Twenty-three years ago, when Mr. Bigg's the current leader in the fast food sector emerged from the ashes of various fast food outfits which reigned in the 80s, not many thought it would metamorphose into an octopus and a money spinner in the uacn conglomerate. It's previous but dead predecessors included Terris, Express Fisheries, Chicken George and Kingsway Rendezvous amongst others, is the amazing story of the money spinning brand. Excerpts:
Remember Kingsway stores? The popular department stores owned by the uacn, it used to have a coffee section where shoppers and workers relaxed in the 60s until 1973 when it gave way to Kingsway Rendezvous, a drinks and snacks store owned by the uacn. Although, it reigned for a while, Kingsway Rendezvous was soon rested due to the economic crunch of the period. But in August 1986, Mr. Bigg's emerged as a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) brand in the country.
The vision of its founding fathers then was to make “Mr. Bigg's the preferred Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) experience in West Africa , meeting customers' needs of value, convenience, quality, taste and fast friendly service”. The founders also vowed as part of their corporate mission that “Mr. Bigg's will be the most convenient quick service eating experience, offering affordable high quality meals and great fun for individuals and families. Mr. Bigg's will be a great place to work for and to be at.” Initially, a lot of people sniggered at these offerings of the brand, one largely due to the harsh economic situation of the era being military regime. Mr Bigg's has since proven the cynics wrong. With an annual turnover running into billions of Naira, it has not only conquered the fast food terrain in the country, it has also exported its culinary experience to the West African Coast. Mr. Bigg's opened shop in Ghana some six years ago. It currently has about 200 restaurants in about 50 cities in and around Nigeria and Ghana .
Prior to its foray into Ghana , Mr. Bigg's controls 50% of the fast food market in Nigeria .
This record, marketing experts consider a spectacular achievement, given the slippery business terrain and the unpredictable investment climate in the country.
Although, the holding company of Mr. Bigg's, a host of other factors also contributed to the present success of the brand. Living to the debut advertising slogan: “You are just 10 kilometres away from the next Mr. Bigg's” outlets have been opened in different parts of the country, reaching zones hitherto considered impregnable by the players in the sector. This wide expansion eventually paid off, as it made Mr. Bigg's accessible to most Nigerians. Explaining the reason behind Mr. Bigg's expansion drive, the former Divisional Managing Director of the company and now Group Managing Director, uacn Plc, Mr. Larry Ettah, says: “We have certainly been in places where people have considered their comfort zones.
“We believe consumers should have a choice. Consumers deserve the kind of service we are offering. As market leader, our responsibility is to define parameters and define standards. And we hope to also expand the total market even those in the lower rung of the market will have opportunities. We think this country is big. We think the market is large.”
Another factor that has helped Mr. Bigg's is the affordable prices of its products. In the fast food sector, Mr. Bigg's snacks are perceived as the most pocket friendly.
The products, which, could be served as take away or eat in the cool ambience of the outlets are usually served with disposable packs. To further propel it in the market, Mr. Bigg's is in partnership with Mobil Petroleum. In the market agreement, Mr. Bigg's outlets are opened in Mobil filling stations. This co-branding effort has helped, in no small way, to increase the market share of Mr. Bigg's.
The pedigree of uac as a pioneer marketer of quality products in the country has also enamoured Mr. Bigg's to its prospects. Also, Mr. Bigg's appeal to the mass of the people especially, children, women and the young adults who enjoy fast food, give the brand a further edge.
In spite of its mass appeal and ambitious expansion programme, Mr. Bigg's ensures that a high quality control is maintained in its products. One of their quality control devices is that Mr. Bigg's does not sell overnight food. “Any food that we produce and we don't sell that night, we give to charity the following day,” former uac Managing Director, Ayo Ajay once revealed in an interview with Brandweek correspondent.
Another factor that cannot be discounted is the marketing communications activities around Mr. Bigg's. Over the years, millions and millions of naira had been utilised in general advertising, public relations and strategic marketing of Mr. Bigg's, projecting it as winning brand.
Its campaigns often highlight the innate qualities of the brand. In one of the campaigns, Mr. Bigg's is portrayed as Mr. Hygiene and Mr. Clean espousing the neat ambience of its outlets. As Mr. Quality, it celebrates the high quality of its snacks. And of course, Mr. Bigg's as Mr. Nigeria celebrates and portrays the Nigerianess of the brand.
But in spite of the Nigerianess of Mr. Bigg's, the presence of the eatery in Ghana has shown that the Mr. Bigg's brand has more than a national ambition.
Ettah, the uac Chief Guardian, confirmed this impression. His words: “We are a national brand, but we have more than a national ambition. We want to be the pacesetters in Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) experience in West Africa because we recognise that as our immediate share, and of course as a platform for global ascent.”
Mr Chris Adedipe equally shared the vision and aspiration of the founding fathers of the brand. But one thing is sure, in spite of its current leadership position in the market, Mr. Bigg's should be on the guard as rival brands like Tantalizers, Sweet Sensation and even Big Treat are striving hard and strategising daily on how to increase their current share in the market.
Culled from The Nation (Brand Week (Brand & Strategy Journal) of Friday, 8th May, 2009
Article Written by Wale Alabi |
