WHERE WAS KENYA’S P.R WHEN LUPITA NEEDED IT?

#PUBLICRELATIONS

“When I look down at this golden statue; may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you are from; your dreams are valid?”

The above quote went viral and trended. It was Lupita Nyongo’s acceptance speech at the Oscars. Whatever way it seems; destiny has it that Lupita Nyong’o will be on our lips for a long time.

As a student of communication; one of the fundamental units is Public Relations (PR). Infact, we are taught; “buildings depreciate, patents expire, but, properly managed, a company’s name and reputation grow in value every year.”

But typically; our PR as Kenya failed   completely! We have been caught flatfooted and seemingly clueless on how to react to golden Lupita moment and take full advantage of the Oscar winner’s day of glamour in all possible ways.

There is a notion that those in authority do not fully appreciate the effect a co-ordinated media campaign can play. We have seen it in Kenya. Oliver Litondo generated good international publicity with the First Grader; but was largely ignored. It happened to Sidede Onyulo; who wooed overseas film audiences and critics for his role in the Oscar award winning film, Nowhere in Africa.

On the road to the Oscar for Monster; South Africa’s Charlize Theron had the entire country behind her; putting out a cozy media campaign to announce to all and sundry that she was South African.

South African not only threw parties in Hollywood; but also made her homecoming a public holiday, with tens of thousands of people waiting to receive and celebrate her triumph. The icing on the cake was a moment with Nelson Mandela. Theron was clearly overwhelmed.

For Kenya; one would have expected a high profile delegation to Los Angeles for the Oscar night- Lupita was already big news, with or without the award.

It was also an occasion to brand to brand Kenya, promote national harmony by rallying for a true winner and celebrate value of hard work, commitment and sheer talent.

There should have been congratulatory messages on huge billboards all over the country, strategically placed media advertisements and on major international show business magazines too share her joy and emphasize that she is Kenyan.

Where were the publicists? Were they caught napping on the job? Give us your feedback. Go ahead and criticize, vehemently if that’s how you feel.

By Embukane Vincent Libosso; as inspired by John Kariuki’s piece for The Standard; “how Kenya lost rare; golden Lupita moment.”