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The 7 Pillars of Positioning
When it comes to positioning, a correlation does make the truth: organizations that stand for something unique in the mind of consumers or customers grow and prosper while the ones that stand for nothing or too many things will eventually disintegrate sooner than later. The survival of any company in a modern market-state-economy is dependent on the quality of information available to its management as well as the staff. Unarguably, the Americans are peerless when it comes to information-sharing; they communicate lavishly. This is the source of the obvious resilience and competitive advantage which many American companies enjoy over their counterparts in Africa and Asia. For instance, there are probably more books on why Enron failed than even on IBM turn-around. But here in Nigeria, we scarcely want to talk on why a company went under because we are only used to talking about best practices. But great lessons can equally be learnt from gallant failures.
Revolutions are happening all around us and the emergence of do-it-yourself technology makes forecasting job to be fraught with enormous vulnerability today. In a market-state–economy, only the fittest companies survive the hyper competitive, dog-eat-dog economic milieu. Consumers are kings; they determine which companies to keep alive and the ones to inter. Little wonder why only 60% of the manufacturing companies and 30% of the banks that sang Christmas carol in December 1999 were alive by January 2008 to say happy New Year. In corporate Nigeria, the question is: How did Zenith bank survive the Soludo consolidation re-engineering and Fountain Trust and 63 other banks got dispatched to The Great Beyond? Was it money- power or network or luck or handiwork of unseen forces? No. The answer lies in Positioning.
Positioning is about what is unique in a company, what a company stands for. How buyers or consumers perceive a company will determine the share of the mind and the share of the shelve which such company’s products will enjoy. Positioning is about perception; and perception is reality. The 25 banks that survive the consolidation exercise are mostly the ones that represent something in the mind of consumers. And even then, it will be discovered that 1+1=5 in some banks after consolidation, while 7+1 is less than 1 among some 8 banks that came together. The long and short of it is that the companies that will survive must stand for something in the mind of consumers. A critical analysis of all the companies that have been forced to close shops whether in the media or manufacturing or telecom industries show that majority of them did not stand for something worthwhile in the mind of their respective patrons i.e. consumers. Hardly can anybody remember what Lead Merchant, Bond, ABC, and Metropolitan banks among others stood for when they were in operation? In the media, can anyone remind us what position Sentinel and Globe magazines occupied in the mind of their readers?
However, it is one thing for an organization to communicate one position to its target audience; it’s a different ball game for the audience to see the perceived value. In the last three years, arising from stiff competition, every organization has been trying to purchase a portion of the consumer mind, some have been successful while majority have failed. This is because most companies don’t match their words with actions. For instance, when Intercontinental bank comes out with ‘the face of Leadership’, people wonder which leadership? – In which area. Zenith bank says it is for people, service and technology: Service for whom? Sky bank on the other hand says it is the leader in e-business, while bank PHB says it is the king of innovation. On its part, GT bank constantly waves the ‘professionalism handkerchief’ to us. These are all wonderful positions but consumers like beautiful brides (which they are) are very cautious; they seek for hard facts, concrete evidence to know which of them is for real.
In the paragraphs that follow, we shall look into the seven pillars of positioning to enable managers of organizations see how IBM, Coca-cola, General Electric, Intel, Microsoft and Apple among other great companies managed to engrave themselves into the minds of consumers globally for generations.
Pillar 1: Leadership. The advantage of being the first in a market segment over being the best is as high as 40%. I totally agree with Al Ries and Jack Trout in their powerful book on Positioning that it is far easier to get to the market place first than to try to convince someone that you have a superior product. We witnessed this when Zenith and GT banks first came out to raise N25billion each in the stock market three years ago; they spent less money in advertising than the other banks which came after them.
Pillar 2: Mind. Marketing battles are won or lost first in the mind: getting to the market first is not as important as getting to the mind of the consumer first. The eternal advantage which Guinness stout has over Legend extra stout is the fact that Guinness got into the mind of consumers first. This is why ladies hardly forget their first ‘toaster’
Pillar 3: Perception. All truths are subjective and relative. Everything in this world is about perception. There is no brand of the year, no bank of the year; no man of the year: its all about perception. Perception is real, and it is everything.
Pillar 4: Focus. Companies that successfully own a word in the prospect minds have won 50% of the battle. 7up: the difference is clear. Coke: Always coca-cola. New Horizons: Everything is possible. First bank: truly the first. Skye bank: saying yes to your dream. It works magic, and it shows on the balance-sheet as well.
Pillar 5: Opposite. When bank PHB went for full re-branding, little did it occur to the management that it will catch fire with consumers. There is opportunity in weakness. Companies that are not number one in getting to the market or mind before competition can still prosper if it plays the law of opposite in marketing very well the way 7up and AVIS car hire have done.
Pillar 6: Line Extension: The temptation is always strong for CEOs to extend the brand equity of a product or name. But the end result is always almost a disaster. Maltina did it with little success. Fanta Chapman in coke was a failure. Almost all banks that went into mortgage business in the 1990s in Nigeria got their fingers burnt. Consumers will have no problem in drinking star lager beer from Nigerian Brewery; but certainly the concept of a coke- beer will take miracle to fly. But this is what most CEOs do each time they run out of ideas to boost revenue base of their corporations.
Pillar 7: Resources. No doubt, a life without oxygen and blood will automatically come to an abrupt close the same way a company without cash. Cash remains the king. Cash is blood in business. Without good resources the most brilliant idea won’t get off the ground. Coke, Microsoft, IBM, MTN have all used their respective financial power to permanently weaken competition. Nonetheless,ideas will continue to rule the world!
Tim Akano ([email protected])
Tim Akano is an IT specialist and CEO, New Horizons. He is a seminar presenter and one of the World’s top coaches on sixth-sense corporate strategy.
News
WHO Says Ebola Outbreak Worse than Reported

World Health Organisation (WHO) at the weekend declared the Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo virus strain a global public health emergency.

WHO said there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain of Ebola.
At home, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said there is “no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria” but had tightened surveillance against the deadly virus.
The outbreak, linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has already caused dozens of deaths in Congo and spread into Uganda, raising fears of wider transmission across the region.
In response, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said that the country remains on alert because of growing movement across African borders.
Jide Idris, director-general said the agency was “closely monitoring the situation” and working with the Port Health Services and other health agencies to strengthen preparedness nationwide.
He added that surveillance has been increased at entry points and within Nigeria’s health system.
According to the WHO, the outbreak has recorded more than 240 suspected cases and about 80 suspected deaths in Congo’s Ituri province, while imported cases have also been confirmed in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
The WHO said the outbreak is “extraordinary” because of uncertainty around the true number of infections and the lack of approved medical countermeasures for the Bundibugyo strain.
Health authorities advised Nigerians to maintain proper hygiene, avoid contact with infected persons and report symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting and bleeding to the nearest health facility immediately.
Nigeria was declared Ebola-free in 2014 after successfully containing an outbreak brought into the country by an infected traveler from Liberia.
News
Digital PayExpo 2026 to Convene Africa’s Most Influential Payments Leaders in Lagos

Africa’s digital payments ecosystem will take center stage as Digital PayExpo 2026 returns to Lagos on June 17–18, 2026, at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, under the theme: “Seamless Digital: Fostering Pan-African Market Expansion in the AI Era.”

At a time when artificial intelligence, cross-border commerce, and financial inclusion are redefining Africa’s economic future, the event is set to convene over 3,000 senior executives, policymakers, fintech innovators, and global technology providers.
The speaker lineup reflects a powerful blend of regulatory leadership, private sector innovation, and pan-African expertise.
Among the headline speakers:
- Dr. Rakiya Yusuf, Director, Payment Systems Supervision, Central Bank of Nigeria — a key architect in Nigeria’s payment system reforms.
- Dr. Folasade Femi-Lawal, Country Manager & Area Business Head (West Africa), Mastercard — a leading voice in digital payments expansion across Africa.
- Clara B. Arthur, Managing Director, GhIPSS (Ghana) — driving Ghana’s interoperable payment ecosystem.
- Wacera Maina, Chief Operations Officer, Kenwitch Kenya — an expert in East Africa’s payment infrastructure evolution.
- Akeem Lawal, CEO, Interswitch Group — a pioneer in Africa’s fintech growth story.
- Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, Executive Director, NIBSS — shaping Nigeria’s core payment infrastructure.
The conference will explore:
- AI-powered financial services
- Cross-border payment systems and interoperability
- Cybersecurity and trust frameworks
- SME financing and financial inclusion
- Infrastructure for a unified African digital economy
With participation from banks, fintechs, telcos, regulators, and global payment networks, Digital PayExpo 2026 is positioned as a critical marketplace for ideas, partnerships, and investment flows. Register: https://digitalpayexpo.com/register
Sponsorship Enquiries: [email protected]
News
Only 1 in 3 Families Fully Secure their Devices, Kaspersky Study Reveals

On International Day of Families observed on May 15th, a global Kaspersky study* reveals that while 47% of respondents talk about online safety, only 33% secure all their family devices – highlighting the need for proactivity from Family Digital Managers.

As online threats develop and every generation joins the online space, cybersecurity habits have become an essential part of life for every family. Typically, in every family, one or two people become so-called Family Digital Managers, responsible for managing subscriptions, setting up new devices, or thinking about cyber protection. Kaspersky has conducted a survey to find out what measures modern families take to stay safe online.
According to Kaspersky’s data, a significant portion of respondents adopt an educational approach to cybersecurity within their families:
47% regularly coach elderly relatives and children on safe online practices
45% advise family members to adopt password manager solutions
42% encourage the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA)
An equal 42% actively review and adjust privacy settings on both family devices and critical online accounts
Although a growing awareness of the importance of proactive, family-focused digital protection can be observed, when it comes to the implementation of security solutions, the trend is slightly different. 10% of respondents take no measures at all to protect their loved ones online, rising to 21% among those aged 55+.
As for the parental control apps, 67% of families with children under 18 years use this tool to monitor and secure their kids’ online activity. Parental control, such as the Kaspersky Safe Kids solution, can help restrict children’s access to inappropriate content and also gently manage their online habits by limiting access to certain websites and apps, controlling their screen time, and even enhancing their physical security by tracking their geolocation.
The most worrying number is that only 33% of respondents – just 1 in 3 – install security solutions on all family members’ devices. Kaspersky experts highlight that the current threat landscape shows that mobile devices and tablets as well as PCs all require comprehensive cyber protection, as they are often targeted by cybercriminals.
According to the survey, only 30% of respondents set up new devices for their families. Setting up a new device is not often regarded as a step that contributes to cyber safety; however, some actions performed before the device is put into use can significantly enhance its security.
For instance, experts recommend installing a security solution first, to scan the device for hidden threats and make web browsing safe from the first queries. What’s more, reviewing privacy settings on a new device allows you not to share data that you would like to keep private with some applications and services.
The research also shows that the older generation (55+) is generally less included in family security habits. Around 1 in 5 (21%) of this age group globally do not take any measures to protect their family online and only a quarter (24%) install security solutions for family members. The most popular security measure among them turns out to be a password manager, as 40% of this age group recommend their family members to use it.
“We are now using a lot of gadgets and digital services, and with every new device and every additional hour spent online, the potential entry points for cybercriminals continue to grow, exposing us to a wider range of cyber threats. At the same time, not every generation adapts to these rapid changes with the same ease.
“That’s why having someone in the family take on the role of a ‘Family Digital Manager’ can be so valuable, especially when it comes to protecting kids and elder people from digital cyberthreats, give advice and help with the use of trusted security solutions,” comments Brandon Muller, Technical Expert at Kaspersky.
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