By Princewill Ekwujuru

What moves consumers to a brand is beyond the product, but there are some tendencies that are tied to it. Consumers may prefer a brand as a result of it’s taste, some because of its interactive engagement, and some, because of its artistic packaging.

The market dominance by some brands may have been as a result of some marketing communication activities. The best known factors for the phenomenal sustenance of a brand in the market is the advertising support which consistently projects the quality of the brand over others.

Some of the leading brands deploy the pathos, ethos marketing mechanism to rule the market.

These, over the years, Star larger has leveraged on, to boost its brand equity in the larger market.

However, the continued engagement of consumers with marketing communication materials whether below or above- the- line ( TV, Radio, print or Out-Of-Home (OOH) ), is one clear reason, the Star beer has been on top of the market, brand experts noted.

In retrospect, the first campaign slogan of Ah! Star Beer at its best introduced in 1949 through the Brightness campaign of the 1970s/80s, from the Turn to Star – the ideal brew campaign launched in 1989, to the Live the Brighter life in style, Star game show among others.

Star has been a catalyst for social interactions, the check list also include the Star Quest, Star Trek, Star Mega Jam, all these have kept the brand going, brand analysts said.

The chronicle of Star packaging from the stone age, to the medieval period to the contemporary may be one thing the brand has going for it.

The Wooden case; packaging introduced in 1949, when Star larger was brewed. From this inception there was no exception. Each bottle of the Star beer was first wrapped in straw (to prevent breakage), then packed in wooden cases.

Each wooden case was built from scratch by a host of very skilled carpenters with a knack for perfection to ensure that every bottle of Star had a perfect case to sit in.

The Carton box; stepped into the scene of packaging as an innovation on the wooden crate

It provided better perfection from breakage.

Plastic Crate; Realising the need for a more durable, cost effective packaging for Star bottles became apparent after years of using cartons. Hence, in 1982, the plastic crate was born. Till today, these crates come with yellow colour with Star written in bold markings.

Bottles and labels; Overtime, the Star larger packaging has continued to evolve in order to appeal to its market and stay relevant. This display chronicles the journey of the Star bottle (Labels inclusive) from its fairly large bottle in 1949 to shine-shine Bobo as it is known today. Already, the brand has launched an independence commomerative front label that will run till December 2010.

However, Star’s journey with Nigeria is evident in every aspect of Nigeria’s national life – social, economic and cultural. During Nigeria’s brightest moments in history, it’s independence in 1960, to hosting of the 2nd World and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977, when Nigeria hosted and won the African Cup of Nations in 1980, When Nigeria celebrated its first Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka in 1986, when Nigeria won its first Olympic gold medal in football in 1996, when it returned to democracy in 1999 and when Agbani Darego won for Nigeria the Miss World in 2001.