Category: Shopping

The array of fruit juices for children on the shelf may throw their parents into confusion. To make a choice under this condition, it is advisable to consider products’aesthetics, among other factors, writes TONIA ‘DIYAN.

The business landscape in Nigeria is undoubtedly attractive to investors because of the population size. Consequently, consumers may be confused in making their choice from the array of brands they find in the market. Nowhere is this dilemma more evident than in the foods and beverages’ category of the fast moving consumer goods sector.

The consumer goods sector, comprising the food and drink category, non-food products and the retail category, compete for leadership through various offerings, particularly those brands targeted at children. For example, foods, such as Indomie noodles, already prepared custard in sachets from the stable of Chi, producers of Hollandia yoghurt, among others, lead the pack in the rat race to capture the hearts of children and their parents. Also, drinks such as Bobo, Viju Milk, Ribena, Happy Hour, Lucozade Boost, Capri-Sonne and Nigerian Breweries’ Maltina have all joined the fray.

However, some of these brand owners face the challenge of ensuring that their products are accepted by their target market. According to Jack Trout and Al Ries in The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, marketing is not truly a battle of products, but a battle of perceptions and this implies that even if a product is of the highest attainable quality, brand owners must still work on the perception from consumers.

Today, genetically modified or synthetic consumer goods are being widely promoted despite the protests against their use. This should give natural products an edge in the minds of consumers, who want the best.

A fruit juice drink retailer at Alade market in Ikeja, Lagos, Mr Ikechukwu Ukomadu, said the demand for children fruit juice drink, which he sells, is unparalleled.

Ukomadu stocks some drinks more than others, because they are preferred drinks for children worldwide and they control more than 80 per cent of the fruit drink market for children in the country. According to him, some contain 100 per cent natural ingredients and it is estimated that five billion pouches are sold every year in approximately 100 countries. A particular one, he said, is made with the best juice of sun ripened fruits available and contains no artificial flavours and colours or preservatives.

“The silver pouch used to pack some of these fruit drinks have made some more popular than others, particularly among parents and children, as their designs make them easily portable. Most pouches are sturdy, hermetically sealed and tamper proof. They can withstand many tumbles and pass the hardness test in a freezer without bursting. This means that they can also be enjoyed as a tasty ice treat,” he said.

The Nation Shopping spoke with some primary school pupils, who shared their experiences from their favourite fruit juice drink.  Majority said their choices are determined by consistent promotional offer a particular brand gives, some others said the taste of the drink is their attraction to a particular drink while others said the tamper proof nature of some of these drinks have kept them stuck with a particular brand as they won’t have to wipe their launch packs each time they keep the drink in them.

A pupil of Caleb International Nursery and Primary School in Lagos, Nonye Akumeh said Capri-Sonne fruit juice brand has been consistent in giving promotional offers to children, likewise Bobo, which is why they have become her choice fruit juice drinks. “One of Capri-Sonne’s offers from which I benefited is the ‘Capri-Sonne School Surprise Offer.’ It provides rewards for kids, who patronise the brand. Rewards like taking children abroad on excursions or on a shopping spree to have fun. Bobo would insert exercise books and stationeries into their packs before selling them out,” she said.

She added that most offers come with several other exciting gifts such as wrist watches, flash lights, pouches, colour pencil cases and many more that will be useful for kids at school. “There was an extra bonanza option, where children would submit Capri-Sonne flaps or Bobo caps and stand the chance of getting free Jumbo Crayons and Water Colour Boxes and sometimes trips to Disney land,” she said.

For Chinelo Agwu, another pupil of the school, the taste of Ribena is incomparable and nourishing. ”I am really not particular about freebies, if I want some of those treats, my parents would buy them or make them available. I just love the taste of Ribena and the fact that it nourishes my body. And that is why everywhere I go, I opt for it rather than any other drink. I would rather not take any fruit juice if I don’t find Ribena,” she said.

In today’s world, healthy living is uppermost in the minds of the people and mothers, in particular, tend to be extra careful with what they give to their children. It is obvious that many people, including children, do not drink enough. They tend to eat too much, but not drink enough! This is why parents use simple tricks such as buying fruit drinks to encourage their children to drink more.

But in the long run, the children are only going to drink more if they like and enjoy the taste of the beverage. When children turn fussy about eating, parents turn to buying healthy and nourishing products that suit the children’s taste buds and in almost all cases, the children take the drink with a smile. This is where some universally recognisable drinks, that are perhaps most well known for their stand-up pouch packaging, beat other beverages on offer.

Mrs Allero Ike, a housewife, who wants the best for her children, said her children’s school bags are not complete without their daily intake of their favourite fruit juice. “My children know what they want. If they want the best, they know what it is and I cannot give them what is close to the best. Nobody can fool them, they always ask for their favourite drink,” she said.

The excitement of Gbemi, Mrs. Oladele’s four-year-old daughter, sighting her mother picking her favourite drink from the shelf in a supermarket last weekend, was a sight to behold. She confessed that the little girl will give her no rest if she failed to include the fruit drink in her purchases. “She loves the drink and I enjoy buying it for her because of its natural taste and as a supplement for her healthy development,” she said.

Understandably, competition for patronage by operators in the sector is fierce. But in an increasingly health conscious world, consumers will only choose to buy the best. The brands that will ultimately survive the contest for consumer loyalty will be the ones with quality products manufactured locally, using world-class technology.

Nevertheless, there are significant differences in their offerings, which define the competition and their respective performance in the marketplace. Many of the brands mentioned are a mixture of synthetic materials and natural ingredients.

Nutritionists say some beverage drinks contain 100 per cent fruit ingredients that add to vitality and healthy growth of the child. This quality has naturally endeared such brands to discerning mothers.