BUSINESS COMMENTARY

 

There has been an insinuation from some people on social media that the Air Peace’s new strategy of connecting local flights from different cities in Nigeria to their London destination flight via Lagos is a direct result of the advice of some commentators in the digital space. 

There is also the demand that Air Peace pays or at least acknowledges the individuals whose counsel and suggestions they seem to have incorporated into the airline’s business. 

My perspective is in line with the response of a management consultant and business developer who said that: “established business brands do not make key business decisions nor implement new strategies based on social media sentiments.”

The well-known consultant further said that such businesses engage the paid service of strategy consultants who “develop business plans and tactics that will help the organization stay ahead.”

I agree with these statements. 

It is akin to gathering data from market survey. 

A business strategist or professional marketer does the due diligence of ‘listening’ to the market by looking at sample data collated from research and surveys, and then analyzing them into useful information and insights to make business decisions as valuable input to the business. 

I opine that the demand for recognition or reward of some sort is based on the fact that the ideas apparently adopted by the company were given by concerned citizens and customers (potential or existing) as practical solutions obviously proffered with goodwill to the company, for the benefit of and in the best interests of the business.

This request may be valid if the advisory of sorts, as given by these individuals on social media (with admissible genuine proof), was offered as a public communication clearly directed to the company by the persons who advised the company on a well-thought-out business idea or specific strategy. 

However it remains at the discretion of a company to recognize or reward an individual for an idea offered which has proven to be profitable for them.

This may indeed encourage people to offer more constructive feedback going forward but should be done with caution and certain guidelines that align with the company’s goals, business model, or corporate vision and values, including corporate responsibility.

Nigerian business brands may advisedly choose to develop some form of loyalty rewards or feedback rewards to be extended to certain identifiable individuals who make laudable contributions in valuable ideas or activities (beyond their official brand ambassadors), especially in cases where there is significant positive impact on the bottom line or a key performance indicator (KPI) in the business, which of course is only really known (substantiated or backed by hard data) after a period of time when such inputs have been tested in actual operations, and their net impact has been evaluated and seen to be significantly profitable.

Finally, I wish to commend Air Peace Limited on their quick-witted and innovative approach in responding to the current situation and business challenges in order to deliver on their mission and business objectives. This can be a good example for other African businesses and organizations.

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