I have followed the Adonko issue with keen interest since the media backlash after the now infamous concert.
As a marketing communications practitioner, my initial reaction was; 'this is bad PR for the Adonko brand!'
I also thought the company could have adopted a different approach by charging a nominal gate fee of about GHS10 and then offer the drinks for sale on the premises like most event sponsors do. In my opinion, what made the event successful was not the availability of Adonko bitters but the lure of top talents like Shatta Wale and the rest so they could have offered a sold out concert, made money from gate proceeds and also mounted activation stands to sell the drink.
Despite the fact that the company’s motive as advertised was to reward loyal customers of Adonko Bitters, I believe a different approach could have been better.
However, i was shocked when media reportage indicated that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) had banned the Adonko drink, fined the company GHS25,000 and also asked them to withdraw the product from the market. I was a bit confused and decided to dig a bit further to understand the FDA's rationale. Apparently, the FDA's premise for this extremely high handed reaction was only linked to the infamous Baba Yara event!
Let me explain why the FDA's reaction is an overkill and highly injurious to an aggressive indigenous brand that offers jobs to thousands of people.
First of all, the FDA's reaction has delivered reputation damage to the brand. All over the world, product withdrawals and recalls are linked to product defects. My instinctive reaction after i heard the ban was to assume someone had suffered an injury through the consumption of the drink; however that was not the case.
The FDA argues that the company flouted its directive against using celebrities to advertise a product. In my opinion, that directive even goes against an artiste or celebrity’s fundamental right to earn an income and I was surprised it has not been challenged in court by any actor/actors guild/MUSIGA or any relevant body. However that is a topic for another day.
In as much as i totally disagreed with this directive when i first heard it in the 'Kwame Djokoto' case I even think it has totally been misapplied. Drink companies all over the world and in Ghana sponsor music concerts. It's rather the norm than the exception since you don't expect a Bank brand to sponsor a night club event.
So if the FDA arguing that alcoholic beverages in Ghana are no longer allowed to sponsor concerts? If they do, are they not allowed to offer the drinks for sale at discounted prices? I agree with the FDA’s argument that using the drink as “gate-fee” made it compulsory for everyone to acquire the drink but let me add that in as much as I was uncomfortable with the strategy; it didn’t make it mandatory for everyone to consume the drink. The drink also has a label which states explicitly that it was for adults (18years +) and also admonishes people to drink responsibly.
I also think the FDA’s severe stance and “bully-boy” approach is because the company is a small indigenous firm. Will the FDA have banned Guinness if they organized an event and people supposedly got drunk? I have attended many such events where reputable alcoholic drink companies made free drinks available and people obviously got drunk. Did we hear of the FDA?
When Guinness appointed Shata Wale (a celebrity) as an ambassador why didn't the FDA ban them?
The FDA also acted based on various assumptions and the questions that immediately come to mind are;
1.How did the FDA assume minors attended a late evening event?
2.How many people attended the event?
3.What percentage of those who attended were minors?
4.How many people got drunk?
5.Of those who allegedly got drunk, what percentage were minors?
I am in no way advocating for irresponsible behaviour or abuse of alcohol but the law must be applied equitably and I believe the FDA's reaction is an abuse of institutional might.
Maybe I am being presumptuous like the FDA but I believe many sub-standard products are imported daily into this country and are sold openly on our markets but the FDA does not bat an eye lid. However it is prepared to collapse an indigenous company that has broken through the strong competitive environment and unfavourable business climate over the past few years to create jobs for thousands of people!
I don't know what informed Adonko's decision to adopt the strategy they used but their core competence and competitive advantage is alcoholic beverage manufacturing and not event organization. Moreover, the FDA did not give them the license based on their ability or inability to develop exciting activation events but by their capacity to manufacture a safe alcoholic beverage for consumption.
In my opinion the Ministers for Business Development, Trade and Industry should directly intervene since this is not an Adonko-FDA issue but about the protection of indigenous firms. I am in no way saying the company should not be punished if it's deemed to have flouted some laws but asking for product recall is in my opinion an overkill, illogical and not well thought-through. You don't punish to destroy but you punish to reform especially when the act is peripheral and does not go to the fundamentals of the company’s core business and competitive advantage. This is akin to issuing an unjust death penalty!
What is worse and probably devious about the FDA's action is the statement that “they are still investigating”. So what happens to lost sales and reputational damage if their investigation absolves the company?
Assuming without admitting that Adonko erred, fining the company and asking them to withdraw their products is “double jeopardy” that will cost the company probably millions in lost sales. The FDA's action has also caused the brand an expensive reputational damage cannot be quantified!
I strongly believe that delivering a mortal damage to an indigenous brand that employs thousands of people because of an extraneous activity not linked to its core competence is shocking and unless some underhand currents are involved, the high handedness beggars belief and ought to be reversed or revised.
By:
Nana Yaw Kesse
Website: nanayawkesse.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Source: Nana Yaw Kesse
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So my question is was a purchase of Adonko Bitters a pre-requisite to enter the stadium. If it was then what were the buyers supposed to do with the drink?
I totally agree with you ,my featherbrained friend on one thing. Ghana is brimming with f001s.F001s who appear to have gone to school but are worse than the likes of Akua Donkor.Did you see anything in my comment that remotely suggests that I back the recall of the product from the market?In the first sentence I said I abhor the FDA appearing to be used to kill brands and to destroy people's businesses.I doubt very much if when you read you understand what you read. There is no way in civilised jurisdictions that some of the concoctions that can cure anything from arthritis to cancer will be allowed to advertise on radio.This is a country in which the denizens have done the wrong things for such a long time that anyone who comes to insist the right thing is done becomes the enemy.From galamsey to selling in the middle of the streets .People say Oh that is where we make our living so if you stop us we will not vote for you. Surely this is not the way to develop any state.There are many products being advertised on radio that are dangerous and the FDA should focus on that.All I said was that it was wrong for the company to make the purchase of their product mandatory at the gate.and if your feeble intellect cannot grasp the then I say you are a waste of space.
This event was just another means of advertising the product, there should definitely be laws regulating the advertisement of alcohol in the country, if the Adonko Event violated the law, the appropriate sanctions should be applied.
on the basis of logical thinking, you have a point. I think the Adonko guys will have a field day in court if they decide to push the limits
From Tobinco,to Agel Capsules, to Maame Sermanhyia now Adonko. These Food and Drugs Authority people will all perish one day if they don't stop this Pull Him Down Attitude. At least let there be a bit of wisdom in your dealings. How could you take action that only shows your corrupt nature? Like people are asking on various platforms; why the recall? I don't drink alcohol but in any civilised society, laws must work and if a state institution as FDA is behaving this way then we have every reason to worry. Not surprised when Captain Smart said this morning that someone called for him to make a big issue out of Adonko's case so that it will be banned from the market then they will pay him big. This shows the FDA we have in Ghana. Their time will come as we await Special Prosecution Unit for Corruption.
Did the Food and Drugs Authority ask for Product Recall? On what grounds? Are there not laws in Ghana? What is happening? This can't be allowed in Ghana in this day and age. This is a clear sign of people who don't even know what they are doing as their jobs. People must be sacked.
This is all the FDA know; to collapse peoples job. They are all courupt over there. We will help President Akufu Addo to fight corruption and FDA will be dealt with. I hope opposition are taken notice so when it happens they will not say witch-hunting.
A product is recalled or request to return after the discovery of safety issues or product defects that might endanger the consumer or put the maker/seller at risk of legal action. On what grounds is the FDA asking for Adonko Recall? This FDA has become witch-hunt institution and Nana Addo's Government must not allow this. Incompetent and courupt people all over the FDA. I understand a competitor could just go and pay money for you to be witch-hunt. It's about time we get up as a nation and clean this FDA system to get rid of these 1DIOTS (AS SOMEONE SAID BELOW). We will rise up as a nation should Nana Addo fail to do so. What kind of non***barred word*** is this? Because people got drunk and it was the responsibility of Adonko producers so 'Product Recall'! This is absolute FO0OLISHNESS which can only happen in an incompetent institution as FDA.
You are talking like a Lunatic.F0O0LISHNESS abound in Ghana because we have FO0OLS like you who just comment without wisdom. Did you read the article? Why must the product be recalled? For what reason? The FDA is made up of 1diots who don't know what they are doing.
Whiles we all do not wish to see another Tobinco and FDA debacle unfold, I want to say the company faulted when it made the purchase of their product the 'gate-fee' to the event.Has the writer seen pictures of some youthful patrons of the event lying comatose at the event grounds?Guiness organises such events true but I've never heard that purchase of their product is the gate-fee.If Shatta Wale is playing at a concert trust me many under age patrons WILL attend. Some of these people may not have had a drink of hard liqueur before bur if they have it in their hands because they were forced to buy it at the gate,they may be forced to drink it. Let's not play the ostrich and bamboozle people with all those statistics and clever academic questions. The company misfired and they should apologise and let us move on.Fiifi Boafo was on Oman this morning questioning the pro of the FDA as if he was a criminal in the dock and he was the prosecutor.Enough. Give state agencies the space to do their work.If the FDA had done nothing these same loud mouthed journalists will be bashing them.But I do agree the response is a bit of an over-kill.The company should stop this low cost ,crude way of promoting their product.