BY PETER EGWUATU

Promasidor Nigeria, a consumer manufacturing outfit has explained that the main purpose of its N50 million consumer promo was to improve its business as well as the lives of consumers through affordable and quality products.

The company further noted that other reason why it embarked on the consumer promo was to encourage consumers to try the new Loya premium milk formulation.

Operators in the field of marketing have opined that there may be more than one reason why a company may decide to embark on a promotional effort. It could be to create awareness, encourage trial purchase, communicate information about the brand to its target market and build brand loyalty among others.

There is no hold and fast rule about which type of promotion a company may decide to embark on. The determining factor is dependent on what the company intends to achieve for a particular brand. More importantly, the attitude or reaction of people towards the brand may trigger a conscious promotional effort, especially in a market where there is stiff competition.

Mr. Kachi Onubogu, while fielding questions from newsmen on the motive of the N50 million consumer promo, said, “It was to drive awareness for the brand, encourage Nigerians to try the brand and also set the brand as an establishing brand that will keep growing in the mind of the Nigerian consumers, adding that, the promo was aimed at ensuring that the brand gets to the Nigerian consumers, thereby encouraging trial purchase.”

Undoubtedly, he added that the objective of the firm towards the promo has been achieved.

According to him, “The reason is simple. It has encouraged many Nigerian consumers to have a feel of the brand and confirm its basic benefit offerings. And that’s what we call brand equity: the ability of a brand to deliver on its promise.

What necessitated the introduction of Cowbell sachet milk, a brand of the company, into the market was because Peak milk was the incumbent and it was almost becoming a ‘tin god’. And when Cowbell introduced the sachet milk, it became Our Milk, putting milk on the table of everyone.

“Immediately after the Loya brand was re-launched with a new advertising theme, some competing brands started responding to the campaign with similar slogans.

For instance, the supportive claim of Loya milk: Now with 50 per cent more calcium while Peak milk and others started to showcase the strength in their brands in the area of more multi vitamins and more than just milk.”

Meanwhile, there were indications that some companies had to reduce the prices of their brands during the period of the Loya milk promo because they were more expensive, in order to sustain their market share. This is because Loya was attracting many loyalists from the competing brands.

It may be out of place for one to say that the N50 million Loya milk promo wasn’t a success. This is because many of the early adopters and conservatives of other milk brands have been embracing the brand.

The promo has guaranteed a reasonable market share, and according to Onubogu, “the promo has been successful and what would drive continual growth of the brand is the content and quality the brand delivers overtime.