Brand personalisation has re-emerged in the Nigerian market place as the concept is deployed by CMOs as another strategy in the Nigeria’s competitive landscape to win customers’ share of mind. From telecom to banking and FMCG, top brands adopt one form of brand personalisation, which means profiling customers to create a calculated integral bond with customers.
In addition to price wars, packaging and taste on various competing brands, some brands are creating differentiation with brand personalisation to win customer affinity, intimacy and create brand loyalty over competition.
For instance, MTN’s Platinum Plus Club, Airtel Premier Club and Glo Prive Club are marketing programmes to identify with certain group of customers. Under some of these brand personalisation packages, some high net worth individuals are treated with privilege, differentiation and exclusivity.
Other companies like banks would address their customers by names, addresses and send birthday messages to their customers using their names. These made the customers to feel sense of belonging.
Coca-Cola Nigeria has also adopted the marketing strategy as it recently launched “Share a Coke” campaign. Under the campaign the multinational brand is replacing its iconic logo with popular Nigerian names on all its packaging – the returnable glass bottle, cans and PET bottles.
“‘Share a Coke’ transforms the global Coca-Cola brand into a special, personal experience for our consumers.” said Patricia Jemibewon, marketing director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited. “By swapping our iconic Coca-Cola logo with personal names, we give all our consumers a unique opportunity to connect and share their personalised Coke with the people who matter the most to them – friends, family and loved ones, either in person, or virtually,” she said.
Giving more details about Share a Coke, Jemibewon further disclosed that the “Share a Coke” campaign recognises Nigeria’s culture and diversity as 600 popular names have been selected from the rich array of names across the various regions of Nigeria.
“Consumers will be able to buy personalised Coke in glass, Can and PET from retail outlets across the country. Consumers who are unable to find their names in-store will have the chance to create their own personalised Coke during the nationwide activation which starts in early February.
Marketing experts believe that there will be increase in tempo of brand personalisation this year as brands think outside the box ways to connect with their consumers.
Specialists trace the root of the concept of personalisation to local stores of old, when the shopkeeper knew each and every one of his customers intimately. “It was with this knowledge that he was able to tailor his service and offerings to each of his shoppers, ensuring that their preferred products were always in stock and even recommending new goods based on their preferences.”
“Based on good old-fashioned etiquette, this approach was powerfully effective”. But according to Myconsumer.com website from the 60s, mass-consumer society increasingly led to a loss of this intimacy. “Customers became anonymous, mainly because it was impossible for retailers to know the thousands of customers they served each day to the same personal level”.
“With the introduction of the internet, and subsequently the ability to track customers’ activity, brands now have the means to bring back this personal experience,” Myconsumer.com quotes Julie Hesselgrove, group president at Xerox communication and marketing services.
According to the report on the site, there is also a growing desire for personalisation from the consumer as “Consumers who want personalised services are surprisingly willing to share their personal data in order to get them,” says Samson David, chief operating officer at Infosys EdgeVerve in the report.
He continues: “Brands are waking up to the fact that they can longer simply take a scattergun, one-size-fits-all approach to marketing and services – personalisation is key. Consumers want to be addressed by name and they expect brands to understand what they are looking for, often before they know themselves.”
According to the site, “Personalisation helps create brand loyalty, having a good online personalisation strategy can be key in a consumers shopping experience, if a connection with a retailer’s brand can be formed this often has an effect on their buying decision. This presents a significant opportunity for the retailer to engage potential consumers, convert sales and maintain a trusting relationship.”
Daniel Obi
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