Konbini.com, launched in 2008 in perhaps is a global media company with a presence in France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the United States, and now, Nigeria.
You hadn’t heard of it. To be honest, until we had to write about it, we didn’t take it too seriously. We should have. It’s clearly a European powerhouse.
It’s focus is pop culture. It’s tag-line is ‘all pop everything’. But it’s essentially Buzzfeed. Another version, maybe for another taste. A not-badly-done version. But still apples and apples when you look at it.
Which is why they launched in Nigeria by raiding the closets of Nigeria’s first true Buzzfeed-clone, Zikoko – and they didn’t go there to play. By the time they were through, they had left with two of its finest writers, including its editor, Damilola Odufuwa and Daniel Orubo.
It makes sense when you think of it. Konbini focuses on shareable content that centres on social media traffic. Zikoko is still the market leader in the space, so International Company + More Money + Already Validated Model + No immediate need for profitability hence open tap of spend + Aggressive Poaching = This is where we are.
Pulse, OMGVoice, Cosmo and now Konbini. Clearly this is now a trend. Global companies looking to expand are looking at Nigeria’s exploding population that’s clearly thirsty for content.
There is also Quartz Africa – but it’s really pursuing a broad Africa strategy that hasn’t committed much to the Nigerian market beyond a reporter, Yomi Kazeem. So doesn’t count.
People like Pulse brought the kitchen sink. And people like Konbini came clearly prepared for the long haul.
Nigerian media owners need to be very afraid.
PS: Buzzfeed and HuffPost (well, not HuffPost at this rate thanks to Aunty Arianna dumping it), why are you wasting time?
PS: See anything worth talking about on the ins and outs of the media business in Nigeria on TV, radio, print and online (could be news, tweets, photos, opeds etc) send us a mail on[email protected] titled TMB. Let’s share the insight together!
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