THE ROLE OF TV PROGRAMME IN REBRANDING NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
One of the primary challenges faced by developing countries especially Nigeria stems from the breakdown of bordering between their internal and external aspects. Professionals and scholars have arranged that increasing the actions and statement of Nigerian leaders and citizens simultaneously affect National and International identity and image. This is due to increasing levels of interaction between her citizens, leaders and other external public or societies.
An image can be described as the impression, feeling or opinion, which somebody has, about an organization. In this case the impression or feeling or opinion, which other countries has about Nigeria. Over the years the image of Nigeria grows worst rather than bad. Nigeria has been branded thieves, 419ers and other all sorts. This has incidence a lot of problems on our international relations. Submit a green passport and be subjected to the most stringent and most thorough check at foreign airports, seaports and other international boarders. What a bastardized image. Nigerians have been denied Visa entry to international engagements. Recently, highly placed Nigerians where denied Visas into France for the Film Festival, to mention but a few.
However, the opinion that all Nigerians are thieves, 419ers, Fraudsters, could be proved wrong, by carefully adopting the procedures of rebranding Nigeria through Public relations. At this juncture, the media among others is a focal point for Public relations and branding building, according to Osunbiyi (2001). “The world is in crisis, Political Crisis, economic crisis, identity crisis; the media and Political societies. Nowadays nobody dare to deny the effects of the media in the behaviour of individuals both in developed and developing countries. In our continent, the Media are said to poses power.”
One of the most common misconceptions about branding is that it is something one chooses to do as it were a project, one could start and finish. But branding, the process, through which a cohesive enduring, impressive of a business, in this case Nigeria is formed in the minds of our audience (external public). Branding never ends, it is ongoing in every interaction. Hence, the need of this paper presentation is to reveal the powerful role of Public relations in rebranding Nigeria, to rejuvenate Nigeria Bastardized image, among others, encourage investment and partnership that will aggravate developmental growth in both human resource and infrastructure facilities, all to make Nigeria a country to reckon with in the committee of Nations.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The image of Nigeria as a nation has been negative over the years. In this era of growth in technology and globalization, international relation is a great asset to a nation. When people from a country are being branded thieves, fraudsters and dis-honest, a big barer is created between the country and other parts of the world, and development is reduced.
The rise in internet fraud, corruption and tribal killing in Nigeria is alarming. Recently, the country was branded a terrorist nation by the United States. All these issues coupled with the in-ability of the mass media to effectively readdress these issues and re-brand the nation are of great concern to patriotic Nigerians who are being affected every day.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to critically assess the role of Television program in rebranding Nigeria. Specific objectives of the study are:
- To appraise the effectiveness of AIT’s TV programs geared toward re-branding Nigeria.
- To assess the role of these TV programs in re-branding Nigeria.
- To recommend more TV programs that can effectively contribute to the re-branding cause to AIT Abuja.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In-order to achieve the above stated research objectives, the following research questions will be used as guide for the study:
- How effective are the re-branding programs of AIT?
- What are the roles of these TV programs in re-branding Nigeria?
- What better TV programs can be introduced to re-brand Nigeria?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY
H0: AIT’s TV programs geared towards rebranding Nigeria are not effective.
Hi: AIT’s TV programs geared towards re-branding Nigeria are effective.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will enlighten public officials on how the re-branding campaign can be effectively carried out. With the reviving trend of Globalization and the breaking down of international barrier of trade, competition for consumers and inward investment; Countries especially Nigeria need to be repositioned to meet this challenge, and hence encourage internal acceptance for economic trade partnership and investment opportunities.
This study will further illustrate how using TV programs that markets the great potentials of Nigeria and her people as part of a marketing mix to create the desired image around the brand (Nigeria) can be implemented and made possible. And how other stakeholders such as her public, International Communities, business partners can partner without a second thought.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study will focus on the assessment of television programs in the re-branding of Nigeria, using AIT, Abuja as a case study. All findings from the study may not reflect the true and bias view of other TV programs in Nigeria as the researcher could not cover a wider area.
1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
However, there cannot be thorough research without fund. Thus, the lack of funds poses as a limitation to this work; also, time factor is included because the issue of combining lecture with research is not an easy task.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
AIT: African Independent Television
Image: An image can be described as the impression, feeling or opinion, which somebody has, about an organization.
Rebranding: Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors, and competitors.
TV: Television
Television program also called television show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series.
REFERENCES