STAR RE-LUNCH PARTY

 

Marketing Director Mr. Walter Drenth, Managing Director Mr. Nicolas Vervelde, Sales Director Mr. Hubert Eze and HR Director Mr. Victor Famuyibo, all of Nigerian Breweries Plc during the re-launch of STAR Lager beer in Lagos.

Speaking at the star studded event which attracted more than 6,000 select consumers’  Mr Nicolaas Vervelde,
Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries plc said there is no doubt that Star lager beer is a distinct market leader that will always be there. “Star did not start to shine now; it has always led the market. It was renewed in 1956 and in 1974 it became the first beer brand to introduce neck label and in 2007, it took a bold innovative stride by introducing packaging in Cans, so star has always been with Nigeria.”

Walter Drenth, Marketing Director of NB plc, who also spoke at the epoch making event said superior product quality has been the driving force of Star; he added that consumers have come to trust the brand because of its consistent quality over the years. The brand has the heritage of being brewed under strict quality standards since 1949 and the consumer promise remains uncompromised. Another factor is the strong distribution network.  The brand has a very strong distribution footprint which spans the length and breadth of Nigeria. It is therefore not by accident that the ever refreshing Star is widely distributed and readily available across the country and is within the reach of consumers. The Star brand, right from when it was initiated, has maintained a constant message of bringing “brightness” to its consumers.  This is always reflected in all its marketing campaigns.

Drenth stressed that another factor that adds to Star’s equity is the fact that it has one of the best communications across all media. This Communication has been consistent over the years. Again, this does not happen by accident. It is a well thought out process that has made the brand young and fresh despite the fact that it has been around for 63 years. Star is one of the best run brands to come out of Nigeria.

Innovation, he pointed out, also plays a fundamental part in the development of the Star brand over the years. Another factor any discerned brand analyst can identify is that Star has been noted for churning out adverts which has consistently projected the superior quality of the brand over the years. Right from the beginning, the brand made a strong statement, from the first campaign slogan of “Ah! Star – Beer at its best” introduced in 1949 through the “Brightness” campaign of the 1970s/80s, to the “Turn to Star – The ideal brew” campaign, unveiled in 1989, to the “Live the Brighter Life In Style – Star Ahead on Taste” campaign of the 1990’s and then to the campaigns of “Never A Dull Moment with Star”, “Share the Brighter Life”,  “Shine Shine Bobo” and “Let’s get the party STARted”, it is clear that the advertising campaign development history of Star has been consistent in creating a mythical halo for the brand. The rave-making campaign that heralded the STAR Bottle change in 2000 is still fresh in the mind of consumers. The ‘Star Dance’ and Shine Shine Bobo are equally award winning materials.

On his part, Sampson Oloche, Senior Brand Manager Star added that “As a brand with mass appeal, there is a need to constantly engage with consumers in a bid to meeting their needs and understanding their aspirations. Star relies on different media and stakeholder touch points in order to reach its target audience. Our consumer engagement platforms are some of the most robust in the country today. From Star Quest to Star Trek to Star Mega Jam it is always meeting the consumer where he is and always responding to his need to have a brighter life always. In fact, consumers are charged with the responsibility of picking the foreign act they want to have for the popular Star Mega Jam”.

Oloche added that the platforms that the brand provides have been a veritable avenue for younger adults to express themselves and showcase their talents.  The brand is thus seen as giving back to the society by empowering the youths, most of whom may never have had the opportunity to know they even have hidden talents. “You remember KC Presh? They were the first winners of Star Quest and they are still a force to be reckoned with in Nigerian music today in their individual capacities. So the activation provides a good platform for aspiring musical artistes seeking to make impact in the industry.

On the onslaught of competition, he said “We will always be steps ahead of competition because we have vibrant marketing support which enables us to consistently rejuvenate the brand in all consumer touch points i.e. packaging, communication, promotions and advertising to ensure its relevance and authority. In arriving at this we rely on consumer and market insight which in turn drives and leads to constant consumer-led innovations. You have your winning formula when you have an effective distribution network.