Detergent manufacturers bow to consumers’ demand By Princewill Ekwujuru PRESSURES on consumers’ disposable income as well as their quest for additional value on products may have forced leading brands in the detergent market into dynamic product changes. This development has heightened competition and quest for market shares among the major producers such as Unilever Nigeria Plc, makers of Sunlight detergent, Procter & Gamble (P&G), producers of Ariel and PZ Nigeria Plc, manufacturers of Canoe. Coupled with this is the challenge posed by new entrants into the detergent product line and are now making huge impact in the market such as Eko Supreme Resources Nigeria Limited, makers of SoKline and Mama Gold, Nasco Industries, producers of Bonus, and Limex Global, manufacturers of Miss Bimbo. Investigations by Vanguard Companies & Markets (C&M) show that the market leaders have considerably altered the composition of the inputs, including perfumery to gain consumers’ interest. They have also resorted to re-packaging, re-designing and reducing grammages to be more pocket-friendly with the reduced purchasing power of consumers. In some other cases the manufacturers are infusing new washing technology or chemicals for added value such as stain removers. From leaders to laggards C&M findings also show that as a result of these market and competition dynamics some market leaders have been pushed into laggards’ list. Before now, detergent brands like Surf and Omo, both from the stable of Unilever, as well as Elephant detergent produced by PZ, had ruled the market, but faded out as a result of inability to adjust to the emerging market situation. PZ had tried to re-launch the Elephant brand back to the market but failed in the mission as the realities of the new market order weighed down on their plans, which invariably impaired their re-entry. The laundry soap product line in Nigeria consists of two major categories: hand-wash and the machine-wash categories. Powder detergents and bar detergents form a major portion of the hand-wash segment. In the machine-wash segment, powder detergents and liquid detergents are the main types. The powder soap category is the most popular in Nigeria. However, consumers’ insight into activities of the manufacturers to scoop more market share was what a consumer, Madam Paulina Obieze, described as manufacturer’s sensitivity to consumers’ pressure on detergent owners to produce a more satisfying product type that fit their (consumers) pocket while delivering promises of good quality. Another consumer, owner of a dry cleaning outfit, Mr. Appolos Igwe, said, most of the detergent brands are doing well in the market, basically because consumers want more for little amount, elegant designs and perfume input. “Some have gone ahead to infuse other washing ingredients and technology into their brand to enhance their acceptance in the market,” he stated. According to him, “most times I use two of these brands, SoKline and Sunlight. SoKline for its stain magnet and colour guard technology and Sunlight for its freshness and perfume.” A mother, Mrs. Josiah Anuolapo, said, “what attracts me to the brands is that they all have cleaning power, unlike in those days you have to scrub and scrub before you get result, the detergents have all improved greatly,” she stated. A look into the price list of the brands and offerings show a differentiated price war. For example, 90gram and 190 gram of Sokline sells for N70 and N130, but was between N50 and N100 late 2016, while both detergent offered consumers the privilege of colour guard, stain magnet technology and concentrated 30 percent detergent. The 200gram of Gold mama from the same company sells for N120, offering consumers extra cleaning power/ improved formula for washing, according to a roadside store owner, who claimed that the pricing difference is because Sokine is more popular and has been in the market before Gold mama. On the market leadership, a distributor of the detergent products at Balogun Business Area, trade fair complex, Lagos, Chief Austin Omengboji, said: “The limitations of traditional bar soaps have led to the development of synthetic detergents that are superior in performance.” He said most of the brands are doing well, but noted that Sunlight, Ariel and SoKline are major contenders in the leadership position in the market, but that the odd favours Sunlight and Ariel. Mazi Bonnyface Obigwe, Managing Director, Josh Enterprises, said, “from what I observed the battle line is being drawn by the detergent manufacturers, sometimes you are confused as to who is the market leader, but from my ledger here, Sunlight, Ariel and SoKline sell most.” “In fact, the brands are tearing the market apart with their cross section appeals like re-packaging , fragrance inclusion and design which is repositioning the brands, while keeping their promises,” said Moses Unong of Matrix Marketing. Women, according to him “love the Sunlight yellow and purple colours,” which he said attracts consumers to it. The annual consumption of detergents in Nigeria is in the magnitude of hundreds of thousands of tonnes. The formal sector, with its increasing ability to influence consumers through advertisements, is rapidly expanding its market share, according to C&M’s chat with an experiential marketing expert, Johanson Igbarowe of Oracle campaign. Brand Development and Activation Director of PZ Cussons, Christos Giouras, denied the claims by some market operators that PZ’s Canoe brand is not visible in the market, stating that Canoe soap remains Nigeria’s number one laundry soap and is available pan Nigeria across all channels. According to him, “based on the most recent market share data that we have, both detergent and bar soap have either maintained or grown their share.” The post Detergent manufacturers bow to consumers’ demand appeared first on Vanguard News. For More details click the green link via Naijapounds

By Princewill Ekwujuru

PRESSURES on consumers’ disposable income as well as their quest for additional value on products may have forced leading brands in the detergent market into dynamic product changes.

This development has heightened competition and quest for market shares among the major producers such as Unilever Nigeria Plc, makers of Sunlight  detergent, Procter & Gamble (P&G), producers of  Ariel and PZ Nigeria Plc, manufacturers of  Canoe.

Coupled with this is the challenge posed by new entrants into the detergent product line and are now making huge impact in the market such as Eko Supreme Resources  Nigeria Limited, makers of  SoKline  and  Mama Gold, Nasco Industries, producers of Bonus,  and Limex Global, manufacturers of   Miss Bimbo.

Investigations by Vanguard Companies & Markets (C&M) show that the market leaders have considerably altered the composition of the inputs, including perfumery to gain consumers’ interest.

They have also resorted to re-packaging, re-designing and reducing grammages to be more pocket-friendly with the reduced purchasing power of consumers.

In some other cases the manufacturers are infusing new washing technology or chemicals for added value such as stain removers.

From leaders to laggards

C&M findings also show that as a result of these market and competition dynamics some market leaders have been pushed into laggards’ list.

Before now, detergent brands like  Surf and Omo, both from the stable of Unilever, as well as Elephant  detergent produced by PZ, had ruled the market, but faded out as a result of inability to adjust to the emerging market situation. PZ had tried to re-launch the Elephant brand back to the market  but failed in the mission as the realities of the new market order weighed down on their plans, which invariably impaired their re-entry.

The laundry soap product line in Nigeria consists of two major categories: hand-wash and the machine-wash categories. Powder detergents and bar detergents form a major portion of the hand-wash segment. In the machine-wash segment, powder detergents and liquid detergents are the main types. The powder soap category is the most popular in Nigeria.

However, consumers’ insight into activities of the manufacturers to scoop more market share was what a consumer, Madam Paulina Obieze, described as manufacturer’s sensitivity to consumers’ pressure on detergent owners to produce a more satisfying product type that fit their (consumers) pocket while delivering promises of good quality.

Another consumer, owner of a dry cleaning outfit, Mr. Appolos Igwe, said, most of the detergent brands are doing well in the market, basically because consumers want more for little amount, elegant designs and perfume input.

“Some have gone ahead to infuse other washing ingredients and technology into their brand to enhance their acceptance in the market,” he stated.

According to him,  “most times I use two of these brands,    SoKline  and  Sunlight. SoKline  for its stain magnet and colour guard technology and Sunlight for its freshness and perfume.”

A mother, Mrs. Josiah Anuolapo, said,   “what attracts me to the brands is that they all have cleaning power, unlike in those days you have to scrub and scrub before you get result, the detergents have all improved greatly,” she stated.

A look into the price list of the brands and offerings show a differentiated price war. For example, 90gram and 190 gram of  Sokline  sells for N70 and N130, but was between N50 and N100 late 2016, while both detergent offered consumers the privilege of colour guard, stain magnet technology and concentrated 30 percent detergent.

The 200gram of Gold mama from the same company sells for N120, offering consumers extra cleaning power/ improved formula for washing, according to a roadside store owner, who claimed that the pricing difference is because Sokine is more popular and has been in the market before Gold mama.

On the market leadership, a distributor of the detergent products at Balogun Business Area, trade fair complex, Lagos, Chief Austin Omengboji, said: “The limitations of traditional bar soaps have led to the development of synthetic detergents that are superior in performance.”   He said most of the brands are doing well, but noted that Sunlight, Ariel and SoKline are major contenders in the leadership position in the market, but that the odd favours Sunlight and Ariel.

Mazi Bonnyface Obigwe, Managing Director, Josh Enterprises, said, “from what I observed the battle line is being drawn by the detergent manufacturers, sometimes you are confused as to who is the market leader, but from my ledger here,  Sunlight, Ariel  and  SoKline  sell most.”

“In fact, the brands are tearing the market apart with their cross section appeals like re-packaging , fragrance inclusion and   design which is repositioning the brands, while keeping their promises,” said Moses Unong of Matrix Marketing. Women, according to him “love the  Sunlight  yellow and purple colours,” which he said attracts consumers to it.   The annual consumption of detergents in Nigeria is in the magnitude of hundreds of thousands of tonnes. The formal sector, with its increasing ability to influence consumers through advertisements, is rapidly expanding its market share, according to  C&M’s  chat with an experiential marketing expert, Johanson   Igbarowe of Oracle campaign.

Brand Development and Activation Director of PZ Cussons, Christos Giouras, denied the claims by some market operators that PZ’s Canoe brand is not visible in the market, stating that Canoe  soap remains Nigeria’s number one laundry soap and is available pan Nigeria across all channels.

According to him, “based on the most recent market share data that we have, both detergent and bar soap have either maintained or grown their share.”

 

 

The post Detergent manufacturers bow to consumers’ demand appeared first on Vanguard News.

For More details click the green link
via Naijapounds