By Akin Adewakun
The term, innovate or die, is no longer new in marketing parlance. Interestingly, the nation’s economic weather, which manufacturers and consumers are increasingly finding very unbearable, has made this term very apt in today’s survival battles among brands.
Presently, no market segment is this suitably demonstrated than the nation’s dairy market. For instance, since milk intake is fast becoming a luxury among Nigerians, despite its very significant benefits to the individual’s health, brands playing in this market are being left with no other option than to either innovate and come up with new ideas of bonding their offerings with the consumers or simply ‘die.’
While innovation is key, since it creates excitement for products and triggers demand, brands such as Kodak and Nokia, are very examples of brands that have kissed the dust, for their refusal to move with time and, sometimes ahead of time.
The nation’s dairy market provides an intriguing scenario too. While a frontline brand in the market segment is relying of decades of heritage, as its key marketing message, an overwhelming testimonial, no doubt, but few brands, in that segment too, such as Hollandia Evaporated Milk, are fast realising the power of innovation and the need to deliver, convenience and value for consumers’ hard-earned funds.
For instance, over the years, Hollandia Evaporated Milk has, through constant innovation, steadily built loyalty and affinity with millions of consumers.
One of such innovations is its decision to come up with a 65 grams, called Correct Wazo’ pack, a new offering that is actually 10 grams more milk than other brands in the same category, without a change in price.
Curiously, this is against the general practice by some brands to reduce product quantity and quality in order to retain the price, at these challenging times.
In his opinion of the nation’s dairy market, of late, a marketing communications expert, Bode Lawal, observed that the secret behind the exploits of the Hollandia Evaporated Milk of late has been the ability of its custodians to think out of the box.
“For instance, Hollandia Evaporated Milk is the only milk brand with convenient reseal-able pack that comes with a cap. I do not have to worry about storage as I can always reseal the pack, unlike other milk brands. It also offers more value for money for products on the same category. Interestingly, this has endeared the brand to consumers in the market, giving it a competitive advantage,” Lawal stated.
Interestingly, with milk widely available and affordable, there is no gainsaying the fact that hinging on innovation, the brand is not disguising its resolve to challenge the status quo and upturn the apples cart. And, not a few market watchers believe the brand is on its way to achieving this.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Aduragbemi Omiyale