Editorial | Jan 13,2024
Jul 2 , 2022
By Kidist Yidnekachew
The advertising industry in Ethiopia has come a long way. They are not only getting better and more creative but carving out niches. Take the growth of teaser ads, where only brief information is given about the product to get people’s attention. The first product I remember doing this effectively at first was Anbessa beer. I remember seeing the posters everywhere in the city, wondering what the thing was and when the product's identity would be revealed. It got my curiosity.
Advertisements with teasers are remembered better by customers as they stick with us. It also makes one wonder what they are about, and a few even stick with us long after the product reveal. Some teasers are unexpected as they stir our imagination, although some advertisements do not capture the essence of their products and fail to live up to their ad spend.
Not every product is marketed through teaser ads or carried out through significant investments. In businesses in a competitive market, the marketing is carried out in their immediate surroundings, usually for people close to the seller. It is the case for vendors of electrical products.
Around Ambassador Theatre, approaching Churchill Street, one will notice a group of men sitting under a shade with a display of broken phone screens. At first glance, one might think they are selling phone cases. However, thanks to the loudspeakers next to them, we find that it is supposed to be “nanotechnology.” The guy’s voice is very convincing by itself. The advertisement makes the technology seem invincible.
The ad goes, “if a car drives on it or if you smash your phone with an axe, nothing will ever happen to your screen. We guarantee it. You can even try it with our phone. We will take full responsibility.”
The first time I heard it, I was cracking up. Really, taking an axe to my phone will not break it. As sceptical as I was, I decided to give it a try. After all, it was only 150 Br. The guy put a drop of liquid and then put my phone inside the coating machine. It was simple. I asked if this was supposed to protect my phone. He swore with his life that it works 110pc. I took his word with a grain of salt.
My phone slipped from my hand and fell a couple of times after that, but nothing happened to it. But I was not convinced as the falls were not from high lengths. I doubted the whole “nano” tech thing, so I put a glass cover on top of it. But that kept breaking. Today, my phone's fate lies with the vendors' coating.
Every time I get past the people who sell this, I get the urge to go to them and ask them to prove the idea to me but with their phone. Although the so-called nano-coating has been around for some time, the people in the business are not giving it up, which only means that people still fall for it or perhaps it works. Even though most people I know do not really believe the idea, they buy it either way to give the technology the benefits of the doubt.
Producers need to keep in mind that it is crucial to match the quality of their brands to their ad spend. Marketing alone costs an arm and a leg relative to the size of the business. Even some multinationals spend fortunes on advertisements even though their products are either not solving a problem, irrelevant to the target customer, the pricing is not justifiable or the product is well known. But the distance the advertising industry has come is astounding. One hopes everyone else follows them.
PUBLISHED ON
Jul 02,2022 [ VOL
23 , NO
1157]
Editorial | Jan 13,2024
Fortune News | Oct 05,2019
View From Arada | Dec 04,2020
Fortune News | Jul 13,2019
Verbatim | Oct 07,2023
Life Matters | Jul 20,2019
Radar | Oct 05,2019
Life Matters | Apr 02,2022
Fortune News | Nov 06,2021
Radar | Aug 13,2022
My Opinion | 127683 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 123866 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 122010 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 119870 Views | Aug 07,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Apr 13 , 2025
The federal government will soon require one year of national service from university...
Apr 6 , 2025
Last week, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group...
Mar 30 , 2025
When the private satellite channel, Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS), aired an em...
Mar 23 , 2025
Getachew Redda, head of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA), at least u...
Apr 13 , 2025
Some parts of Merkato have fallen uncharacteristically silent, contrary to its typical bustle of traders, shoppers, and hawkers vying for bu...
Apr 13 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO
Takeaways: Retroactive VAT enforcement on soybean cake has become a tax flashpo...
Apr 13 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
A redevelopment initiative along Africa Avenue (Bole Road) has set off alarm bells for property owners wh...
Key Takeaways Federal legislators called for reforms and increased enforcement to protect Ethiopian...
Loading your updates...