In December 2016, The Wedding Party was released and ever since people haven't stopped talking about it. And it's not difficult to see why; the movie grossed over ₦36 million, in its first 3 days, and over ₦200 million by the third week of release.
Nollywood -- Nigeria's movie industry -- appears to be ahead of other sectors as of now, possibly kicking even the almighty music sector behind it. Multinationals are beginning to sponsor the production of movies in exchange for some level of brand visibility and such partnerships are beginning to yield a lot of potentials.
This leaves us with the question; what is going on in the Nigerian tech sector? In all of the excitement about The Wedding Party, there are a few things techies can learn from the movie.
Timing
The production of The Wedding Party was reportedly completed around September/October 2016. However, the producers chose to sit on it, employing trailers and a strong media push to usher in a mega release in December. They knew December was a peak period when most people, left with nothing to do during the holidays, would be looking to have some fun.
Techprenuers need to understand that the timing of your products/services could either mar or make your business. We should be aware of our environment and what the market is saying. We shouldn’t jump in blindly and expect results. It is difficult to sit on a very wonderful product but we should understand that, the end is what justifies the means. Release your product during peak times.
Collaboration
Kemi Adetiba, director of The Wedding Party, did well by bringing together various sectors just to highlight them. This brought a different feel that we had not experienced before. The movie cuts across other sectors like music, comedy and fashion, bringing them under one umbrella.
It's quite a shame that nobody from the tech sector was involved in the movie. Wouldn’t it have been nice to see Jason Njoku, for example, as one of the cast? My point is that the tech sector isolates itself from other sectors, making us difficult to reach.
Entrepreneurs in the tech sector should endeavor to socialize with other sectors and collaborate on some of our projects. Let’s get other sectors involved. A good example is this commercial by Hotels.ng which featured Wofai Fada, a popular comedian. That was a very good way to collaborate; let’s have more of that.
Be the smartest in the room
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy.
Professionalism
One of the highlights The Wedding Party was Shola Sobowale in her true form. She brought some level of professionalism I have not seen in a very long time in the movie scene.
But she is just one of the many professionals who made the movie stand out in all ways. You can’t take away the role of evergreen professionals from a sector because they understand the past, the present and most likely the future of that sector.
For us in the tech sector, let’s not forget the professionals; those who have given in their all to the industry. They still mean a lot to the industry and should be given their place as the sector grows. Newbies should embrace oldies and work together to build something worth celebrating. The sector can only grow if we all come (old and new) together to create a better industry.
The use of media
There is no doubt that the media played a huge role in the success of The Wedding Party. From the very conception, we saw several clips that got people talking and eagerly waiting for the release. The media was needed as a channel to blow their trumpet from all corners.
This made both people involved with movie making and the general public feel like they were part of the success; so much so that we didn't mind parting away with some cash. The media image for the movie was strong and this got me thinking. Imagine a tech product having the same amount of media hype. It is certain is that we all need the media to be able to communicate our plans and products to the general public.
But whatever form of media we plan to use, we should make sure it is strategic, timely and straight to the point. We should not be shy to seek help from other sectors to leverage on the existing status quo. We can all do well by helping one another from our areas of strength.
The buzz around The Wedding Party is almost over but I am certain we have picked a thing or two from the movie and are also looking forward to achieving better results in months to come in all our dealings.
What do you love about the The Wedding Party?
