Odemwingie: Tough times for a Celebrity Brand

By OJEIKERE AIKHOJE

ojeksaikhoje.blogspot.com

At the very heart of PR are words.

Words that count. Words that make people believe. The right words.

ojeksaikhoje.blogspot.com’s OJEIKERE AIKHOJE examines the implications of the recent twitter war by Nigerian star, Osaze Odemwingie.

Considering the very little thought that is put into a Tweet, it’s not surprising that some celebs have courted controversy after posting information online.

Celebrity brands are fragile. One slip and reputation is gone. 

Twitter is a reflection of who you are and if it isn’t used correctly, it can turn into a bit of PR disaster.

Having followed the reaction of Nigerian forward, Osaze Odemwingie, since his exclusion from Nigeria’s pre-Afcon squad by the gaffer, Stephen Keshi, it’s obvious that the West Bromwich Albion star is very bitter.

“Keshi has no footballing reasons not to invite me but is not saying the truth. He is still in my plans he said haha coach u no dey my plans,” the Nigerian International twitted.

From the onset, the forward behaved as if he wasn’t interested in playing for the Eagles.

Keshi understood the body language and promptly searched for solutions.

No coach wants a player who doesn’t show respect. After all, the manager has to show he’s in charge.
Odemwingie failed to read the writing on the wall.

Back in 1998, only a mad coach would have left the legendary Eric Cantona out of the French side for the World Cup on home soil.

Aime Jacquet, the manager did and won the World Cup without Cantona. Even his critics were surprised he won the World Cup.   

The moment Keshi was able to drag Shola Ameobi from international wilderness to the Eagles; I knew Odemwingie’s days in the team were numbered. 

Besides, the Newcastle forward will not complain if left on the bench.

Add Ahmed Musa, Brown Ideye, Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Moses and Ikechukwu Uche who remains the best in recent times to the mix and you’ll understand that Keshi was busy searching for options in the attack.  

Every African footballer aspires to play at the Afcon where the best players are celebrated so one can understand why it’s painful.

It’s normal to be bitter, but celebrity brands have to be careful with the kind of words they send out.

Besides, Odemwingie is not the only player who will miss the Afcon.

Taye Taiwo, Obafemi Martins, Kalu Uche, Obinna Nsofor, Dele Adeleye. Dele Aiyenugba, Greg Etafia, Odion Ighalo, Victor Anichebe, Yakubu Aiyegbeni et al were also ignored.

Players should learn to accept the decision of the manager because it might be their turn to be on the other side tomorrow.

Former Nigerian International and Vfb Stuttgart star, Jonathan Akpoborie believes the story would have been different he the West Brom forward was included in the pre-Afcon list.

“If Keshi had included him in the 32-man squad, he will come to twitter to insult people. Like I said, he is entirely entitled to his opinions, but he should know how to express them,” Akpoborie told goal.com.

Again that’s where twitter comes in.

Odemwingie has scored numerous own-goals with his comments on twitter in recent times.

A lot of players have had cause to react to issues affecting them, but they end up doing it the wrong way and generating more problems rather than proffering solutions.

This is where the importance of a PR agency becomes inevitable.

Till date, Nigerian footballers are yet to understand that the importance of a PR agency cannot be over-emphasized.

Celebrity Brands are careful with whatever they send out.

David Beckham is not only an icon, but an advertiser’s delight because he has an agency managing his affairs.

 

Odemwingie’s story in a better form

Again footballers don’t know how to manage situations to their advantage.

The business angle was available for the forward to build on his Celebrity Brand and gain more believers.

This was a fantastic opportunity for Odemwingie to come out with his biography on the eve of the Afcon.
For a player whose romance with the Eagles started in 2002, a decade in the national team would have been celebrated in a better way with his first book.

Imagine this title; “Osaze Odemwingie: My Story.”

Everyone would have loved to read the book to know his reaction.

Come to think of it, Keshi will even devote part of his precious time at the Afcon finals to know what the player would have written about him.

I still remember how Nigeria’s former manager, Adegboye Onigbinde brought him to the Eagles as an alternate player at the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup.

Odemwingie wasn’t the best amongst players in the domestic league then, but Onigbinde saw the potential in him. That was the turning point in his career.

Ogochukwu Obiakor, Rabiu Baita and Victor Ezeji scored more goals than Odemwingie in 2002, but were ignored. And the trio didn’t insult anyone after missing the chance to be in the Far East.

Nigeria gave Odemwingie the platform to move abroad for greener pastures.  

Away from football, the biography of former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, is already generating ripples.

Odili kept sealed lips for more than five years over what actually transpired in those dying days in 2006, at the height of the race towards the 2007 presidential elections.

Titled: “Conscience & History: My Story”, Odili revealed how he moved from being a frontrunner in the 2007 presidential race to a sure bet as running mate , but eventually emerged with nothing at the end of the day.  

But Odemwingie missed the chance to tell his story in a book at a time everyone would have wanted his side of the story.

Controversy and Celebrity Brands don’t go together.