Audi e-tron Is World Market Leader in Its Segment

Brand Spur
-
0
Audi e-tron Is World Market Leader in Its Segment

The Audi e-tron is the worldwide market leader in its segment. The first fully electric series-production model from Audi is popular all over the world with customers and media alike. Numerous awards and comparative tests stand testament to this. With the e-tron GT, the Q4 e-tron, and the Q4 e-tron Sportback, Audi is looking toward the electric year 2021 in both senses of the word.

In the first half of 2020, Audi delivered 17,641 e-tron models to customers worldwide. This corresponds to an increase of 86.8 percent as compared to the previous year – despite the difficult market situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fully electric Audi model is therefore way ahead of its competitors in the full-size battery electric vehicle SUV segment worldwide. It is even the overall top-selling electric SUV in Europe.

The Audi e-tron is highly sought after in the Scandinavian market in particular. In Norway, which is the pioneering country when it comes to electric mobility, it was the top-selling passenger-car model in the first half of the year. The e-tron makes up 92 percent of the volume of Audi models delivered in Norway. It also makes up a significant portion of deliveries in Iceland (93 percent), Sweden (12 percent), and Israel (14 percent).

In the USA, the e-tron has recorded an increase in sales by more than 50 percent as compared to the previous year. Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing: “The Audi e-Tron is a real game-changer for us and clearly illustrates our vision of sustainable and progressive premium mobility. Our first fully electric SUV combines design, dynamic handling, and interior quality with the latest technology – for emissions-free driving without having to make compromises. The e-Tron is the beginning of a new era for Audi. We will continue this success story.”

Fast charging and long-distance qualities as a trump card

The success of the Audi e-tron arises mainly from its everyday usability. In addition to the large passenger-compartment space, its long-distance range plays a decisive role here. Longer distances can be managed easily with the e-tron Sportback 551, which has a range of 446 kilometres (277.1 mi) (WLPT), and the e-tron 552, which has a range of 436 kilometres (270.9 mi) (WLTP).

E-tron drivers also benefit from fast charging speeds. The charging capacity of up to 150 kW is available for a significant proportion of the charging process. For a range of about 110 kilometers (68.4 mi), the customer ideally spends just under 10 minutes at the charging terminal. The Audi e-tron 55 reaches the 80 percent mark after roughly 30 minutes.

The e-tron Charging Service provides a further great advantage when it comes to everyday usability. The premium charging service makes around 155,000 public charging points in 25 countries accessible with one charging card. When driving abroad, customers can charge their cars according to the local purchasing conditions without any extra costs. The myAudi app and the Audi navigation system make operation particularly easy. In addition to planning the route and activating charging points, the driver is also always informed as to whether or not the charging terminal is currently available for use.

Awards in many categories

The Audi e-tron is a winner, as demonstrated by the numerous comparative tests and awards it has won. In 2019, the e-tron won more than two-thirds of all comparative tests. In addition, readers of “AUTO BILD Allrad” magazine voted the e-tron “all-wheel-drive car of the year” in the “all-wheel-drive hybrids and electric cars” category in Germany in 2019. The e-tron won the “Goldenes Lenkrad” (Golden Steering Wheel) in the “large SUVs” category, prevailing against competitors powered by a combustion engine. In the “company car of the year 2020” award, the e-tron won in the “electric cars full-size/luxury class” category.

The e-tron also receives awards in other countries regularly. In the USA, the model recently won the “Wards 10 Best Interiors” award for its futuristic interior. The US magazine “Green Car Reports” named the Audi e-tron the “Best Car To Buy 2020.” The e-tron also convinced the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in crash tests and was the first electric car in the world to receive the “Top Safety Pick+.”

The technical innovations of the Audi e-Tron also convinced experts. For example, Audi won the “Display Industry Award 2020” of the “Society for Information Display” (SID) for the development of the virtual exterior mirror. This award is one of the highest distinctions in the industry. The technology is also well received by customers. One third of all buyers opted for the camera-based exterior mirrors.

Sportback and S models flank the success model

The Audi e-Tron marks the start of an extensive electric offensive that will include around 20 fully electric models by 2025. The Audi e-tron Sportback was added to the e-tron family in April. The “S” versions of the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, which were introduced just recently, form the sporty spearhead of the model series.

Electric: high-end GT and two Q models in the starting blocks

Today’s successes are an incentive for tomorrow’s goals. With the Audi Q4 e-tron concept, Audi gave visitors to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show a taste of the brand’s first compact electric SUV. With the Q4 Sportback e-tron, the brand has now presented the second model of the product line, which will go into production in 2021 as an SUV coupé. Both models will be important cornerstones of the electric strategy.

Customers can look forward to another major highlight coming next year. The four rings will be launching the Audi e-tron GT. Performance and expressive design are the most important ingredients for the e-tron GT. It thereby emphasizes the sportiness of the brand and continues the success story of the Audi e-tron together with the electric Q models.

1. Combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km: 23.8 – 21.6; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0

2. Combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km: 23.2 – 20.9; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0

3. Audi e-tron 55 quattro: Combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi): 23.1 – 21.0 (NEFZ); Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0

4. Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro: Combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi): 22.7 – 20.6 (NEFZ); Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0

Should digitally delivered products be exempted from customs duties?

Brand Spur
-
0
Should digitally delivered products be exempted from customs duties?

As the digital revolution unfolds, more products are leaving their physical carriers and being traded online.

For example, movies and music are being traded digitally rather than through CDs, CD-ROMs or DVDs. Similarly, books are being traded as e-books and video games are being downloaded or played online.

While customs duties were applied on the physical imports of these digitalized products, their online imports escape customs duties, thanks to a World Trade Organization (WTO) e-commerce moratorium, which bans countries from applying customs duties on electronic transmissions.

Photo by rupixen.com

It dates back to 1998 when a few products were digitally traded and a couple of countries had the capacity to collect customs duties on intangible imports. Further, no one had anticipated the onset of a digital revolution.

Developing countries fast losing revenues

The moratorium has continued since 1998. However, with rising product digitalization, developing countries, the net importers of digitalized products, are fast losing tariff revenues due to the moratorium.

UNCTAD estimated that the potential tariff revenue loss to developing countries due to the moratorium was  $10 billion in 2017.

In March, India and South Africa outlined the adverse implications of the moratorium for developing countries. These include the loss of policy space together with potential tariff revenues and the possible impact of digital technologies like 3D printing on manufacturing.

A decision on continuing with the moratorium or not will be taken at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in 2021.

COVID-19 worsens effects of the moratorium

COVID-19 and the subsequent prolonged lockdowns have led to an exponential rise in imports of digitalized luxury items like movies, music, video games and printed matter.

While the crisis is expected to push millions of people in developing countries to extreme poverty, precious domestic financial resources are being spent on imports of these luxury items.

Estimating the potential revenue dent

The WTO identified digitizable products under five categories: sound recordings, audiovisual works, video games, computer software and literary works.

It identified 30 digitizable products with their Harmonized System (HS) codes and associated tariffs, estimating that the physical trade of these products has been falling at an annual rate of -2.7% since 2000.

It concluded that the falling physical imports are associated with reducing tariff revenues, therefore the estimated tariff revenue loss due to the moratorium is not significant.

However, UNCTAD highlighted that the moratorium applies to online imports, not the physical ones. It was the first study to estimate online imports of digitizable products for 91 countries.

The study found that the actual global physical imports of the identified 49 digitizable products in 2017 were worth $116 billion, while the estimated physical imports were valued at $255 billion.

The global imports of these digitizable products via electronic transmissions were therefore estimated at $139 billion.

The study further estimated that due to the WTO moratorium, the potential tariff revenue loss to developing countries was $10 billion in 2017.

The potential tariff revenue loss to the least developed countries was estimated at $1.5 billion while sub-Saharan African countries lost about $2.6 billion.

High-income countries experienced a tariff revenue loss of only $289 million, as their average bound duties are pegged at 0.2%.

Developing countries can, therefore, generate forty times more tariff revenue every year compared with developed countries by imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions.

Shifting goalposts on the scope of the moratorium

While the potential tariff revenue loss from the moratorium has been estimated using imports and customs duties of digitizable products, there seems to be no emerging consensus on the scope of the moratorium.

A study conducted by the European Centre for International Political Economy in 2019 estimated the impact of the moratorium on potential tariff revenues by including online services under the scope of the moratorium.

The OECD further extended the scope of the moratorium by highlighting that electronic transmissions are ‘digital deliveries’ and include all foreign business services that are electronically traded.

To address the issue of the widening scope of the moratorium, UNCTAD’s research paper, entitled Moratorium on Electronic Transmissions: Fiscal Implications and Way Forward, provides strong evidence, supported by economic literature and legal judgements, on the difference between ‘intangibles’ and ‘services.’ It argues that trade in intangibles should be treated as trade in goods, which is different from trade in services.

The paper estimates that the trade coverage of the moratorium with an extended scope increases from $80 billion (imports of digitizable products) to $705 billion (including digital imports of services, i.e., via Mode 1) for developing countries.

This estimates the extent to which unregulated imports will be allowed if the extended scope of the moratorium is used.

Way forward

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the importance of preserving policy space in trade agreements. In these times of crisis, it’s extremely important for developing countries to regulate their luxury imports of movies, music and video games. Removal of the moratorium will provide this policy space to governments.

Written by Rashmi Banga, Senior Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD

COVID-19: The Coca-Cola Foundation Champions Marine Plastic Collection Through The RESWAYE Project

Brand Spur
-
0
COVID-19: The Coca-Cola Foundation Champions Marine Plastic Collection Through The RESWAYE Project

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the shores of almost every country in the world. While the immediate impact of the virus has been felt in major cities, the economic impact of the pandemic spreads quickly to rural areas. In Nigeria, there has been a significant economic impact for many, especially those living in rural communities.

A ripple effect of the Coronavirus disease is the drastic increase in the use of plastic, the main component in hand sanitizer bottles, takeout containers and other products central to our new way of life, following the lockdown restrictions. This has further exposed the lapses in waste management and recycling.

As a result of the New World Project of The Coca-Cola Foundation titled RESWAYE (Recycling Scheme for Women and Youth Empowerment), much-needed comfort has been brought to these vulnerable communities through a Plastic buy-back scheme across 16 coastal communities in Ibeju Lekki. With considerable joy, these low-income communities exchanged their plastic for cash during a recent outreach led by Doyinsola Ogunye, founder of Mental and Environmental Development Initiative for Children (MEDIC).

MEDIC, the implementing partner of the RESWAYE project, is an NGO focused on building a sustainable environment and oceans through improved education and job creation for more resilient communities. They stand for growth and are passionate about their work with communities, especially in areas around plastic pollution, recycling and empowering women & youths along the Atlantic coast in Lagos, Nigeria.

This has brought hope to the women and youths in these communities who earn decent wages from these recovered plastic bottles to better support their families in these challenging times.

Every year, eight million metric tons of plastic finds its way into the ocean, this is equivalent to a truckload of plastic being dumped into the ocean every minute. This waste poses a clear and present danger to marine life, as well as coastal communities that are forced to deal with plastic bottles washing up on their shores.

The RESWAYE initiative buys back recyclable materials from women and youths to encourage a cleaner, more sustainable environment. Amongst the 16 participating communities in Ibeju-Lekki, a total of over 72,000 kilograms of recyclable plastic waste materials have been recovered across Eti-Osa and Ibeju-Lekki communities in Lagos state.

Remarking on the initiative, Sebidat Sam, the Women Leader for the Okun Ise, Ibeju-Lekki community said: “Na good thing, with this we clean the environment and also collect money to take care of our family”.

Speaking on behalf of The Coca-Cola Foundation, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe said, “By partnering with NGOs such as RESWAYE, Coca-Cola aims to develop an effective recycling system that meets the unique needs of local communities, making recycling more accessible for everyone while also encouraging the economic empowerment of women and youths”.

The giveback program also featured an education drive, a medical outreach and a financial empowerment program. With children and youths out of school due to closures mandated by the government in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the education drive provided out-of-school children with books and stationery to facilitate the continuity of education for all through remote learning.

The medical outreach in partnership with the Fola David Foundation provided residents of the communities with face masks and mosquito nets. The program also created awareness on the importance of good hand hygiene through practical demonstration of best handwashing practices to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Basic financial literacy and account opening exercises were also conducted during the give-back program. Karim Aishat, a beneficiary of the program recalled her initial fear of the coronavirus and how the education she had just received will help her keep her family and community safe.

Speaking on working with the coastal communities, Doyinsola Ogunye, Founder of MEDIC said, “Seeing our network of women and youth recyclers protect the shorelines and coastlines of Lagos state as they gather plastic waste has been deeply fulfilling. Economically empowering the women and youths during these turbulent times as they continue to preserve the environment is paramount”.

Coca‑Cola’s “World Without Waste” vision fosters collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including partners, government and civil societies like MEDIC, and promotes continued leadership in packaging waste reduction by helping to collect the same amount of packaging the company sells for reuse by end of 2030. This vision also supports communities by helping them identify and better understand their existing recycling and collection challenges while engendering a recycling culture amongst residents.

Ford sold 168,650 (-51,4%) vehicles in Q2 2020

Brand Spur
-
0
Ford sold 168,650 (-51,4%) vehicles in Q2 2020

Ford sold 168,650 (-51,4%) vehicles in the second quarter in its traditional 20 European markets, achieving a 7.1% market share.

Ford remains Europe’s No. 1 commercial vehicle brand for the first half of the year, and in the second quarter grew market share year-over-year in all of its European 20 traditional markets to 13.8%.

The new Ford Puma and Kuga are off to a great start with Hybrid derivatives making up more than 50% of total sales. In Q3 we will continue our drive to electrify the Ford range with the launch of our new Fiesta and Focus EcoBoost Hybrid models.

Roelant de Waard, Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe

With dealerships now open across Europe, the industry is showing strong signs of recovery month on month with growth of 78% from May to June 2020. Ford is outpacing the industry with 95% increase in registrations in the same period.

Ford sold 59,521 (-40.0%) commercial vehicles in the quarter; the commercial vehicle business was less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to high mix of fleet sales. Ford sold 109,129 (-56.0%) passenger vehicles in the second quarter.

Ford Focus was the top-selling Ford vehicle in the quarter with 30,668 sold, followed by Fiesta (26,015) and Transit/Tourneo Custom (25,428)

Strong start for new Kuga PHEV which now accounts for 51.1% of total Kuga sales since introduction. Kuga was the best selling car in Denmark in June

Germany was Ford’s top-selling market in the second quarter with 45, 891 total vehicles sold. Ford continues to be the best-selling brand in the U.K. for both passenger and commercial vehicle sales. Transit was the UK’s overall best-selling vehicle in June.

Ford of Europe reports sales for its 20 European traditional markets with National Sales Companies: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.

Niger: The African Development Bank enhances food security for nine million people (report)

Brand Spur
-
0
Niger: The African Development Bank enhances food security for nine million people (report)

The Water Mobilisation Project to Enhance Food Security in Maradi, Tahoua and Zinder Regions (PMERSA-MTZ), implemented between 2011 and 2018 in Niger, has sustainably increased agricultural production and productivity and increased food security for nearly nine million residents of this Sahelian country, according to a report by the African Development Bank.

Financed through a loan of $11 million from the African Development Fund and a grant of $28.7 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme, the project directly involved 218,000 people in the three regions of south-central Niger, with another nearly 476000 indirectly affected. These three regions are home to approximately 56 percent, or 8.9 million people, of the country’s population.

“The project’s expected effects, as far as food security, increased production and jobs, were achieved overall,” according to the PMERSA-MTZ final report. The team was led by Moustapha Cheick Abdallahi Cheibany, senior agricultural economist for the Bank.

“Grain production goals were 94 percent achieved and those for vegetable production were exceeded (123%). A very clear improvement in the availability of agricultural and livestock products has been demonstrated, and income for the population has been increased due to higher yields, commercialised agricultural production and the revitalization of production areas,” notes the report team.

The average expected level of grain production (15,000 tonnes/year) was achieved and surpassed in 2017 and 2018 to reach 16 000 and 21 156 tonnes, respectively. With 16 000 tonnes annually, vegetable production surpassed its goals in 2017 (122%) and 2018 (179%).

The project entailed establishment of various types of infrastructure (irrigation projects, including 47 sills (small dams) and 11 mini-dams, water and soil conservation techniques on 3 700 ha, and the construction of 74 wells and 273 km of rural tracks) with the goal of developing and securing agricultural production (on 18 800 ha irrigated and decreasing). It also supported product commercialisation and, more broadly, improving the living conditions of the rural residents involved.

Furthermore, increasing production necessitated accompanying producers to promote and better and more sustainably manage the new infrastructure. This was done specifically by outreach activities, the construction of 124 agricultural buildings (grain warehouses, animal feed warehouses, seedstock centres), and the promotion of revenue-generating activities for women and youth.

Gender-related issues were considered in most activities undertaken by the project. It specifically emphasized women’s representation in management entities of farmer’s organisations. In addition, PMERSA-MTZ encouraged the empowerment of women and youth by supplying 1,500 carts, 105 maintenance kits, 15,150 sheep and goats, and 598 miscellaneous equipment (mills, huskers, oil presses, and manioc processing units).

“At its conclusion, the project demonstrated a more than 98 percent achievement rate for its goals, which were revised higher at mid-project. The completion rate greatly surpassed the initial indicators in the evaluation report (240%). The project’s performance was therefore very satisfactory, ” concludes the project report.

How to Make the Most of a Dwindling COVID-19 Marketing Budget

Brand Spur
-
0
How to Make the Most of a Dwindling COVID-19 Marketing Budget

Following a contraction in GDP in the first quarter, the second quarter of decline will plunge the UK into an official recession.

Understandably, business decision-makers are nervous about their finances – and marketing is often one of the first departments to be hit by budget cuts when times get tough. Marketing can often be viewed as a ‘nice to have’ or creative department within the wider business, pursuing activities that don’t always relate directly to revenue. However, the reality is that this could not be further from the truth and marketing activity can play an instrumental role in revenue generation and customer retention.

CMOs are under pressure in the current environment. Worries about dwindling resources are coupled with an increased focus on generating leads, according to a recent survey commissioned by Dun & Bradstreet.

Covid-19 has changed the strategic approach of many marketing leaders surveyed, with 80% of those surveyed having to adjust their marketing plans and activities.

A different approach

Marketers are finding themselves in a very different position. Instead of marketing budget being focused on activities and tactics to convince customers to buy, CMOs and their teams are seeing reduced demand and are having to be more creative about how to engage with prospects. Unless it’s digital transformation software or conferencing technology, buyers themselves are facing budget cuts and wider changes to business direction.

Customer needs have changed. They are operating from home and keeping things ticking over. New investments are not front of mind and ‘hot’ deals near to close have been put on the backburned as businesses deal with other priorities. The most effective marketing teams have recognised this and are reallocating time and budget to where they can be most productive and impactful.

So how can marketers help build pipeline when customers aren’t in a position to buy?

The sentiment of marketing content is shifting from being sales-driven to providing advice and support during challenging times. The focus is more about supporting clients to retain business and adopting a ‘we’re all in this together’ mentality. Thought leadership content production among the CMOs we surveyed has gone up by 21% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But building trust, establishing relationships and developing the right content is not easy. The best content development will be informed by data – by the conversations your sales team is having with customers and prospects to identify their pain-points and information about how they are performing as a business – and that is where data comes in.

Using data for effective engagement

When making decisions about your budget it’s important to centre on the key challenges your customers are trying to solve.

The best way to keep your strategy aligned with changing customer needs is through data. Accurate and reliable data informs effective decisions and this can be sourced by third-party providers, such as Dun & Bradstreet, and complemented by CRM data and information shared by sales teams.

Data enables effective budget allocation and allows areas of expenditure to be adjusted in response to evolving customer needs. In a changing and unprecedented environment, a data-focused strategy is more important than ever to help marketers to engage effectively with customers and prospects, building trust and relationships that will hopefully come to fruition when the budget isn’t as scarce.

The future of marketing

The future is, of course, unknown to some extent. But despite current budget cuts, marketers are still cautiously optimistic – over eight-in-ten (83%) of CMOs in our survey have been making changes to their marketing operations since the coronavirus outbreak and are preparing to bounce-back.

While many businesses may have put investment and procurement plans on hold for some services and products, the most effective marketers are using data to monitor and respond to the evolving customer needs and planning ahead to be in the best position in a post-COVID-19 era.

To deliver effective marketing on a low budget in such a transitory period requires close alignment between sales and marketing teams, underpinned by data and analytics. This is the only way businesses are going to be able to use their budget productively and respond quickly.

Data is already a priority for many CMOs but despite the devasting impact of Covid-19, a crisis can also create opportunities. In an uncertain environment, data can provide valuable insight to help weather the storm and identify growth potential even in the most challenging of landscapes.

NSE Lists Axxela Funding 1 Plc Series 1 Bonds

Brand Spur
-
0
NSE Lists Axxela Funding 1 Plc Series 1 Bonds

Axxela Funding 1 Plc’s N11,500,000,000 Series 1; 14.30% Fixed Rate Bonds due 2027, under the N50,000,000,000 Bond Issuance Program were today, Thursday, 16 July 2020 listed on The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

A few days ago, FMDQ, through its subsidiary, FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited, admitted for listing on its platform, the Axxela Funding 1 PLC ₦11.50 billion Series 1 Bond under its ₦50.00 billion Bond Programme (the Axxela Bond).

Axxela Funding 1 PLC is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) incorporated by Axxela Limited to raise funds through the issuance of debt securities in the domestic capital market. Axxela Limited, owned by Helios Investment Partners, is a natural gas shipping company on the West African Gas Pipeline, providing unique energy solutions with presence in Nigeria and gas export operations in neighbouring West African countries.

Below are details of the Bonds:

The admittance of the Axxela bond is testament to the opportunities which the debt market capital avails to corporates in diverse business areas and further, to the potential of the market to support stakeholders effectively even as they carry on their activities in the face of the pandemic.

eTranzact Rights Issue of 4.67bn Shares Opens

Brand Spur
-
0
eTranzact Rights Issue of 4.67bn Shares Opens

ETranzact International Plc’s rights issue of 4.67 billion ordinary shares of N0.50 each, at N1.50 per share on the basis of 10 new ordinary shares for every nine ordinary shares held as at March 25, 2020, has opened for subscription.

“Further to our Market Bulletin of 25 March 2020, with reference number: NSE/RD/LRD/MB22/20/03/25, Dealing Members are hereby notified that eTranzact International Plc’s Rights Issue of Four Billion, Six Hundred and Sixty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Sixty-Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty-Seven (4,666,666,667) ordinary shares of N0.50 each, at N1.50 per share on the basis of ten (10) new ordinary shares for every nine (9) ordinary shares held as at 25 March 2020, has opened for subscription as shown below:”
  • Acceptance list opened: Tuesday, 14 July 2020
  • Acceptance list closes: Monday, 10 August 2020

The firm posted revenue of N5.915bn in 2020 as against N5.59bn in 2019, representing a growth of 5.81 per cent.

eTranzact International, a payment technology provider, is principally engaged in the processing of all facets of electronic payment transactions using its switching platform.

Customer focus, shared belief helps MTN remain South Africa’s top brand

Brand Spur
-
0

MTN is encouraged to have maintained its position as South Africa’s most valuable brand in Brand Finance’s 2020 Top 50 South African Brands survey released on Wednesday, with a brand value of R49,4 billion.

“We are pleased to be appearing at the top of the list again,” said MTN Group President and CEO Rob Shuter.  “But what is more important is that we’ve made progress year-on-year, in particular in the brand strength index scores.”

According to Brand Finance, MTN’s brand strength improved to AAA in 2020 from AAA- in 2019. This was a result of the group’s focus on improving the customer experience for its almost 260 million subscribers, as well as uniting its 19 000 employees around a shared belief, which is that everyone deserves the benefits of modern connected life.

“We have worked hard to make sure that our customers find that we are easy to do business with, that our propositions are tailormade, and that our network quality is really good,” said Shuter. “Inside MTN, we have focussed on connecting our people to the fact that what we do is worthwhile, and that we make a meaningful contribution to society. This is so important because our people are our brand ambassadors.”

He said the brand helped glue MTN employees together across 21 countries on two continents: “If we deliver a sense of personal ownership in the brand, then we start to have some of the improvements we’ve seen in the last few years, despite some difficult markets and some difficult events.”

In an increasingly competitive and dynamic market, MTN would not rest on its laurels and still had much work to do. “We really are just at the start of this. We are encouraged with the progress, but we are going to keep building the faith, and improving the experience,” Shuter said.

IFMA Nigeria lauds Federal Government’s Handover of National Theatre

Brand Spur
-
0
IFMA Nigeria lauds Federal Government’s Handover of National Theatre
The International Facility Management Association, Nigeria Chapter, has lauded the Federal Government’s initiative of handing over the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Banker’s Committee. The symbolic event which happened on Sunday, July 12 2020, is not only commendable but equally a step in the right direction.  This was said by the Acting President of the Association, Mr Segun Adebayo.
According to him, this initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Banker’s Committee should also be extended to other National facilities like the National Museum and National Stadium amongst others that are not been put into optimal use.
While commending all parties including Lagos State Government, the Acting President also advise the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bankers Committee as critical parties the success of the project to activate the “Sustainability Road Map” through the proactive engagement of professional facility management process as they commence the revamping of the national monument.
According to him, one of the challenges with the effective operation of National theatre was lack of professional management of the facility. I urge the driver of the project to begin with the end in mind by engaging professional facility management practitioner as part of the team of the consultants on the project.
“In fact IFMA, Nigeria Chapter is not only willing but equally ready to offer free professional services like our support for the success of the project. This will guarantee the sustainability and positive impact on the economy through job creation and other associated value creation for the artisan and technicians” he summited.
Earlier in the year, the Association celebrated the World Facility Management Day drawing attention to the significant contribution that FM makes to the global economy.  This contribution of the FM Professionals impacts positively on the health, safety, productivity and well-being of everyone who utilises the built environment. Facility Managers create, operate and maintain conducive environments where people work, recreate and also reside across the world.
1...3,8703,8713,872...5,509Page 3,871 of 5,509