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Tag: marketing

  • Breaking beer marketing barriers

    Breaking beer marketing barriers

    To retain a positive outlook despite the recession that has continued to hit most sectors of the economy since the Q1 of last year, the beer industry is striving to break all marketing barriers premised on social and cultural nuances, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    For three years, the beer sectoral group of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) has continued to sustain a campaign against some marketing barriers to beer consumption through a summit.

    The purpose of the campaign, according to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, “has been to highlight and share contemporary knowledge on the wonderful product called beer” and break social-cultural, religious, gender barrier against consumption of beer.

    At this year’s Beer Summit, the third edition held at the Eko Hotel, Lagos, recently, there were still concerns on the abuse of beer despite the growth the brands have continued to enjoy against the backdrop of the seeming economic recession that has hit other Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs).

    For industry analysts, the beer sector is one of the healthiest under the FMCGs segment.

    According to the Managing Director of The Nielson Company West Africa, a global research firm, Mr Lampe Omoyele, beer is among few exceptions that recorded growth in consumption in 2015, with +6.1 percent value growth in the year despite economic downturn. However, 2016, described as year of ‘Perfect Storm’ by Omoyele, was not favourable to all the sectors, yet the alcoholic beverage and telcos sectors remain the least affected  with decline status standing at -8.9 and -6.2 per cent.

    With these, the leading beer maker, Nigerian Breweries, is leaving no stone unturned with its beer summit to preach responsible drinking, correct myths and wrong perception about beer consumption.

    However, Nigerian Breweries has been leading the onslaught against some of the underlying barriers against marketing, using influencers and professionals from academics, food and nutrition science, social and media circuit to underscore the role of beer in sustaining socio-cultural cohesion of people across ages.

    According to one of Nigeria’s first indigenous advertising practitioners and veteran copy writer, Mr. Ted Mukoro, like all enjoyable and exciting things made by nature– alcohol, sex, sports, dancing – beer can be irresponsibly abused or over-used. “Nothing enjoyable is bad until put to the wrong use,” he said. On that note, he maintained that beer is certainly the least alcoholic of all alcoholic drinks, and also the healthiest and most nutritious.

    A Professor of Applied Microbiology and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Bartholomew Okolo, in his paper on the Social and Cultural Roles of Beer in Society, explained that in all societies, beer plays an important role not only in major life-cycle events, such as birth and death, but also in minor everyday transitions. According to him, in studies conducted in various parts of the world, beer drinking venues have been identified as the most important venues for promoting interactions and friendships between people from diverse backgrounds.

    “The Nigerian beer parlour is an example of such an institution where you could find a lawyer having a beer next to a plumber, or a doctor having a beer next to a tailor. You could also find a professor having a beer next to a banker. In such circumstances, people can offer all sorts of support and even professional advice at no cost. It is possible to explore such settings for other benefits including security and commerce, for example in the creation of cooperatives societies,” he said.

    Okolo added that alcoholic drinks are a symbolic vehicle for identifying, describing, constructing and manipulating cultural values and interpersonal relationships. In all cultures, he remarked, different alcoholic beverages are classified in terms of their social meaning. Every drink therefore connotes a symbolic meaning and conveys a message.

    Also, former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, who chaired the occasion, noted that research shows that beer contains xanthohumol that inhibit cancer-causing enzymes. “I  have always wondered about the French. You see their diet consist of rich, highly fatty foods, wine and those cigarettes. Yet, their rate of heart disease is significantly less than the rest of the world. This has been credited to red wine and the antioxidants it contains, which helps prevent heart attacks. Interestingly, beer has just as many antioxidants as red wine,” he said.

    Duke also added that beer is a lot safer than the local bottled water. “If you find yourself at someplace where you are advised not to drink the local water, the local beer is always a safer bet. It is a lot safer than the local bottled water. So just follow the rules of beer drinking and you will be fine,” he advised.

    According to him, beer is not just a social lubricant, but a cultural spice that brings the right taste out of all celebrations.

    On the other hand, there is still concern on consumption of beer among women demography, a TV Presenter, Miss Stephanie Coker said, “As a young woman, I’m very conscious of my stomach and waste size. Many women do share this concern and consciousness. I found it so intriguing that a group of Nigerian women, ranging from 22 to 55 in age could have discussions about fashion, travel and entertainment over a bottle of beer but still very shy about their association with beer because of unproven negative attributes and age long myth that it is not cool for ladies to be seen enjoying beer. Maybe this is a Nigerian thing because it is not the case with those who invented protocol in Britain and other civilised climes.”

    However, she explained the healthy side of beer and the ingredients: “What is beer made of? Beer is made up Hops, Barley, yeast and water. Of all the four major ingredients, water constitutes over 90 per cent. Although I just enjoy my cold beer because of the smoothness of Heineken for instance, I have recently found out that Beer does have a lot of health benefits. Thankfully, benefits inherent in beer I have been educated, can only be enjoyed when we consumed moderately. My excitement therefore is that I usually take three cans or two of the medium bottles a day. It therefore means that I have been benefiting from the nutritional values of beer and I think I am doing great health wise.”

     

    Competitive landscape

    According to Euro monitor report, Nigerian Breweries Plc maintained its dominant position in beer in Nigeria in 2015 with a 65 per cent total volume share. This very strong position was attributed to the company’s ownership of the country’s four leading beer brands, Star, Gulder, Goldberg and 33 Export, all of which are local brands that have managed to establish strong brand loyalty. According the report, 33 Export was added to its portfolio in 2014 when the company acquired Consolidated Breweries Plc, which was also owned by its parent company, Heineken NV, enabling it to further increase its volume share. The company also holds a good spread of other strong brands, notably, Maltina, Heineken, and Fayrouz.

  • Chivita 100% wins marketing award

    Chivita 100% wins marketing award

    It was an evening to celebrate iconic brands, corporate institutions and outstanding individuals who have distinguished themselves at the Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Excellence awards in Lagos.

    The event, which was witnessed by leaders in Marketing Communication across Nigeria saw Chivita 100 per cent fruit juice recognised as the Most Outstanding Juice Brand in the Country.

    Chivita 100 per cent fruit juice from the stable of Chi Limited was adjudged the most outstanding juice brand in the country because of its consistency in the market, creativity and value as well as the top quality packaging of the juice that allows for the best delivery.

    According to the Marketing Edge, the fruit juice also won the award because it remains the only 100 per cent fruit juice available in Nigeria’s shelf and comes with No Preservatives and No Added Sugar.

    The award has over the years be recognised as a viable and respected platform in the brands and marketing communication sector due to its unbiased role in critical analyses of the sector.

    The company’s Managing Director, Mr.Deepanjan Roy, expressed gratitude to the organisers of the event for creating an excellent platform to recognise outstanding brands which have remained consistent in satisfying consumers need.

  • Dairy giants in marketing war

    Dairy giants in marketing war

    Friesland Campina Wamco, makers of Peak Milk, and Chi Ltd., producers of Hollandia Evaporated Milk, are in a marketing war. The bone of contention is an advert campaign, which each claims it originated. Experts are seeking the regulatory bodies’ intervention to set things right. ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI reports.

    For long, stakeholders in the marketing communications industry have held the view that creativity is the bedrock of brand building many professionals in brand management argue that the originality of an idea aids success in advertising. But, in deed and practice, this does not seem true in Nigeria’s advertising and marketing landscape. There are stories of unwholesome and unethical practices bordering on copycat creativity.

     

    How it all started

    A marketing war is raging between Friesland Campina Wamco, makers of Peak Milk and Chi Limited, makers of Hollandia Evaporated Milk. Peak is accusing Chi of copying its advert. But Chi denies the claim, alleging that rather, it is Peak that is the copycat. Peak is alleging that Chi copied a pay-off it used in its Wazobia or Sikini Money Television Commercial (TVC).

    It is claiming that Chi Limited’s brand campaign tagged: HollandiaEvap: Na Correct Wazo was an aberration. Chi’s brand campaign and creative advertising were aimed at putting consumers at the heart of its economy pack size that sells for N50, commonly known as Wazo in local parlance. But as far as Peak is concerned, the campaign mimicked its adverts produced by Insight Communication.

    The Nation learnt that market realities led to the conceptualisation of the campaign to establish HollandiaEvap Milk as the Correct Wazo Milk. Essentially, the commercial depicts everyday people from different walks of life proclaiming HollandiaEvap Milk as the Correct Wazo Milk, relishing in the quality and quantity of the milk as they enjoy different meals that can be had with HollandiaEvap Milk.

    The message of the Correct Wazo TVC coincided with the rise in the cost of living in the country with most Nigerians looking for ways to optimise their spending and get value for their money.

     

    Peak’s case

    But Peak alleged that the commercial was copied in a rush, deploying similar approach – product in use style, similar song and laying emphasis on Waso. According to the firm, this presented what industry experts tagged “a mere pass off” of the creative initiative by Peak Milk.

    “If played to an unsuspecting audience, the 30 seconds material tagged: Hollandia Evap TVC – Na Correct Waso, will elicit more or less similar response: it’s Peak Milk,” an expert, who declined to be mentioned, said.

    According to a source close to Peak, Chi compounded matters by using the Peak Wazobia pack size with a slight erasure of some elements in the product’s look. To him, the Hollandia campaign is capable of confusing consumers of Peak’s single-minded message.

    A seasoned marketing analyst, Mr. Amos Oladele blames handlers of the Hollandia campaign for the fuss, accusing them of not being in novative and original.”

     

    CHI’s defence

    But Chi Limited has refuted Peak’s allegation. A top company official told The Nation that its advert was instead copied by Peak. He said Peak was afraid of the growing threat of Hollandia milk.

    Besides, the Hollandia Evap advert, he said, was approved by APCON and National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), adding that the Peak’s advert was run online and social media and not on traditional media.

    Quoting a report by A C Nielsen Retail Audit data on Nigeria’s dairy market, the official, who pleaded not to be named, said:

    “Nationally, Hollandia Evaporated Milk has been consistently gaining market share while Peak is consistently losing. If we take a look at the last 12 quarters, Hollandia Evaporated Milk has increased by 7.4 MS points, while Peak Regular has dropped by 7.9 MS points.

    “Hollandia Evaporated Milk is ahead of Peak in terms of market share in Southwest. In Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, Hollandia Evaporated Milk has more than double the market share of Peak.”

     

    AAAN’s position

    Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), President Kayode Oluwasona condemned the development, in an interview with an online agency.

    He said: “There may be one or two instances of pass off or copycat, the issue has not gotten to a frightening stage. But there is obvious need to nip it in the bud. We may see the advert being pulled down to save the brand and its owners some embarrassments. In an ideal situation, the client and agency should be able to tell themselves the truth. We have messed up and as such pull down the advert.”

    Oluwasona promised that his association would combat copycat in the advertising business.

    APCON’s stand

    The Registrar of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Bello-Kakanrofi, at a marketing conference, expressed worry over rising petitions on copycats. It described the development as “a worrisome trend.”

     

    The dairy market’s competitive landscape

    Over the years, the dairy market has witnessed an upsurge in brands and products jostling for consumers’ interests. The new entrants have, in the course of their struggle for consumers’ attention, been pitched against Peak.

    First to challenge Peak’s market leadership is Promasidor’s Cowbell Milk, which was launched in sachet. That initiative democratised the milk consumption culture. This marketing effort paid off as Cowbell adopted “Our Milk” as a pay off.

    Not one to take competition lightly, Peak innovated the milk in sachet and also in smaller pack sizes both in powder form and evaporated. The response ensured Peak made inroads into the homes of lower middle class consumers too.

    Other brands have continued to challenge Peak’s market leadership. One of such brands is Hollandia from Chi’s stable.

    According to a report by Euromonitor, Promasidor led sales in 2014 and 2015 with a 30 per cent retail value share. The company was the first to introduce smaller packaging of powder milk products, which appealed to price-sensitive consumers and children of school age.

    Over the forecast period, drinking milk products was expected to grow at a two per cent value at constant 2015 prices. The report stated: “It is expected that manufacturers will seek innovative ways of increasing their value share through product varieties and packaging.

    “The increasing popularity of flavoured milk drinks among consumers as a substitute for impulse products like soft drinks will further fuel the growth of the category in the forecast period. Therefore, the forecast growth rate will be slightly stronger than the review period average in value terms at constant 2015 prices.”

    The report noted that Chi led in the sales of yoghurt and sour milk products in 2014 and 2015 with a 34 per cent value share, adding that its Hollandia brand probably has the greatest distribution of yoghurt brands.

    However, the report noted that FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc leads the category with a 75 per cent value share both in 2014 and 2015, saying its Peak brand is the most popular condensed/evaporated milk brand in Nigeria and targets consumers across income groups.

    “The company also markets the second ranked brand, Three Crowns, priced at a lower price point, and the company’s nationwide distribution and aggressive marketing strategies also contribute to its successful position,” the reported added.

    As each brand intensifies its push for a larger market share, brand management experts insist that the regulatory authorities should step up their act to ensure healthy competition, especially in brand campaigns that tend to mimic or demarket others.

  • Maryland Mall redefines retail marketing

    Maryland Mall redefines retail marketing

    The predictions of experts in the real estate industry that the commercial segment of the sector will be more viable than the residential arm this year may not be unfounded, given the level of development in the commercial wing of real estate business. It is now a common sight across the states to see shopping malls, and office/commercial buildings springing up.

    This trend, it is believed, will boost the retail activities penetration in the country, presently estimated to be at two per cent, compared to what obtains in the United Kingdom said to have 80 per cent penetration. One of such fast developing is the Maryland Mall, located on the Ikorodu Road axis in Lagos.

    The project, being promoted by Purple Capital Partners Limited, a financial and real estate development company, has since been described as being unique in design and rendition, especially because of the commendable use of space as the mall is springing up in a built up area and designed to fit the space available through mainly vertical development.

    The Maryland Mall sits on 7,700 square metres (sqms) of prime land in a built-up neighbourhood which used to accommodate the Maryland Shopping Complex. It has a gross lettable space of about 6,400sqms and it is built vertically, compared to the horizontal buildings that is the style in this clime. Logistics like movement to and around the Mall has been made easy after due studies carried out by the promoters in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Transport.

    The managing partners of the project, Mr. Olaide Agboola and Mr. Obinna Onunkwo, said they worked with the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, and the Ministry of Transportation for about five months “before we were able to get an approval to do what we are doing. We created something like a slip-road around the mall. We created a new road infrastructure at the mall to accommodate the vehicles that will be taking through the Ikorodu road.”

    Already, over 40 brands have keyed into the Mall, with some already configuring their space to suit their brand. The anchor tenants in this mall are led by Shoprite, a reputable retail shop and Genesis Cinemas, which has four screens in Maryland Mall. It was gathered that Shoprite, for the first time, will use the Mall as a demo-location for an initiative it calls “Shoprite-You-Save.”

    Stakeholders in the retail market maintained that this kind of structure and innovation allows even international retailers to further express greater ingenuity they also have in other markets like what obtains in Zimbabwe and other countries in Southern Africa where the You-Save brand or Shoprite Mini brand has been in existence. Maryland Mall will also be fitted with a huge 550sqms LED screen, said to be the largest and newest in sub-Saharan Africa. The screen would be managed by the Troika Group, apart from other screens that is being jostled for by other advertisers.

    Onunkwo, locating the Maryland Mall on Ikorodu Road is strategic considering that the Ikorodu Road axis has a traffic flow capacity of over 5, 000 vehicles per hour. Besides, on the stretch, there is no single mall of international standard that is capable of catering to the aspirations of the retail market.

    Agboola, giving reasons for the vertical construction, explained that in building retail outlets on Lagos mainland, it is extremely difficult to get the size of land that may be required, unlike in the newer parts of Lagos such as the Lekki corridor. This, he said, brings out the ingenuity in the promoters especially in the way the mall has been structured and built. Such ingenuity, he said, enables the owner to maximise his returns and optimise what he gets on his building. For instance, to maximise the space the promoters had to include a dedicated basement parking lot into the building, thereby getting an additional three floors of retail, supported with escalators and lifts.

    The mall, Onunkwo revealed, has the lowest development cost per square metre in the country at the moment. The average cost is estimated to be N730,000/per sqm. “We are well below that and we are clearly the go-to development partner if you want to arrive at development cost that makes sense. In this location and in terms of return profile, we are probably going to be the highest. We have leased both vertically and horizontally,” he said.

    For this duo, the Mall, given the strategies deployed into making it a reality, presents a new way of doing business in a retail space. This is because infrastructure in the state is yet to be commensurate with the on going development in the state; hence, the need for sustainable development.

    They therefore called for sustainable development through the provision of adequate infrastructure, particularly in built-up areas. They also plan the soft opening of their precious project, the Maryland Mall, Lagos, in May, this year.

    Construction of the Maryland Mall, started in September 2014 and its expected to be inaugurated by April 2016.  The Maryland Mall, a partnership between Purple Capital and Network Hotels, is financed locally by Stanbic IBTC.

  • Surmounting beer marketing challenges

    For most salesmen, beer marketing is difficult. Their problems include misconceptions, myths and beliefs about beer consumption. At a forum by the Nigeria Breweries in Lagos, nutritionists list the benefit of drinking beer, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    Last year, the Beer Sector Group (BSG) Nigeria launched a campaign designed to protect brewery sector valued at over N300billion against beliefs that prevent some consumers from drinking beer.

    Brewers believe that with about 40,000 types of beer in the world produced by an industry that employs millions of people directly and indirectly, a lot of myths and misconception have continued to work against  the sale of beer globally.

    Worried by this development, the Nigerian Breweries  organised the Beer &Lifestyle Symposium in Lagos to address some of these challenges. The forum agreed that there were still worries over these myths and misconceptions. Beer marketing managers said while some of these barriers were easy to contemplate, others are ridiculous, hence preventing consumers from seeing the benefits of beer to their health other than for social engagement.

    Research from a focus group comprising media practitioners at a Beer Academy in Ibadan, showed that consumers still hold a belief that beer is the cause of pot belly, and should, therefore, not be taken with food. They also believe that it is not meant for the elderly (men and women), and that it is the leading cause of road mishaps.

    But stakeholders said these were mere fallacies that had continued to becloud consumers from enjoying the health benefits of beer. Relying on global reports, the brewer said the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a consumption of 60 grammes of alcohol daily as maximum. However, with beer having five per cent alcohol, which equates to  four per cent alcohol by weight (1.5 litres), beer makers said consumers should adopt beer than other alcoholic beverages, such as wine, spirits, which contains more than five per cent alcohol.

    However, at the symposium, NB paraded leading nutritionists to educate consumers on the health benefits of beer and also deepen its Drink Responsibly campaign.

     

    What beer can do to women

    A nutritionist, food technology expert, and a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNIFST), Mrs. Dolapo Coker, said a moderate intake of beer could positively impact the health and well-being of women. She said beer is an alcoholic beverage but can be classified as food, because of its nutritious value.

    She listed the nutrients to include: carbonhydrates, such as dextrins and polysaccharides; proteins in the form of amino acids; load of vitamins, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid and others; minerals such as magnesium, potassium, silicon, selenium and others; it contains fibre, such as betaglucans and others.

    However, she also warned that alcohol abuse impacts the health of the woman through direct interaction of alcohol with organ systems, such as the brain, liver and gastro intestinal system, when the alcohol is ingested and transported through the blood.

    Coker explained that in the health/lifestyle hierarchy needs, special attention should be given to women because they are classified “as belonging to the risk group where micronutrients shortages are most likely to occur during their different stages of development.

    ”Even if taken in small amounts, the effect of alcohol on women is more than on men; women are more sensitive to alcohol. Alcohol dehydrogenase is a metabolising enzyme that helps the body to get alcohol out of the system. Women have less of this enzyme than men, so more of what women drink enters the blood stream as pure alcohol.”

    Coker said the Ancient Romans used beer baths to sweat out toxins, exfoliate their skin and infuse the body with vitamins. This, she said, led to a clearer skin and an improved immune system. ”Beer Spas are pretty popular in Europe. The Spas claim to fight against Acne.

    “Most beers are made from ingredients that are rich in selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc and some B vitamins. Beer is also known to have antibacterial properties that protect against infections within your stomach. It is believed that if it is so good for your inside, surely it can be just as good for your outside,” she noted.

     

    Drink responsibly

    Also speaking at the event, a biologist and a project leader in the Institute for Food and Nutrition in The Netherlands, Dr. Henk Hendricks, explained that moderating the level of beer consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health.

    According to Hendricks, some of the inherent advantages of beer include: low percentage of alcohol; large quantities of water; its role in rehydration;  a good source of minerals; a good source of polyphenolic antioxidants; contains anti-inflammatory xanthohumoles; and a large variety of raw materials, including gluten-free’ rich in fibers.

     

    Beer belly

    Coker, however, said people who drink beer moderately actually lose weight regularly. “All humans need calories intake for energy. Pot belly is a function of what we do with the unused calories in the body. In fact, scientists explain that beer has the least in calories and high in anti-dioxidants. They also argue that beer in fct deliver more nutrients than wine,” Coker said.

    Managing Director Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicholaas Vervelde, noted that though beer has been with the humanity for thousands of years, the appreciation of its unique benefits were only beginning to grow.

    “The knowledge about the benefits of moderate consumption of beer is multiplying every day with so many empirical research findings from all over the world,” he said.

  • Genesis Studios clinches marketing award

    Genesis Studios clinches marketing award

    For its role in developing the marketing world and generating quality content, Genesis Studios, one of Nigeria’s foremost TV and Film Production Company, has been awarded as the Content Marketing Company of the year award by the Media World Awards.

    The awards ceremony, which held on Saturday, November 7, saw the television content production studio being presented with the award based on its performance in marketing content like So Wrong So Wright, and Tales of Eve from its stable.

    Delighted at the recognition, which he described as timely, CEO of Genesis Studios, Olaegbe Olatubosun, said that it is coming at a time when his outfit decided to open its platform to other content producers.

    “It used to be about marketing Genesis’ content and products. But over time, we’ve seen that we have done well in terms of service and in terms of delivery. So, we set up a company called CREN, Cross Roots Entertainment Network and this award is just a confirmation that we are the right people to do business with if you are a content developer and you don’t want to disturb yourself about how to go and market your content to the advertisers or the advert agencies. This award is a confirmation that CREN is the right company to talk to. So we feel happy, we feel fulfilled in the sense that when we strategically came up with this company, that was when a confirmation is coming as the best content company of the year. It’s like an icing on the cake,” he said.

    The Media World Awards is one of Nigeria’s foremost awards which celebrates strides in brand and advertising. To spice up its award categories, this year, it added a content marketing category and Genesis Studios happens to be the very first winner of that category.

  • Chi unveils Chivita 100% or nothing marketing campaign

    Chi unveils Chivita 100% or nothing marketing campaign

    Chi Limited has unveiled its new marketing communication campaign tagged ‘Chivita 100% or Nothing’ as part of effort to reinforce its flagship’s brand proposition and strengthen the credential of the brand in the marketplace. The campaign which is being deployed through television, deigital, out of home, consumer activation and point of sales initiatives demonstrates the brand’s commitment to quality and excellence.

    For a fruit juice, renowned for it’s no added sugar, no preservatives and no colouring, the campaign projects the brand Chivita  as the best quality fruit juice in the market as well as reiterates its partnership with Manchester United in an engaging way.  Already, the television commercial is generating buzz across the digital platform as visits to the Youtube page where the commercial has been uploaded has witnessed an upsurge in viewers. The commercial which is also airing on terrestrial as well as satellite television stations in Nigeria has also created visibility and positive talkability amongst consumers.

    Speaking on the marketing campaign, its Head of Marketing, Mr. Probal Bhattacharya said the campaign highlights Chivita 100% with purity, commitment & nothing but the best which is its recipe for premium quality, thereby providing all the ingredients for success, achievement & leadership

    “We do everything possible to ensure that Chivita 100% lives up to its brand promise of goodness and the best there is. This also explains our partnership with the world’s most valuable football club brand because for us it is the best or nothing” he added.

    The television commercial has already started running on major Television stations in Nigeria featuring top rated football stars like Robin Van Persie, Angel Di Maria, Antonio Valencia, Radamel Falcao, and Jonny Evans. The advert opens with a glistening pack shot of Chivita 100% fruit juice; condensation dripping down the carton and as the hand appears to open the cap the camera zooms inside the pack into a world of juice, wherein superstars of football showcase there soccer skills with a “Juice Ball” on a football pitch filled with pure natural appetising juice.

  • Farmers seek commodity marketing board

    A group of farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has demanded the urgent set-up of a commodity marketing board.

    The farmers, who spoke during a meeting with the Programme Director of African Centre for Food, Agriculture and Sustainable Development (Afri-CASD), Bolaji Akindehinde in Abuja, said the board would help regulate arbitrary pricing of farm commodities.

    The farmers sought support of the Centre to further advocate necessity of the board to increase food production and promote large scale farming.

    They said it was inappropriate for farmers to be at the mercy of buyers among other end users before farm harvests are sold.

    A representative of the farmer, Mr. Sulieman Azeez said, “Farmers are suffering in this country. This is a country where the buyers fix the price for our farm produce. But if there is agriculture commodity marketing board, you cannot tell me you will buy my rice for N5 when everyone knows in the country that it is being regulated for sales for N10 across the country.

    “So it is bad for farmers not to have control over sales of their farm produce.”

    In his remarks, Akindehinde disclosed that the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina showed the zeal to setup the commodity board but little was heard thereafter.

    He said such agency would better lots of the farmers and boost the nation’s overall food production.

    Akindehinde cited an instance of South Africa, United States and some advanced countries which regulates and guarantee markets for farmers’ yields to prevent post-harvest losses.

    According to him, if the nation must be food secured, farmers who are responsible for this giant responsibility should be properly taken care of.

    Speaking on the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the previous government, the farmers urged the present administration to continue with the agenda especially on the various value-chain programmes.

    He said though the administration is still young but emphasised need for the coming Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to make the issue a core agenda.

    Akindehinde emphasised need to sustain the various value-chain programmes kicked by the previous administration.

    “If we must get it right by properly motivating our farmers, the agric sector should be accorded same attention given to the NNPC. Imagine that the sector has a department like the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Committee (PPPRC) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) also performing a similar function in the agriculture sector farmers would do much more than expected,” he added.

    Among initiatives considered laudable is the electronic wallet (e-wallet), Growth Enhancement Support scheme (GES), subsidised mechanisation supports to farmers and private sectors involvement in the sector’s transformation.

  • Fidson partners foreign firms on product marketing

    Fidson Healthcare Plc has partnered United States (US) firms – Immune Therapeutics, GB Pharma and American Hospitals & Resort (AHAR) – on the marketing and distribution of a new drug, LodonalTM.

    The drug is patent-protected because it is indicated for the management of patients with immune-compromising diseases.

    The deal will leverage Fidson’s strong and experienced marketing base, robust distribution channels and efficient customer and technical support services to promote the drug in Nigeria. The distribution will become effective, upon completion of the ongoing NAFDAC approved 90-day bridging trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of the product.

    Its Managing Director, Dr Fidelis Ayebae, said: “Fidson is truly excited about this collaboration with Immune Therapeutics and GB Pharma/AHAR. We know that success in this industry going into the future will be dependent on having the right partnerships, and we could not have asked for better partners at this stage of our growth. The international experience of Immune Therapeutics and GB Pharma/AHAR in different markets, and their strong commitment to research will be of immense benefit to our company. Likewise, Fidson’s towering presence in the Nigeria Pharma space will open a great door for the group to access one of the biggest and most rewarding markets in Africa.”

    This partnership is another strategic approach by the management of Fidson Healthcare Plc, to further strengthen the company’s growth. It also comes on the heels of the recent visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to the United States and President Barack Obama. The significance is monumental as a concrete symbol of US-Nigerian commerce in a non-oil/gas related sector and a show case for the future of local manufacturing of quality pharmaceuticals on the continent.

    President/Chief Executive Officer, GB Pharma, Dr. Gloria Herndon said: “This is the crescendo of a great masterpiece that partnership of GB Pharma, American Hospitals & Resorts, Immune Therapeutics, each with its distinct role. Fidson Healthcare markets and distributes throughout the extensive Nigerian Network. We feel that Nigeria and US bilateral relationship will benefit from this amazing initiative that will enhance the health and wellbeing of people all over the world. This is the spirit of collaboration that President Obama and President Buhari were talking about during the State visit.”

    Fidson Healthcare, which was recently recognised by Frost & Sullivan as the recipient of her ‘2014 Growth Excellence Leadership Award in the pharmaceutical industry, recorded sales of N9.7 billion in 2014 financial year.

    The award was in recognition of the company’s consistent performance in the pharmaceutical sector, which has seen its revenues rise at a 15 per cent CAGR over the last five years.

    The company has also won other corporate awards, including the Financial Standard ‘Pharmaceutical Sector Leader’ Award in 2008 and the ‘Nigerian Pharmaceutical Company of the Year’ at the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA) last year. Fidson’s definitive growth and consistent performance in the Nigerian stock market also earned her CEO the 2014 BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs Award, which the company has won consecutively for two years.

    To offer options in manufacturing and grow its product portflio, Fidson will inaugurate a N7.5 billion manufacturing plant this year. The new facility will double the company’s production capacity and will also for the first time, add intravenous fluids to Fidson’s product portfolio. The facility is built to conform to the World Health Organisation (Geneva)-Good Manufacturing Practice (WHO-GMP) standards.

    AHAR Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Afonja said: “We are well positioned to effect this novel approach to treating HIV/AIDS and other immune compromised diseases in the whole of Africa, starting with Nigeria. Bringing Fidson on board will enhance the facilitation of getting this much needed treatment approach for these conditions.”

    To achieve her strategic imperative of improving her products and consolidate her market position, Fidson has continued to invest in research and development across various disease areas. This has seen her record a number of firsts, key among which was becoming the first company in sub-Saharan Africa to manufacture antiretroviral drugs in 2005.

    The company has over 200 products across several therapeutic classes, which cut across anti-infectives, gastrointestinal, antiretroviral, anti-malarial, cardiovascular, analgesic, haematinics and supplements.

  • Digital marketing to hit $10b by 2020

    Digital marketing to hit $10b by 2020

    Nigeria’s digital marketing may hit $10 billion by 2020, the Executive Vice President, Digital of Porter Novelli, a global network of public relations firms, Mr Jesse Soleil, has said.

    He said the value of the platform stands at $2 billion, hence, brands and marketing communications practitioners must incorporate it in their marketing strategies.

    However, Soleil said his network has made some achievements in its digital marketing campaigns because it focused on the needs and behaviours of its target audience.

    During a working visit to Nigeria, Soleil said he observed that the major factor inhibiting the growth of digital marketing is how marketing communication practitioners treat digital marketing.

    He said: “Many marketing communication practitioners focus on the wrong indices – reach, impressions etc. – paying little or no attention to their target audience and what they want. We have to remember that digital marketing is still marketing and putting the digital in front of it doesn’t stop it from being marketing, and think about what the audience wants.”

    He called on practitioners to switch from traditional methods by focusing on the behaviours of our target audience on the mobile, social, and digital media platforms and design strategies that take cognisance of these behaviours to deliver on their objectives and grow the industry.

    Soleil said the future of marketing communications depends on the seamless integration of digital marketing into marketing communication and the use of live experiences to inspire audiences to take desired actions.

    He further said public relations professionals must understand how the digital media work and structure their content to fit these platforms for the successful delivery of campaigns.

    The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, C&F Porter Novelli, Nn’emeka Maduegbuna, said C&F Porter Novelli realises that the importance of digital media in executing marketing communication campaigns, which informed the capacity building for its staff in digital marketing.