NBC grows volume by double digit in 2016
The year 2016 has been another success story for the Nigerian Bottling Company. The company which recently marked 65 years of operation in Nigeria disclosed that its volume grew by double digit in the course of the year, inspite of the economic recession.
The Nigerian Bottling Company which is the bottler of Coca-cola, Sprite, Fanta and several other leading non-alcoholic brands in Nigeria noted that its growth in the Nigerian market can be attributed to superior market insight and innovative consumer engagement strategies which always ensure that the brand is close to its consumer at all times.
“We are leaders because we are always close to the consumer. You cannot fool the consumers, because they know what they want. And we have always offered them what they want,” NBC’s Managing Director George Polymenakos said.
Continuing, “We always try to understand what will be the best way to make their day better. And for us to be here all after all these years is a proof that we know this market.”
Nigerian Bottling Company was incorporated in November 1953, as a subsidiary of AG Leventis Group with the franchise to bottle and sell products of The Coca-cola Company in Nigeria. But the production of Coca-cola actually began two years later at a bottling facility in Ebute-Metta, Lagos State. That same year, the company opened its first bottling plant in Apapa.
From then NBC has gone on to establish a very robust relationship with Nigerian consumers, courtesy of Coca-cola’s exciting and innovative marketing campaigns and social engagements. This has lead to the opening of several other bottling plants in Ibadan, Benin, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano and Jos.
NBC acquired the Eva premium water and Schweppes brands in 1991. And in 2003 it launched the Five Alive juice brand, which quickly climbed to top of the ladder in its segment. And on the back of that success, the company in 2015 unveiled a new innovation called Five Alive Pulpy Orange drink.
That again was an instant success, as consumer across all market demography fell in love with the drink which was packaged in a 33cl pet bottle. Market demand for the brand rose very fast, to the point NBC couldn’t meet up and was forced to quickly expand it bottling plant in Agidingbi in order to close the demand gap.
In a bid to maintain its leadership in the highly competitive soft drink market and keep up with demands, NBC has in recent years invested over $600million in building several state-of-art bottling plants, as well as improving other aspects of its operations, and according to the company’s MD, the soft drink giant could be investing another $600million in Nigeria in the coming years.
“We are committed to continually upgrading our technology and making sure that we have state-of-art technology in place so that Nigerians can get same quality of coke as obtainable anywhere in the world if not better,” the Greek expatriate said.
The investment in NBC is a major strategic plan for global growth for Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, the global bottling power house, which acquired NBC in 2000.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.