BRAND REVIEW: KELLOGG’S LONGEVITY

branding firm in Port Harcourt

Most children born from the eighties can attest to the fact that they have tasted the popular Kellogg’s cornflakes. For some, it even became the quickest breakfast their mothers could fix before they dashed off to school while for others it became their favourite go-to cereal whenever they were hungry.

Whichever the case, it is an undeniable fact that the impact of the Kellogg’s brand has been felt by many people and also in many homes. The brand’s consistency for more 100years now has strengthened its relevance, establishing it as a leading brand globally.  

For the last century, the Kellogg Company has done business under the trademark, Kellogg’s. This American multinational food-manufacturing company has its headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg’s is known for producing cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, and toaster pastries. Some of their most popular products that have become well-known brands include Corn Flakes, Keebler, and Cheez-It.

Follow through as we take a detailed ride through the rich qualities of this outstanding brand.

BRAND HISTORY

While trying to make granola, a breakfast food and snack food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey or other sweeteners, in 1898, W.K. Kellogg, and his brother, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, mistakenly altered the process and flaked wheat berry.  Not relenting, W.K. continued to experiment until he flaked corn, which gave birth to what we now know as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.

Following his successful breakthrough, in 1906, W.K. Kellogg began his company, “Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company” and went ahead to hire 44 pioneering employees. Working closely with the founder, they created the first batch of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and fostered W.K.’s vision for great-tasting, better-for-you breakfast foods.

Kellogg’s, in 1914, took its first step towards expansion by introducing the flagship brand, Corn Flakes, to Canada. As time went by, the Kellogg Company spread its nourishing grains abroad, by commencing operations in countries like Australia, England, Mexico, Japan, India and etc.

In 1923, the Kellogg Company took another bold step and became the first in the food industry to hire a dietician, Mary Barber. Mary pioneered the Kellogg’s Home Economics Department and defined the roles different foods played in proper diets, thereby educating their consumers.

During the time the United States sunk into Depression, in 1930, W.K. Kellogg saw it as an opportunity to add value to more people with the campaign, “I’ll invest in people.” To achieve this, he created more shifts and hired new employees. He went on to start the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, whose mission — to help children realize their potential — is also in line with that of the Kellogg Company till date.

To increase its visibility, the company used the slogan “Kellogg’s puts more into your morning” on television shows on Saturday morning from 1968 to 1970.

As a result of spreading its grains, one of the soils it fell on is the Nigeria’s soil. Though it is yet to make huge harvest, the brand has gained tremendous recognition. On the 1st of December 2017, the joint venture of the reputable cereal maker, Kellogg’s and Singapore’s Tolaram Group, Kellogg’s-Tolaram Nigeria Limited, commissioned a 6 billion naira factory, with a capacity to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of cereals per year. This move has definitely put the Kellogg’s brand on another level since it can now produce its product here in Nigeria rather than importing it.

BRAND BELIEF

Having realised that breakfast is the most essential meal of the day, Kellogg’s has built its walls around this. “At Kellogg, we LOVE breakfast. To us it’s so much more than just a meal. We passionately believe in the power and promise that comes from eating the right breakfast. It’s the first fuel for our bodies—nourishing us for today, tomorrow and for life.”

BRAND VISION

From the simple and concise words, the company used to describe its vision, it is without a doubt the brand has established itself as an enriching brand, “To enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter.”

BRAND PURPOSE

Its purpose is simple but well defined, “Nourishing families so they can flourish and thrive.”

BRAND VALUES

The company sees its values as its DNA which could be interpreted to mean what runs through the entire organisation. Their values serve as a guide for every business transaction, their interaction amongst themselves and with the communities where they work. Here is a quick rundown of their values;

  • Integrity
  • Accountability
  • Passion
  • Humility
  • Simplicity
  • Result

MARKET STRATEGY

In Nigeria the Kellogg’s brand leverages;

  • Partnership with the local production company, Tolaram and its distribution subsidiary.
  • Assets provided by its partnership to produce high quality, low cost products in the region
  • Brand recognition in order to gain market share in the mid-range and value channels.

THE BRAND’S SWOT ANALYSIS

Strength

  • It has an existing supply chain
  • It has well-known and experienced partners, locally and globally
  • It has experience in handling new markets

Weakness

  • It has experienced low profit in recent years
  • There has been a loss of market share to general mill
  • New products must be developed to suit the Nigeria market.

Opportunities

  • The Nigerian market is still an emerging one open to businesses of all kinds
  • Landing new products would require low price

Threats

  • As a foreign brand, a new product must be developed for the Nigeria market
  • It has strong competitors like Nestle and Unilever.
  • Its operation is capital intensive.

The company continues to uphold the values its founder, W.K. Kellogg, which was instilled over 100 years ago. Today their flaked corn is enjoyed in 180 countries around the world putting it ahead of its pairs in the snack food industry.

 Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi

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BRAND REVIEW: PEAK MILK, STILL LEADING

Branding company in Port Harcourt

Brands choose to tell their stories any way they please but the ones that stand out are those who tell stories that resonate with the communities they serve. For sixty years plus now PEAK MILK has maintained the story of Africa through its symbolic pic story and visual identity elements of the palm tree, locals in a canoe, trade interaction with merchants, and so on.

With its rich creamy taste, Peak Milk has continued to live up to its name, and has gained the reputation of the number one brand in the dairy industry in Nigeria. Over the years, the brand has been recognised for its quality and leadership in the market. These remarkable attributes piqued our interest to do a review on this legendary brand. Sail with us to the wonderland of this iconic dairy brand.

BRAND HISTORY

While most people seem to know the product, only a few are familiar with the company behind the brand, Friesland Campina. The company which was founded from two great Dutch dairy companies, Friesland Foods and Campina, began its journey in the dairy industry in 1871.

Friesland Campina is a company birthed from a rich history. From its name Friesland which is a region in the north of the Netherlands characterised by the green meadows, blue skies, many lakes and splendid Frisian dairy herds and then Campina is also a wooded region of grasslands and meadows in the south of the Netherlands, it can be perceived that the company is a product of the Netherland culture.

The global company is well rooted in the culture and commerce of the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. Still it has its focus on reaching local communities and customers with its products. Asides the European countries, Friesland Campina also have a dominant presence in Asia, Africa and the Middle-East. Their factories and products continue to get established all over the world.

Way back in 1954, while Nigeria was still under the British colony, Friesland Campina sailed its way from Netherlands through several oceans to Nigeria. Having surveyed and seen the potentials in the Nigerian market, the company introduced its first brand, Peak Milk. Since then the dairy product has evolved and has maintained a strong leader position.

However it was not until April 1973 the company was incorporated as West Africa Milk Company (WAMCO) and finally commenced operation in 1975 making it an affiliate of Royal Friesland Campina of the Netherlands. Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria has its headquarters located in Ikeja Industrial Area of Lagos and is recorded to be one of the largest dairy cooperative in the world. Since it began operations in Nigeria it has made extensive distribution to all the states.

With its strong influence, the company continues to retain its leadership in the production, processing, packaging, marketing, and distribution of its dairy products in Nigeria. In 2015, it was recorded to have made a turnover of twelve billion naira.

BRAND EVOLUTION

At the inception, Peak Milk was seen as product for wealthy people and couldn’t be afforded by the common man. Knowing what they stood to lose with the rising of other milk brands, the company adjusted its product in order to accommodate everyone. This led to the introduction of different sizes even down to sachets.

BRAND VISION

The company behind Peak Milk ties its vision to the purpose they refer to as nourishing by nature. This stands for better nutrition for the world, a good living for farmers, now and for generations to come.

BRAND MISSION STATEMENT

From its mission statement, Nourishing Nigeria with Quality Dairy Nutrition, it is obvious the brand is driven by the need to nourish its consumers.

BRAND STRATEGY

The strategy behind this exceptional brand is quite straight to the point which is to add value; from its nutrition, to nature, to both young and old people, to consumers and customers, to citizen and down to the society. This value adding mind-set has been transferred to all their employees worldwide.

The company has broken down its plan into the following;

  • Win with nutrition
  • Serve the 24/7 consumer and customer
  • Lead with sustainability
  • Elevate our essentials

BRAND CAMPAIGNS AND PROJECTS

Most recently, the brand has been running a campaign it named PECADOMO which is an acronym for ‘Peak Can Do More’. The idea is to gain new markets by highlighting several other things that the milk product can be used asides regular usage like Tea, Cereals, etc. The brand has actively be urging those into cooking that milk can be used to create so many tasty meals, and they seem to have gained tremendous traction with the campaign.

Peak Milk is one brand that has made a strong impression in Nigeria with its involvement and commitment to nation building and community development. Severally in the past it has supported charity projects, schools and communities through its corporate citizenship programme which kicked off in 2004.

The programme has seen the commissioning of over 41 solar boreholes, supported over 18 public secondary schools amongst many other projects.

With a well mapped out and structured brand like Peak, we can bank on the fact that it will be here for more years to come and may probably still be leading the dairy industry here in Nigeria. It points to the need to build a brand that transcends the founders.

Key Takeaway: Regardless of its leadership position in the market, PEAK is not relenting in its drive to remain a relevant, readily available and trustworthy brand. This is a vital lessons for beginners and the likes, do not allow your successes stop you from pushing the boundaries and frontiers.

Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi

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BRAND REVIEW: THE MTN BRIGHT STRATEGY

Think of a network service provider that has helped most Nigerians connect with people far and near, and MTN pops up! Think of the largest telecommunication company in Nigeria and MTN comes ringing its yellow bells. Due to its wide reach and years of consistency, MTN remains one of the most recommendable mobile Telco brands.  Today we take a deeper look at this prodigious brand.

BRAND HISTORY

MTN is a multinational mobile telecommunications company under the MTN Group Limited which has its headquarters located in Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa. It was established in 1994 during the new era of democracy as one of the tools for transformation. In the quest to spread its reach and enlarge its customer base, MTN, extended its hands to Nigeria as one of the countries it found fit to do business in. Taking advantage of an auction opportunity conducted by Nigeria Communication Commission in January 2001, MTN automatically became the very first mobile network to make a call.

Following this, MTN launched full commercial operation in August 2001 starting with major cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. From that period, its services have spread across Nigeria covering over 223 cities and towns, more than 10,000 villages and communities, and practically spanning the 36 states in Nigeria with over 52 million subscribers to boast of. Since its inception, the brand has grown and is currently recognised as the eleventh largest mobile network operator in the world and the largest in Africa. It has operational branches in over 22 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. In June 2016, MTN was recorded to have over 232.6 million subscribers in these various countries.

MTN continues to exist to provide solution to connectivity, communication and collaboration problems in all the countries it operates in. It leverages technology in order to give its customers a good experience. From its track record, MTN is known to be the largest privately owned mobile operator in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

BRAND VISION

A trait that is predominant among every successful brand is a clear vision. MTN is one of such brands that has their eyes on the ball and this is what they see themselves becoming, “Our vision is to lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world to our customers.”

BRAND MISSION

From their tenacity and never giving-up spirit, it is obvious MTN is on a mission. In their own words, “Our mission is to make our customers’ lives a whole lot BRIGHTER. We do this by delivering relevant, accessible, high quality telecommunications solutions that put them in control.”

BRAND SLOGAN

Beyond its bright yellow colour, another remarkable attribute that seem to keep MTN in the minds of customers is its unforgettable slogan, “Everywhere you go”. This slogan has become part of its identity and continues to pass the brand’s message.

BRAND VALUES

The company is driven by some core values such as;

  • Leadership
  • Relationship
  • Integrity
  • Innovation
  • Can-do

BRAND STRATEGY

MTN operates with a well-defined brand strategy which they refer to as BRIGHT. They see this strategy as six pillars on which the brand is built upon.

  • B- Best customer experience
  • R- Returns and efficiency focus
  • I-  Ignite commercial performance
  • G- Growth  through data and digital
  • H- Hearts and minds
  • T- Technology
THE BRIGHT STRATEGY…

DID YOU KNOW?

Here are some facts you may not know about this prominent brand.

  • The brand was formerly known as M-cell
  • MTN stands for Mobile Telecommunication network
  • The first phone call was made in Maritime House, Apapa
  • One-third of MTN revenues comes from Nigeria
  • It changes its number range whenever a particular range is full. This is the reason why they’ve changed from 0803, to 0703, to 0706, to 0810, to 0813, to 0814, 0816 and now 0903

Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi

Dreaming of starting a business that will become a well-known brand? Shoot an email to wecare@mapemond.com

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BRAND REVIEW: KILIMANJARO – THE RISING FOOD GIANT

When people think of major Restaurants in Port Harcourt and Nigeria at large, the list would be incomplete if Kilimanjaro isn’t mentioned. This is so because Kilimanjaro has succeeded in creating a popular and appealing brand among quick service restaurants in Nigeria. Going from its appetizing and tasteful food packages, serene and hygienic environment as well as its endearing customer service, it has retained its position amongst the top brands sought-after by customers. Above all, the brand has remained a much focused business entity, last year alone we learnt that they made a whooping profit of 950m Naira after tax, that’s huge and very promising! You surely would love to know more about this exceptional brand.

THE BRAND HISTORY

Kilimanjaro is the thriving restaurant brand under Sundry Foods Limited, an integrated food services company that proffers hospitality solutions through a wide range of products and services involving catering, restaurants and bakeries. Specifically, the primary brands of Sundry Foods Limited are; Kilimanjaro, Nibbles bakery, SFL catering services, Pizza jungle, and KiliSharwarma.  Same group also owns and operates MarketSquare, a supermarket chain under the company Sundry Markets Limited. 

Sundry Foods Limited was established in 2004 by Ebele Enunwa, a chartered accountant and former Regional Manager of Stanbic IBTC bank Port Harcourt, who resigned to pursue his dream as an entrepreneur and obtained a Masters of Management in Hospitality degree from Cornell University, USA.

Recording exponential successes in acceptance and sales, Kilimanjaro stands out as the fastest growing and most successful brand of SFL. It has over 31 outlets across the country and is the leading food service provider in two major cities in Nigeria – Port Harcourt and Abuja. They offer a wide range of wholesome and tasty local, African and Intercontinental dishes as well as both corporate and home delivery services. This is done under hygienic conditions, in an attractive manner whilst patiently capturing consumers’ needs during service delivery.

Buttressing this, Kilimanjaro deliver tasty meals on time in good quality and quantity and also make payments easy by providing varied payment options for their customers through its cashless POS service. Ping-a-Meal; an online delivery service, provides customers with the opportunity to place their orders at the comfort of their homes and offices and have them delivered promptly. With Kilimanjaro you can never run out of cash because they offer CashBack services. Out of cash? Just go into any of its outlets. All these and many more has contributed in making Kilimanjaro a competitive brand, highly endearing to hearts of consumers. Little wonder some customers would argue that their meals are the best and are fascinated and really do enjoy Kilimanjaro’s Nibbles coconut, strawberry and chocolate ice-cream mix.  These can only be gotten from Kilimanjaro.

THE BRAND VISION

“Better Food, Better Service, Better People”

To be the foremost integrated food services company in the country providing the complete food service solutions to a select strata of clientele.

THE BRAND MISSION

To build a world class organization worthy of association and to create exceptional value for their shareholders by:

  • providing an intellectually stimulating work environment where employees can achieve job and career satisfaction,
  • providing the best products and service possible in an exciting environment giving the customer an unforgettable experience, while
  • positively impacting on our environment and the community at large.

THE SERVICES PROVIDED

Quick service restaurant serving both local and continental cuisines, Nibbles ice cream, shawarma, pizza, bread and confectionaries such as doughnuts, cakes, small chops, desserts, pastries; ping-a-meal service, Office and Home delivery services, industrial catering, events catering services.

THE BRAND CULTURE

Kilimanjaro has the culture of ensuring that the food needs of their customers are met by making available wholesome sumptuous and tasty meals on time and every time in good quality, quantity even at the comfort of their homes and offices. They are critical and very careful in employing staff and hire based on the brands core values of providing tasty meals and quality services to people. In their very own words,

“We know that what we offer has a direct relationship with the quality of materials we use as well as the quality of people we use to provide our services. We therefore take extra caution in hand picking our people and materials in order to ensure that we meet and exceed customer expectations on time, every time.”

Written by Rejoice Emmanuel

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BRAND REVIEW: THE SHARP BLADES OF GILLETTE

One brand that has gained dominance as a personal grooming product in different continents of the world is Gillette. The brand’s stability and clearly defined brand proposition has added to its uniqueness. There are so many lessons to glean from this top brand.

Join us and let’s take a tour into the Gillette world…

HISTORY OF THE BRAND

In 1895, Gillette King, a successful travel sales man got irritated by the fact that his shaving blade  frequently became blunt and  needed regular sharpening. So, he thought of designing a new type of razor which could be quickly used and replaced regularly. He pictured a shaving stick with a handle, having a disposable double-edged blade that could be used and reused until it was dull. And so, he got to work on his idea, drawing different designs and models of safety razors for six good years afterwards.

Finally, on the 28th of September 1901, Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company which he later changed to Gillette Safety Razor Company in July of the following year. He obtained his company’s trademark registration and began production in 1903 were he sold 51 razors and 168 blades.

Spurred by successes in sales, Gillette introduced the “new improved” Gillette razor superseding and replacing the old-style razor – the silver Brownie razor in 1921. Further witnessing a series of expansion and growth, 68 years later Gillette developed the Sensor Shaving System which had thinner blades and better features. This caused sales to rise as this brand appealed to consumers and thus the Lady Sensor followed shortly.

With further research, marketing strategy, and expansion, a major innovation was introduced in 1998 to drive sales further up. The MACH 3, so called, had a third blade and its blades were set at an angle that made shaving easier with fewer strokes giving a smoother and comfortable feel.

Surviving, three takeover attempts, the company continued to grow and expand into various brands such as the Bic pen, Duracell batteries, Oral-B and other toiletries. Finally, on October 1st 2005, Gillette and Procter & Gamble merged companies. This ended the existence of Gillette Company as a business entity but culminated in creating the biggest brand in personal grooming and house care products in the world.

THE BRAND VISION

To build total brand value by innovating to deliver consumer value and customer leadership faster, better and more completely than our competition.

THE MISSION STATEMENT

A globally focused consumer products marketer that seeks competitive advantage in quality, value-added personal car and personal use products.

THEIR PRODUCTS

Gillette offers a wide range of products such as 2,3,5- bladed disposable razors, trimmers and blades, shave preps like foams, shave gels, shave lotions, after-shave balms and personal care products which includes deodorants, anti-perspirants, and body washes.

Subsequently, the company witnessed growth in sales and expanded to different parts of the world. In 1917, Gillette had the contract of supplying safety shaving blades to American soldiers during World War I which was funded by the government. Successive years saw the company evolving through a series of leadership profiles with men like John, Giasman, Gerard, Samuel, Stampleman, Spangler Jr., Gilbert and Colman Mockler at the helm of affairs.

BRAND CULTURE

The brand could be said to be a male product since it is mostly used by males for different shaving purposes. One culture this brand has retained over the years is their position on grooming more responsible men. Following a recent campaign against the usual “boys will be boys” attitude that encourages the nasty behavior of some male folks, Gillette made its stand clear. They believe and are working towards instilling better manners in the males.

With all these, the brand’s growth can be linked to the quality of its product, its leadership and also strong publicity. This way they have remained in the hearts many consumers all over the world.

What’s your take away from the Gillette story? Please share in the comment section.

Written by Rejoice Emmanuel

Need help with developing a business plan and branding your business? We can help! Send us an email at wecare@mapemond.com

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BRAND REVIEW: NESTLE MILO

From the stable of Nestle factory came one of the most nutritious chocolate malt beverages in the world, Milo. And it is consumed by virtually every member of society regardless of social status or class. Due to both its popularity and fast preparation with either hot or cold water, Milo can be referred to as your go-to drink.

HISTORY OF THE BRAND

Developed in the year 1930 by Thomas Mayne in Australia but launched in 1934, Milo has since then retained its relevance in the beverage industry. The brand has spread its distribution chain across different continents such as; Asia, Africa and Oceania. Though a foreign brand, Milo has dug its tasty root deep into the Nigerian market and has earned a reputation as one of the best in its category.

Milo is a nutritional supplement enriched with vitamins and minerals. It is made from malted barley, and cocoa, and is high in protein, calcium, and iron amongst others. Overtime, the brand has been seen as a drink for mostly children and athletes.

MISSION OF THE BRAND

Like all Nestle products, Milo runs with the general company’s mission which is to become, ‘the world’s leading nutrition, health and Wellness Company. Their mission of “Good Food, Good Life” is to provide consumers with the best tasting, most nutritious choices in a wide range of food and beverage categories and eating occasions, from morning to night.’

VISION OF THE BRAND

Nestle sees itself becoming “a leading, competitive, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company delivering improved shareholder value by being a preferred corporate citizen, preferred employer, and preferred supplier selling preferred products.”

BRAND VALUES

Like many world standard brands that have solid values, the Milo brand under Nestle isn’t left out. Here are some of its values;

  • Health and Wellness
  • Quality Products
  • Rural Development
  • Nutrition
  • Innovation

BRAND CULTURE

Milo is a youth centered brand, expressed with so much energy and vibrancy. It is a sporty and also a health conscious brand.

MARKETING STRATEGY

  • The product has positioned itself as an active brand in sports using strong elements like athletes and sporting personalities on the body of the tin and sachet. This is the reason why most adverts try to promote the importance of sports.
  • It is regularly promoted as a drink that enables healthy growth in young people especially children.
  • It has become known for its rich green colour which is used for all their advertisement, from TV to billboards.
  • The Milo brand is produced in different sizes in order to make the product affordable and purchasable to people of different class.

WEAKNESSES

Though Milo’s dominance in the beverage industry is high, it is however not flawless. Based on our research, we have identified some weaknesses related to the brand. The following are some;

  • Its target market is restricted to an extent since it is popularly seen as a drink for children and athletes
  • No popular social media presence

DID YOU KNOW?

That Milo has no unique global taste; the recipe varies slightly in order to suit the taste and expectations of a particular region.

BRAND INSIGHT

The Milo brand has consistently built a solid reputation from its rich delicious taste to its sport awareness campaigns and down to the regular adverts. This keeps them in the minds of most consumers and continues to increase their visibility. With their business approach, we are sure Milo will remain in the market for long.

Let us help you build a sustainable brand, send us an email at wecare@mapemond.com

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Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi

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