Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began dating in 2012, and got married in 2015. Unfortunately, the ex-couple had to face a divorce in 2016, with Amber alleging he (Johnny Depp) had physically abused her, usually under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Amber Heard has seemingly been caught in a perjury after her lawyer Elaine Bredehoft claimed the actress truly suffered from multiple counts of domestic violence from Johnny Depp, but she always used a makeup product called All In One Correcting Kit by Milani Cosmetics to cover up the bruises that Johnny Depp allegedly inflicted on her.

Fortunately, the cosmetic brand stood up for Johnny Depp by debunking the claim. The fault with the claim is that the product (All In One Correcting Kit) which Amber Heard claimed she used to cover her bruises was NOT launched until 2017. The brand confimed that the product was launched a little over a year after the divorce had taken place.

The TikTok video posted by on Friday Milani Cosmetics explained that the makeup kit displayed by Heard’s lawyer would never have been available before 2017, emphasizing that the alleged abuse occurred before the launch of their All In One Correcting Kit.

@milanicosmetics You asked us… let the record show that our Correcting Kit launched in 2017!👀 #milanicosmetics ♬ International Super Spy – dylan

While Amber’s attorney didn’t specifically name Milani Cosmetics in court, she held up the makeup kit as an evidnece, attempting to convince the jury that she (Amber Heard) carried that product every day in order to hide her bruises.

Although, it is possible that Bredehoft was just using the product as an illustration of the type of makeup Amber used during the abuse, but it’s also very possible that they were just lying about the abuse altogether.

The Aftermath

The high-profile trial resumed in a court in Virginia on Monday, 30th of May, and Depp was successfully able to prove that indeed, the the article titled “I spoke up against sexual violence — and face our culture’s wrath” written by Amber on the Washington Post– in which she accused him of domestic abuse — was a defamation of character.

Depp had always denied and stood against Amber Heard’s allegations from the beginning and he sought a minimum of $50 million in damages as compensation, plus a punitive award of at least $350,000, along with the court costs and attorneys’ fees he had incurred.

On Wednesday afternoon, a verdict was reached as Johnny Depp finally came out on top to win the court case against Amber Heard.

The jury determined that the greater weight of the evidence shows that statements made in Amber Heard’s 2018 Washington Post were false and made with a malicious intent to harm Depp.

Compensations

Amber Heard’s was declared guilty of defamation and Depp was awarded $10m in compensatory damages, as well as $5m in punitive damages – a number that will be reduced to $350,000 pursuant to Virginia State law.

The court awarded Depp $10m.

Amber Heard’s Punishment for Defamantion and Perjury

As of yet, it is unknown whether Amber Heard will face jail term for the said offence. Follow the story on your favorite news source for updates.

Branding Lessons to Learn from Milani Cosmetics

After the incident, Milani Cosmetics enjoyed a positive PR, thereby automatically recieving worldwide support, and recording new sales. The Tiktok video has over 5.6Million views on Tiktok as at the time of publishing this article and their followers increased by more than 200%. With all that being said, here are branding lessons to learn from Milani Cosmetics;

1. Have a visual identity for both your organization and products. Without that, you will find it difficult to be represented on all levels.
2. Always aim for positive PR — Negative PR require so much effort before you can overturn and make good use of it, there’s also a risk of permanently damaging your brand image or brand equity.
3. Always stand up for a good humanitarian cause. This is why you see big brands having a Foundation or non-governmental arm. e.g. Bill Gates Foundation. You don’t have to run an NGO, can start yours on any scale, just the way Milani Cosmetics. They didn’t keep silent and watch a human suffer in vain, instead, they have done good by acting as an unofficial witness using their social media platforms.
4. Stay focused and be consistent with your marketing strategy, but make sure you are doing the right thing. Only one event or post can make your business go viral and record massive sales.
5. Stand up for the truth. Don’t ever allow your brand to be used for illegal pursuits.

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Please share your sentiments in the comments. See you next time!

The post The Makeup Brand That Exposed Amber Heard’s Blatant Lie appeared first on Branditechture.

The Relationship Between Shoprite Holdings and Investors of Shoprite Nigeria

The move means Shoprite Holdings will sell its entity in its entirety to another investor, who will continue to run the business, thereby preserving the brand’s existing name and goodwill. In other words, it means that despite an imminent change of hands, the brand, “Shoprite” would still continue to exist in Nigeria.

Nigeria is one of 15 Shoprite countries in Africa. In Nigeria, Shoprite operates around 26 supermarkets across the country, with an estimated 1,900 Nigerians on their payroll. 

The company claimed that they had taken the decision to leave “following approaches from various potential investors”.  The group also confirms that the decision is in accordance with its plans to re-evaluate its operating model in Nigeria.

Shoprite also disclosed in their latest operational and voluntary trading update that an official process to sell its entire stake had begun.

Why Did Shoprite Leave Nigeria?

The true reason behind Shoprite’s decision to exit the Nigerian market is still unclear, but it is likely due to the current economic situation of the country —  but there could be more to it.

Firstly, Nigeria, despite its huge population, is a highly competitive space; Retail business is all about the survival of the fittest. 

Shoprite disrupted the Nigerian retail ecosystem when it made its entry into the country in the year 2005. But its position as Nigeria’s leading retail brand was not going to last forever. 

Previous retail outlets like Park ‘n’ Shop rebranded and injected a significant amount of funds into their brand strategy and business expansion efforts. 

The rebranding of Park ‘n’ Shop happened in 2010, when Artee Group, the owners of Park n’’ Shop, took a bold step in 2010 when it decided to merge with SPAR International to secure the master license for Nigerian operations. Since then, all the new Park ‘n’ Shop outlets were launched under the SPAR banner.

With rife competition from homegrown retail outlets like Ebeano, Citydia, and Adiba, it only made sense for them to divest, having held on to the Nigerian operations for seventeen good years.

There are also several challenger retail brands in Nigeria’s commercial capital cities posing a serious threat to Shoprite’s market share. 

For some reason, Shoprite does not publish revenues generated from its Nigerian operations, so I wouldn’t be able to quote actual figures.

You Might Like To Read:  African Brands Aren’t Even Admired By Africans — Survey

Shoprite Failed To Leverage e-Commerce

Local competitors like SPAR and Ebeano additionally offer their shoppers an online shopping experience, in which goods are delivered to their doorsteps. However, Shoprite’s business is modelled around physical store visits. 

A Shoprite Outlet in Kano, Nigeria. Credit: AFP PHOTO

Unfortunately, this has remained unchanged for almost two decades, despite the exponential increase in the number of internet users in Nigeria over the past ten years.

As internet services become faster and cheaper, more and more Nigerians would be moved towards leveraging the convenience of e-commerce to meet their shopping needs. Shoprite was leaving a lot of profit on the table by underestimating the power of e-commerce, but the management was perhaps not ready to make that change. 

The Xenophobic Riots & Shoprite Nigeria

In September 2019, Shoprite and MTN Nigeria were among the South African brands targeted by angry protesters demonstrating their disapproval of the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa. 

While some users subtly boycotted the two South African brands for their alleged quietness on the issue, some more violent groups attacked several retail outlets nationwide. 

They’re destroying Shoprite😩💔 pic.twitter.com/vH4x66PMjF

— 𝐍𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐅. 𝐎𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢 (@FirstLove04_) September 3, 2019

Shoprite was the worst hit; For example, a Shoprite outlet at Circle Mall, Jakande, was razed down by fire after being looted dry. A few Shoprite outlets also suffered what seemed like a nationwide loot. 

Lekki CIRCLE MALL (SHOPRITE),Jakande is reportedly burnt over night by hoodlum… 11/20/20#NIGERIAPREVAIL #WhereIsBuhari #EndSARS #EndBadGoveranceInNigeria pic.twitter.com/klBKWTHngT

— LEEREEKs the STYLIST (@LEEREEKss) October 22, 2020

Since Shoprite Nigeria does not publicly publish its financial reports, we are unable to determine the true financial damage suffered by the company, but it was an obvious setback. 

The Covid -19 Pandemic

As mentioned earlier in this article, Shoprite’s business model is built around physical store visits. As the Covid-19 awareness heightened across various African states, it was almost the end of the era of brick-and-mortar retail. 

After several weeks of stay-at-home orders by the government, you’d be forced to ask “what really is the future of physical retail stores?”

Shoprite has dominated the retail market since the mid-2000s, but with the advent of the internet era, a whole new paradigm of sales and marketing changed the retail industry completely. Shoprite was still struggling to integrate this to its business model when the Covid-19 pandemic came, giving it a couple low jabs and upper-cuts.

Nigeria’s current unforgiving operating environment is also another difficult confrontation that Shoprite has quietly faced. 

The Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has claimed that it is focusing on “supporting” locally made goods by placing a ban on forex availability for the importation of local alternatives. 

This has negatively impacted the number and variety of products Shoprite can feature on their shelves.

Taxes became higher and since Shoprite Nigeria makes money in Naira, they must first convert to dollars before converting back to Rands. As a matter of fact, Naira’s susceptibility to exchange rate devaluation continued to pose a major challenge to the brand. 

Two years into the present administration, Nigeria faced a currency crisis. Shoprite narrated that it had about 2.3 billion South African rands (2.3bn ZAR) in cash locked up in Nigeria and Angola due to currency restrictions. 

Many foreign-owned businesses in Nigeria occasionally face the same “restriction” which is attributed to limited liquidity in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign EXchange Rate Fixing (NAFEX)  window.

In the light of all the challenges discussed above, I think this exit was inevitable. 

Shoprite finally bids Nigeria farewell

On the 1st day of June 2021, Ketron Investment Limited — a group of investors under the leadership of Tayo Amusan, who also runs The Palms, completed the acquisition of Shoprite operations in Nigeria, after winning a long bidding war involving three other suitors.

According to Amusan, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has approved a change of ownership, which will now operate a franchise model.

The post Why Shoprite Finally Decided To Leave Nigeria appeared first on Branditechture.

In this article, we will look through the timeline of Android User Interface (or UI), noting the versions and features upgrade through the years.

But first, let’s start by explaining the term ‘android UI’. I want you to picture your local supermarket; There are several sections — shelves, and directions on how to look for whatever you came for. Here, the android is the supermarket while the isles, sections and directions are the UI.

UI design is focused on how a product’s (in this case, Android) looks and functions. It is made up of all the elements that enable the user to interact with the product. The user interface(or UI) of a mobile phone is the software front that allows users to engage with the phone’s technical features.

Although the phrase can refer to physical input like controls or keys, it is most commonly used in the context of mobile phones to refer to the software-controlled features displayed on the screen that are used to interact with the device.

Some examples are screens and touchscreens, keyboards, noises (or audio alerts), and visual elements, such as buttons and icons etc. User Interfaces that are easier to use than others are referred to as more user-friendly.

Now, let’s take a look at how the Android UI has evolved since its inception. Fasten your seatbelt as I take you down memory lane!

Here’s a list of the Android versions to date:

1. Android 1.0 (No code name)
2. Android 1.5 Cupcake
3. Android 1.6 Donut
4. Android 2.0 Éclair
5. Android 2.2 Froyo
6. Android 2.3 Gingerbread
7. Android 3.0 Honeycomb
8. Android 4.0 Ice cream sandwich 
9. Android 4.1 jelly bean
10. Android 4.4 Kitkat
11. Android 5.0 Lollipop
12. Android 6.0 Marshmallow
13. Android 7.0 Nougat
14. Android 8.0 Oreo
15. Android 9 Pie
16. Android 10 
17. Android 11
18. Android 12

Now, Let’s take a more detailed look at each version.

Android 1.5 (Cupcake)

The very first version of Android (Android 1.0) was launched on September 23, 2008. It was followed by version 1.1 on February 9, 2009. In April 27, 2009, version 1.5 was announced with the codename; Cupcake, officially making it the first Android device with a code name.

The Cupcake was succeeded by Version 1.6 (Donut) , which was released on September 15,  2009 (with slightly updated features and a few bug fixes).

Here is a list of its features and UI improvements in Android 1.5 Cupcake.

Features and UI improvements:

1. The Internet browser allows you to open multiple pages shown as windows.
2. Gmail synchronization with the Gmail application makes it easier to email contacts.
3. Google Maps help to find local businesses and obtain directions using GPS.
4. Google calendar synchronization with a calendar app. This feature allows you to schedule and pop activities into your calendar with ease.
5.  The android market makes it easy to download and update applications.
6. Google search is a feature used to search the internet, phone apps and calendar.
7. Google talk(Voice dialer), allows instant messaging.
8. Notifications with options to set ringtone led or vibration alerts.

Android 2.0  (Éclair)

This version was launched on October 26, 2009. Then other versions from 2.0.1 launched on December 3, 2009, and 2.1 launched on January 12, 2010, both had minor adjustments and bug fixes.

Features and UI improvements:

1. Addition of auto-brightness: This feature uses light sensors to adjust the phone brightness(automatically becomes brighter in brighter environments, and dimmer in darker ones).
2. Improved browser UI to bookmark thumbnails. 
3. The most important feature in this version is support for multi-touch devices. This improved typing speed on the virtual keyboard. 
4. Ability to search all saved SMS and MMS, and to delete irrelevant messages.
5. Fast contact reach. You can tap on a contact photo to select call, text or email.
6. This upgrade also came with an incredible email support feature for Microsoft exchange.
7. Android said goodbye to the hardware keys, and welcome to soft keys with touch-sensitive areas for the HOME, MENU, and BACK button on the screen. 
8. Ability to manage multiple online accounts at a time.
9. It allows users to save both an email address and password, allowing applications to not have to request individually.

Android 2.2 (Froyo)

Preceded by the android version 2.1 Éclair, this version was Launched on May 20, 2010. 

Features and UI improvements:

1. The main upgrade came with Speed, memory, USB tethering, wireless local area network, hotspot functionalities and performance optimization.
2. Improved application launcher with shortcuts to phone and browser applications
3. Option to disable information access over a mobile network 
4. Quick switch between multiple keyboard languages and their dictionaries.
5. The gallery permits users to look at image stacks using a zoom gesture
6. Enabled push notifications, android cloud to device messaging(C2DM)

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

This version came with a brand new UI with better UX ( more convenience, simplicity and speed). It was launched on December 6, 2010. 

Features and UI improvements:

1. The new UI made learning easy, was faster to use, with more efficient power. Easy navigation and control of the features of the system or device.
2. Gesture Navigation: Get around with a swipe and a pull.
3. With the new version of Chrom available, users can update from Google Play to ensure they get the latest enhancements and bug fixes for apps using WebView on Android 5.0 and higher
4. Notifications for both the personal and work profile are visible. The data for each profile is always kept separate and secure from 
5. More visible, accessible, and configurable notifications. Users may elect to allow whatever content they desire to appear on the secure lock screen.
6. Screen Pinning is a feature that restricts access from others to your phone by only allowing one app to run when activated.
7. Redesigned and optimized for reshaped and repositioned keys pressed accurately even at high speed.
8. Capability to connect entered keywords from dictionary suggestions. The user can copy and paste with a one-touch word selection.
9. The camera allows the user to access multiple cameras on devices
10. An upgraded download manager made it easy to monitor downloaded documents from the web.

Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)

Unlike previous versions, Honeycomb is not available for smartphones. It was designed for devices with larger screens like tablets. It launched in February 2011. 

This version features five home screens that allow users to customize with application icons and widgets; it includes a search bar, calendar and three-dimensional stacks for grouping content.

Features and UI improvements:

1. Redesigned for tablets. System bar for system information and notifications.
2. Action bar for application control that allows for various uses including navigation and widgets.
3. Customizable home screens for multitasking, notifications, and more. 
4. A redesigned keyboard made it easy to type accurately at a high speed. 
5. Improved text options.

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

This version was released October 18, 2011, followed by the slightly upgraded versions 4.0.1 on October 19, 2011, 4.0.2 on November 28, 2011, and  4.0.3 on December 16, 2011.

Features and UI improvements:

1. With an evolved UI common actions are more visible and let users navigate with simple, intuitive gestures. Improved readability and feedback throughout the system make interactions engaging and interesting.
2. The System Bar and  Action Bar displayed at the top and sometimes at the bottom of the screen.
3. The Recent Apps button lets users jump instantly from one task to another.
4.  Notifications let users keep in touch with incoming messages, see real-time updates from apps, and much more. 
5. New lock screen actions.
6. Quick responses for incoming calls
7. Swipe to dismiss notifications, tasks, and browser tabs
8. Improved text input and spell-checking
9. Powerful voice input engine

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

On July 9, 2012, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was revealed, and the main reason for the update was to enhance the UI in both feature and performance.

Features and UI improvements:

1. A faster, smoother, and more responsive user interface.
2. Resizable app widgets
3. Google new offline voice dictation
4. A faster app update
5. Long-pressing the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons in an on/off state.

Android 4.4 (KitKat)

This version was launched on October 31, 2013. KitKat OS was very successful for android, it won them millions of customers. 

Features and UI improvement

1. Expandable notifications to click and drag down the status bar.
2. Better accessibility experience across apps by adding system-wide preferences for Closed Captioning.
3. Screen recording. A great new way to create walkthroughs, tutorials and more.
4. Enhanced notification access. Notification listener services can now see more information about incoming notifications that were constructed using the notification builder APIs
5. An easy-to-use UI that allows users to access recent files in a consistent way across apps and providers.

Android 5.0 (Lollipop)

This is the fifth major version of the Android OS which was Unveiled on June 25, 2014. It was the biggest ever upgrade to Android at the time, totally revamping the way we multitask.  

Features and UI improvement:

1. Android 5.0 lets you capture and share videos from the display and deliver them over the network with user permission if you choose.
2. With the new version of Chrome available, users can update from Google Play to ensure they get the latest enhancements and bug fixes for apps using WebView on Android 5.0 and higher
3. Notifications for both the personal and work profile are visible. The data for each profile is always kept separate and secure from 
4. More visible, accessible, and configurable notifications. Users may elect to allow whatever content they desire to appear on the secure lock screen.
5. Screen Pinning is a feature that restricts access from others to your phone by only allowing one app to run when activated.

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

The Marshmallow was officially released on October 5, 2015, and its primary focus was improving the overall UX of its predecessor, Lollipop.

Features and UI improvement:

1. App links: enables installed apps to automatically handle their web URLs so you can jump right into the app, rather than the mobile website, as appropriate.
2. Easy switch and configuration. Do Not Disturb from quick settings. When someone calls you, you can either choose to allow the call to ring through while Do Not Disturb is enabled or use automatic rules to enable Do Not Disturb for as long as you like.
3. With the touch of your volume keys, you can manage notification easily from anywhere.
4. From battery and memory usage to notification controls the streamlined settings permits you to manage an app’s settings all in one place.
5. Google Now Launcher app list upgraded with search, quick alphabetic scrolling, and intuitive App Suggestions.

Android 7.0 (Nougat)

Nougat was released on August 22, 2016.

Features and UI improvement:

1. Customizable Quick Settings: Rearrange your Quick Setting tiles so you can get to what you want faster.
2. Quick Settings bar: Quick Settings has been redesigned so you can get faster access to top Quick Settings tiles directly in the notification shade.
3. Improved Settings navigation: Find the right setting faster with an updated navigation menu in Settings.
4. Settings suggestions: Within Settings, get suggestions for how to get even more out of your device.
5. ‘Clear all’ in Overview: Instantly close all of your apps running in the background by tapping ‘clear all’ in Overview.
6. Emergency information: Emergency Information lets you add information such as name, blood type, allergies, and an emergency contact so that emergency responders can view this information through your device’s lock screen.
7. Lockscreen wallpaper: You can now have different wallpapers on your device’s home screen and lock screen.

Android 8.0 (Oreo)

The Oreo was launched on August 21, 2017.

Features and UI improvement:

1. High speed: instant moves, behind the scenes. Start your favourite tasks instantly with a shoot when powering up.
2. Background limits: Minimizes background activity in the apps you use least. Autofill: With your permission, Autofill remembers your logins, no hassle.
3. Smart text selection: Android Oreo enables intuitive text recognition when you tap or select.
4. Multitask, at once: This allows you to see two apps simultaneously.
5. Dive into more apps with fewer taps
6. Notification Dots: Press the notification dots to quickly see what’s new, and easily clear them by swiping away.
7. Android Instant Apps: No installation required, right from your browser you can access new apps.

Android 9.0 (Pie)

Launched officially on August 6, 2018. Check out the official landing page of the Android 9.0 Pie.

Features and UI improvement:

1. Notification enhancements for messaging: Now, messaging apps can provide suggested ‘smart replies’ in the notification, so you can respond in a tap. Plus, any inline reply drafts won’t disappear if you navigate away, and you’ll be able to see images sent from your friends right in the notification.
2. Manage Notifications: You now have a quick way to turn off notifications from a range of apps, so you only receive those that are helpful to you. You’ll also get a smart prompt if you’re swiping away certain notifications whether you want to keep receiving them.
3. At-a-Glance on Always-on-Display: See things like calendar events and weather on your Lock Screen and Always-on Display.
4. Redesigned Quick Settings: A more consistent user experience for Quick Settings and an updated visual design.
5. Volume controls: Simpler, more accessible volume controls let you control media volume instantly, as well as quickly toggle call and notification volume settings.
6. Screenshots: Now, you can take screenshots easily from the power menu and draw, annotate, or crop them quickly.
7. Rotation: Get more control over your phone’s display rotation with a simple button that confirms when you’d like to change the rotation on your device – even when your orientation is locked. (for example, an option to route to an address with Google Maps or share for an image).

Android 10 (Queen Cake)

This Android version was launched on September 7, 2019.

Some of the newest ways to control your privacy, customize your phone and get things done. It’s Android, just the way you want it.

Features and UI improvement:

1. Gestures are now quicker and more intuitive than ever. Go backwards and forwards, pull up the home screen and swipe up to see your open apps.
2. Dark theme: Take it easy on your eyes. And your battery. Android’s new Dark theme keeps your battery alive longer. Plus, it also changes the look of your google apps.
3. Live Caption automatically captions videos, podcasts, and audio messages with a single tap—even stuff you record yourself. Without ever needing wifi or cell phone data.
4. Removes background noise and amplify sound according to frequencies personalized to your hearing. 
5. Accessibility Timeouts; more time to interact with your device features.
6. New ways to navigate around your phone without using any buttons. Go backwards and forwards, pull up the home screen, and swipe up to see your open apps.
7. You can manage notifications by marking them as “silent” or “alerting”.

Android 11 (Red Velvet Cake)

This version was released on September 8, 2020.

Features and UI improvement:

1. new controls space and more privacy features.
2. One-time permissions, surface devices and media in the controls.
3. Work faster with tools like compatibility switches.
4. Screen recorder
5. Notification history
6. Permission auto reset

Android 12 (Snow Cone)

Android 12 is the twelfth major version, it was announced by Google on February 18, 2021. But, the Beta version with a more refreshed UI and lots more. The UI is called Material You perhaps due to the amount of customizations it allows to the default UI. No android version has had this level of fine-tuning out of the box.  

Features and UI improvement:

1. Easier Wi-Fi sharing.
2. AVIF image support.
3. A new material design called Material You.
4. Gestures can work in immersive mode.
5. Addition of google pay and smart home controls.

From version 1.o to version 12, the timeline of the Android UI has greatly improved making it even easier to interact with your gadget.

What android version is your current device (if you use one) and which of its UI features stands out for you?

Can you still remember your first Android version? Please share and let us have a good laugh.

The post A Timeline of The Android UI – A Walk Down Memory Lane appeared first on Branditechture.

The report, which works on the basis of market surveys conducted across the African continent, is now in its 11th year.

The goal of the survey is to establish which brands are most admired in Africa. 

Here are some of the talking points from the latest report:

In a few words, African brands are doing badly.

Africa’s representation in the Top 100 Most Admired Brands hit a record low as only 13 of 100 brands are African.

This is a drop by one-third since 2010. Among the 13 African brands admired in Africa, six are from Nigeria, five from South Africa, and one each from Kenya and Ethiopia. 

It features household brands like MTN (South Africa), Dangote (Nigeria) and Safaricom (Kenya).

Foreign brands are doing relatively well

For the third year in a row, the most admired brand in Africa is Nike. 

The report suggested that the brand is buoyed by partnerships with record-breaking African athletes such as Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the sub-two-hour runner, and also by global collaborations such as the one with 28-year old South African graphic designer, Poppy Karabo Moletsane, and Nigeria’s music sensation Wizkid.

Wizkid X Nike

Nike Super Eagles Jersey

Nike’s sponsorship of the shirts of prominent African national teams such as Nigeria’s Super Eagles during the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, may have also played a significant role.

Individual brands, some of which you may not even have heard of, worth mentioning include:

Chinese smartphone brand, Tecno, which has gone from number 30 to number five, is described as “a dominant performer from China” despite the fact that it is not even sold in China.

Indonesian brand, Indomie, which is ranked at number 34, gets an honourable mention because it has managed to turn instant noodles into a staple food in Nigeria, controlling 74% of the noodles market share.

Dutch brand, Vlisco, a wax fabric manufacturer, took me by surprise after moving up 50 places to number 45. Vlisco  is “arguably the most dominant fabric brand representing African fashion.”

French dairy brand, Danone, has moved up 30 places from number 60 to number 30.

Alibaba and Amazon are new entries, signalling a rapidly increasing adoption of e-commerce in Africa.

Coca-Cola was ranked number 4. Coca-Cola, though not an African brand, has been on the African continent for over a century. It emerged 1st position in the 2014 edition of the 100 most admired brands in Africa and has always maintained a position between 1st – 4th since the inception of the survey.

Through innovative distribution and engaging campaign strategies tailored to the African market, Coca Cola has achieved both ubiquity and a solid “Africanness.”

Another example cited is Guinness, a beer brand that originated from Ireland. Guinness Extra Stout is apparently consumed by more people in Africa than in Ireland.

The report suggests that what these top brands have in common is “deep local insights, localised marketing and mammoth marketing budgets” 

They have managed to create an intimate and infectious relationship with the majority of the African consumers. In essence, they “think locally and act globally.”

Read Also: 10 Common Branding Mistakes You Must Avoid

Africans don’t support their own brands

Major African brands like Aliko Dangote’s Dangote Group (Nigeria), Safaricom (Kenya) and MTN (South Africa) are not even the most admired brands in their home countries. 

Only in three African countries is a local brand the most admired brand; Strive Masiyiwa’s Econet ( Zimbabwe), Trade Kings (Zambia) and media and consumer goods brand, Azam (Tanzania).

Champions of the underdogs

Financial Services and FinTech is one area where African brands like GTBank do shine. 

In Africa, the Financial Services industry is largely dominated by African brands. 

Payment processing companies like Paypal, Western Union and Visa are among the few prominent international brands in the African fintech landscape, but local brands like Flutterwave & Paystack are giving them a serious run for their money. Others include Barclays Bank (Now Absa) and Standard Chartered Bank. 

In 2021, I expect to see mobile money (MoMo) and other fintech disruptors squeeze their way up the rankings.

However, when it comes to Media, despite the fact that Africa boasts of over 600 TV stations and even more media houses, none of them could even claim a spot in the top 100 inside Africa. The list is dominated by international brands such as BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera. 

This begs the question; “ how much of our narrative do we control.”?

When it comes to non-traditional media, non-African brands like Netflix, Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Instagram have achieved the most penetration in the African market.

It is so disturbing that despite the booming entrepreneurial environment, Africa is not creating enough competitive brands to match its growing consumer market.

More African brands need to be repositioned to focus on helping to build the image, competitiveness and finally drive the continent’s promise into a real revolution.” 

The lessons for African brand owners are:

• Take advantage of Africa’s love for sports, especially football. (The betting companies are already doing this, but we need more brands that can leverage this opportunity in many other ways)

• Sponsor international events or football teams (e.g Visit Rwanda on the Arsenal FC Sleeve)
• Tailor your campaigns for the African market
• Pay attention to localised marketing
• Conduct in-depth localized market research before launching your next brand.

The post African Brands Aren’t Even Admired By Africans — Survey appeared first on Branditechture.

DomainKing.ng is a NIRA-accredited Nigeria-based web hosting company that has been providing internet services such as web hosting, web design, domain registration and troubleshooting since 2008. 

DomainKing used to be a strong force in the Nigerian web hosting industry back in the early 2010s, allowing you to pay for hosting services in local currency. However, with the increasing ease and popularity of international payment gateways and a variety of other payment methods such as the cryptocurrency blockchain, they are now losing their market share to their foreign-based competitors.

The last time I checked, DomainKing was owned by FirstStack Technologies Pvt. Ltd., an Indian-based company. It is noteworthy that DomainKing is the largest Hosting provider in Nigeria by market share, with more than 18,000 active domains belonging to over 10,000 unique customers, then followed closely by Whogohost. 

Whogohost.com claims to be “the largest hosting company in Nigeria and the West African region”, but there are certainly no figures to support that. 

A reverse DNS Lookup using Sitechecker also showed that their own website, whogohost.com, is hosted on Digital Ocean, another VPS and Cloud Hosting company. 

Where is Whoghost.com hosted?

Their website’s loading speed is also subpar. Don’t take my word for it, visit https://whogohost.com/ and test for yourself. You can also watch the results from my own test in the video below;

It took a whopping 12 seconds for the Whogohost website to display any element to interact with.

So all the above factors just makes it easy for me to dismiss the claim that they are the largest web hosting company in Nigeria and West Africa.

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Who is HostAfrica?

HostAfrica, (officially stylized as HOSTAFRICA) is a web hosting company based in Cape Town, South Africa. 

They have a relatively bigger and more stable organizational structure, with vast experience in the acquisition of web hosting businesses like that of DomainKing. They even have a dedicated landing page titled “Sell Your Web Hosting Business To HostAfrica” for such arrangements. They claimed to have helped a host of other web hosting companies with exit strategies. 

The official announcement from DomainKing reads as follows; 

“Dear DomainKing Customer

We write to you today to inform you that DomainKing has joined the HOSTAFRICA Group as of today 10 September 2021.

‘www.domainking.ng’ will operate under the legal entity HostAfrica (Pty) Ltd”

What to expect from the transition as a DomainKing customer

I have a few web properties hosted and registered with DomainKing and we probably share the same fear. However, I think there should be no cause for concern as an end-user. 

This should be somewhat similar to Shoprite’s acquisition by Ketron Investment Nigeria Limited  — No drastic change should occur, but let’s look at a few subtle changes to expect. 

What will change?

• DomainKing would now add support for the PayPal payment gateway, as they plan to go full scale and compete for a global market share with their international counterparts. 
• The DomainKing website will stay intact but will be updated with HostAfrica’s branding.
• Hosting and domain registration fees may change. Currently, DomainKing is the most affordable registrar of the .com.ng ccTLD, which goes at a price of ₦1,100 with Whogohost charging ₦1,200 for the same service. But let’s hope that the new owners keep prices competitive. 

Are you happy with the acquisition of Domain King by Host Africa? Personally, I am because I’m optimistic that this change may contribute to the improvement of their hardware facilities and customer support services, which would generally lead to better offerings. 

To be honest they still have a lot of work to do with regards to their support services because DomainKing’s LiveChat currently closes at 3:30 P.M on Workdays, which is considered too bare for a web hosting business in 2021.

This is a far cry from Namecheap’s 24/7 instant live support. 

So, I hope that this acquisition helps to put those things in place and create a space for remarkable growth. 

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