One of the country’s leading indigenous computer makers, Omatek Computers Plc is in the midst of a restructuring of its marketing operations.The revamp which may have begun since the second quarter of the year is believed to yet be ongoing. The computer-maker’s head of marketing ,Kayode Yeku has however recently quit his job, MarketingDay can reveal. The journal could not confirm if Yeku’s departure had anything to do with company’s restructuring of its marketing which may include its advertising roster. When contacted on telephone, Yeku said his leaving Omatek was a personal decision and was not prompted by the company’s management.
The restructuring is believed to have been called as a result of the company’s business lull, a situation which Omatek managing director Florence Seriki confirmed herself when the Minister of Commerce and Investment Femi Aganga-Williams visited some key indigenous companies in the Lagos area to see first hand how they were doing. At that occasion early last month, August Seriki lamented that indigenous manufacturers such as her company were not getting adequate financing from the banking sector, even as their costs are rising, due to higher inflation levels and higher naira exchange rates.
Two notable creative agencies- STB McCann and SO&U Saatchi &Saatchi– are on the company’s roster but Omatek has been off the advertising activity radar for awhile now, a situation which observers attribute to management’s cost-cutting programme. But this may well be a double-edged sword, as Omatek had cut advertising at a time when its competitors are stepping up their advertising and other brand building campaigns to gain more market share. Samsung, HP, LG, Acer are frequent advertisers in local mass media, especially TV and newspapers.
