Gavin Pike, a Marketing and Innovation Director, is surely a man with a mission. Since joining Guinness in 2014, Pike has upped the ante, with the various innovative brands.
A holder of a BA (Hons) degree, a Postgraduate Teachers Diploma and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing and Business Management, Pike started life as a teacher.
But with his eyes focused on greater things, young Pike quit teaching and joined a pharmaceutical company where he worked for about seven years.
His career received a major boost about 11 years ago when he joined Diageo as Innovation and RTD Manager for Guinness. He later moved to Brandhouse where he held the position of Portfolio Manager Spirits, and subsequently as Marketing Director of the Joint Venture for four years.
Pike’s arrival in Nigeria after a robust career as the Global Brand Director for Johnnie Walker was with great expectations, particularly coming shortly after Guinness had launched its herbal product, Orijin, the previous year.
As the company’s Marketing and Innovation Director, Pike was expected to drive the new brand and make it a household name among lovers of herbal drink.
And it is to his credit that the drink, which many have said was met with scepticism about two years ago, has metamorphosed into a consumers’ toast across the country.
Speaking on the success of the product, Pike said: “Orijin is a ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage. It is a blend of African fruits and herbs mixed with alcohol. And into this, we have made special efforts to make sure that it comes out as a special brew that will take care of the needs of the consumers. We have also taken steps to ensure the brand maintains its status as the consumers’ choice.”
According to Pike, Orijin’s success in the country is firmly rooted in the African love for herb products.
“It is a bittersweet alcoholic blend made of 100% natural herbs and fruits. Orijin celebrates the vibrancy of African culture and consumers now see Orijin as the traditional drink for modern Nigerian men. It has exceeded our expectations. People are incredibly keen to spread the word and encourage others to try it. Herbs are a really important part of Nigerians’ lives, and Orijin has provided herbs which fit into different consumption occasions.”
As head of the innovation team of a big company like Guinness, Pike is not unaware of the challenges before him. He told The Nation that the company’s first priority is to ensure that its products meet the expectations of the consumers.
“Any new innovation from Guinness Nigeria only gets to the market after extensive research and development have taken place to determine what the consumer really wants. Orijin is no exception. The drink meets the needs of Nigerians who want to enjoy the benefits of contemporary lifestyle without necessarily compromising on their African traditions. We will continue to innovate to meet the needs of our consumers.
“We have seen great adoption of Orijin from consumers, many of whom have dubbed themselves “Orijinals”. Any one of them will tell you that ‘If e no be Orijin, e no be Orijinal’, and we respect that position by remaining true to our promise.”
With its success among lovers of herbal drinks in the country, many have expressed the fear that forgers may soon flood the market with fakes. But Guinness is not losing sleep over such matter. According to Pike, “ We have not come across any case of adulteration of the brand, but we will encourage anyone who has concerns to look out for the Guinness Nigeria mark of quality on the packaging – like I said earlier, ‘If e no be Orijin, e no be ‘Orijinal’. In addition, we have a robust brand assurance process that handles any counterfeit-related issue.”
He also believes that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is well-placed to play the role for which it was established, adding that Guinness is doing all it can to ensure the safety of the consumers.
“A while ago, the Director General of the NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhi, visited our facilities, particularly the Orijin site and he commended us on the level of quality of the plant and the products being produced by Guinness Nigeria Plc. We align with the steps of the government and its agencies and as a responsible organization, we will do all we can to ensure the safety of our esteemed consumers.”
Pike also allayed the fears of the lovers of the herbal drink over the use of sweeteners.
“Orijin has no artificial sweeteners. Orijin contains a safe level of sugar, a natural sweetener which has endorsement of relevant regulatory agencies in Nigeria.”