Major leading brands across the world have achieved market dominance through strategic innovations and effective marketing, thereby developing invaluable assets of competitive advantage like brand equity & consumer franchise. Brand custodians who understand this are constantly thinking outside the box to create strategies for consumer preference, loyalty and affinity that builds brand equity. Brand Equity, simply put, is the commercial value a company generates from a product with a recognizable brand name & its associations, as compared to other similar generic offerings.

Recently, Kantar Millward Brown, one of the world’s leading global research agency specializing in advertising effectiveness, strategic communication, media and brand equity research held its maiden edition of the Best Brand Equity Awards 2016 in Nigeria to recognize and honour some outstanding brands for the equity & consumer preference that they enjoy in the marketplace.

Two leading brands from the stable of Chi Limited, Nigeria’s undisputed market leader in Juice, Nectar & Value Added Dairy products, were honoured for their Outstanding Brand Equity and market leadership in their respective categories. Chivita won the Best Brand Equity Award in the Juices and Soft drinks Category, while Hollandia emerged winner of the Best Brand Equity Award in the Dairy category.

Chivita and Hollandia’s success story is the result of consistent high quality, good marketing support,   good understanding of the market and consumers, and of course an enviable consumer loyalty. Their loveable marketing communication campaigns on multiple engagement platforms including Television, Radio, Print, Out of Home and digital space have in recent times attracted the attention of communication experts for their strict adherence to the principles of great communication ethics. These strategies have in no small measure created a top of mind awareness and brand recall, loyalty and affinity for these brands

Speaking on the awards, Head of Marketing, Chi Limited, Probal Bhattacharya noted that “Building strong brand equity cannot happen without a thorough understanding of the consumer and a deliberate decision to satisfy and exceed their expectations. Chivita and Hollandia are market leading brands driven by strategic innovation and insight led marketing. Our aim for these brands has always been to be the gold standard whenever quality juice and dairy products are mentioned. The Brand Equity Awards, for Chivita & Hollandia, not only reflects the premium value we always place on consumer satisfaction, but also vindicate our commitment to effectively serve the Nigerian consumer’s need for health, nutrition & refreshment with best quality juice & value added dairy products.”

According to a Brand consultant with WingPlus Communication, Mr Akin Adeseko, “We have identified a few brands that have excelled in the marketplace and our observations with Chivita and Hollandia is that, Chi Limited has made conscious effort to build brand equity through strategies including attractive products, packaging, deliberate consumer targeting with healthy product variants and cost effectiveness which ensures Real Value For Money. When you add their various consumer engagement activities like activations and promotions to the various television advertisements, commendable digital presence and efficient product distribution  ensuring that their products are available to consumers across Nigeria, there is no doubt that the recognition is well deserved”