‘We pioneer pocket-friendly branded pure, cholesterol-free oil in Nigeria’
Until 2013, the Nigeria vegetable oil market was dominated by unbranded and unhygienic product. But Multipro Consumer Products Ltd brought about a major disruption in the segment with the launch of Power Oil. In this interview with MARKETING EDGE, Omotayo Azeez, Public Relations Manager at Multipro Consumer Products Ltd, provides insight on Power’s winning strategy in Nigeria.
Your company has been in the Consumer Goods Industry in Nigeria for over two decades. How will you trace its corporate journey into this sphere of operation and what has its growth trajectory been like?
The entry of – into the category in August 2013 with Power Oil was meant to address the huge challenge of measured cooking oil in the market. When it all started, the market was predominantly unbranded. A major percentage of the market was controlled by unbranded vegetable oil. At that time, you see people pouring vegetable oil into used and reused bottles and nylons. If you notice, the bottles used in selling the oil in the open markets/ corner are most often times used repeatedly on a more frequent basis. A close look will reveal all manner of impurities and dirt in the oil. There is so much congealing and concentration of sediments at the base which are usually left behind.
Power Oil immediately understood that it had its work already cut out. The brand decided to take up the onerous task of sensitizing people on the effects of consuming unbranded oil with the strong backing of the Nigerian Heart Foundation while using activities like street-plays and awareness drives to inform consumers about the adverse effects of consuming unbranded & unhygenically packaged oil. It also took the opportunity to educate them about healthier lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and eating healthy, among others.
For a company that has a vision to “To Be A Proud Member Of Majority Of Nigerian Kitchens”, it’s necessary for us to ask about how “domineering” the company has been?
Before Power Oil entered into the Nigerian marketing landscape, the level of consciousness on the unhygienic nature of unbranded vegetable cooking oil was significantly low, less focus was placed on the ill health effect of its consumption. People would buy it just because it was cheap paying little attention to other important health factors. But then, it had become like a habit being passed on from generations.
The general perception was that packaged oil which was considered to be healthier, was unaffordable and only meant for the rich within the society. This saw the introduction of Power Oil in a sachet which was sold for N50 amongst other variant sizes. The proposition was not only affordability but also the healthy choice with “Zero Cholesterol”, “Zero Trans-fat” which was first of its kind to be introduced into the Nigerian Market. Nigerians saw the value in this and gradually began to make a gradual switch to the affordable healthy choice.
And it can be categorically pointed out that Power oil championed the movement of availability of affordable healthy cooking oil into the Nigerian market as lots of brands have since sprung up following our trail … The brand can also be best described as a trailblazer in the oil industry, being the first Nigerian cooking oil brand directing it marketing communication efforts towards bringing into the consciousness of the public that imbibing a healthy lifestyle is not only for the rich, everyone deserves to eat and stay healthy irrespective of the Social Economic Class.
Nigeria’s operating environment has been challenging, lately. How is your sector, in general, and your company, in particular, affected by Nigeria’s macro-economic condition and market volatility; and how are you coping?
To state that keeping the business afloat has been challenging will be an ugly understatement as the category has since been taking a nosedive; it has declined by more than 25% over the last few years. Also, considering the unfavourable impact of some Government policies, particularly regarding the firm restriction being placed upon Forex transaction on importation of some essential raw materials, even when these materials cannot be sufficiently sourced locally, this has not made it easy for our line of manufacturing business.
However, In the face of all these challenges, the business adjusted and is still setting the pace in the industry.
Let’s talk a bit about your brand – Power Oil – especially its intrinsic and extrinsic qualities/values; its brand equity; its connectivity to its target consumers; and its performance in the market.
Power Oil is completely healthy vegetable cooking oil which has no cholesterol, no trans-fat and fortified with some essential vitamins. It is endorsed by the Nigerian Heart Foundation and Nigerian Medical Association. Power Oil remains a highly purified grade of oil in this market. The average purity of Power Oil as of today stands at iodine value 62, which makes it very highly nutritious as it also, contains vitamin A & E which is good for the body. It is also worthy of note that the brand also undergoes some independent screening by external certified bodies/ food research agencies on a regular basis to ensure that quality is strictly maintained.
The key is that Power Oil is affordable such that consumers at the bottom of the pyramid can also afford to purchase the brand as it comes in different sizes. People that can afford to spend a little more also have their own sizes. It comes in 3 sizes – 120ml the sachet, 75cl bottle and 3 liters bottle.
Power oil is a brand that has redefined the direction to which the existing marketing communication activities follow in the category/ industry. With our various health oriented marketing campaigns, awakening the consciousness of Nigerians on the best ways and the reasons to always maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Power oil currently boasts of the highest household penetration in its category and also in the area of brand connectivity with consumers, the brand holds the highest value of parameters. Thanks to the consumer oriented brand engagement activities and marketing communication strategies being adopted. You will agree with me that it’s a brand that cares and listens to the yearnings of its consumers.
What has competition been like over the years?
Competition has been stiff which we consider healthy towards the success of the brand. This at least has enabled us to step up our innovative game in the industry. When analyzing the success of any brand, the effect of competition cannot be completely overruled as it either shoves you off the way or makes you stronger and wiser depending on how chose to deal with it. However, in our case it pushes us to greater levels of creativity every day.
Can you shed some light on the brand’s daily Health Camp initiative and other annual consumer engagement health activities?
Power Oil has been on a healthy mission to encourage consumers to lead a healthy lifestyle to protect their HEART. The following are the various heart fortifying initiatives to back this up:
1) Power Oil Health Camp Project (Healthy Heart Mission) – This is a daily activity which provides the opportunity of a free basic medical checkup ( BMI, blood pressure etc), medical consultation to everyone with the assistance of certified doctors, while sensitizing them about how to keep the heart in perfect shape, maintain a moderate cholesterol in the body system and ultimately ways to lead a healthy lifestyle
2) Power Oil Walk-Heart-On – (It’s an initiative that brings people together to take a fitness walk in order to promote a healthy heart condition) the rationale is to encourage Nigerians to stay fit and healthy by taking at least a 30 minutes walk per day. The first edition held in 2015 in Lagos. The second edition was held in July in five key cities, also the third edition which held in June this year was in five locations Pan Nigeria.
3) Pay with Calories: This is an annual consumer engagement activity that invites the public to a location fully set-up with exercise equipment e.g treadmills, cycling machines etc. People are encouraged to work out and burn some calories and they get rewarded with gifts based on the amount of calories burnt on the spot. The 3rd edition held on Oct 1st 2016 to commemorate the world Heart day at 3 different locations (2 locations in Lagos and one in Ibadan ), which enjoyed a huge turnout. Plans for this year’s edition are in top gear.
In what ways has your company keyed into the Backward Integration policy of the government?
It is worthy of note that right from the stage of refining the crude palm oil (CPO) to that of final purification into finished product, to packaging and distribution are being taken care of by the company.
The plan to ultimately set up a palm plantation locally here in Nigeria is currently in the pipeline, end to end process of which will be handled by the company.This we consider as a labour intensive agriculture strategy to ultimately boost local production of raw materials which are insufficiently available locally and create employment.
- Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility are a global requirement for good corporate citizenship. What is your company’s scorecard like on this?
I will like to talk a bit extensively about the Health Camp project (Healthy Heart Mission) which has earned lots of points and recognition nationwide. Power Oil Health Camp is a nationwide CSR Project which was initiated 3 years ago and has since reached out to millions of Nigerians in different states. The health camp is a daily checkup activity that is present in more than 14 locations pan Nigeria. It is a daily activity and it’s been moving from communities to communities.
In ensuring the sustainability of this project while also gunning for a deeper penetration and wider coverage, Power Oil, through this initiative has secured strategic partnerships with government ministries in different cities/states which have facilitated easy access into the rural communities and hinterlands. Following are the partnerships already secured while more are still in the pipeline; Federal Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development Abuja, Ministry of Health Ogun State, Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Kaduna State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. Others are Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Kwara State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Office of the Edo State First Lady, Delta State Ministry of Health and Enugu State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
We also carry out health check activities at National Youth Service Corp Orientation Camps. The following are the cities touched; Lagos, PH, Abuja, Owerri, Enugu, Onitsha, Benin…)
- What are you projections for the future?
The plan is to have reached out to up to 10 million Nigerians nationwide by 2020 with Healthy Heart Mission Project (Power Oil Health Camp).
- What more would you want our readers to know about you?
Power oil is a caring brand that always puts the health and wellbeing of its consumers first. That is why we will always preach to Nigerians at every opportunity to always maintain a clean and healthy lifestyle, be mindful of their choice of meal consumption, go for regular medial checkup and ultimately live an active life.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.