Alomo Bitters creates brand differentiation through consumer education

Kasapreko, makers of award winning Alomo Bitters, recently ended its campaign which held over the holiday season to educate consumers , create clear brand differentiation and to make more Nigerians informed about the features that distinguish Alomo Bitters from the imitated version and other substandard bitter products in the market.

The marketing initiative, kicked off shortly before Christmas and lasted till mid-January 2015, was also intended to deepen consumer consciousness about their wellness and safety by encouraging them to make healthier choices in things they eat and drink amidst the euphoria of the yuletide. 

 

To this end, a well branded activation truck and a team of Brand Ambassadors were deployed to strategic touch points in the city of Lagos to educate consumers on the safety features of Alomo Bitters as distinct from the imitated version and other bitters in the market. For days, the ambassadors moved from social events to street carnivals and jams, market areas and neighborhoods across the city of Lagos to drive the brand key message of Alomo Bitters as the ‘‘authentic African herbal bitters.’’ 

The ambassadors also distributed flyers which contained vital product information. Radio hypes anchored by popular On Air Personalities and a television commercial that had been specifically produced, also ran on select city stations just to ensure the consumers are equipped with adequate information they need on Alomo Bitters, thereby safeguarding them from harmful imitated products in the market. According to officials of the company, the rationale for the initiative was that as Nigerians shopped and caught fun of yuletide, they could also be assisted in making healthy choices while they also get some incentives for their loyalty to the brand over the years. Managing Director, Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kojo Nunoo, said the marketing initiative was part of steps to empower consumers to have access to genuine Alomo Bitters at all times against the backdrop of the criminal faking of the brand. ‘‘Criminal faking of the original Alomo Bitters has been a major challenge we face in Nigeria.

 As a safety, health conscious, ethical and responsible corporate citizen, this bothers us a lot, hence this campaign is aimed at helping the consumers to know the things to look out for when buying Alomo Bitters,’’ he said. While stressing that the campaign also affirms the company’s conviction in the time-honoured dictum that consumer is king, Nunoo said the safety and wellbeing of consumers are of utmost importance to the firm. ‘‘This is why we leveraged the Christmas and New Year festivities to bring the flagship Alomo Bitters closer to the Nigerians, so they can know more about their favourite Alomo Bitters, made in Ghana by Kasapreko Company Limited. We were delighted to use the occasion of the year-end to also share love with Nigerians and to promote friendship, a key brand personality attribute of Alomo Bitters,’’ he declared. Corroborating, the Sales and Marketing Director, Mr. Sam Osafo, said the consumer activation aligned with Kasapreko’s vision of care which flows in every sip of Alomo Bitters which people take.

‘‘This consumer contact programme re-assures lovers of bitter drink that any time they drink Alomo Bitters, they are not only drinking to enjoy; they are also drinking to stay healthy because of the medicinal qualities of Alomo Bitters,’’ he said. In the same vein, Marketing Manager Mr. Peter Adegor said of the campaign, ‘‘we ensure that the quality of our product is consistent from the point of sourcing the ingredients to the production stage and all through to packaging and delivery. The intent is that the consumers have the finest Alomo Bitters in their hands, hence this initiative to get the consumers well informed about the original Alomo Bitters is consistent with the quality assurance value chain that stands out our brand of bitters from others.’’ 

In order to deepen consumer experience during the weeklong activation, Adegor said free brand collaterals such as flyer, T-shirt, face cap and ball point pen among others were given out in addition to huge discount enjoyed by consumers at the point of purchase. Alomo Bitters footprint gained momentum with the official approval of the brand by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the opening of Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited (KCNL), in Lagos. The product gained wider community of brand loyalists among Nigerians who had yearned for something different from lager beer.