NRG Radio station has stopped using World Marathon Record holder Eliud Kipchoge’s name on its brand minutes after being served with a cease and desist letter by the A-list athlete’s lawyer.
Kipchoge, through lawyer Donald B. Kipkorir, on Friday demanded that the radio station expunges his name, images and references from all its social media and online platforms within two hours.
This is after the station rebranded itself to ‘Kipchoge Radio’. This apparently was done without Kipchoge’s knowledge or knowledge. The station rode on last weekend’s hype where the athlete ran a 42km marathon in under two hours, a first for humanity. https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NRGG.jpg
A quick check done by Nairobi News shows that it has removed and deleted all mentions to the Kipchoge name. They are now referring themselves as the ‘Mashuja Radio’.
Whoever advised Kipchoge to sue NRG is a bloody moron. NRG was branding him for free to an urban middle-class audience that would otherwise not give a damn about some Kale athlete! This is what happens when you take advice from Donald kip Korir, an average lawyer with double chips on his shoulder who doesn’t understand the mechanics of real enterprise.
No one, but I’m talking about branding. Branding is the reason why a middle-class yuppie buys a plain black Armani t-shirt for $100, while an ordinary chimp buys a similar unbranded t-shirt for $10. Why is that? Armani is associated with class, wealth, and luxury. So anything associated with the Armani brand is seen through those lenses. Well-managed athletes are branded and commodified. NRG were is in a way branding him while at same time riding on the waves of his latest athletic exploit, it’s mutually beneficial.
You are amazing! Who is the bigger brand? Kipchoge or NRG? Eliud kipchoge is right now a global icon at the peak of his career. He is dealing with the likes of Nike and INEOS. You don’t just use his images and names to advance your unknown brand without permission or paying. He should have sued for compensation not just a cease and desist.
Hizo antics za NRG wapelekee those amateurs of Kenyan Rugby… Kenyan athletes from rift valley do not need the Kenyan middle class at all… Kipchoge has Nike and Ineos and Isuzu and is fine.
He works hard all year round only for some suckers to come and take advantage of his victory for personal gain.
And when he is retired, the same nigas will come complaining how kipchoge was callous and got taken advantage of just like numerous other athletes who happen not to be “educated” about branding and managing finances.
Hii NRG hata inafaa kupigwa fine ya hundreds of millions wasirudie tena!