By Mavis Akosua Agyepong
Accra – 21 December, 2018.
Early this month, the Pre-Vas TV marketing campaign team hit the Spintex Road in Baatsonaa, Nungua.
‘I’m putting you into four teams’, said Emmanuel Larweh, Marketing Manager, when he called us into the studio to give us his usual briefs. ‘You’ll be five in a team.’
I enjoy the marketing trips, but this time it was different. We had been told as prospective employees that training for those who will go on air will be on Mondays and Fridays. And I had not eaten breakfast before leaving home.
In my other life as a footballer, I often train and play matches on empty stomach so I’m used to such punishments. But you will agree with me that there’re times when you’re just hungry.
Anyways, in four teams we departed from Teshie First Junction, ready or not.
The December heat in Accra was already unbearable; it was 28 degrees Celsius at 9:30am.
In school, you are taught all the processes involved in promoting, distributing and selling your products.
Every marketing student knows the traditional four Ps – product, price, place, promotion.
Or the seven Ps for services marketing which adds three more Ps namely, packaging, positioning, people.
Many marketers have their own strategies and approaches for promoting their own services and it is no different from what Pre-Vas TV does.
But what if you met the cool, calm and collected Larweh, who does marketing on a zero budget – even without transport?
And what if you were marketing Pre-Vas TV which started test transmission only on 3 October and has not done any mass media publicity yet nor any serious social media marketing?
Thoughts of the Master Jesus, the teacher from Galilee sending out his disciples in twos on foot came to mind.
Larweh is a pastor of a small church in Accra and such “soul winning” tactics are well known to him.
Jacob Ansong, our deputy chief executive officer is similarly experienced in missionary work and so this tactic is not beyond him either.
And when I do a mind trip to the newsroom for training, I meet Isaac Ato Mensah, the hard task master.
He, when he has absorbed our complaints will intone his ‘The Lord is training your hands for war and your fingers for battle’ quip.
There were sighs of relief and smiles when Ansong, released a car to each team.
‘Your departure time is 10.00am,’ said Ansong when he displayed the keys. It was 9:55am.
Entering and leaving from one shop to another in a group was an amazing experience.
It offered many useful reflections about life; heat on the streets and cold offices where air conditioners were turned on mixed with sunshine outdoors and dark shops as we went out and about counting our success rate for recruitment of new clients.
Businesses complained about low sales and cash, but we had a plan B – good old barter trade.
In promoting our services we told shop and business owners they could offer services to Pre-VAS TV in exchange for business promotion.
But the biggest challenge of course was the question, ‘What is Pre-Vas TV?’.
Some persons had heard about the Pre-VAS group.
They knew we had an automobile sales arm and a school but we were on a mission for Pre-Vas TV.
On occasions such as these marketing errands, if you are led by your targeted client into discussing everything then you lose your sales pitch.
In the end some accepted our message and gave us their complimentary cards for future engagements.
Of course, most people did not heed our call for business, but for sure they at least saw our T-shirts and have now heard about Pre-Vas TV.
To the few early birds – the innovators, the risk takers – who instantly signed contracts with Pre-Vas, I wish you a rewarding business experience.
Returning from Spintex to our office was another task.
Some individuals and groups had trekked on foot all the way to Coca Cola roundabout, others were at Texpo, while others still were scattered along the Spintex Road; it’s not easy to work as a commissioned agent.
Working at Pre-Vas TV is an exciting experience; sometimes you are rehearsing for a current affairs programme, at other times you are on marketing errands and then if you meet the tough demands of the newsroom you are invited in there as well.
It is like juggling three footballs thrown at you in turns by three different coaches, each shouting a different instruction on what you should do with the ball.
And then when it comes to the football match or soccer match itself, it is “All Play All”.
If you are thinking that I have secured a job, I say not yet; this is just another “Justify your inclusion” for a final selection.
Feedback; Akosua Agyepong (+233)054 984 9250.
Editorial consultants; Writers and Shakespeares Ghana Limited (www.writersghana.com, +233 020 022 0353).
Writers and Shakespeares Ghana Limited exists to be a moral and intellectual guide to the best practice of PR and integrated communications around the world, beginning with Ghana.