Halfway through the seventh glass, I am jerked awake to the reality of a new me...
In the name of activations and taste
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| A typical office setting @ GOL |
testing, many a sip have I taken. Undiluted concentrates of alcohol tinged with exotic African plant extracts.
How can I pretend or even say ‘NO’ when I am surrounded by four bosses (2 Indians and 2 Nigerians), who without pause gulp their drinks as served in the tot glasses-from flavored gin to brandy to dark rum to schnapps.
In the first few weeks I wrinkled my nose, not exactly in total disgust, but at the array of alcoholic drinks in every office...I wondered why the only decorations were of bottles of gin and the likes. I thought office walls and tables held photo frames of loved ones and beautiful artistry but then need I ask such silly questions? What more can be expected of a company whose key brand is the No. 1 elders’ drink in Nigeria recently described on LIB (Linda Ikeji’s blog) as the original ‘kainkain’ drink....*laughs*
Sorry I didn’t mention! My internship experience took me to Grand Oak, the marketing arm of Nigeria Distilleries Limited makers of Seaman’s Schnapps, Dark Sailor, Calypso liqueur, Bacchus Tonic wine, Sazzy liqueur and many more.
Meetings for most people usually mean discussions, deliberations and brainstorming...ours meant tasting and comparing. I sat through numerous of such and the first time left me knocked out after only a few gulps of some funny mixture on an empty stomach- I caused it, I know, but the meeting was so impromptu!
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| LBS alumnus, Asst. QS mgr, me, LBS alumnus |
Almost 3 months in Grand Oak and I am already a connoisseur...I know all the various categories of wines and spirits and can even tell them apart by mere tasting! In fact, the alcohol content I have consumed in my stay here is 5 times more than the volume I have taken in my entire life prior to GOL.
My innocent cat-like eyes have been opened to the world of Lagos street life.
From joint to joint we have trudged in the name of marketing
research;
Market to market in the name of trade visits...
You see, my project centered on the launch of a new alcoholic product, so mingling with the boys and men in the motor park was very necessary.
I traded my sexy dresses for sturdy jeans and my stilettos for baby shoes in a bid to avoid ogling and discomfort.
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| Our product on the backdrop...St. Lauren |
I turned night crawler in a matter of weeks. Many a night we drove around town in search of consumer joints at ridiculously odd hours (now normal hours
to me)....I remember my first and only trip to the infamous African Shrine, (I can’t really talk about this because my team lead made me promise not to EVER say anything about what I saw) but if you have been to Fela Anikulapo’s shrine-you must know!
Amidst all the craziness,I must say I had massive fun rolling with the marketing team. Any other department in the company would have paralyzed me....and one of the nicest things that happened was my being the recipient of an award,*hehehehehe*. It was on behalf of the company though....
(P.S- my return to school for the 2nd leg is with plenty calypso and swagga for all the gentlemen).
*wink wink*
Yours in the System,
Oyinlola Sobowale
