New CSD, Big Cola competes for market share with N5b initial investment
AJE Group, a multinational beverage company with headquarters in Lima, Peru has started the production and distribution of Big Cola, a new carbonated soft drink in Nigeria with initial investment capital of over N5 billion.
The production of the soft drink in different variants of Cola, orange and Lemon is expected to further stretch competition in that segment dominated by Coca Cola, Pepsi and LaCasera among others.
But the managers of the new soft drink are confident of the product’s easy and quick penetration in to the Nigerian market which has vibrant population of over 160 million, comprising 70 percent youth concentration at over 80 million.
To entice Nigerians and create loyalty, the company said it is offering the consumers more quantity and quality product for less amount. It is selling 65 cl at N90 against competitors 50 cl for N100. “With a strong commitment to ‘democratizing consumption’ AJE reaches out to new consumer groups and provides them with access to high quality products at fair prices”, the company said.
Speaking at the formal unveiling of the product over the weekend at their factory in Agbara, Ogun State, the country manager, Theo Williams said the company is equally using the same competition philosophy in other markets around the world. “We want to be among the top 20 companies in the world in 2020, he said. According to him, in 2011, Euromonitor rated the company as the 10th largest soft drink company in sales volume and the 4th largest producer of carbonated soft drinks
He said presently in Nigeria, the company has one production line which does everything and which is automated. He described Nigeria as a land with opportunities for the citizens and investors.
Reminded that players in the CSD market in Nigeria have deep advertising budgets which is partly responsible for their dominance, Williams said “in FMCG world, advertising is of greate importance. We have decided on soft launching and after that we will hit the market with major advertising campaigns”
He said that the company with presence in over 20 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa,would also move in to other African markets such as Cameroun next year.
According to Williams, the company with 25 years of experience is soley owned by the Añaños Family in Peru but in Nigeria, it has appointed some Nigerians who are on the board. In Nigeria the company is called AJeast Nigeria.
In the recent time, more foreign CSD brands have entered Nigeria due to the seen Nigeria’s growth trajectory, big market, rising middle class and the increasing purchasing power among Nigerians.
Daniel Obi