Have you seen the movie Living in Bondage? As a Marketing & Comms Professional, I never pass on any opportunity to learn and you can imagine my excitement when I saw “Living in Bondage Breaking Free” in November 2019. First of all, I will like to congratulate Play Network Studios for making such a Thriller.The movie which is a sequel to the 1992 Nollywood Classic “Living in Bondage” has recorded over N168.7 million at the box office and made top ten trending movies within it’s first few days on Netflix.

Since it’s release, Critics, Bloggers, Influencers and Movie enthusiasts have had a fill day analyzing the movie including lessons to be learnt. In my ever curious demeanor and with the eye of a Brand & Marketing Comms Whiz, I have identified important lessons that Business owners and Entrepreneurs can take home from the trailblazing somewhat occultist movie “Living in Bondage”

1. RESEARCH IS KEY IN BUSINESS: In the movie, Nnamdi Okeke Played by Jide Kene Achufusi, was about to get in bed with Business Mogul and Enigmatic Tycoon Richard Williams played by Ramsey Nouah but he failed to carry out research or do the necessary due diligence. Clearly, we saw how that panned out. Before you engage in business with anyone, do your due diligence and avoid stories that touch.
2. KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE (CONSUMERS): The ‘Six’ headed by Richard Williams knew their potential customers. They were out for people so desperate for wealth and success they could do anything. Little wonder Nnamdi was a target. His younger brother Toby Nworie played by Shawn Faqua on the other hand clearly wasn’t a target because he didn’t fit into the ethos of their consumers. This point also flows into knowing your consumers needs because then you can speak to their pain points and Richard Williams did a fantastic job of it.
3. MARKETING IS KEY: I am talking about skillful marketing: marketing so good, your clients don’t realize when they swipe their cards. Again, Richard Williams did an amazing job selling the ‘good life’. He made Nnamdi ride the fast cars, visit all the exotic places, roll with the big shots, and travel the world all at his expense as a (business owner) and by the time he was done, Nnamdi was too far gone and didn’t realize he had sold his soul to the devil. That is the level of skill you as a business owner must transfer to marketing your business.
4. LEVERAGE COLLABORATION: No man is an island and the best way to go far is by teaming up with the best minds who can cover up your weaknesses in business and extend your reach. In the movie, we saw Kelly played by Munachi Abii try over and over again to salvage the life of her boyfriend Nnamdi but made little or no progress. The moment she realized this principle, she involved Andy Okeke( Nnamdi’s Father) played by Kennette Okonkwo and they showed up just in time to save the day. Leverage collaboration the best you can.
5. THE POWER OF BRAND IDENTITY: Can your customers recognize your business and what you represent at first sight? Can they distinguish you from your competitors? The moment Kelly played by Munachi Abii saw the tattoo on Nnamdi’s back, she recognized she had seen it before and was able to act accordingly. Let your brand be so distinct that your consumers can spot you out among millions of competitors.

I can comfortably add that investing in your business and making sacrifice is important if you want to continually enjoy the benefits. All members of the cult group, were made to tender human sacrifice from time to time for sustained power and wealth. The moment you stop putting in the work, blood and tears your business suffers.

There you have it guys: Six beautiful branding and marketing lessons from the movie ‘Living in Bondage’. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to do so as it brilliantly showcases how far the Nigerian movie industry has come. You can catch the show on Netflix and read this piece again for deeper understanding.

Also do not forget to nominate your favorite youth for the 25 under 25 awards 2020 and check us out on http://100talks.ng to get up to date gist on entrepreneurship and young people doing phenomenal things.

Written by Anwuli Opene-Awogu (Marketing & Brand Professional)