adminRuth Butaumocho Entertainment Editor
A storm is brewing between Doves Funeral Assurance Holdings and Leonard Dembo’s family over allegations that the company stole a marketing concept belonging to the late musician’s family. In a dispute that is likely to spill into the courts, the Dembo family is alleging that the advertising concept that Doves is using, belongs to the Dembo family, who submitted it to the funeral home three years ago.
According to Benjamin Ganyiwa, a family spokesperson, they submitted a marketing concept in 2011 titled “Shiri Yakangwara” to the Doves marketing and branding department, with a view of partnering the funeral home in a business deal. Doves, through its then marketing representative Shamiso Mataire, accepted the concept and promised to come back to them with a proposal on the deal. Mr Ganyiwa alleges that the funeral home never got back to him.
Having realised the anomaly, the Dembo family together with representatives from Doves held a meeting in September this year, at which Doves is alleged to have accepted the violation and promised to make amends.
Doves confirmed receiving a script from Mr Ganyiwa three years ago, but however denied that it was the same script that it used to develop the concept that it was using.
Online Reporter