At least four top PR agencies in the mold of TPT International, Synthesis Communications, Sesema PR and JSP Communications are expecting the decision of Reckitt Benckiser on its PR pitch for both corporate and products.
The pitch process ended few weeks ago with seven agencies pruned to four and the final four are all expectant. The tension among the agencies is said to high but report says that they were all fantastic at the presentation.
The incumbent, Synthesis Communications, being run by Desmond Ekeh is considered to be in pole position having managed the brand since last year. Adetokunbo Modupe’s TPT International that has vast experience in fast moving consumer goods companies has also been labeled favorite to clinch the business.
Meanwhile Dr. Phil Osagie’s JSP and Sesema PR being run by Mrs. Tampiri Irimagha Akemu are also in the running for the first PR business of the year should Nigerian Breweries do not announce first.
According to a reliable source, the pitch was highly competitive and the pitch management board of the company is finding it difficult to make their pick.
It is also learnt that unlike in recent past that the both corporate and product PR portfolios of the company usually warehouse in one agency, 789marketing gathers that the brief may be shared between two vibrant agencies with the strongest claim to improve the equity of the brand.
Interestingly, the contest is seen as a family one because apart from Sesema PR, TPT and Synthesis could be seen as the offshoot of JSP. Modupe and Ekeh were former employees of Osagie.
Reckitt Benckiser’s Managing Director, Rahul Murgai had reportedly said that the company would be doing so much in the Nigerian market this year hence the desire to recruit the agency that would be able to interpret the brand’s strategy.
These four agencies pedigree in FMCG is not in doubt, however they have in one way or the other navigate the murky waters of PR with competition brands.
Reckitt Benckiser is the world’s No.1 household cleaning products firm which came into being as the result of a 1999 merger between the UK’s Reckitt & Colman and the Dutch group Benckiser.
The company leads the sector in the production and sales of household cleaning products like Dettol etc with sales increasing on average by 7per cent a year since its formation and a share price rise of 356per cent – compared with a 13per cent decline in the FTSE 100 index.
From its European origins it continues to expand globally with its brands now available in more than 180 countries. Nearly half of its revenues now come from outside its home markets, with the US and Australia accounting for 28per cent of net revenues and developing markets 18per cent.
For such a fast-paced, entrepreneurial business some are surprised to learn the company’s history spans 150 years of innovation for consumers across the world. With a German and British heritage, RB’s drive for financial performance today can be seen in its deep roots.
