becomes everybody's sweetheart.

I call it the puppy effect......................

It is interesting to note that viewers on Big Brother Naija were not only reacting on social media but also taking action by voting massively for their favourite.

What is making them vote massively? It's the fear factor.

When next you are writing that marketing copy, don't just make your customers react, make it action worthy by ethically engaging their emotion.

TIME was the ultimate pressure needed to heighten the fear of the viewers, the voting line opens immediately after eviction show on Sunday and closes on Friday by 10 pm, leading to aggravated desperation needed to make the turn over turn heads. The desperation is termed unhealthy by some, but, did it affect the bottom line? I'll leave you to answer that.

I thought I had seen it all until I saw fans buying extra sim cards and begging to use sim cards that do not belong to them to amass vote for their favourite housemate. The festive season is upon us and any smart brand should know there is no better time to influence consumer buying decision than now.

Time is the missing ingredient in your next line of marketing action, use it to accelerate demand.

BELONGING isn't just about watching the show, it is about talking about the show consistently. whether you offer a service or sell a product, the consumer should not just stop at buying or experiencing your product, they should consistently talk about it.

This will only happen if your product or service is able to influence enough people to champion a community for you based on undiluted loyalty to your brand.

Big Brother Naija brought a sense of validation to Nigeria Twitter, if you are not talking about Big Brother Naija, what else could you be talking about? The community hashtag #BBNaija gave birth to other notable community such as #Icons #Elites #Superions #Ninjas #DExploras #Veehive that will go on to influence the personal brand represented on the show even after the season is long gone.

For the viewers on Big Brother Naija to react the way they did each housemate became a perceptive brand. The viewers could see themselves in their chosen housemate, making it easy to reckon with their brand.

Think about it, the next stage of your brand & marketing growth may depend on a community, so, give your customers a sense of belonging.

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My name is Maria Olawumi Egunjobi I can't get my eyes off the subscription button of any site offering valuable content, it goes down well with a cup of coffee. I am a Digital Marketer passionate about Social Media Marketing, Technology and Content Creation. Humanity is the fuel that drives my passion. Follow on Instagram & Facebook for amazing content. My Mission is to get better at what I do, with the hope of inspiring young women & men locally & globally.

?I hope to inspire you to go for GOLD!