As the struggle for market share intensifies among brands in the evaporated milk category of the dairy sector, Hollandia Evaporated Milk, marketed by Chi Limited, is steadily gaining market share by leveraging on innovative practices to win the hearts and minds of consumers. The brand’s wide acceptance and growing popularity, especially in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, and in the South West, was recently affirmed by AC Nielsen’s Retail Audit data covering the last 12 quarters.
According to AC Nielsen, a leading global information and measurement company, Hollandia Evap has consistently gained market share across the country. When compared with Peak Milk which the report says is consistently losing market share, Hollandia Evap increased market share by 7.4 points while Peak Regular dropped market share by a whopping 7.9 points in the period under review.
The retail audit report for first quarter of 2016 also showed that Hollandia Evap is ahead of Peak in terms of market share in the Southwest region. In Lagos, the report showed that Hollandia Evap 33.9 percent of the market share in its category has more than doubled the market share of Peak Regular which recorded a dismal 14.3 percent.
The surge in the performance of Hollandia Evap in the competitive drinking milk products category rests on innovation and a good understanding of consumer needs. In spite of Nigeria’s strong population growth, particularly among children and young people, consumption of milk is still well below acceptable level. Yet, it is generally known that milk is one of natures’ most complete foodstuffs because it is rich in nutrients such as protein and carbohydrates as well as minerals (calcium) and vitamins.
In the absence of a liquid milk culture in Nigeria, largely due to poor power supply and affordability issues, relevant innovation and marketing initiatives constitute the best ways to attract new consumers. And this is where Hollandia Evap has excelled. In 2005, the brand made it possible for consumers who could not afford evaporated milk in tin pack to enjoy their milk in liquid form by opening a new frontier in sachet type pack with the “Pop Pour Throw pack”. Consumers quickly embraced the innovation because not only was the Pop Pour Throw pack affordable, it also helped consumers to avoid waste as the content was well within what could be consumed in one sitting thereby eliminating the need for refrigeration.
Rather than rest on its oars and relish the massive success of the Pop Pour Throw pack in the market, the brand intensified its tradition of setting trends and introduced a larger stock keeping unit known as “Pour Cap Keep pack” in 2007. The pack caused a stir in the market due to its convenience and “re-sealable” features. For the first time, consumers of evaporated milk were presented with the opportunity to re-use and store the product after opening even when there is no refrigeration facility. The Hollandia Evap Pour Cap Keep pack which had a whopping 215g volume was 20 percent more than anything on offer by the competition.
In these hard times, Hollandia Evap has become the favourite evaporated milk for consumers who want value for their money. Each format of Hollandia Evap provides quantity benefits. For example, the 215g pack offers 25 percent more than Peak Regular while the 65g offers 15g more than Peak Regular at same price. Amazingly, the Hollandia Evap 65g pack retails for N50 or ‘Wazo.’ To drive home the message that the Hollandia Evap 65g pack is the correct Wazo Milk, Chi Limited recently launched a campaign, led by a TV advert.
The commercial depicts everyday people from different walks of life proclaiming Hollandia Evap as the Correct Wazo Milk while relishing in the quality and quantity of the milk as they enjoy different meals that can be had with Hollandia Evap. Interestingly, the message of the Correct Wazo TVC resonated with consumers because it coincides with the general rise in the cost of living in the country which has seen most Nigerians looking out for ways to optimise their spending and get more value for each purchase.
Considered as the quality benchmark in the evaporated milk category, Hollandia Evap continues to win greater market share and dominates the consumer’s mind ahead of competition in terms of awareness, salience, usage and disposition as per every round of brand health tracks. Morufu Oduwole, a loyal consumer of the Hollandia Evap, said he got hooked on the brand from his first encounter. “I am a man of taste and I love good things. The first time I tasted the Hollandia Evap milk, I ditched all other milk brands and I have been a loyal consumer since then. My attraction to the brand is based on its unique creamy taste and affordability. I also love the fact that one sachet is adequate for my needs at all times.”
Hollandia Evaporated Milk is now considered to be the benchmark of modernity, innovation and quality. It is credited with better overall quality perception as compared to other brands in the evaporated milk category, regardless of their ages in the market.
