Innovation and consumer insight programmes in Nigeria’s marketing communication industry once again showed up at the 2015 Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) award for marketing excellence.
None of the 110 entries for the 11 categories could win the innovation and consumer insight categories.
Innovation and consumer insight programmes are livewire of brands and without these two keys factors brands sustainability are in doubt.
Therefore, the failure of brands in Nigeria to produce at least a winner in these categories goes to show paucity of new ideas and details attached to consumer research and analysis in the country.
Despite lack of innovative products and consumer driven insight initiatives within the period under review, the event threw up exciting spectacles as awards were deservingly bestowed in new brand, consumer promotion, campaign of the year, digital and social media marketing, corporate social responsibility, brand journalist of the year, future marketing leader, and experiential marketing categories.
Awards Panel Chairman, Rotimi Olaniyan, said while some entries could simply have won some international laurels others were utterly below standard hence the reason behind tow categories not graded.
For the innovation category, Star Radler, St. Lauren Labels, DStv Catch up, the Double side Smirnoff, new Gulder and Colgate maximum cavity protection were all listed but none emerged.
The consumer insight category, the most challenging, produced only four entries – Oral B toothpaste, The Tomb, Star Triple X and Heineken Green House Party. Again the category failed to produce a winner.
However, there were some bright spots on the night as the Guinness Nigeria’s brewed Orijin carted home the biggest gong as the Brand of the Year.
On why the category is important than the rest, ADVAN President, David Okeme, who presented the category, said “this category is important because it is directly related to the brand managers.”
Orijin’s bullish disposition
Guinness Nigeria in 2014 introduced Orijin, the first ready-to-drink bitter drink in Nigeria after several failed attempts to brands such as Gordon Spark, Harp Lime, Satzenbrau, and Smirnoff Ice, Guinness Extra Smooth gain traction in the Nigerian fast moving consumer goods segment.
Observers had earlier predicted the fate of Orijin juxtaposing it with other stillbirth introduction. However, Guinness Nigeria got it right this time as the brand record massive success in all fronts.
In the brand of the year category, Orijin battled against Nigerian Breweries (NB’s) STAR and Ace Roots, another ready-to-drink bitter drink, Coca-Cola’s Coke, and Nestle’s Maggi.
While Orijin was considered as the best brand in the country during the period under review by the panelists, Maggi and Coke came second and third respectively.
With this feat, Orijin has become the only brand that has won the award without several years behind it. The first bitter beer now joins the likes of CloseUp and Milo to win this coveted gong in the prestigious ADVAN award.
Winning strike continues
Star took its winning ability of previous awards to the fourth edition as the brand recorded yet another scintillating performance.
After claiming Gold and Silver respectively in the Experiential Marketing Category with the largest bottle tree in the world ‘Star Bottle Tree’ and annual music concert tour ‘Star Music Trek’, STAR was awarded another Gold in the ‘Digital and Social Media Marketing Category’ with ‘Star Music App, a mobile application that brings Nigerians closer to music and entertainment content and updates across the country.
The popular TV platform, Star Football Superfans, also received recognition at the Awards, clinching Bronze in the Customer Promotion Category.
NB Brand Manager Star, Obabiyi Fagade, described the awards as an honour and a validation of the high communication standards adhered to by STAR and the company as a whole.
His words: “We are greatly honoured to have our creative output recognised like this and it is a further demonstration of how much time and effort we put into every aspect of our brand existence, from the product to the communications that engage with those who buy the product.
“At STAR and in the larger Nigerian Breweries family, we have a very old tradition of maintaining only the highest of standards in everything we do, and this is what has made us a consumer favourite and a market leader over the years.”
Ace Roots from the stable of NB came top in the new brand category with Swagger Bitter from Grand Oak and Double Smirnoff Ice from Guinness won silver and bronze respectively.
MTN, Coke, Milo, and others win
Besides Orijin and Star, the embattled telecommunication giant, MTN whose Managing Director, Michael Ikpoki, delivered a paper on how organisations can utilise social marketing to impact the economy and admonished the practitioners to imbibe the highest level of corporate governance.
MTN confined Guinness Safe Water campaign and P&G Safeguard initiative in schools to silver and bronze medal.
Others in the category include Always, and First Bank Futa trust fund.
In the experiential category that Star Bottle Tree won, Star Music Trek and Nescafe Get Started came second and third while Milo Slam picked gold in consumer promo category, MTN Cash Quest and Star Football Superfan won silver and bronze.
The digital and social media category belonged to Star Music app while share a Coke and Fayrouz I am Original picked silver and bronze respectively.
Peak Reach for Millions, GOtv Go Gaga, and Gulder Ultimate Search did not deem to good to win.
Coca-Cola with its earth rendering share a Coke campaign was deemed fit for the top prize in the campaign of the year while Johnny Walker and Guinness Made of Black could only find space in second and third.
In the brand journalist of the year category, Ntia Usukuma of Brand IQ won gold; John Ajaye of Marketing Edge (silver); and Raheem Akingbolu of THISDAY (Bronze).
In the Future Leader category, Akinpelumi Sheriff won gold; Adeyemi Precious (silver), and Oyinkansola Adeboye (bronze).
