Why Did Stimorol Chicken Out of the Nigerian Chewing Gum Market?

In 2008, Cadbury Nigeria Plc introduced a brand of chewing gum under the brand name, Stimorol. But when Cadbury announced that the less than one year product that reportedly gulped the staggering sum of N80 million had been sent to the slaughter house and finally butchered, industry watchers all opened their mouths in utmost consternation. Ralph Tathagata weighs up the situation and its ripple effect.

Brands are born. But, as they grow, if they are not well positioned and nurtured to meet the dynamic needs of their customers, they die. Some other brands are born and become stillbirths in no time.

The introduction of a product does not always mean that its success in the market place is guaranteed. Like any other company that manipulated standard industry practice has had their casualty, Cadbury Nigeria Plc has consistently suffered from low ratings since its corporate image was smeared by corruption few years ago. Ever since then, the life expectancy of some brands on its stable, e.g. Eclairs and Bubba chewing gum have been hanging in the balance.

Towards the last quarter of 2008, Cadbury Nigeria introduced Stimorol chewing gum into the market. Accordingly, the introduction of Stimorol took a unique and loud experiential dimension by embarking on road shows on open trucks and branded vans in Lagos and other major Nigerian cities. In a bid to touch the core of its target market (the youth), Stimorol regaled graduate students at some Universities like UNILAG, LASU and Yaba College of Technology with tunes of local and foreign artistes right on their campuses.

That Stimorol has been rested barely one year after it displayed this market stunt that received raves from consumers should provoke apprehensions among observers.

While this untimely death remains a source of worry to watchers, ailing brands like Eclairs and Bubba chewing gum that Cadbury has been desperately trying to inject life into were also scrapped.

Ekanem Kufre, Corporate Affairs Manager, Cadbury Nigeria Plc who was contacted through his cell phone revealed to M2 that Eclairs, Bubba chewing gum and the youngest and promising brand, Stimorol were scrapped because Cadbury Nigeria wants to focus on what it considers major brands which are Bournvita, Tom Tom and Butter Mint.

“We decided to rest Eclairs, Bubba and Stimorol chewing gum so as to focus on our three major brands which are, Bournvita, Tom Tom and Butter mint at least for now,” he said.

On why a new product like Stimorol should also be felled by Cadbury’s corporate axe, Ekanem said that it does not matter how young a brand is before it goes to the knackers.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong in resting a brand that a company considers non-profitable. I think it is all about focusing on one’s area of strength and that is what we have done,” he said.

Having spent the shocking sum of N80 million to introduce a product and resting it within one year sounds deeply incredible to any industry person.

Brand life expectancy can be increased through innovations and re-positioning. Observers reason that what should have been uppermost to Cadbury Nigeria is the customers’ perception of its other brands. Will the scrapping of the supposedly ailing brands increase or decrease loyalty in the few surviving ones like Bournvita, Tom Tom and Butter Mint that are still considered the brand bastion of the company? Where is the demise of these brands going to leave the entire workforce that has been toiling for them? These and many more posers are begging for answers.