The Compass: Backing the Wrong Horse to the Market? - 2008-06-02

The much hyped Nigerian Compass debuted last week Monday riding on the back of the Obasanjo's over flogged issue, O'Lekan Babatunde and Goddie Ofose situate debut edition in line with the Compass Management sponsored media campaign meant to usher in a different kind of Newspaper.

Al Ries and Jack Trout in their classic 'Positioning', state that even in our over communicated society, for a brand to be successful and relevance in the marketplace, it still needs to communicate to acquire the mindshare apart from the market share, which is the primary objective of any business.

On the 26 of May 2008, the much hyped The Nigerian Compass, a new publication touted to be owned by the governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel hit the ever competitive Nigerian newspaper market as the latest addition to the already existing lot.

Before the maiden edition of the paper last week, the Nigerian Compass had long commenced the process of 'buying' a slice of the reading public's mind and currying the attention of the media industry. This was orchestrated with via its well funded publicity stunt which deployed the well treaded route of advertising campaign.

Like many publications before it, the Nigerian Compass promised to change the face of print journalism in the country from content development to quality control. This has always been the strategy adopted by others before breaking into the market. Afterall, every consumer would always look forward to something new and good enough to  add value to their lives.

To push out this message into the public domain, the management contracted Insight Grey, which is perhaps the best advertising agency in the country to handle this onerous task. The agency did a good job creative wise and the adverts from teasers to main materials, were there before the reading public

The Creative

 The purpose of a teaser ad for a new product or service yet to be launched is not far to seek. This type of communication material keeps consumers guessing hence create great expectation. This was achieved to a reasonable extent and  the main  materials increased the tempo of the suspense.

To achieve this for the yet to berth publication, the agency picked on serious national issues, which the reading public were seemingly interested in, and creatively deployed this to say “look out for us, we are coming”.  Lines such as OBJ: Grace to Grass or Grass to Grace? IBB: King-Maker or Next President? EFCC: Compromise or Crime Control? N628m Contract Scam: Law Makers or Con Artists? and PHCN: Parastatal or Parasite? were issues Nigerians generally would like to read about in details. These are lines used for the ads which ran in selected national dailies.

Good story lines with some degree of satire which all the more increases the level of suspense and expectation of the reader. Therefore, the expectations were heightened week after week, while the organization continued to wait for the perfection of its press.

But the questions is, are the readers pleased or displeased with the debut edition?

While it is pertinent to point out that Compass is one of the few organizations that start out with own modern press, it is sad to note that the production quality does not reflect the modern style of the profession considering the layout, choice of fonts and general look and feel of the paper.

Considering the copy lines of the works by Insight Communications, the debut edition of the paper styled as Vol. 1 Issue 1, is a far cry from industrial standards. The cover story titled “Obasanjo Planned to Kill Me” credited to a faceless “Ex-Army Chief” is not a good enough introductory edition. In its best description as a cover, it is lame.  Why must a newspaper forcefully yoke itself with the burden of riding on a piece of stale issue especially to launch into the market. Rather than achieve an impressive entry commensurate with the expectation raised by the campaign, the paper rode into the market on the back of the wrong horse. Obasanjo's story is no longer the fashion. And certainly not the spineless claims of an unknown face.

The follow-up cover titled “Wife of Missing Plane Pilot: My Husband was Kidnapped” also did not strike the cord of a serious paper hungry to make an impression in the minds of the readers.

Boniface Kassam, Senior Program/Media Officer, Civil Society Legislative advocacy Center (CISLAC) is one of the disappointed readers. He says “one would have expected to see a paper that prides itself as one that sends shivers down other’s spines, to have come out with an exclusive but rather it led with an obscure ex-army chief and to make matters worse, the subject was Obasanjo.”

Of course, one should ask which genre of journalism is Compass operating? Is it fashioned out to play in the serious national daily circle or tabloid as today led by The Sun?. Either way, the Compass has not arrived anywhere. If it's a hard news driven organ, then the news judgment is faulty but if it is slanted along the Sun's premise of the journalism, then the team has to be more adventurous and original. From what we are seeing, it is rather difficult to place The Compass' slant.

Cart before the Horse?

Frequent failures recorded by the print media in Nigeria are attributed to media owners giving attention to issues that do not grow the media business than those that sustain the business. The Nigerian Compass could well pass as the first Nigeria rich new print medium. A look at the Compass head office along Ibadan expressway tells you that the investors mean business. Not many organizations could launch out with over 20 brand new 2007 Toyota Corolla cars among other brand new choice cars. These are good and indeed elevate journalism but the end product needs to be commensurate.

Muyiwa Akintunde, former Editor, The Post Express, would rather encourage emphasis on “intangibles that actually grow the business”. The editorial consideration is very important he says.

According to Mr. Akintunde, in 1996 there was The Post Express led by the cerebral Dr. Stanley Macebuh. It featured a collection of Nigeria 's bright journalists of that era. Its arrival was heavily hyped. But its landing was quite awful. This looks like playing itself out in the Compass.

To an average industry analyst, The Compass press is one of the best, if not the best in the country; therefore its quality of the product remains a worry. However, a staffer of the organization who does not want his name in print pleads “Just watch out in the coming days, I am sure we will not go the way of the Comet. I bet our skeptics will eat their words in the next few days, not even weeks.”

The Poach 

 Media business in Nigeria is a recycling one. It also one that needs experience to compete amongst it peers. Just like TELL that reaped from Newswatch exodus, The Comet which benefited from the Guardian and so many others, The Compass rendered Daily Independent and the Nation the biggest casualties.

90 percent of it staffers are said to have dumped their positions at the Nation and Daily Independent to seek greener pastures at the new outfit which promised and offered better welfare packages. Any rivalry between The nation and the Compass? A subject of another day.

The Pipers Calling The tune

The saying that who pays the pipers calls the tunes will always remain a reference point in business. The Compass had billed to hit the street before May 26 but it was shelved due to some unexplainable factors by the management.

 During this time, professionals (journalists) who counseled that the paper was not ready for the market were shouted down at management and editorial meetings. The proprietors had their way, a source volunteered.

For Mr. Georgi Umunna, Vice President, Hot Shoppe, it makes no sense for Otunba Daniel to invest in the Compass when he could have done that to the Westerner, which appears a better sellable name than the Compass.

A practitioner's View

Olusola Ogundipe, Health Editor, Vanguard Media Ltd posted on the FOI Coalition “After all the dramatic build-up and talk of a top-notch, world-class newspaper that had the entire industry waiting with bated breath - an anti-climax...that's what The Compass turned out to be with its maiden edition. Sure, there's always room for improvement, but like everyone knows, the first cut is the deepest.” So how does the paper recover from this?

Advertising Success

Despite the low points highlighted, The Nigerian Compass scored a bull’s eye in attracting advertising to the debut edition of the paper. Though new intros use ads as fillers but 4-page colour insertions coming from the Ogun State government's Gateway estate company among other insertion, from the state will certainly be paid for. This factors into consideration the origin of the paper. Intercontinental bank bought into the dream likewise many others.  It was really a commercial success. The governor's clout may have come into play. However, if readership relates to a newspapers wealth, one may need to ask how long can these ad influx be sustained.

 The Governor's Man

Mr. Wale Adedayo, Chief Press Secretary to Ogun State Governor, agrees not the less with M2 observations. Pointedly, Adedayo says Akintunde’s submissions stands out for its key points which addressed issues: “I want to believe Akintunde either has very good inside sources about what the professionals are going through or is himself a thorough bred professional who is very much interested in the future of journalism in Nigeria” Likewise M2. The Chief Press Secretary believes subsequent editions of the newspaper would bring with it, improvements and welcome relief to the readers and the industry as a whole. Time will however tell.