What can Baba Ijebu teach you about branding?

I think Baba Ijebu has one of the most compelling branding in Nigeria.

And I love it!

I couldn't find a picture of the kiosk or machine that was good enough, so I picked this from google.

I did a quick Google search on branding when I started writing this piece (Yeah, I do every time I am writing on a topic, even the ones I am very versed on). On the one hand, this helps me see if there are recent thoughts that I should know about, and on the other, it’s more like a refresher course.

The first page revealed this definition by brandingmag.com: Branding, by definition, is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol, or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. This helps to identify a product and distinguish it from other products and services.

A screenshot of the Baba Ijebu website.

Take a look at the words in bold and answer which of the boxes that Baba Ijebu doesn’t tick? More often than not, when some of us think branding, what comes to mind is an impressive design and very beautiful digital touchpoints (plenty of UI/UX chat to punctuate the conversations too). Without a doubt, branding can (should) include design. Still, the most important thing is getting to own perception in the people’s minds that you want to build connections (business, relationship, value exchange, etc.)

Although with a new generation coming on board and the need to speak their voice emphasized, Baba Ijebu is the headline sponsor for “The Voice.” What does this tell you? Branding evolves and should serve a purpose per time.

*The plan was to make this short, so maybe tomorrow I will continue with possible intentional and non-intentional branding elements that I have noticed in Baba Ijebu’s journey over the years.