How ‘Drink Milk’ Campaign Impacts Consumers, Industry

Peak Milk, a brand from the stable of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, recently flagged off a pan-Nigeria campaign tagged “Drink Milk Everyday” aimed at encouraging regular intake of milk among Nigerians.

Nigeria is ranked one of the poorest in terms of per capita milk consumption. While Nigeria per capita milk consumption stands at 8kg per annum, Netherlands records a whopping 320kg per capita per annum and Kenya and Ethiopia record over 100 compared with Nigeria. However, Peak Milk is set to reverse this trend with the Drink Milk Everyday project, Senior Brand Manager, Peak, Joshua Abuh said.

The campaign has, so far, visited three key cities Benin, Ibadan and Makurdi, as the train keeps transiting the length and breadth of the country.

The campaign came as a result of extensive research by the company, which showed that Nigerians were not drinking milk enough, considering its enormous nutritional benefits and its ability to help the country build a healthy manpower.

At the unveiling ceremony in Lagos recently,  wife of the governor of Lagos State, Abimbola Fashola, emphasised the need to drink milk, which she said was essential for daily growth, using herself as proof of the fact that milk gives strength, enhances beauty and  power.

Since the launch of the programme, the Drink Milk Everyday train has berthed in three key cities to an overwhelming reception from consumers, students and government functionaries, particularly the wives of the governors and their aides.

In Benue, wife of the Benue State governor, Yemisi Dooshima Suswam flagged off the Drink Milk Everyday for women’ campaign in the state, commending Friesland for the initiative aimed at ensuring that women lead healthy lives. Edo and Oyo were not different as Edo State deputy governor’s wife, Endurance Odubu and wife of Oyo State governor, Florence Ajimobi encouraged mothers to see the initiative as laudable.

The campaign is also recorded as one of the most impactful corporate social responsibility.

Students, children and mothers have testified to the influence of the campaign in their attitudes towards milk consumption.

Apart from increased patronage experienced by the promoter,  Peak Milk, other milk manufacturing and marketing organisations have also witnessed increased patronage arising from the campaign in these three states.

While wives of governors are encouraging mothers to embrace the initiative by ensuring that they give their wards milk on a regular basis, students from tertiary institution have urged milk manufacturing companies to embark on pocket friendly packaging targeted at students who may not be able to afford the present offerings in the market.

During the campaign at the University of Ibadan a fortnight ago, many students participated. Like other places where the Drink Milk Everyday campaign train has berthed, University of Ibadan students and some consumers who attended the event were educated on the goodness and benefits of regular intake of milk.

Speaking at the event, the UI Students’ Union president, Edosa Raymond, said this was the first selfless campaign embarked upon by a corporate organisation in Nigeria.

Also emphasising the importance of the campaign, Unakuya Dickeh, a 100-level student in the Faculty of Social Science, said: “This campaign is a noteworthy one. Apart from encouraging us to drink milk, it also brings out social life from students. Since the campaign, my attitude towards milk has improved because before now I didn’t like drinking milk but I have been made to understand that there are essential vitamins in milk.”

So far, the impact of the campaign, according to consumers in those states including Lagos, is inestimable. While the consumers gain from drinking milk regularly and frequently, the industry benefits from the volume sales occasioned by the increased demand as a result of massive awareness by the campaign.

Explaining why the campaign was initiated, Abuh said the drink milk everyday campaign arose as a result of research the company carried out in the country with respect to how Nigerians use milk.

“What we discovered was that even though Nigerians appreciate the goodness of milk and know that it is nutritious, they do not take it regularly. On the average, people consume milk twice a week which is too low if they will get all the benefits that are there in milk,” Abuh stated.

The idea of the campaign, according to Abuh, is therefore to sensitise the public not only about the nutrients in milk but also to take it on a regular basis.

“Researches have shown that nutrients that are not readily available and affordable are present in milk. For instance, Nigerians do not really know that milk contains very cheap protein. Milk is very rich in protein and if you look at the cost of milk against the cost of other products that give you protein you discover that milk is relatively cheaper,” Abuh emphasised.

The campaign will be heading for Ilorin, capital of Kwara State, in two weeks en route other cities across the country. It would be recalled that insurance apathy is tackled by concerted effort of all insurance companies. However, Peak Milk has embarked upon a project that was undertaken by Netherlands government when it was found out that 25 percent of its male population fell short of military conscription.