THE WARS: DETERGENT BRANDS

detergent brands in Nigeria

On a daily basis, brands are in a battle for consumers’ pockets. This blog post focuses on the detergent market in Nigeria.

The laundry soap product line in Nigeria has two major categories: hand-wash and machine-wash. Powder detergents and bar detergents form major portions of the hand-wash segment. In the machine-wash segment, powder detergents and liquid detergents are the main types. Of the two categories, powder detergent seems to be more popular and highly patronized by households in Nigeria.

In the late 80s and 90s, OMO detergent (a household name which stands for “Old Mother Owl”) from the stables of Unilever was the king of detergent in the Nigerian market. In those days, the exploits of OMO as the detergent of choice dwarfed the performances of its rivals as it pushed the likes of Elephant, Surf detergent and other small players, into a tight corner.

Its supremacy in the market was such that the television adverts with the promise “Super Blue OMO washes brighter and it shows” became an anthem among children who grew up in the early 90s. Eventually, the arrival of So Klin, sometime in 1996 was the beginning of the fall of the “king”. So Klin came into the market with an innovation; white detergent which was the industry’s first. In addition, its offer as a detergent with a deep-washing function gave Nigerians reasons to switch their loyalty to the new brand.

With So Klin, they did not need to spend extra money to buy bleach for their white laundry, unlike the blue OMO which they suddenly noticed turned their white clothes, blue. Also, the fact that So Klin came in small affordable sachets was a plus to its handful of benefits. Initially, So Klin was more interested in marketing than brand-building, this was the deficiency that was leveraged by Ariel, which was first launched in 1998, to upstage the competition in the detergent market.

Seeing the stiff competition which was about knocking the ‘king’ OMO out of the market, Unilever Nigeria Plc., the manufacturers of OMO were unrelenting in their quest to dominate and hold the ace once again in the detergent market. They added more value to their product offerings, such as attractive fragrances to attract and retain consumers’ interest.

They re-branded, re-packaged, re-designed and reduced the sizes of their product to be more pocket-friendly for their consumers. These were some of the other strategies used by the OMO manufacturers to ensure that they capture more of the market for themselves.

In 2010, Ariel improved on its product with a technology that introduced more enzymes and polymers that remove tough stains in ‘one wash that most detergents can’t remove in two washes,’ which other detergent brands have tried to beat and are still trying. It is also noteworthy that Sunlight, another detergent from Unilever, has also gained market share.

As a growing brand, it is important to know that it is a war out there (the survival of the fittest). A brand that doesn’t grow will be outdated.

Do you wish to stay relevant as a brand?

Send us an email via wecare@mapemond.com

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BURGER KING’S SUEZ CANAL AD: PUBLICITY STUNT GONE WRONG?

A couple of weeks ago, precisely on 23rd March 2021, a blockage occurred at the Suez Canal in Egypt when one of the biggest vessels in the world got stuck in the canal. This happened after the ship (Evergreen) was hit by a strong sand storm which made it run into the sidewall of the canal and became non-steerable. This became a major global challenge due to the high number of vessels that use the canal to cut down voyage time.

Seeing this, Burger King as a food brand decided to take advantage of the situation to market their burger. However, it appears the move was not welcome as many commentators found it distasteful and insensitive considering the hardship the situation was causing globally.

Most of the comments reflected the following concerns:“Your burger blocks arteries and veins”

“Burger King, the Artery clogger”

“For a blockade that caused loss of millions of dollars, this is a bad PR by Burger King”

“I get the humour but this makes me wonder what this does to my digestive system”

There were also some comments that reflected a common thought:

“Brilliant ad!”

When trying to leverage an event to promote your brand, pay attention to the nuances and emotions of people, so you can swing a really brilliant copy and advert.

We guess Burger King didn’t mean to disrespect the sensibilities of people but it is a lesson to look beyond ourselves when promoting our brands.

We are not sure if this affects the customer loyalty for the brand, and like it is widely believed that every publicity is good publicity but it is always better when the publicity wins the affection of more consumers. It improves your brand perception, loyalty, and equity.

#DoBusinessBetter

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ONE CRITICAL SKILL FOR YOUR BRAND IN 2021!

selling your business
As an entrepreneur, it is not enough to have a brilliant idea neither is it good to rush into execution because you think your idea can fetch you lots of money. One question you must sincerely ask yourself is how will I get clients?
Ideas and dreams are exciting.
Doing the groundwork could be fun.
Until it is time to sell yourself, product, or service, and cold feet will show up.

Selling is a skill every entrepreneur must possess if you desire to build a great brand because the money required to keep your brand afloat can only come through selling your products and services.
Selling is a must-have skill for you because your dreams won’t come true if you don’t confront the challenge of selling.
Yes, you may be selling at your own level but you need to upgrade and scale-up for that your desired increase in revenue to happen.
The most successful people in the world are not necessarily those who are the best at what they do, but those who sold themselves, products, and services better. However, even selling itself requires strategy.
If you want better results in 2021, learn to sell better!
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WE STARTED SOMETHING AMAZING!

business support group

Drawing from the lessons of 2020, we decided to start a support community for entrepreneurs and those aspiring to be one sometime soon. It will be a full-blown business community (in the form of an Academy) for those who are seeking to go beyond mere hustle and survival to building sustainable companies and reputable brands.

Many business ideas will be shared.
Statistics and data from various sectors of the Nigerian economy will be shared.
Even foreign networks and opportunities shall be shared.
Hacks and contacts for funding and other access will be shared.

But being a part of this community will not be free. So we can have only committed people on board.

We will learn together without anyone lording it over.
The many questions of members can be answered by different persons, not just one person.
We will have breakout groups according to areas of interest and unique challenges.

There will be an exchange of experiences, resources, and support.

It will be a community for those who want to be inspired and pushed beyond their limits without feeling less of themselves.

There will be hand holding for the weak or inexperienced.
There shall be no talking down or shaming of anyone.
Both the sprinters and crawlers are all welcome on board.

Do you think it is a good idea?

All members will have access to the following:

– An overflow of business tips and insights
– Answers to business questions and challenges
– Access to our resources (ebooks and online courses) at no extra cost
– Discount on our MBA courses in the works
– Access to professionals in various areas (Legal, Accounting/Finance, and many others)

Members of the community will set goals for 2021 and be paired for discipline, focus, and accountability:

– Saving goals
– Investment goals
– Business objectives for the year (You want to attend a global conference or change office or just get the business started? Etc)
– Travel goals
– Self-development goals
– Compliance goals (Your personal tax, company taxes, contract eligibility papers, annual returns, etc)

As we mentioned, it is a full-blown business support community.

Does this interest you?
Do you have someone to sponsor?

Click on REGISTER to enroll.

We can achieve more, one day at a time, with the right community.

We can #DoBusinessBetter

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BUSINESS INSIGHT: SETTING YOUR REVENUE TARGETS FOR 2021

It’s a new year and everyone is optimistic about achieving great results.

One major goal that business owners want to achieve is to make more money, it is the key driver for business.

Having a financial goal helps a brand to identify its target market and the right audience to pitch its services and products per time.

In addition, it helps a brand to know the number of products or services required to be sold in order to meet up the financial target and to also develop the right marketing strategies to achieve these goals.

Do not leave your revenue to chance and guessing.
So let’s say your target revenue for 2021 is 5 million monthly. It is not enough to leave it at that while you hope for the best. Break it down into chunks;
– How many products do you need to sell to hit the target?
– Or if you service-based, how many clients or projects do you need?
– How will sales happen?
– Do you have an advert budget?
– Do you have a networking plan to access high-paying clients?
Can you break all of these down into weekly targets?
Doing this helps you gain clarity and focus. We hope you think about this and act.
Have your financial goal clearly marked, and when you crush these goals, set new and even bigger revenue goals.

#DoBusinessBetter

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DO YOU KNOW THE BUSINESS SIDE OF YOUR SKILL?

know the business side of your skill
Many persons are skilled but only a few seem to understand the business of their skill.
One major element in making your skill or talent a business is to learn to sell that skill.
To know how to bake cakes is one thing, understanding the business of selling cakes is another.
To know how to make dresses is one thing, understanding the business of selling dresses is another.
To know how to cook is one thing, understanding the business of selling food is another.
To know how to write is one thing, understanding the business of selling your books is another.
No matter your skill or craft, understanding the business aspect of that skill or craft to be able to build a brand out of it, is as important as knowing the skill or craft itself.
In situations where you are stuck because you do not know how to apply business principles to your skill, it is advisable that you reach out to a business developer to hold your hands and walk you through the dark paths.
It is possible to build a great brand from your skillset.
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DON’T BE QUICK TO BACK DOWN AS A SALESPERSON.

getting leads and closing sales
Being a salesperson is not merely about explaining the service or product.
You must know the product very well and be able to explain it excellently, but sales require more than that.
Here is a conversation our Captain witnessed at the airport lounge between a sales representative of a real estate company and a prospect.
Salesperson: Hello Sir, please can I sit here?
Prospect: Sure, the seat is free.
Salesperson: Thank you, but I was asking because I wanted to speak with you.
Prospect: Okay.
Salesperson: My name is Eva and I work with a real estate company.
Prospect: Oh, don’t bother yourself.
Salesperson: Erm, someone else already spoke to you?
(The wrong question!…can you guess why? Drop it as a comment.)
Prospect: No. I am also into Real Estate.
Salesperson: Oh wow. That’s nice. No problem, Sir. Thank you for your time, Sir.
And Eva takes a walk.
The prospect gave her audience and wasn’t in a hurry with the conversation.
Some prospects will tell you that they are also into real estate just to get you off their back.
When they say that, bring up the conversationalist in you, every good salesperson must know how to start and sustain a conversation.
Eva could ask the prospect about the aspect of real estate he is into – people love to talk about their business.
As he speaks, she will be making positive remarks about his business intermittently while she is scanning to see what opportunities she could explore, since he isn’t a direct client.
And if it appears that there will be no deal after she scans, she works on establishing a network with him for possible business opportunities and necessary follow-up depending on where the conversation ends.
Being a salesperson is dynamic, it isn’t as simplistic as getting customers to buy goods over the counter in a shop.
Five key things to note:
1. Know your product or service very well.
2. Know how to profile your prospects.
3. Learn to start and sustain a conversation.
4. Focus on getting something, at least a contact for further communication.
5. Engage professionals like Mapemond for training, you cannot grow your brand without a great sales strategy, team, and the needed super skills.
Did you pick any insight? Please leave a comment.
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HOW TO SELL VIA DMs ON SOCIAL MEDIA

whatsapp markketing
The screenshots below are from a conversation between the Founder of a Laundry and our colleague.
We think that it is a masterclass on how to get into people’s DM or inbox instead of just dumping flyers and random broadcast for them.
We hope that you will pick insights from it.
marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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marketing a laundry business

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Our quick lessons from the conversation are:

1. Understand your prospect
2. Start on a warm note
3. Say nice things about the prospect
4. Anticipate their concerns and prepare your answers

5. Create compelling offers they can barely resist (you have to make some sacrifice to win them over)
6. Make sure your service matches or even surpasses the promises you make
We sought her permission to share the screenshots.
What do you think?
Do leave a comment.
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KNOW THE NUMBERS IN YOUR BUSINESS

pricing your services or pricing your products
Justina sells fried yam, potatoes, plantain, and fish in her neighbourhood in the city of Port Harcourt.
She makes average revenue of NGN38, 000 daily, which amounts to NGN228,000 weekly (excluding Sundays). Her revenue in a month is approximately 900k.
There are 11 other people selling fries within that axis of the town. Some make lesser and others make higher.
Collectively, they make an estimated annual revenue of over NGN100million. Imagine how many others are in the business across the city and how much money they make.
A single client at Mapemond makes average revenue of 18million annually selling just cocktails.
We recently worked with a juice brand in reworking their business plan by laying out the numbers plainly, the founder is dazed at what is possible with her supposed small venture if she diligently focuses on putting in the work.
The challenges are enormous with building a business, but one thing we must strive to pay attention to is the numbers.
In one year of managing a restaurant brand, we have done NGN49million in revenue with NGN19million as profit, over 600% increase from past revenues.
Everything we did from brand identity to visibility to marketing to sales to the procurement of better equipment and so on was all guided by our focus on the numbers.
Regardless of size, don’t just be busy with business, pay attention to the numbers, and keep tweaking to find what works best to improve your numbers.
Study the numbers. Learn the numbers. Know the numbers.
You may not get it right immediately but stay on the right track.
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11 WAYS CUSTOMERS RELATE WITH YOUR BRAND

branding and marketing company in Nigeria
In branding, there is something called relationship typology forms. It simply means the kind of relationship people have with their chosen brands.
Every customer has a particular form of relationship with your business, and understanding these forms of relationship will help you to be more intentional with your marketing and customer relationship management. These typology forms were originally identified and developed by Susan Fournier.
Different customers relate to your business in the following ways:
1. Arranged marriages
In this relationship, the customer is tied to your brand because of their attachment to someone else who is your customer. In other words, they will not be buying from you if not for their attachment to the person who buys from you. A good example is a man and his wife, he eats a particular brand of bread because of his wife and son. They love it so much, so he buys it more often than he buys his preferred bread brand. As a result, he is quick to go for his choice at the slightest excuse from the wife’s brand. Try not to give this set of customers a reason to jump off your brand.
2. Casual friends/Buddies
In this relationship, emotions are low, and no intimacy. The engagement with the brand is not very frequent and the expectation for reward is not so high. A good example is household items that we don’t use often and are not emotionally attached to, we just want the items to their job and we carry on with our lives. Dishwashing soaps, insecticides, sweeping brushes, etc.
3. Best friendships
There is a voluntary connection in this relationship and it lasts long because there are continued rewards. An example is sports equipment for fitness enthusiasts. It is the kind of connection sportspeople have with their sports apparel and gadgets.
4. Kinships
In this relationship, customers are tied to a brand due to family and lineage ties, not because of their own voluntary connection to the brand. In other words, customers inherited their choice from previous generations. Example: Many people use closeup toothpaste because that is what their family has always used for decades.
5. Flings
These are short-term and time-bound relationships. It comes with high emotional rewards but no commitment or strings attached.
Examples are the holiday of a lifetime to a dream destination and trial products.
6. Secret affairs
The emotional connection is high in this relationship that is often kept private because it is considered risky or unnecessary to expose to others.
Examples are undergarments, sex toys, etc
7. Committed partnerships
These are long term voluntary relationships that stick even through tough times. A good example is men and their beloved football team. Another example is when people fall in love with a particular brand of car. When people have such a relationship with your brand, they are understanding and tolerant when you are experiencing downtimes. They sympathize with you and wait for you to get it right knowing that it is not in your character to mess up or default in agreement. For example, due to the Covid19 situation, some parents contributed money to voluntarily support teachers in the school their kids attend.
8. Marriages of convenience
These are also long-term committed relationships but they are influenced by circumstance. A perfect example is when people buy things from a retail shop because their preferred choice is too far away. Some of your customers buy from you because their desire is not available or cannot be afforded. If you pay attention enough and serve them well, you can get some to switch and make you their primary choice.
9. Compartmentalized friendships
This pertains to relationships defined by situations with high socio-emotional rewards. An example is low-priced products from cosmetics to wears and more.
10. Courtships
These are temporal relationships on the way to a more committed partnership. Examples are baby diapers & wipes. Once the babies become toddlers, the relationship ends but the brand has other products for children. It is a similar thing with free trials and products, customers are courted by such means and when the trial period is over, there is a likelihood for a committed relationship because customers are hooked. Netflix does a great job with courting you.
11. Dependencies
In this relationship, customers are obsessed with the product or service and it is almost impossible to replace their choice. Examples are addictions; the products and services customers are addicted to. Cigarettes, skincare products, etc.
You should take a closer look at all the relationships above, identify the ones that apply to your business, and reposition your connection with customers accordingly. You will get more results from your small efforts. Being busy all the time is not enough, you need to keep aligning your efforts to the prevalent dynamics in your business. This means you really have to be observant of how customers relate with your business.

When you have a really good product or service but it seems the connection you want with customers is not happening, it may be that you are yet to identify the form of relationship they have with your brand. Identify the relationship, understand it very well, and position your brand accordingly from your sales strategy to marketing communications and so on.

Knowing the relationship that applies to your business should guide you on whom to target, how to reach them, what to say, etc. Don’t leave your marketing and sales to chance, be intentional, and keep tweaking. Winning and retaining customers should not be a game of chance.

#DoBusinessBetter
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