When it comes to local TV, I am not so interested in tuning in. It has nothing to do with patriotism but more to do with quality content.
If I catch any, it’s because I stumble upon it by chance. Technology enables me to view the quality I desire from other sources. Yet I must say, that I am surprised that on more than one occasion, I have been caught paying attention to GH One’s “The Lounge” hosted by Kwaku Sakyi-Addo.
Last night, I did more than pay attention. From the moment I tuned in I was glued to the discussion till the end.
The guest on the show was Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, runner for the parliamentary candidature of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency.
(I was expecting Kojo to be drinking Kalyppo but I guess they were not sponsoring the show so water had to do.)
Kojo is not someone I would make out in crowd. When he took over from Komla Dumor on Joy FM, I was not in the country and upon my return he was off air as the host. Nevertheless, the confidence and eloquence displayed during the discussion, was one that won me over.
This is a politician, that in my view has a plan and the country’s best interests at heart.
What I admired about him was his determination. What he is doing in his constituency is no easy task. Going down to villages, speaking with the people regardless of the audience, is an arduous task.
It was clear that his goal was to bring about positive change regardless of the political party that instigated it. I don’t know many politicians will willingly follow suit and be willing to argue progressively to do what is best for Ghana.
His comment on the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) ruling of the Mahama gift saga, which was that he had infringed on his own gift policy, was bold and understanding of the political environment.
“Call a spade a spade”, he said. He further added that due to the fact that it was an election year, it was understandable why CHRAJ took this stance but that he expected more from the body.
Kojo during the interview went ahead to state that he was prepared to give up 25% of his salary should he become MP, as seed money to set up an Education Trust Fund to better the educational situation in the area. The area is currently faced with infrastructure and human resource challenges that make provision of education problematic.
He also told Kwaku, that he hopes to use part of the MP’s Common Fund to employ a doctor for the district and provide a mobile clinic to enable healthcare to be provided to those in even hard to reach areas. This is all while a plan to set up a district hospital is in the works.
As an artist with a mission on encouraging all to aspire for greatness, I identify with Kojo’s dreams and ideals. The interview gave me hope in Ghana’s political future. He is striving to provide his people the best and holds himself responsible and committed to the task. I wish him the best and look forward to seeing how he performs this year.
If I am keeping it “One Hondred”, I am not sure who I am voting for but if I was in Mr.Nkrumah’s constituency I would have voted for him in support of his vision and to encourage aspiring politicians regardless of party to walk in his footsteps.
More grease to your elbows Mr. Nkrumah. Keep it One Hondred!
Kalyppo KRAZY! – Top 10 Kalyppo Challenge Pics
Once upon a time a presidential candidate took a sip of Kalyppo and Ghana went KRAZY!
(Kalyppo is a fruit drink by Aquafresh Ltd popularly served in 250ml packs)
If you are in Ghana and haven’t caught on to the Kalyppo social media sipping picture craze, then you are missing in on some serious fun.
The Trend
The trend apparently started when a picture of the NPP (New Patrotic Party) 2016 presidential candidate, Nana Akuffo Addo, circulated on social media networks.
Whether this started as a mockery or not is not clear. All we know now is that what begun as a simple quest to quench thirst, has blown up bigger than World War II.
(I guess Nana Akuffo Addo who I see as a bald Harry Potter has cast a spell on us all. Below is a bald me attempting to do the same.)
The Challenge
The challenge is simple (Though never stated explicitly). Take a picture of yourself drinking Kalyppo (in a fun way of course) and post it up on social media.
The challenge apparently was started as a means to show support for NPP at this year’s presidential election. This however, is not why I joined. I took the challenge because I wanted to show my love for Kalyppo in a fun way.
The whole Ghana is now having so much fun with the challenge that vendors of Kalyppo according to pulse.com.gh are reporting record sales. The sales in the eyes of Mustapha Hamid, spokesperson for the NPP flag bearer, is an indication that the presidential candidate is hugely accepted by the populace. (Slow down my friend)
Why Is It Going Viral?
One should be careful of the interpretation of this Kalyppo trend. The challenge has reached a point where news agencies, politicians and journalists can gain valuable insight into why Ghanaians are participating in the trend.
In my view the challenge is going viral because of the following three factors:
- Political: NPP supporters wanting to show support.
- Brand Loyalty: Lovers of Kalyppo showing their love for the brand.
- Fun: People just having fun.
I am not sure which factor leads the polls but I would appreciate feedback before speculation.
Great Opportunity, Poor Management
Despite the viral nature of the challenge, I feel Kalyppo, NPP and its flag bearer from a marketing perspective, are not milking this cow for what she is worth.
There is no clear call to action on the stakeholders social media pages supporting the challenge.
Possible NPP Marketing Strategies
By now there should be campaigns linked with Kalyppo on NPP’s social media pages. Party leaders should capitalize on the trend and participate in the challenge. Share Kalyppo at rallies and meetings and take selfies or just get Kalyppo vendors to attend with a promise of guranteed sales. (One Meeting One Kalyppo! Who won’t come?)
Official Hashtag
Is it #TheKalyppoChallenge, #KalyppoChallenge, #1Kalyppo1Change ?
The official hash tag has not been communicated properly. Official hashtags should be created for fans to use in support of the goal of the campaign.
(But alas ?, there is no goal to this. Definitely no driver in this trends driving seat. No wonder it’s viral cos that’s just crazy!)
Surely, whoever is managing the digital marketing of both Kalyppo and NPP are under capitalizing on this opportunity.
Kalyppo Strategy
Kalyppo should ride this wave and ride it fast. A challenge for the most fun picture with Kalyppo for people not interested in the politics of things should be launched with prize money. (I mean, it’s already happening. Ghanaian’s are trying to out do themselves in this challenge without guidelines already)
Sales are bound to soar for Kalyppo and will probably escalate should NPP win the election. The brand is reaping the rewards of the trend but needs to structure their marketing efforts to have greater impact on sales and brand awareness.
Food For Thought
This product has often been marketed as a drink for kids yet this trend is being driven by the working class.
Proper marketing can get kids and teens involved and expand the consumer base further driving sales.
I personally would advise going for a Guiness World Record. The atmosphere is right and Ghanaians will gladly participate.
Conclusion
Why this is happening is a mystery. I however believe a nostalgic desire merged with Ghanaian pride and in some cases, politics is the cause of this. Both NPP and Kalyppo however should do better to utilize this asset towards achieving their goals.
Well Kalyppo and NPP, I believe you owe me a cold Multi Fruit Kalyppo.
Before I sign off however, let me leave you with my top 10 Kalyppo Challenge pictures.
Top 10 Kalyppo Challenge Pics
The only rule: All pictures must be taken with a Kalyppo juice box in the picture
Obviously this is the reason why we doing this. Some will argue that it should be no.1 but I disagree. Definitely a classic but not the best.
Y’all are going to say this competition ain’t fair ?. (Well, suck on a Kalyppo!) I believe I took the first selfie with two Kalyppo drinks at the same time (Why does Future’s – Same Damn Time, play in my head at this very moment?)
I guess I didn’t hold the record for long ?. Genius over here beat me by making it three. Hey look we like the same flavour.
Whilst we are drinking juice packs this guy doesn’t do straw. He does liters.
This guy do all! Talk about taking things World Cup ?.
Dog is man’s best friend. What better way to enjoy Kalyppo than to share with a buddy. After all, this morning workout causes a sweat.
Speaking of workouts, “I can do all things”, says hand stand man. I must say, that Kalyppo seems to be defying the laws of gravity. (Are we sure juju is not at play? ?)
I must admit this pic almost took number one. The creativity involved is too much. The manakin, the manakin’s weave, the fact that the weave is being styled and the stylist provides her client Kalyppo ?. This right here is customer service.
The caption to this pic says it all. The 8 GHC purchase earned this pic No.2.
Kalyppo in its finest moments- in the hands of a kind dictator. #KalyppoPushups (hey that could be the next trend)
A lot of marketing ideas have been given to Kalyppo for free out of love for the juice. Can you do better? Do you have a better Top 10? Comment below and let’s chat.
Hope you enjoyed this article. Drink Kalyppo and keep it One Hondred!
I have no political affiliation, just support for the Kalyppo brand.
5 Dollars for 8 Scoops
Happy World Smile Day! ?
Ice cream prices are not usually quoted in dollars.(But if rent and property are in Dollars why can’t the same be done for ice cream)
Ice cream, a wonderful frozen milk treat that sends your taste buds to heaven and back has been putting smiles on our faces since their Milky Way was discovered.
Everyone likes ice cream!
(Even terrorists)
The devil is rumored to have a lick from time to time as a means of visiting the heavens. So be wary of anyone who doesn’t favor an ice cream from time to time.
My favourite ice cream flavour is Pistachio. That’s something you are not bound to find easily in Ghana on the street.
For flavours other than Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate, (Of which Fan Milk does a tremendous job) one needs to visit a good ice cream shop.
When I was a teenager, that shop was Frankie’s on Oxford Street, Osu. These days we are privileged to have the likes of Pinnochio’s, Ci Gusta and Frankie’s to support our indulgence in sweet sin.
I have tried ice creams from all shops and found that Frankie’s gives the best value for money deal.
The weather these days encourages a lot of cooling down mechanisms. 20 GHC for 8 scoops of ice cream is a cool deal to bring out that smile. That’s 2.50 GHC per scoop. You are not going to get a deal like this at the other shops.
Don’t get me wrong the other ice cream vendors companies do a good job. Each has their speciality and perks but if you are looking for good ol’ fashioned ice cream in the loads, then head to the blue tall man’s house with a hat. (Don’t get confused I just described Frankie’s logo)
I usually share with my wife and she’s all about coffee ice cream (but ironically not big on coffee). So she gets about 6 scoops of her choice of which 4 scoops go to coffee and cappuccino. Depending on the craving her choices expand to the 8 scoop limit. (But that’s the complications of Marraige)
So what are you waiting for? Grab a partner and take a stroll to Frankie’s and buy ice cream. Our weather commands it.
Pokemon Go Ignorance
Yesterday Niantic’s PokemonGo became available on app stores of both Android and IOS for a number of African countries.
Avid players of the game like myself in Africa were happy to be acknowledged but like everyone else in the world, was hoping for an update to make the game more interesting.
My happiness was short lived when I came across certain comments on PokemonGoNews’s Twitter feed showing gross ignorance, painting a very clear picture that discrimination is not going away any time soon.
Here are the comments I found:
The third tweet is more ignorance than anything. So I can ignore it.
No! I can’t.
How do you call yourself Jesus on Twitter and say dumb stuff. It’s 2016 for crying out loud, there is a smartphone everywhere!
The first two tweets are just the worst. People’s thoughts on Africa are just stupid. It’s inexcusable to think that Africa doesn’t have cellular technology.
Even if you think otherwise, why would Niantic bother? Their data on their servers suggest that the game activity in Ghana is active enough to warrant to open it up on our app stores.
It’s amazing that the smartphones that the above tweets originated from couldn’t be used to double check their thoughts on a search engine before posting.
My initial reaction to the tweets was anger and then dissapointment, that with all this awesomeness that technology provides us, we are still far behind.
The tweets were unwarranted but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they don’t know that Africa has smartphones and not everyone is hustling for food.
You know what, I can’t.
I can’t wrap my head around it.
In the great words of Ghanaian comedian Lil Win, “I don’t think far”.
Even if we are hustling for food, some of us are using a smartphone to get that food and as we munch on our jollof (or whatever it is we have for lunch) we may catch a Dragonite or Pikachu in the process.
Google Pixel – Will You Buy One?
Google yesterday released its new smartphone, Pixel and though efforts by the Alphabet company to sway IOS users, my bet is that Apple won’t lose much of its pie in market share.
I can’t however say the same for other Android phone manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and Huawei.
As we await consumers response to the release, I want to point out few points from yesterday’s presentation that I found interesting.
Best Apple Jab
Though many punches were thrown at Apple at yesterday’s presentation (of which I don’t think we’re enough to make Tim Cook flinch), a nice uppercut was thrown which got me laughing really hard.
The colour names of the Pixel phone:
- Quite Black
- Really Blue
- Very Silver
I found this the highlight of the presentation as it mocked the iPhone 7 new colour announcement: Jet Black
(Jet Black is not really a new colour if black already was an option for consumers. I bet some were expecting indigo lol)
Why can’t people just stick to the colours we are used to for smartphones: Good ol Red, Chelsea Blue, Man City Light Blue, MTN Yellow and ECG Black ?. (I will take ECG Black anyday by the way, just don’t charge me)
Photos and Camera
I should have guessed that the name of the phone was related to its camera and photo features.
With 12 MP in the back and 8 MP in the front (along with other specs I won’t bore the non technical person with), this is apparently the best camera on a smartphone yet according to DxOMark which gave it an 89 rating. (That’s better than the IPhone 7 plus if you were wondering).
If you are like me and aren’t moved by that, Pixel takes it a step further and adds that Google offers FREE UNLIMITED STORAGE of photos in original quality on Google Photos.
(Wonderful Google, now give me free credit to buy the phone and I won’t bother you this Christmas)
Aside these two features everything was same old news.
Pixel is a great phone entering into the market. You can pre-order one now or like others wait till MegaPixel comes out LOL.
(I am not sure whether MegaPixel is their next model but it sure is a good name)
Pixel-The New Google Phone
Are you looking to buy a new android smart phone? If you are you then you timed your buying just right because Google (The company that some see as the Internet) is releasing its new smart phone handset dubbed Pixel, tomorrow 4th October 2016.
But what happened to Nexus? Why did Google start over?
I have not yet found answers to these questions but Pixel’s rumored features alongside other Google technology such as Google Allo, the messaging app designed to make us do and say more in our instant messaging chat rooms (watch out Whatsapp, someone wants your spot reaaaaaaal baaaaaaad!) shadow the reason for the company’s branding changes.
I guess Google just want to be more in control of the hardware that houses Android.
The phone looks sweet though. I am tempted to call it the Google iPhone since it debuts with an XL version as well.
There price range is rumored to be about the same as its Apple and Samsung counterparts. My bet is that they would slowly overtake the Android handset market.
I hear a 15 minute charge will give the phone 7 hours battery life. This looks likely as the Nexus 6 in this article provided 6 hours battery life after a 15 minute charge. (That was in 2014. Did we have to wait 2 more years to add an extra hour? ?)
Below are the specifications of both phones according to Carphone Warehouse:
Pixel – Specifications
Software: Android 7.1
Display: 5″ FHD AMOLED (1920×1080, 441ppi) Gorilla Glass 4
Processor: 2.15GHz Snapdragon 821 (quad-core, 64-bit)
RAM: 4GB
Camera: Rear: 12.3MP (f/2.0, 1.55um), Image stabilization. Front: 8MP
Battery: 2770mAh Fast charging
Storage: 32GB or 128GB No microSD support
Other: Fingerprint scanner, NFC, 3.5mm headphone, USB Type-C
Dimensions: 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6 mm 143 grams
SIM: Nano
Pixel XL – Specifications
Software: Android 7.1
Display: 5.5″ QHD AMOLED (2560×1440, 534ppi) Gorilla Glass 4
Processor: 2.15GHz Snapdragon 821 (quad-core, 64-bit)
RAM: 4GB
Camera: Rear: 12.3MP (f/2.0, 1.55um), Image stabilization. Front: 8MP
Battery: 3450mAh Fast charging
Storage: 32GB or 128GB No microSD support
Other: Fingerprint scanner, NFC, 3.5mm headphone, USB Type-C
Dimensions: 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6 mm 168 grams
SIM: Nano
The phone looks promising but until the launch tomorrow that’s about all I have on this scoop. Will discuss the features more after the launch.
Worlasi-The Future
I first stumbled upon Worlasi’s unique sound earlier this year upon a video shoot at Francis Kokroko’s studio in Osu. Mawuli AKA Daniel Quist was bumping to tracks of Worlasi’s album “Nusē: The Strength Within” and raving about the artist.
At the time I had no idea of who he was. Track after track during conversations I found it difficult to point out error in his art and embarrassing that I did not know about this great artist.
It was official…….I was hooked.
As an artist there is only one phrase I can use to describe his music: beautiful envy. I envy his artistic prowess and yet inspired by it.
His style is unorthodox and cool. A complex yet simple medley of pidgin English and Ewe over beats he produced that evolves the Hiphop I know into something else.
I had to get more Worlasi in my ears. Luckily for me Soundcloud houses a number of his tracks. From earlier works to his albums, it’s all there. I soaked into each track until I stumbled on “One Life”.
As a Ghanaian, beautiful doesn’t begin to describe “One Life”. The instrumentals produced by Worlasi creates nostalgia and gets you bumping before his lyrics hit your ears.
Comprehension of my enthusiasm is difficult if Ewe doesn’t roll off your tongue as smoothly as Michael Jackson dance moves. The video for the song however is kind to provide subtitles to break the beautiful mystery of Ewe down for you.
The more I soak in Worlasi’s music the more I am encouraged that Ghana’s music has a future. We are a nation blessed with amazing artists that Ghanaians for lack of exposure struggle to understand. Thus music is more about empty lyrics and dancing. That’s great but doesn’t challenge the status quo.
Great art is a medley of entertainment and admiration merged with commentary on a social or political issue. Manifest is an artist that understands this concept and continues to lean on it. Worlasi as an artist and producer is taking that concept to the next level.
His recently released track, “Nukata” is the artists take on male obsession with women that lead them to empty their morals and cash. I call it the Pidgin and Ewe version of Gasmilla’s “Telemo”. The video is equally interesting portraying a man vommitting out dollars and later cedis and later coins just to satisfy his passion’s (embodied as a female) desire.
If you have not heard about Worlasi, search for him and listen to the future of our music. He is going places and I will be proud to see him raise Ghana’s flag higher.
(Don’t for a second however think my enthusiasm for his art is because he featured on Manifests track “100 percent“.)
NDC & NPP – Who is Apple and Who is Google?
Blackberry finally admits defeat and bows out of the phone handheld game (and it’s about time).
They had a great product but weren’t fast enough in adapting to the ever changing playing field of consumer expectations.
The same could be said about the political parties in Ghana outside NDC (National Democratic Congress) and NPP (New Patrotic Party).
I am forever amazed that in 2016, parties haven’t figured out that you either join one of the big two parties (NDC and NPP) or stay out the way.
There is a third option however involving the minor parties unifying to form one party but ego’s and view points greater than Kanye West prevent this great idea from seeing light (Maybe ECG is to blame. LOL)
Well Nokia bowed out and this week Blackberry exited. I believe the same fate awaits the minor parties. The question on my mind as I ponder this half baked theory is which of the major parties is Apple IOS and Google Android?
I am an IOS fan and admire greatly the power of Android. I am not a political scientist to dissect and conclude the above matter; neither am I political party follower or loyalist. I am just an artist in love with Apple products who just had a eureka moment revealing that in our current political climate, the major party that behaves like Android and draws brands like HTC, Samsung, Huawei and LG to it is likely to gain the trust and vote of the people.
So what do you think? Who is Apple and who is Google? NDC or NPP?
I look forward to your comments
(NDC coming before NPP is due to alphabetical order and nothing else)
Happy Birthday Sean's Daddy
There is something weird and magical about receiving a cake on your birthday. It’s like an award for a super achievement of existing or more bluntly an excuse for others to eat cake.
It’s been awhile since I got a cake on my birthday. One could say I have grown out of the tradition. So when I had a call to come over for cake I was surprised and even more surprised when I realized it wasn’t my name on the cake.
As is evident in the picture my dear sisters now refer to me as the father of my son. Sweet as it is it makes one wonder if this is how things will be in the future. I wonder if on his birthday he shall receive a cake with “Paul’s son” inscribed on the top.
A more important question though is whether the existence of my new found love (my son) is the reason for the cake in the first place…..well no time for that now. Let’s just eat the damn cake and be merry.
………..
Mmmmmm after a slice of that wonderful cake I now understand why the above happened. It’s revenge for me not naming him Paul Forjoe III. (I am named after my Dad)
Birthday Prayer
Tomorrow 27th September 2016 is my birthday. So what am I doing? Not sure yet. I recently named my son and it seems as if I celebrated my birthday in that historic moment.
Tomorrow I will be bombarded with more messages than calls from friends and wanna be friends alike (Thanks Mark Zuckerberg ?) with over 50% sending me shorthand birthday messages that suggest further that wishing me a happy birthday was a spur of the moment decision.
“HBD”
As I visit Mark Zuckerberg’s creation for the I don’t know …. 10th time today (I think), I am greeted with a prayer I wrote to God in 2011. It’s a humble prayer from a sinner like me that reminds me of how much God loves me and all of us.
So on a day when I expect cake and is rewarded with acronym birthday messages and a pinch of bad grammar, I will switch things around and share a prayer instead.
I believe it will touch your heart and put a smile on your face to know that you are not alone and God is forever on your side waiting for you to either be saved or lead you towards peace and happiness.
Here is the prayer:
Lord, I’m not perfect. Even my trying is not good enough. Yet you bless me with another year. The love you show me is more than amazing. You grace me with blessings everyday as if everyday is my birthday. I am honored to serve and have you in my life, unloyal as a servant I may be. Thank you Jesus