A Season of “Million Naira” Promos

Like the clash of the titans, 2009 saw a surge in sales promotions across the country. It has been like a fierce battle among brands, with each competing with the others on who will make the highest offering so as to be perceived as the better brand. The Million Naira Promo has been the big deal this and several brands have taken their shots at it. Yetunde Ogundipe reviews expert opinions on the recent surge in one million naira promos and brands that give away these millions.

 

The One Million Naira prize offer, in recent times, has become the catch for several brands to drive sales and retain their customers. Due to brands’ fierce attacks on competitors as a way of pushing up their brand equity and loyalty, Consumers wake up to see one “Win-One-Million-Naira-In-One-Day” promo or the other and not many Nigerians can resist the urge of joining the Millionaires Club.

In an economy where there is stiff competition, promotion – part of the marketing mix – is used to stimulate demand, create awareness and generally push sales. Promotions also occur when there is a general downturn, stiff competition and low demand.

But experts believe that the “One Million Naira giveaways” is just a way of exploiting the hard times and growing sea of poverty that is flooding the land and the undying hope of Nigerians to score big and break out of choking poverty through such winnings.

Unlike the reactions the ‘Millionaires Promos’ are generating among some consumers which people say is further entrenching the culture of gamling in the country, marketing communications experts say there is nothing unethical about a company promising to give mouth-watering amounts of money if they are sincere. But some are beginning to wonder if the recent surge in cash giveaways is the only avenue left to drive sales in the country.

Mr. Mashood Okorejior, Managing Director, MMDS: IMC Limited, shares this belief. According to him, sales promotion is acceptable, but it is a cheap way of getting to Destination X. He says: “It reminds me of bribery which is a major problem in our society today; and the fact that all and sundry are doing this same thing at the same time brings the creativity of the responsible agencies to question. There are better and more ingenious ways of rewarding brand loyalists for their patronage.”

Mr. Julius Osumah, Group Head (Creative), Azzagai, believes that if your product, the marketing mix and channels are right, consumers will always connect with your brand. “So if you engage the customers, they will sort your brand out. There is nothing bad in promos but when a promo becomes the only way a brand can fight competitors, the brand may have a problem with leveraging. The day the promo stops the consumers will go back to their faithful brands,” he adds.

Although promotions are usually for short durations, they help to create mind share and encourage customers to think of the company’s brand when they want to buy a product. It is a bait to drive up sales but experts believe it is a shot in the arm; it will push up sales only while it lasts.

So far, this year, several brands are on record for having given out (some are still giving out) millions of naira to some of their lucky customers.

Here are some of the brands that have taken a shot at the “Million Naira Price Promo”.  

 

Etisalat 3-in-1 9jillions Promotion

Etisalat’s One Million Dollars offer stands as the biggest of all the One Million prize promos. Beginning from June to November 2009, the 3-in-1 promo offered subscribers the opportunity to win a phone every hour of the day for 90 days, with N35 million going to 35 other subscribers who were lucky to emerge for the grand draws, while one especially lucky customer had the opportunity of winning the grand prize of One Million US Dollars.

20 year-old Kizito Egeonu, a 400 level medical student of Unijos, emerged winner of the $1Million grand prize money.

As the promo wound up, Etisalat said it had given out N300 million to subscribers, which benefited 258 people in cash, made 56 millionaires and turned the world of Kizito Egeonu and his family some 60 degrees around.

 

Pepsi One-Million-Everyday-for-Seventy-Days Promo

The “One Million Everyday for Seventy Days” consumer promotion by Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc started on October 16 and will end on December 24, 2009.

In all, it promises to give 70 consumers across the country N1 million in cash each, while 70,000 consumers will win N500 each. A total of 7 million consumers will win free drinks. At present, over 40 consumers have emerged millionaires through the promotion across the country.

To win, a consumer has to open a bottle of any of the brands in the Seven-Up Bottling Company stable: Pepsi, 7Up, Mirinda, Mountain Dew and Teem. Following which they win whatever they see under the crown cork.  

 

Glo “Text 4 Millions” Promo

Globacom’s “Text 4 Millions” Promo purportedly created 133 millionaires from existing and new subscribers on the network.

The promo which started in July and ended in October was heralded by the unveiling of the new Globacom Ambassadors, made up of popular Nollywood actors and actresses, including, Jim Iyke, Nonso Diobi, Rita Dominic, Chioma Chukwuka and a host of others.

The promo lasted for 90 days, during which 90 lucky millionaires were picked in daily draws. A bonus winner of 1 Million naira was also drawn every week for ten weeks. Additionally, a sum of 10 million naira each was won by lucky subscribers during two of the monthly draws and presentations while 30 million naira was won by one lucky subscriber at the grand finale scheduled for the end of the third month.

N50m worth of free airtime was also given out to lucky subscribers during the course of the promo. In total, N150m worth of cash prizes were given out to subscribers while the total prize payout to all winners in the promo was over N200m.

 

Zain Naira Rain Promo

Zain came out with a 3-in-1 Christmas promo tagged “Zain Naira Rain Promo”. Starting from November 23, 2009 to January 4, 2010, the consumer promo promises to give 375 customers the opportunity to win a million naira each. Customers only need to use as low as N50 airtime to participate in the draw for each day throughout the duration of the promotion.

Various categories of prizes in the promo include several N1 million prizes in the daily draws, a number of N5 million prizes in the weekly draws and one N10 million grand prize in the final draw.

 

Guinness 250 Anniversary Promo

The National Consumer Promotion embarked upon by Guinness Nigeria Plc since July, 2009 to reward loyal consumers as part of activities to celebrate its 250 years anniversary came to an end with 25 consumers wining the sum of N1 million each.

The promotion also rewarded 250 loyal consumers of the brand with cash prizes of N50, 000 each for the duration of the promotion, while another 250 loyal consumers were also rewarded with a year’s supply of Guinness.

 

Indomie Instant Millionaire Promo

The objective of the promotion was to reward loyal customers for their continuous patronage. Between September 1 and October 30, 2009, the company gave away N60 million to 60 lucky consumers.

To participate, consumers were to buy a carton of Indomie noodles and peel the scratch card inside to reveal their prizes. Each carton of Indomie contained a card that was to enable the winners redeem their prizes instantly by going to the nearest redemption centre

Aside the N1 million each for 60 winners, 50 air conditioners; 200 microwave ovens; 500 printed carpets; 500 rice cookers; 500 DVD players and lots of other prizes were also given out.