the consumer disposition funnel starts to take effect and the combined effort of advertising above and below the line accompanied by experiential and sampling events drive endearment of the brands to consumers ( this is the challenge that Tiger and Budweiser face ).
The final variable that tilts the scale is the consumer interaction , where if positive , they will use word of mouth and positive referrals to be advocates of the brand . The same holds true if the impact is negative , they will discredit the brand to their drinking friends , peers and relatives and colleagues . So at this point is when you start seeing a correlation between SOV and TOMA starting to develop .
Stage 4 would be a case where they move up the awareness and interaction journey or part of the repertoire and start consuming the brand a lot more , advocating it to others users if their experience is positive . Trade factors such as availability and pricing of the brand also help or frustrate this journey depending on the consumer interaction . Functional benefits such as refreshment , taste , quality and packaging are key in driving brand engagement and building the emotional connection and how consumers feels after drinking the brand , therefore driving more loyalty and endearment .
Stage 5 is where a lot of leading brands would sit , where there is a high correlation between awareness and usage and drive loyalty among consumers . It is at this point where SOV and TOMA has an almost one to one correlation . Take the case of brand Coca-Cola . They spend a lot of money on their communications to continously ( and sub-consciously ) impact their consumers by a heavy presence through ATL , BTL , online but also in market dominance .
For such brands , it ’ s usually a no brainer that SOV matches their TOMA numbers and they jealously guard this prime position through continous engagement with consumers along the way blended with creative , ground breaking advertising . They are also innovators and risk takers in new marketing concepts and ideas .
So back to our lager beer drinkers and what has been their experience over time . For a long time , Star Lager has been and continues to be Nigeria ’ s most iconic lager brand . But the brand has been facing serious headwinds as consumers migrated to the other mainstream
Stage 3 would be where consumers know about the brand and they have now tried it . In classic research terms , this is where the consumer disposition funnel starts to take effect and the combined effort of advertising above and below the line accompanied by experiential and sampling events drive endearment of the brands to consumers ( this is the challenge that Tiger and Budweiser face ).
brands like Goldberg , Trophy , Life , 33 Export and Satzenbrau that appealed to the consumer desire while delivering a positive experience and reinforced their value proposition to Nigerian drinkers .
Price was a key lever for their migration to these brands as well as the connection and engagement platforms of speaking to consumer in their local language and positioning these regional brands as ‘ proudly ’ ours . For example , Goldberg , communicates ‘ Eni Iyin ’ in Yoruba language , which translates to person of honor . Hero Lager was recently conferred with the “ red cap ” crown cork using the “ Mnanyya ejiri mara Igbo ”, that translates to the lager with which Igbos are known and speaking to a symbolic element of Igbo culture .
Over time , Star ’ s SOV is still high as the brand continues to be more visible and extend itself into new variants like Star Lite , Star Radler and Star Triple X ( which in my opinion , confused core Star drinkers ). The other two variants helped the Star masterbrand to continue holding a leading TOMA position over time .
Star has also secured sponsorship of the Nigerian Football Federation as well as global partnerships with iconic football brands like Real Madrid , Juventus ,
Manchester City , PSG and Arsenal . They have recently added Barcelona and Chelsea to this amazing array to tap into Nigerians ’ passion for football .
While Star faces a continued challenge by the emerging mainstream brands , global brands like Heineken have maintained a consistent performance owing to their global appeal , engagement with UEFA Champions league and Formula one . They have also ensured that they have a sustained and consistent connection between the brand experience and communication .
Another global iconic brand , Guinness continues to maintain it ’ s presence with heavy SOV presence and sponsorship of the Premier League ( but the question begs , has this translated into growth of the stout category in Nigeria or is it a case of the brand defending and maintaning it ’ s eye ball advantage ? Let stray for a minute and remember their Michael Power campaign or Udeme campaigns . Interesting campaigns right , but did they help Guinness Nigeria elevate their connection with stout consumers and drive more uptake ?
So while SOV remains a key driver to brands gaining and maintaining the top level TOMA that they all desire , it requires consistent and constant marketing communication coupled with engaging on ground activities to drive both awareness and usage while building loyalty over time .
SOV is also subject to budgets and internal business priorities that dictate how the money will be distributed across brands . Case in point is brand Sprite that used to sponsor the Sprite Triple Slam activation over the years . At some point , CCNL pulled their spend on the brand but this did little to impact core lemon-lime users in Eastern Nigeria as their affinity for this category and reference for Sprite as the default brand had been built over time .
The entry of Mountain Dew and constant communication push by Seven Up helped offer consumers more options but this did not necessarily translate into increased TOMA or market share for either Pepsico brands . The consumers continued “ obeying their thirst ” and drinking Sprite . In my opinion , SOV is a critical enabler to driving brands up the consumer disposition funnel and achieving the TOMA status but it does not necessarily mean that because your SOV is high , your TOMA will also increase . It is a journey
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