Due to its aggressive marketing strategies including
severe price cutting, the Milo RTD within months had taken a chunk of the school
children’s lunch market segment. Unsurprisingly, this development flustered competitors
such as Chi which has entries such as Hollandia Yoghourt and Chivita fruit juices in that
market segment. Viju Milk and Bon Bon Milk were also hit by the Milo RTD onslaught.
Howbeit,the Milo RTD run was shortlived.
Less than nine months after it first appeared the product had disappeared from the
market.What happened?
A packaged drinks retailer in Lagos who sold the product told Marketingday that
Nestle said it made the Milo RTD abroad and only wanted to test the market with the first
consignment of the products. Some rivals however charge that Milo RTD could only have
dominated the market so quickly because it offered a price slash of about 50 per cent
which made it very attractive to consumers.
One retailer close to the situation then said Nestle had no choice because it was dealing
with a product with a limited shelf life which it simply had to sell off before its
expiry.
Now, the Milo RTD has returned to market .It is not clear if it a cheery reunion with its
erstwhile consumers ,as its rivals have taken steps to fill market gaps left by the
retreating Milo RTD. Chi for example introduced a new Malted Milk beverage pack close to
the flavour of Milo RTD, shortly after the latter exited the market .Now with the return
of Milo RTD its game on between the two rivals.
Nestle is currently backing the fledging brand variant with a short TV clip announcing its
return to the school lunch pack.The flick focuses on Milo pack in a school lunch pack.
Simple.No frills.
The campaign is on national and regional TV channels such as the NTA Network,Channels TV
and Silverbird.It is also on several radio channels including Wasobia FM and Inspiration.
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