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INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

Taking an E NTREPRENEUR TAOFICK OKOYA
ethnic doll began the Queens of Africa doll
from Nigeria collection in 2007 after he could
to the world not find a black doll for his niece. He also
had a young daughter who was going
through an identity crisis at the time
because, unlike white children, she had
no dolls that came close to reflecting who
she was – despite living in a country that
has more black children than anywhere
else in the world.

Even on television, the characters
featured in children’s programmes were
mostly white. Reflecting on this, Okoya
made it his goal to create an ethnic toy
that would help African girls embrace
their heritage, skin colour and hair.

Brand extensions
include books,
comics and music

Taofick Okoya made headlines when his African Today his company, FICO Solutions
dolls outsold the legendary Barbie in his native Nigeria, has two ranges: Queens of Africa
Nigeria. Now he is focused on the rest of the world, is targeted at both the African and global
not least the huge North American toy market. markets; and the more competitively
priced Naija Princesses is focused on
the local Nigerian market. Parts for the PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
dolls are imported from China and then
assembled at a facility in Nigeria.

Apart from the dolls themselves, there
are brand extensions such as books,
comics, music and an animated series. All
aim to empower children around the world
with an African heritage to be confident
about who they are. Okoya says he is also
helping to empower Nigerian communities
by employing women to braid the dolls’
hair and make their outfits.

By 2014 – seven years into the
business – he had overcome many of the
early obstacles associated with marketing
black dolls to consumers who were simply
not used to them. With its complex British
colonial heritage, the Nigerian market
showed some resistance to the product
when it was first launched. But Okoya
is now moving 6 000-9 000 units a year
locally and outselling Barbie, the popular
fashion doll manufactured by American
toy giant Mattel.

24 strategicmarketingafrica Issue 4 2016