Digital Presence: Nigerian Facilities Management Brands Report Card 2019

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November 2, 2019

The growth of the digital marketing has been hinged on the increase in the number of people who use the Internet across the world. In the last few years, the rise has been witnessed more in developing countries because of the yearly surge in the number of people having access to the Internet, especially those in the remote locations.

According to the existing statistics the world is having over 4 billion Internet users as at July, 2019 with an increase of 366 million from the number had in January, 2018. Information has it that this figure represents 56% of the global population, indicating the availability of a significant number of people, businesses, individuals and governments could push various contents to towards brand image enhancement and sales generation.

Using the platform successfully would mainly depend on the companies’ capabilities and abilities to overcome varied challenges associated with it in Nigeria. This piece is not about highlighting and exemplifying the challenges, but to give an account of how the Nigerian facilities management companies are performing on the platform relatively to their counterparts in the world.

From the website presence to the social media including, professional media, the piece offers insights the companies could leverage to increase their online presence to boost sales and improve public and private recognition of the values of the facilities management industry. The insights were generated having analysed the wrongs within the companies’ digital marketing strategies.

In its recent report on the industry, the British Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management documented players in the industry. Thirty companies were grouped into active participant category. These are the companies that were active on various digital platforms (Website, LinkedIn and Facebook) between August and October, 2019.

Further examination of the presence of the presence indicates that some companies’ websites were under construction or not existing at all during the analysis period. It is also important to inform that the Internet-enabled data collection tools used could not turn out enough data for analysis during the period. The brands that had this issue were mainly not pushing sufficient information to the public, most especially their target markets.

The Website

Alexa is our first data source for the examination of the companies’ websites. It ranks websites using a combination of average daily visitors and pageviews over the past month. The site with the highest combination of visitors and pageviews is ranked #1. In this regard, Nigerian FM brands were analysed along with the other brands in the world.

Analysis shows that Cushman and Wakefield, a foreign owned brand, had 87,980 score, representing the lowest score and highly ranked brand in terms of website presence [Exhibit 1. On this exhibit the company does not appear because of the low score. Other companies are displayed because of the highest score garnered which translated to the low ranking of their websites]. Max-Migold, a local brand, closely followed Cushman and Wakefield with 1,849,073 score while Broll Properties Services (2,282,147), Alpha Mead Facilities (2,755,054) and Libra Reliance Properties were in third, fourth and fifth positions respectively.

Exhibit 1: Global Ranks of the 15 Companies with Website Presence

Source: Alexa, 2019; Infoprations Analysis, 2019

Exhibit 2: Rank Deduced from Percent of Total Score

Examining the websites from the keyword perspective, analysis reveals that people searched the companies using brand and industry specific words. Alpha Mead, Avant properties, Cushman and Wakefield, Eko maintenance limited, PFI global, James Cubitt, Lafam, ProFM credential and Willco were brand-specific words used mostly by the public. The industry-specific words include facility management company, real estate development company in Lagos, luxury real estate Lagos, facility management, real estate development prospectus and facility maintenance services. Apart from these keywords, Shoprite Jakande, departed asos, personal loans, walls of Benin, brain dumps notes were also found.

Exhibit 3: Category of Top Keyword by Traffic

Two things were examined along with these keywords. The Search traffic, which is defined as the percentage of organic search referrals to each website from the keyword. The share of voice is the percentage of all searches of the keyword that sent traffic to each website. For instance, out of the expected 100% search traffic for Alpha Mead, the brand had 23.57%. For the 100% of the share of voice, the company had 26.64%. Avant Facilities attained 61.27% search traffic. Despite this figure, the company recorded 1.53% share of voice.

The performance of Lafam facilities management resonates with Alpha Mead’s performance. The public use of Lafam facilities management as keyword generated 23.57% search traffic, while the share of voice was 0.39%. Eko Maintenance Limited, Global Property and Facility International, Wilco Property Management and Pro FM performed well during the period. The use of Eko Maintenance Limited as the keyword garnered 98.89% search traffic for the brand, while the share of voice was 39.05%. Global Property and Facility International followed it with 86.60% and 3.12% as a percent of search traffic and share of voice respectively. Wilco Property Management had 69.42% as search traffic percent, while Pro FM had 47.48%. In spite of the low search traffic recorded by Pro FM, it edged out Wilco Property Management in share of voice (0.19%) with 43.02% it attained.

Exhibit 4: Comparison of Search Traffic and Share of Voice

Real estate development and facility management services were part of the dominant keywords used by the potential clients during the period. Our expectation is that the clients wanted to understand the link between the two. This informed the need to do an analysis of the volume of interest in facility management services along with real estate development and real estate development with the share of voice percent recorded by all the brands.

The results indicate that the clients only understood facility management services within the real estate development by 10.9%. This is below 50% expected average of facilitation. However, the brands’ share of voice ensured 12.9% facilitation in the real estate development. This implies that the brand, industry and other related keywords helped the clients to understand the real estate development.

Exhibit 5: The Place of FM Services in Real Estate Development

Source: Alexa, 2019; Google Trends, 2019; Infoprations Analysis, 2019

Exhibit 6: FM Companies’ Voice in Real Estate Development

For example, the emergence of real estate development company in Lagos, luxury real estate Lagos, facility management, real estate development prospectus and facility maintenance services as keywords that appeared along with the brand-specific keywords signifies that the studied FM companies have embedded these keywords on their websites fully or partially.

To successfully capture value from the real estate segment of the built environment, the brands must extrapolate their capabilities and competencies being used for the promotion of FM solutions to the marketing of total real estate solutions. The emphasis should be on the benefits that would accrue to a building when solutions are provided to the faulty parts of the building simultaneously not single-handedly.

Social and Professional Media

In the earlier analysis, Savvy Capire, Alpha Mead Facilities, Eliezer Workplace, Total Facilities Management, and Global Properties and Facilities International are the most socialised brands within the Facebook social networking site. Within the LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, Alpha Mead Facilities, Global Properties and Facilities International, Eliezer Workplace, Green Facilities and Broll are the most socialised brands.

In the current analysis, Max-Migold (10.677), Alpha Mead (8,909), North Court (742), Eliezer Workplace Management (627) and Green Facilities (533) are the brands with the highest number of connections on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, having the highest number of followers seems not to excite the brands because analysis suggests low social proof.

The response of the managers of the brands’ accounts to the followers, when they commented or liked the information posted was low. This aligns with the previous analysis which indicates that employees of the brands did not always share industry-related topics and commented on FM issues raised by professionals on the platform. The failure to improve on social proof would continue to enhance followers’ confirmation bias because they have been denied evidence-based information which could reduce the hypotheses about the companies, particularly the solutions being offered.

Google Fitbits with $2.1 Billion

By

Ndubuisi Ekekwe

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November 2, 2019

1

Google is paying $7.35 per share for Fitbit, a wearables company, in an all-cash deal that values Fitbit at $2.1 billion. This is a great move for Google; simply, it will accelerate its capacity to have solid competitive presence in the wearables sub-sector of mobility. For Fitbit, this is a hard landing for a company that previously showed signs of promises, as high as $51.90 per share, before it began to dim.

Relatively speaking, this is a great landing for Fitbit . The company’s price has fluctuated significantly as it worked to adjust to a changing market and fumbled on some of its more recent launches. In summer 2015, it hit an all-time high of $51.90, but this August it went as low as $2.81 after more than two years hovering below $7 — a pattern that changed dramatically after the first reports of Google’s interest began to surface in September.

Yet, the reason why Fitbit did not thrive, on market valuation, was not really due to any market failure in the wearables pioneer, rather, it was because of ICT utilities like Google and Apple. Largely, irrespective of what Fitbit does, investors will remain nervous that one tweet from Apple or Google could annihilate the company.

With that mindset, most have stayed out of the game, looking from outside. That construct is the reason why companies that do things which Apple or Google could do in the near-term will continue to struggle in public markets. Yes, they would remain suspects because of the shadows of the ICT utilities. No matter how you look at it, Fitbit has no chance!

Google is buying Fitbit for $2.1 billion. In this piece, I explain the challenge before companies that do things which are close to what Apple, Amazon or Google (the ICT utilities) may have interests in the near future. Fitbit did not fail as a technology company, Fitbit failed as a “value company” because most investors never felt comfortable buying it, because of the concern that Apple or Google could simply decide to begin doing whatever Fitbit is doing. Under the shadows of these ICT utilities, most promising companies will struggle, and that is a huge challenge in our contemporary technology time. (LinkedIn summary)

The acquisition announcement

Helping more people with wearables: Google to acquire Fitbit

Rick Osterloh

Senior Vice President, Devices & Services

Published Nov 1, 2019

Today, we’re announcing that Google has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Fitbit, a leading wearables brand.

We believe technology is at its best when it can fade into the background, assisting you throughout your day whenever you need it. Wearable devices, like smartwatches and fitness trackers, do just that—you can easily see where your next meeting is with just a glance of an eye or monitor your daily activity right from your wrist.

Over the years, Google has made progress with partners in this space with Wear OS and Google Fit, but we see an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Google wearable devices into the market. Fitbit has been a true pioneer in the industry and has created engaging products, experiences and a vibrant community of users. By working closely with Fitbit’s team of experts, and bringing together the best AI, software and hardware, we can help spur innovation in wearables and build products to benefit even more people around the world.

Google aspires to create tools that help people enhance their knowledge, success, health and happiness. This goal is closely aligned with Fitbit’s long-time focus on wellness and helping people live healthier, more active lives. But to get this right, privacy and security are paramount. When you use our products, you’re trusting Google with your information. We understand this is a big responsibility and we work hard to protect your information, put you in control and give you transparency about your data. Similar to our other products, with wearables, we will be transparent about the data we collect and why. We will never sell personal information to anyone. Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads. And we will give Fitbit users the choice to review, move, or delete their data.

Three and a half years ago, I joined Google to create compelling consumer devices and services for people around the world. Our hardware business is still relatively young, but we’ve built a strong foundation of capabilities and products, including Pixel smartphones and Pixelbooks, Nest family of devices for the home, and more. Google also remains committed to Wear OS and our ecosystem partners, and we plan to work closely with Fitbit to combine the best of our respective smartwatch and fitness tracker platforms. Looking ahead, we’re inspired by the opportunity to team with Fitbit to help more people with wearables.

Why Huge Profits and Revenues Are Not Boosting Some Nigerian Banks’ Market Caps

By

Ndubuisi Ekekwe

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November 1, 2019

1

Let me address it here – yes, since the day MTN Nigeria sneezed that it would go “financial” after the Central Bank of Nigeria had postulated its upgraded financial inclusion strategy, most Nigerian banks have been losing market caps. While there are many factors that could have resulted to this precipitation, my conclusion is that markets are pricing a redesign in the financial sector. And most players believe MTN Nigeria MoMo product, on maturity, will trigger dislocations in the sector.

Our largest bank by market cap, GTBank, had fallen from N1.3 trillion to now N741 billion even in a time it has been declaring massive profits and growing revenues. Simply, there is no reason why that should happen. But it is happening due to market perceptions. Look at those numbers; it is only in Nigeria that a bank will deliver such, and yet nothing great happens on its stock (see the figure). Tell me, if massive profits do not deliver the glory of market cap bumps, what will?

The Bank’s balance sheet remained resilient with Total assets and Shareholders’ Funds closing at N3.519trillion and N636.8Billion respectively. Full Impact Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very strong, closing at 23.6%. In terms of Assets quality, NPL ratio and Cost of Risk (COR) improved to 5.6% and 0.2% in September 2019 from 7.3% and 0.3% in December 2018 respectively. Complementing the improvement noted in NPLs and COR, we maintained adequate Loan Loss coverage of 95.2% for Lifetime Credit Impaired Loans (NPLs). On the backdrop of this result, Post-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) closed at 32.3% while Post-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) stood at 5.8%.

Commenting on the financial results, the Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said; “The Bank’s 3^rd quarter result reflects the strength of our franchise and the quality of our business strategy to deliver sustainable long-term value for our shareholders. Going into the final quarter of the year, we will continue to differentiate ourselves by maintaining a high standard in service delivery and leveraging our resources, expertise and network to enrich the lives of our customers. That’s why, from November 10 – 11, 2019, we are organizing the GTBank Fashion Weekend, the biggest consumer-focused event in Africa’s fashion industry, to give indigenous small businesses the platform and access to new markets and customers that they need to grow.”

Perception of markets – and you can blame MTN partly for that. Of course, this trajectory is not just on GTBank; other local banks are experiencing the same challenges.

Ndubuisi Ekekwe Presentation During 2019 FUTO Alumni Biennial Lecture [Video]

By

Ndubuisi Ekekwe

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November 1, 2019

0

This is Ndubuisi Ekekwe’s presentation during the 2019 FUTO Alumni Biennial Lecture which took place in NIIA, Lagos (Nigeria) on Oct 24, 2019.

The introduction before picking the microphone

Ojabanjo-Lawal on Nigerian Mothers Not Monsters, Government and Men Should Listen to Their Plights

By

Mutiu Iyanda

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November 1, 2019

0

Various reports and many experts have indicated and still showing and explaning the level of mental health in Nigeria. One of the experts recently hinted that six out of 10 women are suffering from mental illnesses while four out of 10 men also suffer from the same illnesses in the country. This has also explained why Nigerians and other nationals have had significant interest in understanding mental health along with women (45.30%) than men (26.07%) in the last five years, while the problem in the perinatal period has largely been viewed as tied to sociomoral concerns over gender roles and women’s position within the household.

From the south to the west and east to the north of the country, people, especially men usually view women in depressed condition as aggressive instead of being seen as non-aggressive and address their interpersonal problems. In a recent study, women in Oyo state identified husband’s lack of care, family problems, “spiritual attack”, having a female child when a male child was desired, and not resting sufficiently after childbirth as the main causes of their depressed condition.

With the continuation of the condition and stigmatization, Mrs. Adeola Ojabnajo-Lawal, the founder, Stablemums, believes that urgent actions need to be taken by the concerned stakeholders, most importantly men. Beyond identifying and dissecting issues being experienced by women, “will not help us as a people, but joining the people to work will help move faster,” she said in a recent interview. This has been the reason her organisation is having the first conference on women with a focus on mental health.

At the conference, which will hold at the Pabokede Kids Club, Bodija in Ibadan on November 21st, 2019, speakers are expected to walk women through strategies and tactics would help them (women) managing mental health issues without compromising their expected roles in the family. Mrs. Ojabanjo-Lawal speaks further on the conference and other sundry issues. Excerpt:

You recently established an NGO that caters for women’s needs and issues in Nigeria. What have been the successes and challenges?

Our great success is that in our little way, we have been able to let women know what Maternal mental health challenges can be. We have spoken to women in some groups and some have been able to speak on their experiences as a mum. We have about 5 personal stories published on our blog. Since we started, we have delivered 2 lectures on 2 different women fora. We have had one Twitter conversation with positive responses. We also have over 100 social media posts on our various platforms (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter). We have also had 1 Television interview. Our major challenge is that we have not been fully registered as a result of fund, but that is not stopping us. Others include that some women still don’t want to be identified with mental health issues such as postpartum depression. Women are not yet willing to accept their stories for fear of ruining relationships.

Apart from having your organisation in Ibadan, which parts of the country have equally benefited from the organization’s strategic intents?

Like I stated that we have had one Twitter conversation, I can say, people from different countries of the world have benefited. Because one of our speakers was a Nigerian man who resides in the US. Also, our major platforms are the social media, so we believe we have reached out to people across the globe.

You are planning a national conference for the women. Can you take us through the preparation and the kind of support you have been receiving from the public and government?

Our Conference has gotten support from friends and family. My husband has been a great support on this. Then Patricia Abokede of Pabokede Kiddies centre gave us her place to use for free. We have volunteers ready for the event. We have reached out to some people for support, we are hoping we get a positive response to support us. There is nothing elaborate about the conference, because we are talking mental health, so we don’t have to also get depressed because we want to help women. That will be defeating the purpose. The speakers are also not getting a dime for coming. As per the government, nothing yet because we are yet to be fully registered. We hope to get assistance, when we perfect all that needs to be perfected. We just can’t let registration stop us.

What informed the theme of the conference?

The theme was inspired by a lot of things. At a time, we thought it should be a Speak up conference but then we gave it time. So, after reading and going through a series of stories we have published and the stories of other women across the globe, the theme dropped “Mums not Monsters. I have heard how some women talked about how they loved their children, but because they were overwhelmed by some feelings they can explain, they thought taking their own life as well as that of the family is protecting them. Is it weird? That is how terrible, a mental breakdown can get.

What is the link between the theme and sustainable development goals linked with the women by the global leaders?

The link between the theme and SDGs links for women by global leaders till hinges on Health for all. Especially, maternal health. Maternal health is incomplete without mental health. A mother’s functioning is largely dependent on her mental health. Right now, the world is talking about safe delivery for mothers, it doesn’t end there, the mental health of the woman after delivery is also important. The mother needs to be mentally healthy before we can talk about exclusively breastfeeding a baby.

What are your expectations after the conference?

My expectations after the conference is that we have more women talking about their mental health and seeking help. Also, that mental health is a public health issue and should be treated as one. We want to see more women knowing that they are not alone. It is not just a woman thing, because studies have revealed that 1 in 5 women have post-partum depression. There is so much work to be done, we just move little by little.

Digital Presence: Nigerian Facilities Management Brands Report Card 2019

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Ojabanjo-Lawal on Nigerian Mothers Not Monsters, Government and Men Should Listen to Their Plights

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