Joshua Filani studied Law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. When, in 2015, he was called to bar, he discovered that Nigeria lacked a renowned brand for legal costumes. This prompted him and his team to create Bronks and Montgomery, which officially took off on a commercial level in 2016. In 2018, B&M commenced business in Ghana, and today is spreading into other parts of Africa. In this interview with KATELEMI CLAUDE, he discusses the progress made by the brand he founded, the vision and mission
Briefly explain what you do at B&M
Simply put, we are legal outfitters and clothiers. We procure, manufacture, market and sell outfits worn by legal practitioners, including senior advocates and judges. Our products include barristers’ wigs and gowns, judges’ wigs and gowns, silk robe for senior advocates, as well as ceremonial gowns for members of the legislature and other legal parastatals such as the body of benchers. We also deal in accessories, litigation attires and more recently bespoke suits and dresses for corporate professionals.
At B&M, we strive to consistently maintain world-class quality in everything we do, which is why we do more than just selling legal outfits; we sell experiences, which last for a lifetime and ensure that we constantly celebrate those experiences for and on behalf of our clients.
You founded B&M to fill a yawning gap. How did you raise your initial equity?
First, while it is true that the concept to create B&M came from me, I wouldn’t say I founded B&M. After my experience at my Call to Bar in 2015 and after selling a few outfits to some of my close friends, I knew there was an opportunity in that industry and took time out to make more findings and set up myself mentally. During that period, I discovered that the business was capital-intensive and I really did not have the fund necessary to commence business on a commercial level. This prompted me to discuss with a couple of my close friends who also bought into the idea and together we commenced business on a commercial level.
We raised the equity ourselves from our income and savings. At that time, I was lucky enough to have got some money from my parents, which I invested in the business. Some of my colleagues, who were already in business such as Nino Ropa, a bespoke clothier and fashion impresario, and Deji Gbolagun also contributed heavily.
When you started, how was your acceptance in the market?
To be brutally honest, we were readily accepted by the market, majorly because we were completely different from anything that was in existence at the time and, simply put, we gave more value to all those who needed legal outfits. At inception, we focused on budding lawyers, particularly those at the Nigerian Law School, and we marketed our products aggressively, which made our very first year commercially successful and encouraging, setting us on the path we are today.
How is the patronage to your brand in Africa compared to the brands from the west?
I believe that there is still a superiority complex attached to European brands by many Nigerians. While some people say it is colonial mentality, I think that the prestige of wearing some of these brands also play a large role in giving them their global appeal. This, however, has not prevented us from getting patronage, as our clients know that we are a more cost-effective option for world-class quality and prestige than majority of the European brands. I would not be able to conclusively state the position in other African countries. However, I am certain that a lot of people would share this same opinion too.
To break free from this marketing bondage, we must make conscious efforts to reinforce the belief of customers and increase the prestige of the brand by strong and purposeful advertising and modelling. The quality of what we do must also stand out and be superior or at least equal to the quality of top European brands.
Are you thinking of diversifying into non-legal apparels like church robes, which also look like the lawyers’ gowns?
Yes we are, and we are already putting mechanisms in place. As a matter of fact, if not for COVID-19, we would have completed our set-up and commenced business in commercial quantity. However, we are looking at this time next year for an eventual commencement date.
Do the elite patronise you? Who do you have as the most prominent customer?
In point of fact, majority of our clients see us as a luxury brand due to the quality of our outfits and value of a B&M experience. So, while I would not refer to B&M as an elitist brand, I know that the prices of some of our outfits may appear a bit pricy for the average Nigerian who prefer to purchase much more affordable outfits that would not be commensurate in quality and value. We also have very affordable packages for those who wish to be frugal with their finances, to ensure we cut across the financial demography of Nigeria and indeed Africa as a whole.
Over the years, we have been privileged to clothe very respected and popular legal practitioners in Nigeria including Senior Advocates of Nigeria, judges and top partners in top law firms. However, I wouldn’t want to mention their names here for purposes of confidentiality, but we have pictures of some of them on our Instagram page for those who wish to do some digging.
How many persons have you trained in the trade?
Although we have not made conscious effort to train and mentor budding entrepreneurs in the legal outfit industry, some of the people who have worked with us at some point in time, using the knowledge gathered from their experience with us, have gone on to create their own brand and some of them are doing very well for themselves.
How do you improve on your skills? Have you attended any refresher course?
Yes, I have undertaken several entrepreneurial and marketing courses online since I discovered my knack for business and entrepreneurship, despite my love and knowledge for the law. Coursera has been very helpful and is a great source of knowledge for those who are willing to take the time and effort.
Perhaps, more important is the constant drive to be better than our competitors both locally and internationally. This makes it imperative to always put our ears on the ground for innovations in the industry and ensuring that we try to be as innovative as possible to give more value to our clients, as you are only as good as your last (performance). We constantly seek trends all over the globe and adapt same to our model here while increasing on age-long standards.
Do you get any support from government or reputable firms?
No, we do not. The government of Nigeria also needs to do more to support budding entrepreneurs as well as small and medium scale enterprises, as they are basically the foundation of every developing economy. While some may argue that they are doing a few things, the question would be whether these initiatives are inclusive enough. Are they also well-advertised to the masses who need them? There is a general impression that initiatives such as these are hijacked by persons who gravitate the benefits thereof to themselves and their cronies. The government must take conscious steps and put mechanisms in place to ensure things like these do not happen and that every entrepreneur and MSME is given equal opportunity to benefit from these initiatives.
Do you have any project at hand, like exhibition, to popularise your brand?
Right now, due to COVID-19, we have temporarily slowed down our exhibitions and active marketing campaigns. However, we intend to resume with full force once we are certain of factors which would play a huge part in ascertaining our strategy for next year’s call to bar. Regardless, this year, we have undertaken several campaigns, which benefitted a vast number of budding lawyers such as the ‘Two-day online tutorial of December’, the provision of information and online support on various issues pro bono to a vast number of budding lawyers. We also recently had the bar final challenge on our Instagram page where we rewarded students for answering questions on the page. We are working on a new strategy which we would be unveiling soon.
How do you market your products? Do you deploy social media?
We market our products through specific marketing strategies targeted at budding lawyers who are our biggest market. These strategies include but are not limited to sponsoring of souvenirs, events and specific promotions, which help to educate our prospective clients on the benefits of being clothed by us.
Social media is a very important tool for us. As a matter of fact, we commenced commercial business through the social media, in particular Instagram, in 2016 and we have not looked back since. We also have active Twitter and Facebook pages and utilise these pages to the best of our ability.
What is your vision and mission in the trade?
Our vision is to become the foremost African founded legal outfitter and ceremonial robe maker in the world. Our mission is to create memorable experiences for our clients, while seamlessly supplying world-class legal outfits, upholding age-long traditions and seamlessly improving on old standards. Simply put, our mission is to touch the lives of all budding lawyers irrespective or status or condition.
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