by Uche Briggs

When the great poet of our time, Q-Dot sang the Alomo Meta song (yes, he is a poet, argue with your generators); he was affirming the position of the brand in mainstream Nigeria and increasing its top of mind recall, albeit unwittingly. That was 2012. A lot has changed since then, most notably the entrance of arch-rivals Orijin from the stables of Guinness Nigeria. This post analyses the brand positioning as inferred from the different communication thrusts.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

From the product packaging (bottles and cans), the premium pricing, the heavy social media presence, the choice placement, down to the targeted consumer engagement riding on the back of celebrities, the marketing team at Guinness Nigeria deserve a standing ovation for their ruthless execution.

In November 1989, Dr Kwabena Adjei and five others were holed up in a garage in Accra and brewed their first formulation of what will be one of the largest indigenous liquor companies in Africa – Kasapreko Company Limited. Alomo Bitters, its flagship brand has since gained worldwide acceptance with CNN [HERE] describing it as one of Top 5 Global Liquors about to go big. Made from herbal extracts, Alomo soon attained the status of an elixir in Nigeria, curing all of their infirmities and restoring life to limp penises.

By 2012, Alomo Bitters had gained an unprecedented growth in the Nigerian market. Pop culture had seized the brand and imbued it with some sort of life years of marketing spend couldn’t. Q’Dot’s Alomo Meta smash hit was followed by a volley of other attempts such as this, this and this.

 

The functional health and aphrodisiac abilities, the first mover advantage, the widespread distribution and the mass-market appeal guaranteed the brand the number one position in the bitters market. Other elements of the marketing mix didn’t deliver. There seemed to be a lack of clarity in the communication and brand direction for Alomo Bitters. Regulatory body NAFDAC may have played a role in this seeing as there are certain claims Alomo can’t overtly make with their advertising.

Ironically, although Alomo Bitters is market leader in the Bitters’ Market, one of its greatest disadvantages is that it is, well – bitter. The import of this is such that it could reign supremely as king for a target of core Bitters cravers but that is a small group and can’t deliver sustainable volumes in the long term. Let’s take a look at the Coffee market for example: while purists will always prefer their coffee straight (black, no crème, no sugar), the inalienable truth is that purists are a rare breed and occupy a smaller portion of the market. The much larger segment of the market will benefit from the 3-in-1 offering and even more from the coffee flavoured sub-segment.

So while Alomo Bitters may cater to a market that needed bitters, their thinking was constrained because they were looking too much at that market. A larger market was in need of a fruity alcoholic drink with just the right amount of African herbs.

Enter Orijin.

 

With Orijin, it seems that the NPD team at Guinness Nigeria has successfully exorcised the demons of Harp Lime. Orijin’s winning move was introducing the brand in two different kinds: one which is the conventional bitters fighting head on with Alomo Bitters and the other a fruity flavoured bitters that created a market tangential to the existing one. The fruity flavoured bitters market created a totally new demand and thus made it possible for men to proudly drink a product like Snapp and Smirnoff Ice heretofore summarily classed as ‘women drinks’.

Another case in point is the Hypo – Jik rivalry. Beyond the introduction of bleach in a mass market friendly SKU, Hypo basically increased the size of the bleach market by creating a new demand for the product. Hypo doesn’t just make white shirts come alive; it washes toilets, kitchens, baths and generally delivers on the promise of ‘Bleach for Germ Free Environment’.

Unlike Hypo however, Orijin plays in a lifestyle market where positioning is everything, and then some. The positioning of the brand as an elitist object has ultimately sparked the aspirational yearnings of the DE socio-economic class. The communication target has been quite clinical – focusing on the thriving middle class and the critical mass of the young and restless demography with a quest for fun and a connection to heritage (This is evident in how the trajectory of Nigerian Hip Hop has changed dramatically with new Kings such as Olamide, Phyno and Alhaji Remilekun Khalid Safaru – you can just call him Reminisce). From inception, Orijin has always been communicated as an alcoholic blend with the flavours of African herbs and fruits, combined to give a refreshing bitter-sweet taste and wonderful feeling of satisfaction. Kai! Brilliant Stuff.

From the product packaging (bottles and cans), the premium pricing, the heavy social media presence, the choice placement, down to the targeted consumer engagement riding on the back of celebrities, the marketing team at Guinness Nigeria deserve a standing ovation for their ruthless execution. It is also clear that Orijin is trying to seize virgin lands in the eastern part of Nigeria as the west seems saturated already. Smart move. Orijin should be focused on achieving a wider distribution in the shortest possible time so as to frustrate the efforts of Alomo Bitters introducing a new product in that category.

Orijin’s success underscores the need for brand managers to ‘test all spirits’. Marketers don’t create needs, we create wants to match existing consumer needs. Do NOT embark on the development of a new product without hearing from the consumer. If your new product is not meeting a specific need, no matter how cool you may think it is, it will fail. Remember our brand mantra: In God we Trust, Every other Person Bring Data!

Kasapreko Limited must have discovered its initial errors with the brand and are now putting some effort in their marketing mix. The direction is clearer now – “We are the Original, Others Are Photocopies.” Compelling I must say.

 

This advert [SEE BELOW] featuring Ghanaian superstar John Dumelo is proof. Good storyboard, clearer direction, Clean edits and transition notwithstanding, Kasapreko has placed the cart before the horse. The communication is not believable because other key elements of the marketing mix have not been altered. The product still tastes the same, the packaging is unaltered, the placement is still largely targeted towards the DE socioeconomic areas and all of a sudden it is a choice drink for the likes of John Dumelo? Wrong turn sir.

Kasapreko needs to leverage on the strengths as identified from a brand audit. This should inform a decision whether to jump into the fruity flavoured market or simply strengthen their hold in the core bitters market.

The future would tell the fate of these two brands. For now, let’s watch and sip.

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Uche Briggs is a brand manager resident in Lagos, Nigeria and founder of The Brand Jury. Find him on Twitter @UcheBriggs