Nigerian, S’African PR companies partner on image laundering

The Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), the umbrella body of public relations consultancy firms operating in Nigeria, has entered a collaboration with Brand South Africa to enhance the relationship between both countries.

Speaking when he received a delegation from Brand South Africa, John Ehiguese, PRCAN’s president, said Nigeria could learn from the strategies deployed by Brand South Africa in its own destination branding programme.

Ehiguese said there were salient opportunities for Nigeria to consider arising from the successful nation branding of South Africa.

“We suffer from a negative perception externally. The image of Nigeria out there is not what it should be,” he said.

“It is not that Nigeria is as bad as it is often portrayed, but that is the perception generally. We think that there is an urgent imperative to do for Nigeria what Brand South Africa did for South Africa.”

He recalled that the relationship between the association and Brand South Africa began about two years ago when Wendy Tlou, then the chief marketing officer of Brand South Africa, delivered the second PRCAN Gold Medal Lecture in Lagos.

Ehiguese said PRCAN was glad that even with a change of guard at the marketing arm of Brand South Africa, the conviviality between both organisations continued.

“We will be glad to partner with you in any area that will enhance the relationship between both our countries,” he said.

He told the delegation that PRCAN was committed to outreach programmes locally and internationally, explaining that the association had entered into partnership with the African Public Relations Association (APRA) to organise the 2016 APRA Conference in Calabar in May.

He said being a member of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), PRCAN had invited Maxim Behar, ICCO president, as lead speaker on the consultancy day of the 2016 APRA conference.

Linda Magapatona-Sangaret, chief marketing officer of Brand South Africa, said her team was delighted to be in Nigeria and would explore immense partnership opportunities with PRCAN.

She said Nigeria and South Africa had a lot in common, and that the mission of Brand South Africa was to have all of Africa recognise as a quality brand.

“Our biggest asset is our people and our rich culture and we must play to our strength in these and other areas,” Magapatona-Sangaret said.

In her delegation were Sindiswa Mququ, Brand South Africa’s general manager for Africa and Middle East for, and Tope Ogbeni-Awe of TopComm PR, consultants to Brand South Africa, while the PRCAN team included Muyiwa Akintunde, the vice-president.