www.ikekalufile.blogspot.com

2016 has ended and we have started another interesting year, we cannot but ask ourselves questions like; how will 2017 be? Will the recession be over soon and what must we do to stay afloat in times of recession? These are very important questions we should ask as we kickoff business this year.  The word recession is no longer new to us, it is all around us. But what is recession? The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) defined a recession as “a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in a real gross domestic product (GDP), real income, employment, industrial production and wholesale-retail sales”. Economic recession can also be defined as a negative in the real GDP growth rate of a country for two consecutive quarters (say first and second quarters). Judging by the above definition Nigeria is experiencing economic recession, since her first and second quarters growth in 2016 were -1.7% and

A friend once asked me if a spa needs marketing to survive and my answer was, a spa business does need marketing, not just to survive but deliver great experience, grow and be profitable. The Spa Business, needs all the major functions of business, marketing in particular, because it is the core of any business. Traditionally, the industry has not been known to do great marketing but that is understandable because they are often embedded into better known hotels or luxury businesses. They simply assume the image of the parent or mother brand. Recently we are increasingly seeing standalone spas that offer great experience and really want to be known for what they do as a business and not a value added service offered by a known brand. This indeed calls for great marketing. Like we know about any beauty or wellness outfit and indeed any business venture, having the most talented hands or staff (brand ambassadors) is great but if the customers (the people for which you are in b

I heard a very interesting quote yesterday. 'There is recession in the land but I refuse to participate'. This caught my attention. Yes, things may not be easy now, but every hard time presents lots of opportunities and it’s only those who are ready that will benefit from it. What will make a difference for organisations in this time and season would be their preparedness in terms of capacity and capability. As we know, an organisation consists of three very important parties - people, processes and systems. Forward looking organizations leverage one, a combination of two or all three to create value in a sustainable manner. ‘Systems run the business and people run the system’ – Michael Gerber. Value creation is critical to the success of any organisation and it is not a one-time thing – it must be continuous. Herein lies the enviable position of marketing and innovation in every organisation. The value you create lies with the needs and aspirations of the cus

I  you have been around marketing circles, you will probably have come across my name.  I have occupied some interesting positions and play great role in building great brands. Yes, I have had very high profile jobs and have played huge role in developing marketing, sales and customer value development in Nigeria. Having started my career in Guinness at the age of 18, worked through school and grown from grass to grace, I have come a long way in the world of business.  In the last two years, I have made the shift from just being a marketing professional to becoming a business coach and value creation consultant. It has been quite a journey, but how did it all begin? Long story. I always saw myself as someone who will grow through the ladder of success. Yes, I started off as a production hand (minimum wage level) at Guinness in 1982 but rose up to the role of Marketing Director in a telecommunication company, Zantel Telecoms in Tanzania. By the way, Zantel is a part of Etis