Some days ago, I saw a video of a man who was selling bottled water in heavy traffic. This wasn't a surprise. Selling bottled is an average hustle, a person who has experienced the hassle of living in Lagos Nigeria will understand that a traffic situation is a hub of heavy commercialization.
People take advantage of traffic disasters to sell products on state and national roads, and over time, this method of hustling has become an identity and an accepted method of work that's come to be accepted, irrespective of the potential danger that it holds. However, this isn't the main gist.
A person filmed a young man, uniquely advertising a bottled water brand. To be very honest, it wasn't like the man had first class marketing pitch, but the important thing is that, the people he sold to, found his methodology to be very appealing, which warranted another person to film the whole negotiating process, which made this guy an internet sensation.
The video became viral and trended. A lot of Nigerian influencers made a lot of money using the trended video. After analyzing the whole video, I discovered that this guy benefited from doing that little "extra" that you wouldn't really find when it comes to business.
In Nigeria, some people are known to have a terrible attitude to work.
Most times, their salaries or wages, determine how well they want to do their jobs.
The incentives they get from their client or bosses determine the kind of motivation they imbibe when working.
It's a contrasting issue, because most people who have the most comfortable jobs in Nigeria, tend to be the ones with the wrongest attitude to work while the ones struggling on the streets to make ends meet are the ones with the motivation to work.
I have seen people who have every right to be angry at their jobs: The profit they earn, the tax they pay, the efforts needed to face the excessive competition on the job.
Yet, they're the ones with the biggest motivation and the right attitude to work. I know that having no choice makes people placid, but sometimes, it's difficult to have the motivation to work from a situation of hope and despair, rather than from a place of advantage.
The guy in the video was mainly lauded because he saw the need to go for "extra" in a business that holds no guarantee or certainty.
Hustle Talent Is King
A lot of people would forget his imperfect marketing pitch because they see a true hustler, who chooses not to see inferiority in the hustle he does.
Some people find it difficult to be productive because they're demotivated by the job circumstances surrounding them. When money is not the motivation to work, it takes "extra" to see the best of people.
This isn't to say, anyone is immune. My point is that there are times when the money is small, this point is when people give up, rather than find creative ways to continue.
Brands Latches On To Social Popularity
To be very honest, I think the brand decided to give this guy a shot because he's already become an internet sensation (at least, for the time being) it's a way for them to latch on to that internet popularity and fame.
So they decided to use the advantage to put this guy's face out there, thereby solidifying the newfound popularity they've gained via this guy's video. It's a win-win situation.
This guy's gets to get some money. They might even choose to do a television ad, showcasing this guy as the focal theme of the ad copy. They already know they'll make millions from this appellation.
First, they accepted and acknowledged the guy for talking about their product, and this sentiment might just about propel their sales.
For someone who understands how marketing works, this is the modus operandi of how branding works. Sentiments sell products and not quality.
This guy will not be a long-term brand ambassador, they're riding on the waves of his current popularity to sell their product.
From what I gathered, this guy is now a signed ambassador to that brand of bottled water he tried to market.
Social Spaces Can Change People
Call it sentimental or trend employment, the most important thing is that his present financial condition will change. Whether this becomes permanent will mostly depend on him.
Call it riding on social waves, The guy is being rewarded for having an extra commendable attitude to hustling. There's nothing that beats relentless hustling, even talent is an endowment that dies without hustle.
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