In addition to which, the threats of thefts and vandalism of expensive equipment at these sites were also challenges facing Celt, the second largest mobile telecommunication company in Nigeria in 2007. The company was unable to raise awareness about their shift using conventional marketing strategies such as billboards as they were stolen, recycled or reused. Another challenge for the company was the direct marketing and the dangers associated with it.
The religious leaders and village chiefs held a lot of power and influence in the place. Even with the approval of the national authorities, the company needed to win the approval of tribal leaders to install signal transmitters and other equipment and to send its employees to tribal areas to maintain the network. Celt could mitigate some of these challenges by partnering with local individuals or companies thereby spreading some of its risk exposure associated tit going rural.
This would also help them focus on their core competencies while allowing their local partners manage the sales using their local market expertise. In order to further expand and capture a bigger market share, Celt could offer expansion through a Franchisee model. Partnering with local entrepreneurs with basic business acumen and a willingness to commit to long-term relationships would give them a deep understanding of how to manage the local environment.
This would greatly offset the infrastructure security costs for Celt and improve their profitability. For the success of the company in a developing country, it is critical that Celt would need to support the development of their employees, partners and the broader community in which it operated. Finally, designing customized mobile plans to cater to the different needs of the lower income bracket population would provide the right set of ingredients for the company to achieve mass acceptance in the Nigerian rural market.
