• Friday, March 29, 2024
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BusinessDay

Our plans for Chi Limited, by Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Nigeria introduces new campaign since lockdown

Coca-Cola Company recently completed a 100 percent acquisition of Chi Limited’s juice, dairy, snacks, ice tea, and retail segments.

Peter Njonjo, president of West Africa business unit of Coca-Cola, said the global firm plans to make Chi products billion-dollar brands.

He told BusinessDay in Lagos, in an interview, that Coca-Cola would expand Chi’s distribution network to reach all parts of the country.

“You know there is something Chi is doing right that makes it successful,” he said.

“You will see a lot more investments going into Chi, focusing on distribution and how we work with our customers.”

He explained that the company would train Chi’s staff more to enable them meet expected goals.

“If you are to grow fast, you will invest in talents. So, we will invest in people. There will be a lot of investments that will come to Chi, but that change will not translate into something that the consumer will see as a distinct difference,” he said.

“Right now, there has been a lot of focus on Lagos, but how do we go outside Lagos and reach other parts of the country? And how do we get to other parts of the continent? For example, if you think about the Vietnams of this world, it is very similar in terms of population dynamics with Nigeria.”

He explained that the key question centres around what Coca-Cola can do to be successful in Nigeria and then build Chi brands and push them to other parts of Africa.

“As we mentioned, our objective is to ensure that Chi and Hollandia become billion-dollar brands. For us to achieve that, you need to have a different mind-set.”

He stated that Chi is already in South Africa and is launching in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“We will be launching in Ghana. In Ghana, we are already exporting from here. We have trucks driving up and down in Accra. For us, it is a huge commitment,” he said.

He stated that nothing would significantly change in Chi Limited as Coca-Cola does not intend to change logos and brand identities of already-established Chi brands.

“So far, the brands have resonated with the consumers and they have developed relationships with the brands,” he said.

“So, if you acquire a business and you start significantly changing the brands, there is a risk of you not deriving the benefits that you set out to achieve as a result of acquiring the brands,” he added.

“In companies where we have been successful globally, we acquired the business and, to a great extent, let it continue running. We then figure out what we can get from the Coca-Cola Company that is relative to the new organisation and we just give them that. We do not try to change them, because when you try to change them, you lose why you acquired them. That is, for us, our commitment. You will not see much change from the products standpoint,” he explained.

 

ODINAKA ANUDU