The battle for leadership in the seasoning market of late has assumed an interesting dimension. The competition has become stiffer as leading brands continue to dare one another in their respective winning market segments. Last year, Promasidor took a bold step to dare dominant brands like Maggi and Knorr in the cube market as it introduced the Onga cube.
Last week, the seasoning market experienced a new entrant. Africa’s largest food and beverage company, Nestle Nigeria, paid Onga in its own coin, as it touched down in the seasoning powder segment with yet another brand, Maggi Signature. Today, Onga is the undisputable leading brand in the country’s seasoning powder segment. Would the entrance of Maggi Signature disrupt the market share of the leading seasoning powder? Will Promasidor tighten its belt to secure its market share with the entry of Maggi Signature seasoning powder? 
Some consumers may switch brands to experience the new entrant.
Nestle Nigeria’s first seasoning powder, Maggi Mix ’Py, hit the market as far back as 2009. It stormed the market with four variants, Golden Beef, Tomato, Classic and Ginger and Garlic. Maggi Mix ’Py’s launch was energetic and widespread, but as time went by its presence appeared to dwindle.
Ten years later, the famous food company, in obvious competition for more profitability, unveiled Maggi Signature. The latest seasoning brand was introduced concurrently in 17 localities pan-Nigeria ,including Kano, Jos, Enugu and Port Harcourt. The launch was laced with retailer engagement to augment awareness about healthy lifestyles, cooking and diets.
The new seasoning powder, designed specifically for Nigerian cuisine, comes in three flavour, Jollof, Miya and Pottages, to intensify and enhance the Nigerian cooking experience.
Speaking during the launch, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon, managing director, Nestle Nigeria Plc, said: “The addition of the ‘Maggi Signature’ range to the company’s product portfolio is in line with ‘Maggi’s ‘Simply Good’ commitments. This includes a commitment to use familiar and common ingredients, which is another step towards fulfilling our ambitions to help individuals and families live healthier, happier lives.
“At Nestle, we continue to support families to make healthier food choices every day by consistently delivering high quality nutritious products and providing nutrition education. Our aim is to encourage and support families to choose healthier lifestyles. This is in line with our purpose which is enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.”
Presenting the Signature range at the retailers’ launch event in Onitsha, Nwando Ajene, Nestle Nigeria category marketing manager, explained that Maggi Signature Jollof, Miya and Pottage have been designed to help take every day Nigerian dishes to the next level.
Ajene added that the new range of products have been tailored to suit the local tastes and cooking habits of the different regions in Nigeria.
She said: “Signature ‘Jollof’ seasoning helps the authentic party jollof. Signature ‘Miya’ accentuates the ‘zoin’ taste of your favourite northern soups while Signature ‘Pottage’ seasoning brings to life that ‘correct pottage taste.”
Maggi has over the years continued to promote healthy lifestyles through product fortification and provision of practical nutrition education that reaches millions of women across the country every year.
Signature is a unique blend of natural ingredients such as bay leaves, onions, tomatoes, chilli pepper and thyme commonly used in household kitchens across Nigeria. ‘Signature’ flavours are designed especially for Nigerian cuisine.
Maggi is an international brand owned by Nestlé, founded in 1872 by a Swiss entrepreneur called Julius Maggi. According to the company, it sells over 100 million cubes in the Central West African region daily. The brand has occupied a big space in the hearts of consumers and it has become the generic name for seasoning cubes in Nigeria.
Would Maggi Signature be as successful as Maggi Classic cooking cube? Would Nigerians love it? Would it become their preferred brand? Time will certainly tell.
Coldstone supports employee’s music career in celebration of International Workers’ Day
To mark this year’s International Workers’ Day, Cold Stone Creamery has shown support for one of its talented staff and upcoming music artist, Solomon Eze (Solexc) with the launch of his musical career. Following his viral online publicity last year while serving customers at the store through rap music, the organisation decided to invest in this talent, to produce and release four new songs for the Nigerian audience.
This commitment by Cold Stone Creamery has further reinforced its mission as an company that continuously invests in its staff through training, employee reward/recognition, talent growth and promotion from within.
Commenting on the development, Cold Stone Creamery staff and artiste, Solexc, said, “I am overwhelmed by the love and support I have received from my employer and colleagues; it has been an amazing experience for me and I am grateful. This investment is a huge one and it is particularly thrilling that Cold Stone Creamery is helping me bring my dream as a music artiste to life.
“So far, I have recorded four songs, and one music video, which was fully funded by my employer, Cold Stone Creamery. I want to say thank you and I look forward to putting a smile on people’s faces with my music just as I do when selling yummy and delicious Cold Stone Creamery ice cream.”
Bimpe Olanrewaju, marketing manager, Cold Stone Creamery, said, “Being part of Solexc’s success story gives us all the joy in the world. Solexc has continued to bring happiness to our customers with his dedicated service and we are very proud to nurture his talent as a music artiste.”
“Part of what we stand for as an organisation is investing in our people to reach unlimited heights. We won’t stop till we are all great,” she added.
Solexc made his debut performance last year, sharing the music stage with top Nigerian artistes, including Teniola, at Eat ‘N’ Go’s gala in December.
He remains a Cold Stone Creamery staff and continues to serve customers with the finest and freshest ice cream, cakes, smoothies and shakes made with only the highest quality ingredients.
2019 World Malaria Day: Mortein, FG partner for malaria-free Nigeria
In continuation of its fight against malaria and as part of activities marking this year’s World Malaria Day (WMD), Reckitt Benckiser (RB), makers of Mortein insecticide, joined forces with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) as well as Lagos and Abia State governments to scale up action on the elimination of malaria in Nigeria.
Speaking at the press briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 2019 WMD, Leferink Aliza, marketing director, RB West Africa, said the collaborations were part of numerous activities by the company to end the prevalence of the malaria scourge in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. She said the partnership with state and federal governments, which has been on-going for years, further demonstrates the company’s efforts and commitment at different levels in the fight to ensure a malaria-free country.
On this year’s theme: “Zero Malaria Starts with Me,” she said, “The theme challenges all of us to make a personal commitment to saving lives and helping communities to thrive by ending malaria. Decades of significant progress against the disease have slowed as cases of malaria increased in 2016 and 2017. There is an urgent need to re-energise the fight to eliminate the disease, which still threatens half of the global population and kills one child every two minutes.
“It is our belief that changing the trajectory of current malaria trends will require enhanced and better coordinated action. At RB, our global vision is to have a world where people are healthier and live better. In achieving this, we will continue to make a difference by giving people innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes. We know that regular combined interventions of long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs) and Mortein insecticide use is the solution to achieving a malaria-free Nigeria. Therefore, to protect ourselves and our children, the first thing to do is to educate ourselves about prevention.”
Phoebe Larry Izamoje, brand manager, West Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, explained that through the grassroots community engagement, RB educates communities on the importance of hygiene and how the simple habit of maintaining clean surroundings and drainages can significantly help to reduce malaria exposure.
Reiterating Mortein’s commitment to eradicating malaria, Izamoje stated that Mortein has been at the forefront of the fight against the disease in Nigeria: “In the past few years, Mortein has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Health through NMEP, Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMOH) and various state ministries of health to foster education on malaria prevention via TV infomercials, education at primary healthcare centers and the Mortein Own a Community Project, which has been well executed in selected local government areas in Lagos State. We have taken this a step further by having doctors in markets to conduct free malaria tests and consultations in cities of high prevalence across the country, bringing the message closer by imploring everyone to do one preventive act towards the eradication of Malaria within their immediate environment.
“Mortein brand has continuously put structures in placeto drastically reduce the intensity of malaria transmission in the country through sustainable initiatives. We do more than talk about malaria prevention once a year. In collaboration with market doctors, we are currently running free malaria testing and consultation in major markets across – Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Kwara, Cross River, Rivers, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa and Sokoto states, as well as Abuja. We are also going round communities to sensitize and educate residents on the immense benefits of maintaining a clean environment and use of Mortein which is an effective insecticide.”
Prof. Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, in his address at the Abuja event, said this year’s campaign aims at drawing significant attention to the need to completely eradicate malaria in the country. He commended all stakeholders for their work and sustained support in the fight against malaria through collaborations with the government. He stated the federal government’s continued commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure total eradication of malaria in the country.