Mr. Olubunmi Oluwadare – the CEO of Nigeria’s biggest promotional items online store QUICKKPROMO.COM is a man on a mission. He is not just a branding expert; he wants to achieve the unthinkable in the country in relation to promotional items industry. Considering the time when most organisations are planning and making budget for their year-end souvenirs, WHERE To Print magazine caught up with him to find out more about his mission and his online one-of-a-kind promotional business which is a flagship of VERTRAG INTERNATIONAL. Below are excerpts:
HOW IMPORTANT IS PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS IN DRIVING GROWTH IN THE ECONOMY?
Promotion is essential and extremely significant for every business and Event. Marketing trends have been changing from year to year and many modes of promotion have come up. Promotion is not effective with words in the modern system. It needs something more like promotional products containing the brand name which are highly useful to run shows in a distinguished way. Every company can achieve the targeted orders by selecting well-established Promotional Products Distributors or Wholesalers. Having understudied the promotional item, souvenirs or gift items sector of our economy considering our cultural value of celebrations – be it at religious events, weddings ceremonies or other events such as political campaigns, corporate branding and so on – the role of customized promotional souvenirs and gift items play significant role in driving the brand that aid sale with multiplier effect on the overall economy. Although we see a lot of loopholes and challenges facing corporate organisations or individuals in terms of meeting their business objectives but when we introduce great branding concepts with prompts service delivery, their marketing objectives are easily realised and the economy will benefit via taxation, tariffs, employment generation and so on.
HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT?
We brainstormed in partnership with our numerous foreign partners and we come up with the idea of floating World and Africa Largest online Promotional Items platform focusing on total solution to corporate organizations, individuals and merchandisers’ promotional item needs. And with over 4 years of hard working which involves identification of great factories with track records, network, delivery system and human powers – Quickkpromo platform was birthed with over 600,000 innovative and unique promotional items plus numerous unique gift items.
WHAT REALLY IGNITED YOUR INTEREST IN THIS LINE OF BUSINESS?
I have been into branding, printing and advertisement for so many years now. I have seen a lot of lapses and loopholes hence I have been researching and consulting on the best way to tackle this bad locally produced promotional items. Again, lots of corporate organizations and individuals spend lots of their marketing budgets traveling abroad to get good quality promotional items. Those were some of the reasons that we came in. To cut the stress, costs and enable our customers focus on their business. As I said earlier, our focus is bring the manufacturers here to setup though it requires a lots from government in putting in place good infrastructure most especially power and security.
AS THIS IS RELATIVELY NEW IN THE COUNTRY, WHERE DO YOU SEE IT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
We are looking at a platform that create thousands of employment opportunities for our youths most especially women, because our primary aim is to use this online sales platform to proof to our supplier of the potentials here and later woo them to set up their factories here in Nigeria. For example over 89% of promotional & gift items that comes to Africa are from china and other Asia countries – meaning that we indirectly creating millions of job for their people. We aim to fill the yearning gap in this great sector by making quality promotional items products easily accessible and affordable using best delivery system putting in mind job creation in Nigeria.
AS TARIFFS ON IMPORTS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING WHICH DISCOURAGES INVESTORS – AND THE FACT THAT THIS BUSINESS IS IMPORT DEPENDENT, HOW SUSTAINABLE IS IT?
I like this question. First, we understand Nigeria business terrain very well. Although our banking sector was built not to support takeoff entrepreneurs and business men, but one needs to find an holistic approach in other to survive in this kind of environment. We are working directly with manufacturers of over 800,000 gift and promotional items on our online store – that means, no wholesaler or retailer can beat our prices. We are also in partnership with first class worldwide delivery courier companies with backup from our foreign partners hence; this gives us good leverage as regards not only import tariffs but also in our quick service delivery.
WHAT ARE THE PECULIAR CHALLENGES IN DOING ONLINE BUSINESS?
Nigeria Online business is gradually going ‘gaga’ with practically over 55million Nigerians actively doing online business. Every entrepreneur must have a rethink of repositioning their businesses. Yes, there is some peculiar challenges as regards online business but I think, we would overcome them as time goes on. Before, me and you have the understanding that an average Nigerian is afraid or skeptical of buying things online because of fraud but this is changing. Young populace even elders shop online now – even up to overseas; they make payment online even when they have not gotten the goods. Some other issues are electricity failure, internet connectivity, bad transport system and fluctuating governmental policies.
WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS OF TACKLING THESE PROBLEMS?
Government should as a matter of an emergency tackle power issue; create an enabling environment where one should feel safe. Our cyber hosting system must be sound to accommodate lots of online businesses. The issue of corruption must practically be dealt with for this will make everyone to have confidence and believe in any our own economy.
NIGERIANS HAVE THE TENDENCY TO RUSH INTO A BUSINESS SUCH AS THIS AND MAKE IT HIGHLY COMPETITIVE. HOW PREPARED ARE YOU?
Quickkpromo did not rush into online business; if we had rushed, we would have been one of the first pioneers of online mart in Nigeria, but we chose to be a watchdog first even when our plans are intact, we re-strategize because our platform is basically a focus solution platform in the area of promotional items and sign tools for Corporate Organizations, Governmental Institutions and for events. Today, Quickkpromo is Africa’s largest online promotional & gift item platform offering all total solutions. The uniqueness and beauty of our platform is that you can in the convenience of your office or home even on the road select your promotional items that can add value to your business. If you’re a political party looking for campaign tools, intending couples searching for gift items for their wedding and so on – can at their convenience, search through our over 800,000 innovative and unique items, look at the cost base on the quantity, select, upload pictures, logo, choose colors, insert words and ask for Digital Proof, in which response will be generated in few minutes and show your logo’s or pictures or whatever images on item chosen. It’s amazing! Without any human assistance. Then you can go further to order, choose payment terms that suit you – out of the three options we have. You can also seek for sample if you desire; watch live video of item chosen; select your delivery courier agency and delivery time frame you desire. It’s all very easy.
DO YOU SOURCE FOR ITEMS LOCALLY, IF YOU DO, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT IT?
No, for now all our products are branded and imported from our first class manufacturers across the globe most especially from Asia. Our primary aim is to show and proof that we have the tendency to buy your goods but we would have love if you can come down and set up factory in our country then we would have proof to them of our buying capacity plus strong labour market, and the incentives from our government. That is our final journey and we would get there soon.
WHAT IS THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGE YOU HAVE OVER OTHER PROMOTIONAL OR GIFT ITEMS FIRMS?
We are not here to compete with anyone existing or in-coming promotional or gift items companies, individuals, even promotional item vendors. We are here to make business easier for them; we are here to cut cost; we are here to package good quality and well finished goods with the best delivery process. Honestly, most of the promotional item vendors in Nigeria today pass through hard times in searching for quality goods locally and abroad, getting good branding agent is an headache not to talk of the delivery process. We are here as an interface between the manufacturers and the branding agents. Quickkpromo is a platform for all Nigeria promotional and gift item companies. All our Prices are unbeatable.
HOW COMPETITIVE ARE YOUR PRICES?
Honesty, am not boasting no one can beat our prices in Nigeria today considering good and well finished quality promotional item products we offer – backed with good customer relations and first class delivery system.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME SIR
You’re welcome. Thank you too.