Brand Watch: Waragi’s Big Night, Nile Breweries’ Festival Exit
The Week in Brand Money
- Uganda Waragi and I&M Bank backed one comedy night at the Serena, and the ballroom was reported full.
- Nile Breweries is said to have pulled sponsorship from the Emaali Cultural Festival at Kololo, and the two sides tell it differently.
- The Singleton flew in Ice Prince for his first Uganda show, and its coverage is the most copy-pasted of any big brand this month.
- DStv resets its packages on November 5, including a Shs25,000 package for selected Premier League and Champions League matches and a new SuperSport KICKOFF channel.
- Spiro handed Fik Fameica an electric motorcycle and the title of East Africa ambassador, per Pulse Uganda.
The Scorecard
Top ten brands by number of entertainment stories this month. Sponsor copy is the share of items that were near-verbatim reprints of someone else’s text, usually the brand’s own press release. High share means the coverage was bought, not earned. First scorecard, so no movement yet.
| Brand | Company | Stories | Outlets | Sponsor copy | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DStv | MultiChoice | 8 | 5 | 0 of 10 (0%) | new |
| Uganda Breweries | Diageo | 6 | 7 | 2 of 16 (13%) | new |
| Uganda Waragi | Uganda Breweries (Diageo) | 4 | 6 | 2 of 14 (14%) | new |
| V&A Sherry | V&A Sherry | 4 | 6 | 3 of 10 (30%) | new |
| The Singleton | Uganda Breweries (Diageo) | 4 | 6 | 5 of 11 (45%) | new |
| Bell Lager | Uganda Breweries (Diageo) | 3 | 6 | 2 of 6 (33%) | new |
| Swangz Avenue | Swangz Avenue | 3 | 3 | 0 of 3 (0%) | new |
| NBS TV | NBS TV | 3 | 3 | 0 of 3 (0%) | new |
| Canal+ | Canal+ | 3 | 2 | 0 of 3 (0%) | new |
| Nile Breweries | AB InBev | 3 | 3 | 0 of 3 (0%) | new |
Read it carefully. Canal+ is just DStv’s owner showing up twice. Swangz Avenue and NBS TV are a label and a broadcaster that got covered, not brands writing cheques. Diageo’s Uganda Breweries family owns four of the ten rows, which is a lot of Kampala nightlife with one logo on it.
Waragi Fills the Serena
Uganda Waragi and I&M Bank put their names on 2 Kings One Mic, the Friday, October 23 show where comics Salvador and Dr Hillary Okello shared one stage. Matooke Republic’s write-up of Waragi’s night calls it sold out and says the ballroom was filled to capacity.
Two sponsors, one room, zero fighting over the logo. I&M is billed as the show’s official banking partner, with Waragi on the spirit side.
A chance to “support the arts” and “be part of something our customers will genuinely enjoy.”
I&M’s Annette Nakiyaga, per SoftPower
The smart part: coverage afterwards said the comedy, not a DJ or a guest singer, held the spotlight. That’s the dream for a brand paying for attention. Clean comedy, a hotel ballroom is a very safe place to park a logo.
Nile Breweries Leaves Kololo
Sqoop reports that the Emaali Cultural Festival at Kololo Airstrip was left struggling over the weekend after Nile Breweries withdrew its sponsorship. Sqoop adds that the Iteso Cultural Institution, which organised the festival with the government, and the brewer gave different accounts of why.
A pull-out days before a festival is the worst message a brand can send. It leaves the organiser scrambling and the other sponsors wondering what they missed. No other outlet has the story yet, so treat the details as Sqoop’s.
The Singleton Flies in a Rapper
Nigeria’s Ice Prince Zamani made his Ugandan debut at The Singleton’s Big Meeting at Thrones Lounge in Bugolobi, taking fans back to Nigerian hip-hop’s golden era, per Nile Post.
The booking is smart: a nostalgia act, a first-ever Kampala show, a whisky positioned as the host. But 5 of The Singleton’s 11 items this month were reprints, the highest copy share of the big spenders. Plenty of noise, a lot of it the brand talking to itself.
Meanwhile V&A Sherry is going small and social. Its Kwiso Movie Nights cinema-and-cocktails evening hits Reach a Hand Africa’s Lungujja base this Friday, October 30.
Buzzy but Unsigned
The names everyone is talking about, with no brand beside them in this month’s coverage:
- Sheebah Karungi is the most-covered name of the week, and ‘Bukutu’ with Karole Kasita had its first big night at Club Guvnor. Missed opportunity. A hit, a rivalry storyline and no logo.
- Karole Kasita is in the same boat, and she has been telling the press she won’t pick sides between Sheebah and Cindy Sanyu. That’s brand-friendly diplomacy.
- King Saha is riding ‘Wewe’ and has Bebe Cool’s annual list in his sights. Opportunity, as long as the banter stays banter.
- Jowy Landa: MBU has her in a heated stage spat with Jinja revellers. A brand is right to wait and watch how that settles.
Next dates: Friday October 30 for V&A’s cinema night, Sunday November 1 for Kampala Crème on DStv, and November 5 when the new DStv price list bites. Wallets out.
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