Charles O’Tudor is a big name in the Advertising, Communications and Marketing sector of the Economy. He has, in fact, become a big brand. Years back, he came on the scene always in Black. His office was painted all black. His cars were all black and his outfits were all in black colour. This tall and handsome fellow has evolved over the years into the big brand that he is today.
Charles O’Tudor is Africa’s premier brand strategist. He is also an Engagement Consultant. Over the years, he has enriched the branding landscape with his innovative approach to brand building, across all sectors of the economy. An alumnus of the prestigious Wits Business School, South Africa. He is the Principal Consultant of ADSTRAT Brand Management Consultants, a firm renowned for it’s out-of-box approach to brand strategy and engagement.
He is an accomplished author, public speaker and thought pioneer. His scholarly thoughts are caught in two of his publications [Brands Arise- The Nigerian Brand Renaissance and The Charles O’Tudor Personal Brand Guide [ Volumes 1.0 and 2.0 ].
He believes entrepreneurship is the eventual fate of African economies. This has affected his investment in entrepreneurs through his #COBMC series [ Charles O’Tudor Brand MasterClass ] that has held consecutively for over 3 years.
He is passionate about Strategy, brand building and engagement. A beneficiary of numerous awards, including the Nelson Mandela African Leadership Award, He is a part, board of directors, Nigerians in Diaspora, Europe, Member of personnel, CITC Leadership Center, Member Advisory Board, Vivacity Global and The B.I.E.L Initiative, The Hague, Netherlands.
One striking thing about Charles O’Tudor is that he has remained a man who is forever brimming with ideas. He has embraced the youths, which explains why he has a lot of young people flocking around him today. He has also embraced the change sweeping across the world. A few weeks back, Charles spoke to City People Magazine boss, SEYE KEHINDE, about what he has been up to in the last few years. Below are excerpts.
You have spent over 2 decades in the Marketing and Communications industry. Your success is not only notable, but it is also quite obvious for everyone to see. You have also become one of the leading lights in the Branding business right now. What is the importance of branding in today’s economy? Why is branding so important?
Because we have brands that you cannot differentiate. And there are too many other brands out there, competing for the attention of the consumers. So, Branding is the most relevant tool for differentiation and consistency in terms of projecting not just individual brands but nation-states and their assets. So, now you have different destinations. We have Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria is trying to fight for attention with all the negativism going on, it is difficult. Rwanda is also there. Rwanda is a case study of a country that has been able to rebrand their country and they are pushing out all the positivism like good governance. If you do not brand and project the positivism you will only get negativism and you must control your narrative. Its all part of branding. So branding creates brands and puts in place strategies that ensure that there is consistency in your brand thought, to brand behaviour, and then Execution. But the most important aspect of branding is the consistency of your thoughts and the processes.
Why the need for personal branding?
That’s my area of specialisation. Over the last 2 years, I have done personal branding sessions with over 150 top CEOs in Nigeria. Personal branding is important. If you are branded personally, it will affect your corporate brand positively, because what you gain is clarity of thought, you have clarity of purpose, you have the focus and the best part of it is you also have the Brand Plan which helps you navigate different issues that come up.
Over time and based on experiences, you will know how to navigate those processes Personal branding is crucial but a lot of people do not understand the importance of personal branding. They don’t know how relevant it is. There is a need for more awareness about it. It’s increasing. A lot of brands are asking for it. So, I have had a lot of private sessions both on the Charles O’Tudor Personal Brand Guide Vol 1 & Vol 2 which was outsold within 2 months, online. It’s a topic and a theme that is coming up but not well appreciated yet.
If you were given the brand called NIGERIA for free, will you buy it?
As at today? No, I will not.
Why?
It’s a failed brand. I love this country. I have invested 48 years of my life here. I have been successful here. But this country needs help. And it starts with the Leadership. We have very poor leadership. We are just motionlessly moving. We are like a rocking chair. We are moving, yet not moving. We flip-flop. There is no consistency in policy. I give it to the President, he is trying, but I think the issue involves more than trying. You must put in place a Policy and then you physically & mentally ensure your policies are implemented. And it is affecting every sector of the economy. It is affecting the lives of Nigerians and then the Security issue is becoming horrible. Things have not been this tough before. Things are tough. People are groaning. There are just too many flip flops in policies. You can’t see this happening anywhere else in the world. We spend to much time in churches, praying to God. The most technological driven countries are not religious. The Japenese are not religious as we are. They are not poor. Let’s focus on what is important. For me, Nigeria is a Product, not a Brand. If you want to be a Brand, focus on the essentials. You must focus on the processes that will ensure that certain issues which should be effectively effected are done, to ensure that lives & properties are protected and investments are protected and policies are consistent. So, Nigeria is a Product, not a Brand yet.
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