Assignment and submission by Akingbulu Oluwatosin, in response to a class assignment on

Executive Summary ………………………………………………………… 2

Background to the Brief ……………………………………………………. 3

Strategic issues …………………………………………………………….. 4

Key stakeholders and publics ……………………………………………… 5

Objectives …………………………………………………………………. 6

Key messages ……………………………………………………………… 6

Strategic approach and timescale ………………………………………….. 7

Campaign Tactics …………………………………………………………. 7

• Pre-Launch: April to May 2014 ………………………………….. 7

• The Launch Itself: June 2014 …………………………………….. 11

• Follow-up: June to September 2014 ……………………………… 11

Budget ……………………………………………………………………. 12

EXECUTIVE SUMARY

This report has been prepared in response to a brief from the Lagos State Government and proposes a public relations strategy for the launch of Eko Atlantic City; an impressive urban land reclamation development project in Lagos state which will be launched in June, 2014.

It sets out the potential impact of Eko Atlantic City, providing context in which to view PR plans and budgets. It also analyses both environmental and internal factors, focusing on the key issues which may impact on the launch. Key publics have also been identified. This has resulted in clear, achievable campaign objectives and targeted messages, which focus on Eko Atlantic City.

The recommended strategy is based on a 6-month plan, with three phases of activity: pre-launch awareness-building, the launch itself and follow-up to maintain momentum. Activity focuses on the primary publics of people living in neighbouring cities, developers, investors and other stakeholders.

At the heart of the campaign is: social media engagement, a series of press conferences and media chats, advertisements, live broadcasts and monitoring. The report concludes by outlining a budget needed to carry out the campaign.

The campaign theme: ‘Africa’s super city of tomorrow’, draws heavily on stakeholder opinion and features of the project.

Lagos State is the economic capital of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country and home to about 16 million people. Although, among the states in Nigeria, it is one of the smallest in area, Lagos State is the nation's largest urban area. In the West, it shares boundaries with the Republic of Benin and behind its southern borders lies the Atlantic Ocean. 22% of its 3,577 sq km are lagoons and creeks.

The proposed new city of Eko Atlantic would be built on a part of Victoria Island in Lagos state that has been taken over by rising sea levels. It is the most impressive urban land reclamation development project in Africa. Eko Atlantic city would be a new home to 250,000 people and the workplace of another 150,000. The ten square kilometer development will have waterfront areas, tree-lined streets, efficient transport systems and mixed-use plots that combine residential areas with leisure facilities, offices and shops.

Eko Atlantic city’s story started in 2003 when the Lagos State Government was in search of a permanent solution to protect Bar Beach in Victoria Island from the effects of severe coastal erosion, and to safeguard Victoria Island from the threat of flooding. Between 2003 and 2005 South Energyx Nigeria Limited, the developers and city planners of Eko Atlantic, engaged in a feasibility study with international experts to solve the problem once and for all.

Eko Atlantic city has since then evolved rapidly from a visionary design concept into reality. Infrastructural road works are already in progress and underground surface drainage pipes are being laid along major routes in the new city. Piling works are also underway for the many bridges in Eko Atlantic. The Great Wall of Lagos sea revetment, which is being built more than two kilometres offshore and had reached 3.5 kilometres in length by early 2013, is now protecting over 5 million square metres of Eko Atlantic and Victoria Island as a whole. Dredging is continuous and sand-filling for phase one was completed in April 2011. Over 3 million square metres of land had been reclaimed by March 2012.

The development brings together private individuals and companies who have the knowledge and expertise to transform land lost to the power of the sea into an ocean-front city that will be one of the wonders of the 21^st century.

The multibillion-dollar investment is provided solely by private investors. Those already on board include local and international banks – First Bank, FCMB, Access Bank Plc, GTBank, BNP Paribas Fortis and KBC bank – as well as a growing number of private investors.

The job of planning and building Eko Atlantic involves many different contractors and partners; some are based in Nigeria while others are international companies that are bringing their unique skills to the Lagos development. Building a new city that will become the financial centre of Nigeria, if not West Africa, is a major undertaking. The scale of the Eko Atlantic project is immense and progress is being achieved through a team effort between investors, planners, engineers and contractors.

Eko Atlantic will enhance the status of the capital city of Lagos and create a new and stronger financial hub for the whole of West Africa.

STRATEGIC ISSUES

1. 
   Rising concerns of people living in neighbouring cities about the linkage of ocean surges to the ongoing development work at Eko Atlantic City.
   
2. 
   Doubts of Eko Atlantic city achieving sustainable economic growth and creation of employment.
   
3. 
   Financial sustainability of the project.
   
4. 
   Uncertainty about adequate research undergone to ensure viability of project.
   
5. 
   Financial burden that the project might leave behind for the next generation.
   
6. 
   The model of the megacity does not explain issues like renewable energy and waste to energy cycles.
   
7. 
   Concerns about the devaluation of neighbouring cities like Lekki Peninsula and Victoria Island.
   
8. 
   Availability of affordable living costs for the support staff working in the Eko Atlantic City.
   
9. 
   Increased pressure on available infrastructure on the island.
   
10. 
    Deeper divisions between the rich and the poor that could lead to a wide gap in social strata.
    

Primary Publics:

1. 
   Residents of neighbouring cities
   
2. 
   Project partners and sponsors
   
3. 
   Developers
   
4. 
   Employees
   
5. 
   Housing agencies
   
6. 
   Real estate agents
   
7. 
   Surveyors
   
8. 
   Estate Developers
   
9. 
   Mortgage professionals
   
10. 
    Real estate brokers
    
11. 
    Financial institutions
    
12. 
    Architects
    
13. 
    Engineers
    
14. 
    Environmental consultants/scientists
    
15. 
    News/media organizations
    
16. 
    Bloggers
    
17. 
    Trade unions
    
18. 
    Potential investors
    
19. 
    Prospective buyers
    
20. 
    Local and foreign tourists
    

1. 
   Lagos state government agencies
   
2. 
   Research bodies
   
3. 
   International agencies
   

The communications objectives are:

1. 
   To project the economic benefits of creating the Eko Atlantic city.
   
2. 
   To counteract criticisms of the project as posing an environmental challenge.
   
3. 
   To reassure stakeholders on the viability and success of the project.
   
4. 
   To ensure that the employees and other contractors involved with the project understand the technicalities and are empowered to act as ambassadors for the project.
   
5. 
   To highlight the potentials of the Eko Atlantic city as a tourist attraction.
   

The campaign theme adopted for this strategy is: ‘Africa’s ubercity of tomorrow.’ This theme would be passed across to the various stakeholders using the following messages:

1. 
   The Eko Atlantic City puts Lagos on the world map of spectacular ultra-modern cities.
   

2. 
   The Eko Atlantic City projects Lagos and by extension, Nigeria as progressive as it represents the city of tomorrow.
   

3. 
   The project would establish Lagos, which is already one of the busiest commercial cities in Africa, as a financial powerhouse.
   

4. 
   The Eko Atlantic City will provide the following advantages:
   

• 
  Help reverse erosion along the coastline.
  
• 
  Provide an eco-friendly city and offer employment opportunity to some of its 17 million citizens.
  
• 
  Relieve pressure on the overstretched resources of Lagos, generating both living and business space.
  

Ideally, the plan would have taken a one year time scale. However, due to the closeness of the launch date to the issuance of the PR campaign planning task date, the pre-launch activities would have to be done in less time. A six month approach was thus, adopted. The 6-month campaign has three elements:

• 
  Pre-launch activities (April to May, 2014): building awareness and expectation in advance of the launch.
  
• 
  Launch activities (June, 2014): Intensive communication focusing on the launch event.
  
• 
  Follow up activities (July to September, 2014).
  

1. 
   Media training for employees:
   

2. 
   Lagos Carnival event: In order to position the Eko Atlantic city as a potential tourist attraction, the wide space in front of the grand entrance would be designated as one of the stops during the carnival dance procession. Thus, the proposed city would be given media attention as the carnival event is beamed to all parts of the world.
   

3. 
   Production of musical video: In anticipation of the opening of the new uber city, a musical video featuring Nigeria’s finest artists would be created. The theme of the song would be projecting the Eko Atlantic city as the future pride of Africa. Artists to be featured are: Tuface Idibia, Femi Kuti and Bukola Elemide (Asa).
   
4. 
   Revamping of website:
   

A customized SEO measure would also be implemented to secure an improved site ranking across multiple search engines. Search ranking will also benefit from the increased level of social media channels integration.

5. 
   Virtual tour video:
   

Messages could be targeted at estate agents, brokers, prospective property acquirers and other stakeholders.

6. 
   Social Media engagement:
   

In order to allay the fears of the stakeholders (such as people living and working in neighbouring cities) about environmental effects and the consequent financial burden on the citizens, social media would be used to pass across messages of reassurance.

7. 
   Brochures:
   

This brochure would be distributed to estate developers, housing agencies, surveyors and other professionals in the building sector.

8. 
   Billboards:
   

This would have incorporated messages targeted at people living or working in neighbouring cities.

9. 
   Flyers:
   

10. 
    Press releases:
    

The press release would be sent out 2-3 days before the event to avoid sending it out too early and then it gets forgotten or sending it too late when other stories may have already been assigned.

11. 
    Media chat:
    

12. 
    Press conferences:
    

13. 
    Souvenirs:
    

14. 
    Bus advertisements:
    

15. 
    Video Public Service Announcement:
    

16. 
    Radio Public Service Announcement:
    

1. 
   Live Broadcast:
   

2. 
   Media coverage:
   

3. 
   Feature articles:
   

1. 
   Regular e-newsletters to stakeholders prompting them to visit the Eko Atlantic website for news, information and updates.
   
2. 
   Ongoing use of social media platforms.
   
3. 
   Media relations: regular media releases on new developments and work in progress.
   
4. 
   Continued monitoring of the media and public comment.