The Director General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) Engr. Umar Bindir, noted that milk consumption was an index of quality of life, said that if a half of Nigerian population estimated at a hundred million consume a glass of milk estimated at only N100 per glass, it could generate N10 billion per day, which in turn could create millions of jobs and translate into a N300 billion monthly revenue. Berth of Peak Milk Peak Milk, now from the stable of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc (WAMCO), berthed in Nigeria through import in 1954, while local production began in 1975.
The company produces and sells evaporated milk, instant milk powder and other dairy products in three brands: Peak, Three Crowns and FrisoGold. For many years after its launch, Peak assumed a generic name for all other milk products.
The challenge In the earliest days of Peak Milk in the market, Carnation and Coata for instance, posed a challenge. But, none of the two posed a more serious challenge than the berth of Cowbel from the stable of Promasidor, then known as Wonder Foods, in 1992.
Cowbell came in both powder and sachet packaging. It was the first of such to be launched into the Nigerian market. Many consumers who could not afford Peak Milk found solace in Cowbell.
Cowbell was sold at N5, which many consumers considered much more affordable. Other milk brands that compete and challenge Peak Milk market relevance besides Cowbell include; Dano, Nunu, Loyal, Hollandia Milk among others. Drinking milk products especially from Bobo, Viju, Chi and several others in the market also posed serious challenge to the Peak Milk brand. 2013/2014 posed another treat to Peak Milk as the market witnessed two major identical launches targeting the same demographic – children.
The launches, from both Bobo and Chi focused on milk drinks with fruit juice, as this combination is thought to provide both nutrition and taste.
According to EuroMonitor, as at last year, Promasidor Nigeria’s Cowbell Choco brand, ahead of Peak Milk, was one of the most popular powder milk drinks amongst Nigerian children, who constitute a good percentage of consumers drinking milk products in Nigeria.
“Its marketing (such as the happy cow) and flavouring are targeted at children. The company’s wide brand range and presence in a broad range of categories in drinking milk products explains its leading position compared with its competitors, such as FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria, which has one strong major brand – Peak,” EuroMonitor said. Survival strategy
Meanwhile, over the years, FrieslandCampina Wamco was the first dairy company in Nigeria to be ISO certified in 1997. Realising the infringements on its market share, the company started the first powder factory in 1999 while it commenced the second powder factory (packing plant) in 2005. Other activities aimed at surviving the market onslaught include; revamping of the Peak Milk brand in 2007 and the introduction of Peak evaporated milk in 35g sachet in 2009. Justifying the 35g sachet, the company said that the objective of launching it was to make evaporated milk accessible to more Nigerians.
The firm said the technologies used in the manufacture of the product has never been used anywhere in the world. “It is the first time evaporated milk is produced in a sachet, an undeniable result of the Nigeria-Holland relationship.
This has placed Nigeria in the centre of the world with WAMCO as the pioneer innovator. As an added advantage, this will generate employment for more Nigerians, thereby developing the economy,” said the company, which also joined the drinking milk product market with the launch of Peak Milk School Smart. The company equally relaunched Three Crown Milk to fight in the lower segment of the market where Nunu and Coast are players.
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