Press Release
Ayodele Adio, Renowned Communicator to Release Ground-breaking Book on Reputation Management
Ayodele Adio, a leading expert in strategic communication and reputation management, is set to release his highly anticipated book, “Who Took My Socks: A simple Guide on Managing Brand Reputation” on October 4, 2024. Drawing from a decade of experience advising top executives and public figures, Adio offers readers a comprehensive guide to navigating the complex landscape of modern reputation management. The book provides practical strategies for individuals and organizations looking to build, maintain, and defend their reputations in an era of rapid information flow.
The Spark
I’ve been privileged to manage the reputation of very senior corporate and government officials, top government agencies, and corporate organizations and I have noticed common trends that help brands succeed or fail. Hence, I decided to write about the most important lessons from my experience and how those lessons can help other brands succeed.
The Book: “Who Took My Socks: A Simple Guide on Managing Brand Reputation”.
The single most important factor in ensuring the success of any brand is a fanatical commitment to a culture of excellence. And no one helps explain this committee like the anology of the missing socks. Most men think socks are important and they make our feet feel comfortable when we wear shoes. However, most men always get to a point where they find themselves looking for several missing pairs of their socks. If the socks were that important, why did it get missing in the first place?
The reason we always have missing socks is tied to the way we care for them: where we fling them when we return from work, when or how we wash them or even where we keep them. We don’t pay enough attention until that particular day when we realize we need them. It’s the same thing we brand. We think it’s ok for that angry customer to walk away, or not to return the call of that other customer because we assume there will always be another. We forget, however, that our reputation is shaped by how we treat those customers and sometime soon, we wake up to the realization that we have damaged our reputation and lost our customers to a credible alternative.
Building and managing reputation online
It’s start with a customer centric approach where the brand is committed to keeping its promise to the customer. Every brand that is guided by this principle would always find it easier to build and guard a solid reputation. The problem always starts when a business becomes obsessed with revenue generation that it loses sight of its core values and makes no apologies for falling short of its promises to its customers. Therefore brands must be careful about hiring those who manage their social handles and those who interface for the organization.
The social media manager, most times, has more influence in shaping the perception of most brands than the CEO of that company. Just as the receptionist in a hotel has more influence on the customer than the general manager. That’s why brands that pay little attention to the quality, welfare and development of the people in their frontline always get embroiled in a credibility and reputation crisis.
Book Takeaway
I think the major thing i want every reader to take out is that the long term success of any individual or organizational brand is tied to its reputation. Individuals and organizations that build and effectively manage their reputation would always outperform those that don’t.
Reputation management in the next 5 years
In the next 5 years, you’d have a more enlightened and connected population that would demand more value and better services from most business, hence the pressure on businesses to guard their reputation would be more than at any point in history. The perception of Product excellence and customer service would be the determining factor for long term success. Hence, those organizations that would re-engineer their internal culture to be customer centric will win tomorrow’s markets and competition.
“In today’s digital world, reputation can make or break careers and businesses in an instant,” says Adio. “This book aims to empower readers with the tools and knowledge they need to take control of their narrative and build lasting, positive reputations.”
ATIDI CEO, Manuel Moses and Hiroshi Matano, MIGA Executive Vice President (Image: Supplied)
The African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), part of World Bank Group Guarantees, have signed a three-year partnership to accelerate foreign direct investment across Africa. This is the second agreement between the two organizations aimed at maximising development impact.
The organizations will collaborate by leveraging ATIDI’s expertise in insurance and guarantee products across the African continent and MIGA’s range of guarantee solutions and guarantee expertise through the World Bank Group guarantee platform. The partnership will also seek to improve efficiency in joint project due diligence, maximising cost savings and eliminating duplication.
Manuel Moses, CEO, ATIDI: “Enabling more investment to finance transformational projects is vital to Africa’s sustained development. MIGA and ATIDI’s de-risking solutions are essential to achieve this crucial agenda. Beyond signing of this agreement, we look forward to a dynamic collaboration with MIGA, to leverage our institutions’ respective assets for the benefit of our continent.”
The agreement framework emphasizes mutual reliance, accountability, and comparability. Each party will regularly share operating standards and procedures to help identify comparable outcomes to further both organizations’ development mandates.
Hiroshi Matano, MIGA Executive Vice President says; “Our partnership with ATIDI will enable us to support countries in Africa in scaling and replicating development projects, thereby accelerating prosperity. This agreement will play a significant role in helping the continent attract foreign investment for key development projects.”
Both organizations have agreed to set up mechanisms to measure progress and results, including reports on joint projects, new products, capital mobilized, and reduced project processing times. Moreover, both parties will carry out joint marketing efforts, training, and seminars to strengthen cooperation and explore new investment opportunities in Africa.
The strategic agreement framework underscores the commitment of MIGA and ATIDI to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. The two organizations aim to mitigate investment risks by pooling resources, thereby accelerating sustainable economic growth in Africa.
Lendsqr, a global provider of loan management software for banks, microfinance institutions (MFIs), and digital lenders, has launched a groundbreaking onlending initiative aimed at bolstering the capacity of Nigerian lenders to extend credit to their customers.
With this new initiative, Lendsqr is setting up a capital pool of up to N1 billion line of credit for lenders targeted at Lenders with State Moneylender or Cooperative licenses, giving them the much-needed access to capital that can drive sustainable growth and expansion.
“For a long time, we believed that providing top-tier lending technology was enough to help lenders scale,” said Adedeji Olowe, CEO of Lendsqr. “But technology alone cannot scale a loan business without adequate capital. That’s why we decided to go a step further and solve this critical need.”
The onlending model is designed to support digital lenders who often face challenges accessing loan capital, allowing them to access credit at a reasonable rate. Through this initiative, Lendsqr aims to bridge the gap between technology and capital, ensuring lenders can meet the demand for loans while remaining competitive.
A new era of B2B2C lending
Lendsqr’s onlending initiative represents a strategic step forward in Nigeria’s lending ecosystem. With the ability to offer overdraft loans, the company enables smaller financial institutions to lend confidently, knowing they have a reliable source of capital backing them up. This move is expected to deepen financial inclusion, create a ripple effect on local economies, and ultimately support the development of a healthier financial services landscape in Nigeria.
Lendsqr now joins established onlending capital in Africa such as Lendable, the Nigerian Bank of Industry, and the African Finance Corporation, in providing capital to lenders to drive financial inclusion and much needed growth within the SME economic subsector.
Expanding access and opportunities
By providing loan capital directly to digital lenders, Lendsqr aims to empower lenders to reach more customers, serve new markets, and achieve more stable growth. The initiative not only addresses immediate funding gaps but also sets a foundation for long-term partnerships across the financial industry.
“We’re excited to be the catalyst for growth in Nigeria’s lending sector. Our onlending initiative isn’t just about providing capital. It’s about enabling a stronger and more inclusive financial ecosystem where every licensed lender, big or small, can thrive,” added Joy B. Bello, Head of Sales at Lendsqr.
Lendsqr’s onlending initiative is currently available exclusively to Nigerian lenders. Interested parties can learn more and apply at Lendsqr Capital Portal.
Qore has announced the successful approval to implement its indigenous core banking solution, BankOne, in Tanzania. This landmark achievement marks Qore’s debut implementation of BankOne in Tanzania, underscoring the company’s dedication to deploying disruptive fintech infrastructure that enhance financial inclusion, automate banking processes, and facilitate seamless payments.
The Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC), which oversees over 2,500 Saccos, including several regional and national cooperatives, plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operation and regulation of these entities. By collaborating closely with TCDC, Qore aims to empower Saccos to secure and grow their members’ funds with ease, while providing real-time, cloud-native banking experiences through BankOne. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the cooperative sector in Tanzania, driving financial inclusion and innovation at an unprecedented scale.
Qore’s solution is designed to support the unique needs of Saccos, offering features such as real-time transaction processing, comprehensive financial reporting, and robust security measures. By leveraging BankOne, Saccos will be able to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and enhance the overall member experience.
This implementation is a significant milestone for Qore as it continues its rapid international expansion. “The deployment of BankOne in Tanzania is a testament to our commitment to bringing innovative banking solutions to new markets,” said Timothy Ngao, Country Manager for Tanzania at Qore Technologies. “We are excited to support the financial growth and stability of cooperative societies in Tanzania, and we look forward to many more successful implementations in the region.”
The company is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, supporting the development of sustainable and economically viable cooperative societies across Tanzania.
