I was at a Spectranet office in Lagos to get a MiFi for myself some days back. I’m not saying the exact branch for reasons you will come to find out as you read on.
While I was waiting to be attended to, I brought out my phone to tune in to the Big Brother Naija show and see what was happening. I wasn’t with my earpiece so people could hear what I was watching.
Then I heard someone ask, “where is that sound coming from?” I looked up, and it was one of the attendants looking in my direction. Let’s call her Ayo. I knew Ayo was only asking to confirm her guess that it was me. I reluctantly said “me”, thinking I had violated one of their rules. I was wrong, or maybe she didn’t care about them rules at this time.
With excitement written in caps all over her face, she asked me about three questions in quick succession, leaving me confused as to which to answer first. She wanted to know how I was watching the show on my phone, to confirm if it was with the DSTV app and to ask if I could help set it up on her phone.
Ayo’s job, specifically the new customer who was now waiting to be attended to, didn’t mean anything at this point. She just wanted to have access to her darling Big Brother Naija on her mobile device, and that was all that mattered!
Contents
Big Brother is watching the housemates and we are all watching Big Brother
You know it’s the Brother Naija season in Nigeria and some parts of Africa. For most Nigerians, you just have to know it’s that time of the year. There’s no way you’re missing it whether or not you have a TV.
If you don’t watch the show live on the DSTV channel 198, you’d see snippets on social media platforms. When you miss snippets, you will come across different analyses of the entire show or certain housemates. But if you somehow miss it from all of these platforms, then don’t go to the office, school or market as there is always someone talking about it everywhere you turn.
Big Brother Naija can be said to have hit the Tipping Point, in the words of Malcolm Gladwell. The tipping point “is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behaviour crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”
But how did all of these happen? How did an “immoral show” become the talk of town in a country that is so religious like Nigeria?
What Big Brother Naija is doing right that businesses need to emulate
- Do not underestimate the power of Influencers
Sometimes you will log in to Twitter and see Don Jazzy ‘randomly’ tweet about something happening in the Big Brother Naija house. Except that it’s not that random after all. More often than not, these celebrities have a deal with the organisers to endorse the show subtly, and that is all the approval some people need to watch it too.
When Big Brother started, not so many people approved of it. Until about a year ago, many people shared the opinion that the show is ‘immoral and should be banned’. While some people still hold that sentiment, the majority now have a contrary view.
And there is no better way to explain this than using a current housemate. Jumoke was introduced as a housemate along with three others two weeks after the show had begun. However, Jumoke had tweeted in April 2020 that “…I would never have seen their BBN if it wasn’t for Twitter. Nigerian reality shows don’t interest me.”
Fast forward to a year later, and she is not just watching but actively participating as a housemate. Is God not wonderful?
This is a practical representation of how people’s views of the show have witnessed a turnaround over time. While many factors can be said to be responsible for this, the importance of getting trusted and recognisable people to talk about the show cannot be downplayed.
There are different types of influencers, and not everyone can afford the A-List celebrities. But there is something for everybody. Read more about influencer marketing here.
- Innovate or die!
The world around us changes every time, and to cope with the changes, we have no option but to adapt (innovate)…or die, literally. The same applies to businesses, as we will see with Big Brother Naija.
For starters, when the show first started, housemates had to travel all the way to South Africa. Today, the show is hosted somewhere in Ilupeju, Lagos state. This is one way to look at the innovative moves behind the show.
Also, some adjustments are made to the house after every season based on aesthetics and functionality. Hence, there is no predictability to the show. This may also be based on feedback from viewers. For instance, this season, it’s been pointed out that two toilets for over 20 persons is not good enough. It will come as no surprise if there are more toilets for housemates in the next season.
There is no better place to get inspiration to grow your business than from customers. You literally exist for them, and if the MAJORITY of them ask you to make some changes, who are you to do otherwise?
Sometimes though, your customers won’t come directly to you with suggestions and recommendations. You will have to force it out through surveys and other forms of research to get the words out of them so you can innovate or…
Did you also notice how the BBN organisers of the show went ahead with it in 2020 despite the pandemic? That’s some innovative move, but it’s so special I’ve decided to discuss it separately.
- The Ebuka factor: put a face to your business
I laugh when people ask for a replacement for Ebuka as the host of Big Brother Naija. While anything can happen, I don’t see anyone else taking the place of Ebuka on that show anytime soon. Ebuka is the official face of the show.
Imagine Who Wants to be a Millionaire without Frank Edoho. Unimaginable yeah? The same applies here.
For those that may not know, Ebuka has not always been the host of BBN. In fact, he was a housemate in the maiden edition of the show in 2006. However, he has owned hosting BBN over time with his world-class presenting skills and, of course, his fashion sense. Today, when you think of a face for the reality TV show, you think of Ebuka.
Similarly, as a business, you can’t afford to be faceless. Whether you are a small business trying to find your feet on Instagram or you are big with more than 100 staff, your business should have a face. It builds trust and helps with connection.
- Partnership/sponsorship
Multichoice are the organisers of Big Brother Naija, but they probably no longer spend a penny in putting the show together. That’s thanks to big monies from sponsors and partners.
And for the first time in the show’s history, there will be no SMS voting in this 2021 season. That can only mean one thing – the organisers got more than enough money from sponsors that they don’t need viewers to add to it this time.
The headline sponsor of the 2021 season is the Abeg app, and they reportedly dropped a whopping 2 million dollars. Convert that to naira to better understand how huge it is. And we are only talking about the headline sponsor; there is still Patricia, the co-sponsor, and a host of others, including o3 cards, Glover, Pepsi, Guinness, Munch it, and Wow, among others.
Why are these brands paying so much to partner with Big Brother Naija? The answer is not farfetched but share what you think in the comments.
- Turn challenges into opportunities
No one saw the Coronavirus coming. First, it was in China; then it spread to all other parts of the world, including Nigeria. Businesses were affected all over the world, and many people lost their jobs.
It was unthinkable at a time – that the Big Brother Naija show would be held in 2020. There is no way the organisers were bringing over 20 people into a closed space when even movement was banned. Plus, there has to be a live audience in the Sunday live show, which was also impossible due to the pandemic.
However, with time, the impossible became a debate – to be or not to be. You already how it all ended, as the show did hold against all odds, ultimately producing Laycon as the winner.
This may sound cliche, but the best time to innovate is usually in the face of difficulties. The saying “Necessity is the mother of invention” is no joke. The lockdown helped BBNaija organisers to innovate as that became a necessity.
And how did that go? The 2020 Big Brother Naija season is arguably the most viewed/followed season of the show yet. The lockdown, which was initially a challenge, became an advantage as people were forced to stay at home, increasing viewership.
Conclusion
The Big Brother Naija show is still on, and you probably have a “fav” at this point. Well, may the best man win. However, as you bask in all the excitement, thrills, and drama the show offers, don’t forget to pick some of the lessons mentioned above and see how you can apply them to your business.
Life is give and take, so as you give your time to the show, take these lessons from it. Cheers.
Quick Summary
Prefer the short version? Here is a concise recap of the key ideas in this article.
While I was waiting to be attended to, I brought out my phone to tune in to the Big Brother Naija show and see what was happening. Big Brother is watching the housemates and we are all watching Big Brother You know it’s the Brother Naija season in Nigeria and some parts of Africa. What Big Brother Naija is doing right that businesses need to emulate Do not underestimate the power of Influencers Sometimes you will log in to Twitter and see Don Jazzy ‘randomly’ tweet about something happening in the Big Brother Naija house. The 2020 Big Brother Naija.
Enjoyed studying this, very good stuff, appreciate it. “Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.” by William Shakespeare.
Needed to write you that tiny remark so as to say thank you over again for your personal unique methods you have featured on this site. It was so tremendously open-handed of you giving unreservedly precisely what many individuals would have offered for sale as an e book to help make some bucks for their own end, even more so now that you might have done it in case you wanted. Those advice additionally served to be a good way to be certain that some people have the identical keenness much like mine to learn whole lot more pertaining to this issue. I think there are a lot more pleasant periods ahead for individuals who read through your site.
Really fantastic info can be found on weblog.
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the issue solved soon. Thanks
I like this web blog its a master peace ! Glad I observed this on google .
You have noted very interesting details ! ps decent site.
This web page is really a stroll-by for all the information you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and also you’ll positively uncover it.
Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your web site is very cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this website. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and just couldn’t come across. What a great website.
You have brought up a very wonderful details, regards for the post.
We are a gaggle of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your website provided us with useful info to paintings on. You have done a formidable task and our whole community shall be thankful to you.
Real excellent visual appeal on this web site, I’d value it 10 10.
I really lucky to find this website on bing, just what I was searching for : D likewise bookmarked.
Some truly interesting details you have written.Assisted me a lot, just what I was looking for :D.
I am no longer certain the place you’re getting your information, however great topic. I must spend a while studying much more or working out more. Thanks for magnificent info I was searching for this information for my mission.
I conceive you have noted some very interesting details, thanks for the post.
Its such as you learn my thoughts! You appear to grasp so much approximately this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you just could do with a few to drive the message house a bit, but instead of that, this is magnificent blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.
Greetings! Very helpful advice on this article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?
I was very pleased to find this web-site.I wanted to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.
Your home is valueble for me. Thanks!…
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I’m very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there.
Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
I really like your writing style, good info , thanks for putting up :D.
This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen
I besides think so , perfectly indited post! .
Hey this is kind of of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding expertise so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
I like what you guys are up too. Such clever work and reporting! Carry on the superb works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my site 🙂
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.
Fantastic post however I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Kudos!
whoah this blog is fantastic i love reading your articles. Keep up the good work! You know, lots of people are looking around for this info, you could aid them greatly.
With every little thing which appears to be developing throughout this particular subject matter, all your viewpoints are generally rather refreshing. However, I appologize, but I can not subscribe to your whole theory, all be it exhilarating none the less. It would seem to me that your commentary are actually not entirely rationalized and in fact you are generally yourself not really thoroughly certain of your point. In any event I did appreciate examining it.
Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you could be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will often come back later in life. I want to encourage one to continue your great writing, have a nice day!
Some truly interesting points you have written.Aided me a lot, just what I was looking for :D.
I want examining and I conceive this website got some truly useful stuff on it! .
My brother recommended I may like this website. He was once totally right. This submit truly made my day. You can not believe just how so much time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content to suit your needs? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you write in relation to here. Again, awesome web log!
I do agree with all the ideas you have presented in your post. They’re really convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are very short for beginners. Could you please extend them a bit from next time? Thanks for the post.
Very interesting details you have remarked, thanks for posting. “In a great romance, each person plays a part the other really likes.” by Elizabeth Ashley.
Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
I always was concerned in this topic and stock still am, thanks for putting up.
Today, while I was at work, my sister stole my iPad and tested to see if it can survive a thirty foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now destroyed and she has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had to share it with someone!
I love assembling useful information , this post has got me even more info! .
wonderful points altogether, you just gained a brand new reader. What would you suggest about your post that you made some days ago? Any positive?
Definitely, what a splendid website and instructive posts, I surely will bookmark your site.Have an awsome day!
It is really a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
I don’t normally comment but I gotta state regards for the post on this perfect one :D.
I’ve read some good stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you put to make such a magnificent informative site.
It’s really a great and helpful piece of info. I’m glad that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my blog thus i came to “return the favor”.I’m trying to find things to improve my site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
Hello there, I found your web site via Google while searching for a related topic, your website came up, it looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
I like this post, enjoyed this one thankyou for putting up.
It is the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or advice. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read more things about it!
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I’ll make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will definitely comeback.
I have been exploring for a little bit for any high quality articles or blog posts on this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this site. Reading this information So i’m happy to convey that I have an incredibly good uncanny feeling I found out just what I needed. I most for sure will make certain to do not overlook this website and provides it a look regularly.
F*ckin’ awesome things here. I am very glad to see your post. Thank you so much and i am taking a look forward to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
I have to show my thanks to the writer for bailing me out of such a dilemma. Because of checking throughout the search engines and getting tips which were not beneficial, I believed my entire life was gone. Existing minus the strategies to the difficulties you’ve solved all through your article content is a critical case, and the kind that would have adversely affected my entire career if I had not noticed your web page. Your own natural talent and kindness in controlling the whole thing was invaluable. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had not encountered such a thing like this. I can at this point look ahead to my future. Thanks so much for the skilled and sensible guide. I won’t think twice to suggest your web blog to any person who wants and needs recommendations about this matter.
Wonderful work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the net. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher! Come on over and visit my site . Thanks =)
Wonderful website you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any message boards that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really love to be a part of group where I can get suggestions from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Bless you!
Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.