The 2021 yuletide period again provided opportunity for Pay TV giant -Multichoice to extend its frontiers in the market place. If you are in doubt, check DStv’s latest television commercial, where the company promotes love and good relationship.

To a larger degree, the brand has over the years in Nigerian market demonstrated that its success in the market is not enough to encourage complacency. While competitions struggle daily to catch up with the brand, its promoters are not only winning with product offering, they are also winning with advertising as they are always fast to register DStv on the conscious mind.

In the just unveiled television commercial which was purposely used to announce the DStv’s end of year promotional offer, the TVC was brilliantly explored to address the conflict between Pere also known as the General and Maria, both housemates in the just concluded Big Brother season 6 Shine Your Eyes.

Through a well scripted story line and a convivial scene, the TVC shows General and a friend as they deliberate on what gift to offer Maria to impress her. First, they thought of an Ultimate adventure but it wasn’t appealing, then drama and music but none could solve the problem as Maria remains unconcerned. At the end, they settled for the big one –the DStv Premium Gift, which combines all shades of entertainment. Immediately Maria sighted it, she jumped at it with admiration and it instantly performed the magic and won her over.

Beyond the drama, Multichoice thus uses the TVC to make a clarion call to its teeming subscribers on how to make their family and friends happy this yuletide season.  Obviously aware that the yuletide season is a time of bonding for family and friends, the TVC has simply given DStv subscribers the hint of where the happiness is during this period.

Looking back, one can easily conclude that DStv is a gift that never stops giving. For decades now DStv Nigeria has been in the frontline of plumbing the depth of Nigeria’s entertainment space. Amongst all the amazing local production they put their heavy financial muscle behind is the wildly popular Big Brother Naija reality TV show. For weeks on end the show keeps Nigerians entertained. It also serves as an incubator for harnessing the talents of young Nigerians who always leave the show as big stars.

Last year, during the gradual ease of the lockdown orders imposed by both the Federal and state governments to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease Multichoice applied what many described as a balm to the economic injuries through ‘We’ve Got You campaign’

The ‘We’ve Got You campaign’, according to the company, was its way of showing appreciation to its loyal DStv and GOtv customers for their support and patronage during these challenging times. The campaign, which ran from 20 April to 30 June, 2020 offered active and disconnected DStv and GOtv customers the opportunity to enjoy discounts and get upgraded to the next viewing package when they pay the fee of their current package. Through it, all active and disconnected DStv customers on Compact Plus, Compact, Confam, Family, Yanga and Access packages got discounts of up to 44 per cent.

With the 2021 end of the year TVC, Multichoice Nigeria has also successfully answered the frequently asked question on what happens to the housemates in the popular Big Brother Naija reality show, after leaving the house. In what looks like a resonance with the adage that charity begins at home, the company has taken a lead by settling for the two housemates as the major characters in the new TVC. It would be recalled that Pere and Maria were two of the very popular housemates in the Big Brother Naija season 6 Shine Your Eyes. They started as friends on the show and parted with a cloud hanging on their relationship by the time curtain was drawn on the show.

The beauty of this TVC is the brilliant exploration of the conflict between the two former housemates, using it as a story bed to lay DStv’s end of year promotional offer.

The beauty of it all is the backward integration of building the stars on their own platform, empowering them economically as they are besotted by other brands by way of endorsements. In a way, this shows deep faith and commitment in the stars the platform created by including them in their own advertising.

This TVC is heart-warming and sprays the joy of the season in the atmosphere. It was developed by DStv’s creative partner X3M Ideas, the agency with offices in several African countries. X3M Ideas emerged as the creative agency of the year at LAIF Awards 2021.

One incontrovertible fact is that companies and brand custodians often leverage visuals to tell their stories in memorable and vivid ways that may deliver more impact and emotion than words alone. Artful, custom and unique photography can transcend the mundane observable facts of a scenario.

It is for this reason that many top brands in Nigeria are falling over one another to be associated with the Big Brother Naija to further engage their targeted audience ahead of competitors in their respective industries.

BBNaija is popular for its heavy dose of escapism. Every day, Nigerians are faced with multidimensional challenges that put a strain on the mind. Watching these people’s true nature revealed during the course of the show builds a strong connection that’s evident in the fandom displayed on social media. As a result, Big Brother Naija turns out to be a rollercoaster for fans, viewers, and generally every Nigerian who nurses interest in pop culture.

When one considers it from this perspective, the hit TV show is defined by its economic value. In fact, the entire show is profitable for everyone involved in the creation, marketing, and advertisement. The participants are almost always in a better financial position after they leave the house. Sponsors get their value in advertising and PR. Everyone involved in the show ends up a winner one way or the other.

Many brand enthusiasts and critics have commended the creative and consistent approach MultiChoice Nigeria has adopted in leveraging the reality show platform to promote made-in-Nigeria goods and services.

But here’s the burning question: What is the return of investment on the BBNaija show? Do all the numbers add up to show real economic value? Yes, they do. BBNaija ticks every positive box for great business. In 2018, Plaqad, a marketing and public relations technology company carried out a research that examines the direct and indirect impact of the show on the Nigerian economy and society at large. Their results provide data that supports this.

However, three strategic areas of importance are the overall influence, media value for sponsors, and its popularity with young people.

The media value of sponsoring BBNaija according to experts surveyed is in billions of Naira, somewhere around N10 billion. The eyeballs, conversations and general awareness generated by the show make it a viable option for brands looking to get the word out about their business.

This much is seen in the robust mentions enjoyed by previous sponsors of the show. The top-of-mind-awareness, share of mind and share of voice BBNaija offers partners makes it a top choice for many smart brands. Little wonder, the show always never fails to attract top Nigerian brands as sponsors every season.

As a one-stop-shop marketing communications company that’s 100% built on ideas, X3M Ideas has not only become a leading agency in the continent, it has continued to clinch laurels within and outside Nigeria. Last year, the trailblazing Nigerian agency won bronze at Lisbon Advertising Festival for its International Women’s Day press campaign Make History Equal For Women.

First published in THISDAY Newspapers