Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Growing up in Nigeria.


In buying and selling, common name refers to the actual name that defines the item while the brand name refers to name given to that item by the manufacturer for identity purposes.
In Nigeria, some brands have become so popular that their brand names are now being used as the common name of items. This is not necessarily because the said brand is better than all other brands manufacturing the item. It may be because the said brand was the first to launch such a product in the market, therefore the citizens have gotten used to it before its contemporaries became available in the market. This behavior of Nigerians has passed on from one generation to another to the benefit of the favored brands.
Some Nigerians do not even know the common names of some items simply because of how they have become so used to these brand names. Even when they don’t want that particular brand, they still refer to it with the name of the brand they desire attached to it.
I have listed a few items which their common names have been switched with that of these ‘successful’ brands below. This is how they are referred to by most Nigerians when they walk into a shop or store and in the market.

Instead of saying:
Most Nigerians say:
Petroleum jelly
Vaseline
Tea
Lipton
Noodles
Indomie
Diaper
Pampers
Sanitary pad
Always
Antiseptic disinfectant
Dettol
Paracetamol
Panadol
Deodorant
Sure
Bleach
Jik


It’s funny right? There are lots more and they will be welcomed if you mention them.
If you are a Nigerian and have at one point or the other referred to an item with a brand name instead of its common name say “aye”, if you haven’t say “nay”.


5 comments:

  1. i'm so guilty of dis o!...lol especially pampers

    ReplyDelete
  2. very true, very very true

    nice write up, keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. mynaijalifestyle u 4got to add Gala to d list, its supposed to b sausage roll

    ReplyDelete
  4. i guess its one of d tins dat makes one a nigerian, lol.

    ReplyDelete