Coca-Cola has singled out Nigeria in its third-quarter results. In the earnings release published on 27 October, the company says a campaign celebrating 75 years of Coca-Cola in Nigeria "reached more than 100 million consumers, contributing to volume growth and value and volume share gains for the quarter." Nigeria sits alongside the United States (140 years) and Mexico (100 years) as the three anniversary markets the company highlighted.
What the campaign was
The anniversary push began mid-year. In July the Coca-Cola system in Nigeria, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Bottling Company, launched a limited-edition 60cl PET bottle with 10cl more than the standard 50cl pack, in Coca-Cola Less Sugar, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta and Sprite, according to Nairametrics. The Less Sugar bottle carries Nigeria's flag colours.
Music followed. A 75-member choir, one singer for each year in the country, led by Johnny Drille, recorded a four-minute anniversary anthem around the Pidgin line "We don tey, we still dey", ThisDay reported. Coca-Cola's own summary lists distinctive packaging, creator content and experiential events, bringing together "national pride, music, authentic connection and self-expression".
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The wider numbers explain the attention. Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, unit case volume grew 5% in the quarter, but Coca-Cola lost value share in non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in the region: gains in Nigeria and Morocco were more than offset by losses in France and the United Kingdom, the release says. Worldwide, revenue rose 7% to $13.4 billion, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volume grew 16%, and the company raised its full-year earnings guidance.
For marketers, the order of play is worth noting: a value pack first, then music, creators and events built around a date that consumers already recognise.
